Super Soups

As the cold weather in January rolls in, nothing is more inviting than a warm bowl of soup. With an endless variety of soups available, here are some tips on how to select the most nourishing recipes for you and your family!

Bean-based soups are high in fiber and are good sources of protein and complex carbohydrates, which help to keep you satisfied longer. Some examples of bean-based soups include, vegetarian chili, minestrone, and pasta and kidney bean. Check out our recipes for Hearty Three-Bean Soup,  Cuban Black Bean Soup, Ribollita, and Turkey Chili.

Vegetable soups are great for incorporating a variety of vegetables into your meals. These soups tend to be healthy options and the nutrients in the cooked vegetables tend to be more easily absorbed by the body.  To make vegetable soups heartier, try adding some cooked quinoa or barely like we do in our Lentil Barley Soup and Mushroom Barley Soup.

Cream-based soups, such as cream of broccoli or lobster bisque, tend to be richer than most other soups. It’s fine to enjoy these soups in moderation, but you can also try substituting plain yogurt for cream, or you can boost their nutrition content by adding in vegetables such as spinach, carrots, and mushrooms. Try making our Super Tomato Soup or Carrot Apple Soup.

Fighting off a cold? Research has shown that eating chicken noodle soup may indeed help your body fight off the sniffles. This classic soup actually acts as an anti-inflammatory. The steamy bowl may also help clear congestion and keep you hydrated. Click here for our Basic Chicken soup recipe.

Whatever soup you make, you’ll be warming up your family and filling them with nourishing food—and that should make everybody feel good.

Alexa Essenfeld, Intern
Rutgers University, Department of Nutritional Sciences