Soup the Superfood
Struggling with meal ideas? Want something easy to batch just in time for the change of seasons? Look no further than what is most likely already in your possession. Soups are a great way to satisfy your appetite while using up excess vegetables you most likely already have. The best part about soup is its versatility. You can customize it from the veggies down to the proteins you include. Oftentimes it requires no more than putting some ingredients in the oven and blending them together with the milk or broth of your choice. Soups are perfect for those on-the-go moments when you are looking to feed your family in a pinch or working around a chaotic work schedule.
Not only are they super easy to make, but they can be fairly inexpensive! With inflation at an all-time high, a simple trip to the grocery store can put a major dent in your pocket. So, if you are looking to save a few bucks all while having enough food to last a basic work week, soup recipes will be your best friend this fall/winter! You can serve it right away or batch it and freeze for up to 3 months!
However, it has way more benefits than its convenience. Soups are known to be an essential source of vitamins and nutrients that contribute to our general health. Many soups contain a wide variety of raw vegetables such as leafy greens or marrow vegetables, which are extremely high in antioxidants, vitamin A and dietary fibers. Not to mention, soup is oftentimes paired with a protein, which adds to its nutritional value. Whether it be plant proteins such as tofu or legumes or animal proteins like chicken or ground turkey.
Despite all the ways in which you can make your recipe unique, you can choose to keep it as simple as possible and still reap many of its benefits. This is because one of the most overlooked ingredients is broth! Chicken broth, bone broth, beef broth, and vegetable broth help to hydrate the body while providing us with essential nutrients. One of the most beneficial is bone broth. Dating back centuries, bone broth has found its way back into the conversation with its growing popularity as the new “health drink.” Not only is it highly nutritious, but it can also help aid digestion, improve gut health, decrease inflammation, help fight osteoporosis, and can even aid in weight loss.
Whether you choose to keep it simple or dress it up, the health benefits are endless. Here are some soup recipes to get you started:
Butternut and Calabaza squash soup:
- 1 large butternut squash
- 1 half of a Calabaza squash
- 2 bulbs of garlic
- Olive oil
- Coconut milk
- Vegetable broth
- Seasonings of your choice
- Blender or food processor
Immunity Boosting Green Goddess Soup:
- Your choice of broccoli or Cauliflower
- kale
- White beans
- 1 onion
- 1 bulb of garlic
- The juice of 1 lemon
- Ground cumin
- crushed red pepper flakes
- Fresh cilantro
- Optional: add avocado
- Simply blend together in a food processor and enjoy 🙂
References:
Ali. (2019, September 9). Green goddess soup. Gimme Some Oven. Retrieved October 3, 2022, from https://www.gimmesomeoven.com/green-goddess-soup/
Fernández-López, J., Botella-Martínez, C., Navarro-Rodríguez de Vera, C., Sayas-Barberá, M. E., Viuda-Martos, M., Sánchez-Zapata, E., & Pérez-Álvarez, J. A. (2020, December 14). Vegetable soups and creams: Raw materials, processing, health benefits, and innovation trends. Plants (Basel, Switzerland). Retrieved October 3, 2022, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7764940/
McDonnell, K. (2020, November 30). Here are 6 reasons to drink bone broth. Healthline. Retrieved October 3, 2022, from https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/bone-broth
MediLexicon International. (n.d.). The top 6 bone broth benefits. Medical News Today. Retrieved October 3, 2022, from https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/323903
