If you’ve resolved to eat more healthfully in 2014, think soup.
It’s filling and, when made with the right ingredients, can make you feel better by the bowlful.
“There is research that suggests when you have a bowl of soup before a meal you consume fewer calories,” said Bethany Thayer, registered dietitian nutritionist and news media spokeswoman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. “The fluid is helping give that sense of fullness.”
You need only look to the latest food trends for soup recipe inspiration. Vegetables are everywhere right now and for good reason. They are loaded with fiber, vitamins and minerals.
At Russell Street Deli at Detroit’s Eastern Market, soups are big business (they serve about six varieties on any given day) and the most popular are the ones packed with greens, says chef Derrick Bonds.
“We always try to make them as healthy and hearty as possible,” Bonds says.
And home cooks can, too. Just go for the greens, says Larissa Shain, a registered dietitian with the Metabolic Nutrition and Weight Management Program at St. Joseph Mercy Oakland hospital in Pontiac, Mich.
“Using the green leafy vegetables and cruciferous vegetables means it will be high in vitamins and fiber,” she says. And green veggies, Shain adds, contain chlorophyll, which is rich in magnesium. “Magnesium lowers your risk for strokes, diabetes and osteoporosis.”
Shain’s other tips for healthful soups: Use a low-sodium stock, no-salt-added canned beans and fresh or frozen vegetables.
Or, Shain says, you can make your own broth as a base for soups. Place a whole chicken, water and vegetables (onions, carrots, celery) in a slow cooker. Let cook all day on low. Remove the chicken, pick the meat off it, strain the liquid into a bowl. Cool and refrigerate it until the fat rises and gels on the top. Remove and discard the fat.
Today we spotlight five soups that taste good and are good for you. They are low in sodium, fat and calories, and high in vitamins and fiber.
SPICY PORK AND
MUSTARD GREENS SOUP
½ lb. ground pork tenderloin
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tbsp. finely grated fresh ginger
1 tsp. Sichuan peppercorns, crushed
¾ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
½ tsp. crushed cumin seeds
1 tbsp. canola oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth or stock
4 cups packed torn mustard greens
4 green onions, thinly sliced
2 tbsp. low- or reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 tsp. fish sauce
8 oz. wide rice noodles
Mix pork, garlic, ginger, Sichuan peppercorns, red pepper flakes and cumin in a medium bowl.
Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add pork mixture; season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring and breaking up with a spoon, until browned and cooked through, 8-10 minutes.
Add broth and bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until flavors meld, 8-10 minutes. Add mustard greens, green onions, soy sauce and fish sauce and cook, stirring occasionally, until greens are tender, 5-8 minutes; season with salt and black pepper.
Meanwhile, cook noodles according to package directions; drain.
Divide noodles among bowls and ladle soup over.
Makes 4 servings.
Adapted from Bon Appetit Magazine, January 2014 issue.
SPICY CAULIFLOWER SOUP
WITH ALMOND AND
PEPPER RELISH
Kosher salt
7 cups cauliflower florets (about 1 medium head)
2 tbsp. unsalted butter, divided
¼ cup slivered almonds (toasted) or Marcona almonds, finely chopped
¼ cup diced roasted red peppers
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. thinly sliced fresh mint
1 medium clove garlic, minced
½ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
Freshly ground black pepper
Bring 6 cups water to a boil in a 4-quart pot over high heat. Add 1 teaspoon salt, then add the cauliflower and boil until very tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Drain the cauliflower in a colander set over a large bowl to catch the cooking liquid and let the cauliflower cool slightly.
Working in 2 batches, puree each batch of cauliflower with about 2 cups of the cooking liquid and 1 tablespoon of the butter in a blender until very smooth. Start out using less of the cooking water so you reach the desired consistency. Season to taste with salt. You can make the soup up to 4 hours ahead.
In a small bowl, combine the almonds, peppers, oil, mint, garlic and pepper flakes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. The relish can be made up to 1 hour ahead.
When ready to serve, gently reheat the soup over medium-low heat. Garnish each serving with a spoonful of the almond relish.
Makes 8 servings.
Adapted from Soups and Sandwiches 2011 by Fine Cooking (Taunton Press Publishing, $9.99).
PORTUGUESE WHITE
BEAN SOUP
1 cup chopped onions
2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 medium red or yellow bell pepper
1 bay leaf
Pinch of salt
½ tsp. ground fennel
1 medium peeled potato
2 tbsp. dry sherry
1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
8 oz. fresh or frozen chopped leaf spinach, collard greens, kale or mustard greens
2 cups low-sodium vegetable stock
1 can (15.5 oz.) no-salt-added cannellini beans, undrained
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Chopped fresh parsley for garnish
In soup pot, saute the onions and garlic in the olive oil, stirring often, for about 5 minutes or until the onions soften. While the onions saute, chop the bell pepper.
Add the bay leaf, salt, fennel and bell pepper to the pot, and continue to cook for about 5 minutes, stirring regularly. Cube the potato and add to the pot along with the sherry, lemon juice, greens and stock. Cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes until the potatoes and greens are tender. Stir in the beans and gently reheat. Add black pepper to taste and garnish with parsley.
Makes 6-8 servings.
Recipe by Larissa Shain.
LEMONY CHICKEN NOODLE
SOUP WITH GINGER, CHILE
AND CILANTRO
Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
⅓ cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 tsp. finely grated fresh ginger
2 serrano chiles, stemmed, halved and seeded
6 cups low-sodium, fat-free chicken broth
2 tbsp. fish sauce
1 boneless, skinless chicken breast half (about 8 oz.), cut into ¼-inch-thick slices and then cut in half
6 oz. egg white-only lo mein egg noodles cooked according to package directions
2 baby bok choy, ends removed, sliced crosswise ¼-inch thick
Sriracha sauce to taste
In a small bowl combine the lemon zest, cilantro and ginger. Set aside.
Thinly slice two of the chile halves crosswise.
In a large saucepan, bring the broth to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the lemon juice, fish sauce and the 2 remaining chile halves to the boiling stock. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer the soup about 3 minutes.
Remove the chile halves. Stir in the chicken and chile slices and return to a boil and cook 5 minutes. Stir in the cooked noodles and bok choy slices and cook about 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, making sure the chicken slices are cooked through. Add the sriracha to taste. Ladle into soup bowls and garnish with the cilantro mixture.
Makes 6-8 servings.
Adapted from Soups and Sandwiches 2011 by Fine Cooking (Taunton Press Publishing, $9.99).
SPICY TURKEY MEATBALL
AND KALE SOUP
2 links (about 7½ oz.) lean spicy turkey Italian sausage
1½ tbsp. olive oil, divided
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
1 medium carrot, peeled and finely chopped
1 large celery rib, finely chopped
1-2 tsp. minced fresh rosemary
2 tbsp. no-salt-added tomato paste
2 large cloves garlic, minced
4 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable stock
2 cans (15.5 oz. each) no-salt-added cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
4 cups packed kale leaves
2 tsp. cider vinegar
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Remove casing from sausage and roll into bite-size meatballs; set aside.
In a large pot, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a 4- to 5-quart pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, celery and rosemary and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften, about 6 minutes. Add the tomato paste and garlic and cook until fragrant, 45 seconds. Add the stock, beans and kale. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium low and simmer gently until the vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat the remaining ½ tablespoon oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Add the sausage meatballs and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and cooked through, about 10 minutes.
Add meatballs to the soup and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cook 5 minutes more to meld the flavors. Stir the cider vinegar into the soup and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Makes 6 servings.
Adapted from Soups and Sandwiches 2011 by Fine Cooking (Taunton Press Publishing, $9.99).