Easily Cook Healthy Soup Every Day for Optimal Health

Soup is a simple, delicious, and nutritious choice for your daily meal, and it doesn't have to be complicated to be healthy. Here are some tips and recipes to help you incorporate healthy soup into your daily routine.

Basic Guidelines for Cooking Healthy Soup

There isn't just one single way to cook healthy soup, but the approach is remarkably simple. Start with fresh produce, and use whatever ingredients you have on hand. Here are some steps to ensure you're making a nutritious and flavorful soup:

Cleaning Your Ingredients

Clean and prepare your vegetables: Cut off any inedible parts like stems and cores. Baby-cut carrots, canned, or frozen veggies can save you time. Seasoning and Balancing Flavors: If you accidentally add too much salt, simply add more water and adjust with other ingredients as needed.

To save time, make soup in batches. Cook it immediately after grocery shopping to prevent spoilage. Divide it into portions, refrigerate, or freeze for later use. Microwave to reheat, covering with a paper towel instead of plastic wrap to avoid potential plastic leaching into your food.

Popular Ingredients to Use in Soup

Not all vegetables are suitable for soup, but some are great additions. Here are some popular choices and what to expect from them:

Vegetables That Work Well in Soup

Onions Carrots Corn Broccoli Mushrooms Potatoes Green Beans

Other beans can be tricky due to their soaking and cooking instructions. Dried beans may require special soaking and cooking, while even precooked beans tend to sink and burn. Add them right at the end of the cooking process.

Home-Made Soup Recipes

Making soup can be a delightful and rewarding process. Here are two recipes that you can try at home:

Beef Soup

Cook a beef shank in water for about an hour. While the shank is cooking, prepare carrots and celery in the same water. Discard the cooked vegetables and add 1/4 cup of barley and 1/4 cup of lentils to the stock. Cook until tender. Add the meat, 1/4 cup of stock from the jar, and a cup and a half of frozen mixed vegetables. Season to taste.

Chicken Soup

Cook chicken in a jar of saved stock. Use the leg and back meat for the soup, and the breast meat for a chick salad. Discard the cooked out vegetables and add noodles to the stock, cooking them separately. Add part of the chicken stock from the jar, about a tablespoon of the fat, and save the rest for chicken and gravy.

Remember, soup can be a part of your daily routine. Try making soup about twice a month, and store it in the refrigerator to have it during the week. This way, you can enjoy healthy meals without compromising on taste or convenience.