What’s better on a cold winter day than a warm bowl of soup? Soup can be nutritious, easy to prepare, and inexpensive. It can be great hot or cold, prepared with minimal clean-up, only needs one pot, and the combination of ingredients is unlimited. Soup is a great dish for a variety of palettes and can be tailored to be spicy, savory or sweet. Follow these helpful tips for making delicious and nutritious soups from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension.
Soup for every season. As appetizers, side dishes, or main dishes, soups help celebrate the bounty of the four seasons. Soups can be thick and hearty, smooth and creamy, or savory. They can be served hot, such as minestrone, or cold, such as mango and cucumber soup.
Be sodium savvy. To keep soups tasty and healthy, use low-sodium broth, stock, or soup base for the foundation. Experiment with flavorful herbs and spices in place of salt. The most effective replacements are savory flavors with “bite,” such as black pepper, garlic powder, curry powder, cumin, dill seeds, basil, ginger, coriander and onion. Use minced or powdered garlic and onion rather than their salt form. When substituting minced or powdered garlic and onion for the salt version, use about half as much.
Make healthier choices with Nutrition Facts Labels. When buying canned soups, use the Nutrition Facts Label to help choose ones with lower sodium levels. Foods with 140 milligrams (mg) of sodium or less per serving can be labeled as low-sodium foods. Claims such as “low in sodium” or “very low in sodium” on the front of the food label can help identify foods that contain less salt.
Choose healthier substitutions. Soup can be a healthy, inexpensive meal. Keep soups lower in fat and calories by using cheese, sour cream, or bacon sparingly as a topping or garnish. Or choose healthier substitutes like reduced-fat shredded cheese, low-fat sour cream, non-fat plain yogurt, or turkey bacon. Substitute a whole-grain product for a refined product – such as using whole-wheat noodles, barley, or brown rice in soups and stews.
Cook once, eat twice. Homemade soups can be made ahead of time and in large quantities. Eat refrigerated soup within three to four days or freeze it. Do not let soup sit at room temperature for more than two hours. To speed cooling, store soups in shallow containers. When serving a second time, bring to a boil.
While rigid containers like freezer boxes may be more practical to freeze soups, “freezer” bags (not “storage” bags that are thinner) can be used if not overfilled since liquids often expand during freezing and can overflow either type of container. Speed freezing and hasten thawing by freezing foods in a thin, flattened shape in freezer bags. Flatter packages also will stack better in your freezer. Be sure to label the package using freezer tape, gummed freezer labels, or permanent markers. Include name of food, packaging date, number of servings or amount, and any additional information about any special ingredients.
Article released February 1, 2021
