Healthy, Hot and Hearty – Soup
Soup is the perfect food for the cold days of January. Soup can be made out
of almost anything you have on hand.Soups are generally prepared using a stock
that is made by slow simmering beef, chicken, or fish, and vegetables in water
with seasonings added. After simmering it is strained and this is the base of
your soup. A variety of different ingredients may be added to make a delicious
winter meal.
Homemade stocks are time-consuming to make. Cubes and envelopes of beef, chicken
and vegetable flavored bouillon, cans of condensed broth and dried soup mixes
are time saving substitutes. Be sure to read the label carefully. Sometimes
these products are high in salt (sodium). If you are on a sodium-restricted
diet look for sodium reduced products.
Ingredients
Soups are a good way to use small amounts of leftover meat and vegetables.
MyPyramid recommends 2 to 2-1/2 cups of vegetables a day. Adding more vegetables
to soup can help meet this recommendation. Fresh, frozen, dried and canned vegetables
may be used in soup.
If you start with a canned soup you can make it tastier and more nutritious
by adding extra vegetables or cooked beans.Many soups have ingredients added
to help it thicken. Barley, rice, pasta, beans and potatoes are often used.
Go easy on seasonings. During cooking, the soup reduces in volume and the flavors
may intensify. Season lightly at first; just before serving, taste the soup
and add additional seasonings if needed. To reduce the amount of salt, season
with herbs and herb blends – oregano, thyme, Italian blend or poultry
blend.
Storage
When you make soup, make extra. Most soups can be stored in the refrigerator
up to three days. Some also freeze well for about three months.
To freeze soup, refrigerate until well chilled. Put soup into freezer containers,
leaving at least ½-inch headspace. When ready to use, thaw soup in the
refrigerator and reheat. To reheat frozen soup without thawing add ¼
cup of water and cook over low heat stirring occasionally. Soup may be reheated
in the microwave or on top of the range. Always reheat to at least 165°F.
Soup for Two
Some recipes for soup are a little complicated or call for several ingredients.
Some recipes can be easy and made from ingredients you have on hand. Here is
a basic recipe for soup that can be made to suit your taste and even take advantage
of leftovers.
| Ingredient |
Amount for 2 servings |
Suggestions |
| Liquid |
2 cups |
May be broth, milk, tomato juice, or in combination with water |
| Vegetables and beans |
1 -1/2 cups |
Any vegetable or combination that you have on hand (canned, frozen, fresh
or leftover) |
| Meat (optional) |
½ cup |
Cooked chicken, turkey, beef, pork, or ground meat |
| Starch or thickener |
¼ to ½ cup |
Rice, barley, noodles, pasta (uncooked) |
| Seasoning |
¼ to ½ teaspoon or to taste |
Salt, pepper, herbs or spices |
Place liquid in saucepan, bring to simmer. Add canned or leftover vegetables,
cooked meat and starch or thickener. Cook until everything is hot and starch
ingredient is cooked. Season and taste, cook five minutes to combine flavors.
If using fresh or frozen vegetables add to liquid and simmer until almost tender,
then add other ingredients and continue to finish cooking.
Enjoy the soup hot with a small salad and piece of whole grain bread.
| Easy Chicken Soup |
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup water
½ cup cooked chicken, cubed
2 carrots, peeled and diced
1 cup frozen peas
¼ cup quick cooking barley
½ teaspoon Italian seasoning |
Bring broth and water to simmer, add the carrots, cook for 5 minutes. Add the
peas, chicken and barley, simmer until vegetables are tender and barley is cooked
(15 - 20 minutes). Add seasoning and cook 5 minutes more. Serves 2.
Nutrition information per serving: 280 calories, 2 g fat, 50 mg cholesterol,
370 mg sodium, 39 g carbohydrate, 10 g fiber, 26 g protein. |
|
