Hot soup is a delightful companion to cold weather. Soup is also a wonderful way to get a nutritious, well-balanced meal, as it can easily include vegetables, lean proteins, whole grains, and maybe even dairy or fruit, in an easy-cleanup one-pot meal. Plus, brothy soups are an excellent way to stay hydrated in the relatively low humidity of winter, and they freeze well.
Fun Soup Facts
Scientists think that people have been making soup for at least 20,000 years, based on shards of singed pottery found at an archaeological site in China. Historians think that restaurants began as roadside stands that sold soup.
Peoples all over the world have some kind of traditional soup: alphabet soup (American); matzoh ball soup (Jewish); tom yum (Vietnamese); bird’s nest soup (Chinese); borscht (Russian); goulash (Hungarian); lentil soup (Middle Eastern); minestrone (Italian); maafe (West African); fanesca (Ecuadorian). There is a never-ending beef noodle soup in a small restaurant in Bangkok that’s been simmering for 45 years!
Our culture is steeped in soup references: phrases like “from soup to nuts” and “thick as pea soup”; the traditional children’s story about how we are better when sharing, Stone Soup; the bestselling series of inspirational stories, Chicken Soup for the Soul; and even the TV series Seinfeld lifted soup’s profile with its 116th episode, “The Soup Nazi.”
Homemade vs. Store Bought
However, not all soup is made the same.
Read the nutrition facts labels on canned soups or on fast food menus. They often have way too much salt, and the creamy ones often have too much fat. Instead, give these recipes for homemade soup a try.
Even if you’re not a super soup person, there is definitely some kind of soup out there for you!
Soup Recipe #1: “Any night” Speedy Beef Barley Soup
Traditionally, beef barley soups start with a slow-cook cut of beef. Here it’s replaced by ground beef and beef broth, making it a great choice any night.
Find a printable version with nutrition facts here: http://cceschoharie-otsego.org/speedy-beef-barley
Ingredients: ½ pound lean ground beef; 1 bay leaf; 2 cups water; 1 large carrot, cut up; 2 stalks celery, cut up; 1 small onion, chopped; 1 cup canned tomatoes; ¼ cup pearled barley; ½ teaspoon salt, optional; ⅛ teaspoon pepper; 2 cups beef broth, low sodium
Instructions: 1. Brown the meat in a deep saucepan. 2. Add the bay leaf and the water; cover and heat until the water boils. 3. Turn the heat to low and cook 20-30 minutes. 4. Remove bay leaf. 5. Add the rest of the ingredients; cover and bring the soup back to a boil. 6. Turn heat to low and cook about 20 minutes or until vegetables and barley are tender.
Soup Recipe #2: “Slow cooker” Black Bean Hearty Soup
Most people would benefit from adding more beans to their diet. Prep this soup the night before for a meal that will be waiting for you when you get home from work.
Find a printable version with nutrition facts here: http://cceschoharie-otsego.org/black-bean-hearty-soup
Ingredients: 3 medium carrots, halved and thinly sliced; 2 celery ribs, thinly sliced; 1 medium onion, chopped; 4 garlic cloves, minced; 1 (30-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained; 2 (14-ounce) cans chicken broth, low-sodium; 1 (15-ounce) can crushed tomatoes; 1 ½ teaspoon dried basil; ½ teaspoon dried oregano; ½ teaspoon ground cumin; ½ teaspoon chili powder; ½ teaspoon hot pepper sauce (optional)
Instructions: In a slow cooker, combine the first 11 ingredients (plus hot sauce if using). Cover and cook on low for 9-10 hours or until vegetables are tender. Serve over ½ cup rice.
Soup Recipe #3: “I can’t cook” Vegetable Soup
Is your idea of cooking heating frozen dinners in the microwave? This soup is for you. Have you got some leftover rice from take-out, or the last pickings of a supermarket rotisserie chicken? They would be perfect to add to balance out this soup. Or eat it with a slice or two of whole wheat bread with hummus or peanut butter.
Find a printable version with nutrition facts here: http://cceschoharie-otsego.org/vegetable-soup
Ingredients: 1 (15-ounce) can chicken broth, low sodium; 1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes with Italian seasoning; 1 (16-ounce) package mixed vegetables, frozen
Instructions: 1. In a 2-quart microwave dish combine chicken broth, tomatoes, and vegetables. 2. Cover and microwave on high for 3 minutes. 3. Remove the dish from microwave and serve.
Soup Recipe #4: “I can’t believe it’s not cream” Cream of Carrot Soup
Delicious as cream-based soups can be, you might avoid them because of their high saturated fat—and also calorie—content. Try this version, which cuts way back on saturated fat and calories by using evaporated skim milk.
Plus, this recipe is wonderfully flexible! You can use an equivalent amount of any vegetable in place of the carrots. And don’t be afraid to double the amount of carrots (more veggies is always healthier!); just use a bit more water when you cook them (just enough to cover them in boiling water; excess water will make a less creamy soup).
Find a printable version with nutrition facts here: http://cceschoharie-otsego.org/cream-of-carrot
Ingredients: 1 cup diced carrots; ½ cup boiling water; 2 tablespoons onion, minced; 3 tablespoons butter; 3 tablespoons flour; 2 ½ cups evaporated skim milk
Instructions: 1. In a small saucepan, combine carrots and water, cover. Simmer until carrots are tender. Set aside. 2. In a medium saucepan, cook onions in butter until tender. Add flour, mixing until smooth. 3. Then add milk, stirring constantly. Continue stirring while cooking on low heat until thickened. 4. Add carrots (with water) from small saucepan. Heat thoroughly and serve.
Soup Recipe #5: “Appease your sweet tooth” Butternut Squash and Apple Soup
This naturally sweet soup will be a favorite with kids as well as adults.
Find a printable version with nutrition facts here: http://cceschoharie-otsego.org/butternut-squash-and-apple-soup
Ingredients: 3 tablespoons butter; 1 large onion, chopped; 1 medium butternut squash (about 3 lbs.) peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch cubes; 6 cups chicken broth, low sodium; 4 apples, peeled, cored and chopped; 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg; 2 cups evaporated skim milk; 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar (optional; use if apples are a tart variety)
Instructions: 1. In a large pot, melt butter over medium heat. 2. Add chopped onion and sauté, stirring occasionally, until tender and translucent (4-6 minutes). 3. Add butternut squash and chicken broth. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium low. 4. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until squash is tender (about 20 minutes). 5. Add apples and nutmeg. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until apples are tender (about 15 minutes). 6. Using blender or food processor, puree soup (in batches) until smooth. 7. Return blended soup to pot, stir in evaporated milk. Season with brown sugar if using, and pepper to taste.
What Else?
- Stock and broth can both be used as bases for soups. They are similar in taste, but not the same. Traditionally, stock is made from simmering bones (along with veggies and herbs), whereas broth is made from simmering meat. Stock is often made with much less salt, so is usually a better choice when watching your sodium intake.
- You can give soup as a gift: in a large jar, layer legumes like beans, lentils, or split peas, plus grains like barley, brown rice, or pasta elbows, along with herbs and dried broth/stock concentrate; don’t forget to add a ribbon and recipe card.
- Oh, and put those cans of less-than-healthy soup to a better use: if you don’t have free weights, they’re the perfect beginner-level exercise tool while doing arm curls, shoulder presses, and lateral and flexion arm raises.
- If you are interested in more healthy soup recipes like Chicken Tortellini Soup, Curried Lentil Soup, and Super Soup Surprise, visit our website (cceschoharie-otsego.org/nutrition-health) where you can also learn how you can participate in our free nutrition/cooking classes. Or contact our nutrition educators directly: Michelle Leveski, mml39@cornell.edu, 518-234-4303 ext. 115, or Kimberly Ferstler, kmf239@cornell.edu, 518-234-4303 ext. 120