5 Nutritious and Healthy Soup Recipes

Soup is a culinary dish and consists of a nutritious broth, a liquid in which vegetables or meat products have been cooked. It contains solid ingredients of appropriate size immersed in its volume. If it did not, it would be considered only as a nourishing broth, the base of all soups.

The word soup in English, comes from the Middle High German suppe, from Old French supe, from Late Latin suppa, and is referred to a hollow bread on which a broth was poured.

One of its main characteristics is that it must be eaten with a spoon. Traditionally, it can be thickened by adding bread or cereals such as rice, noodles, or small pasta, preferably wholemeal, at the end of the cooking process to increase its nutritional quality.  

It is usually served at the beginning of each meal. One of its classifications is traditionally made according to the serving temperature as cold soups, or hot soups.

Types of Soups

The broth is a primary element of the soups and has been divided according to their appearance and consistency, the richness of content or form of preparation in light soups, consommé, cream or puree.

Soup is Healthy

It is suitable for everyone, children, adults, or the elderly; healthy or sick; men and women. In all world countries, soup is eaten as a highly appreciated dish, very comforting, especially in the winter season.

It is easy to digest because many of its components are processed or crushed. They are easily chewed and digested. It is affordable, easy to prepare, and its ingredients can be found in any home, adapted to each country’s habits.

The consumption of soup before eating calms the most voracious of appetites and helps reduce the intake of other foods, perhaps less nutritious because it generates a sense of fullness. Of course, nutritious versions of soup should be selected that are low in calories.

Soup, because it is high in water and has very few nutritionally selected solid foods, has a low caloric or energy density, that is, a few calories per serving.

Energy density is the ratio of volume to calories in the diet. The higher the volume and the lower the calorie content, the lower the energy density. This makes the soup a great ally in weight loss plans.

Soup is also a great source of hydration and contributes significantly to eating slowly and take the time to eat.

Besides, the cooking method used in its preparation allows us to take advantage of all the nutrients without wasting any because all of them remain in the water where it was prepared.

Nutritional Value of Soups

Soup can be very nutritious if it includes many vegetables; in this way, many vitamins and minerals are ingested. Homemade soups are the healthiest and are an ideal food for any meal plan.

The nutrients in soup vary by type. Usually, a nutritionally well-designed soup contains complex carbohydrates, healthy fats, and proteins, but in different proportions. The vitamin content of soup will vary depending on the actual ingredients being used.

Ingredients for a Healthy Soup

There are many recipes for preparing soups, and each one comes from its tradition. The essential ingredients are selected from some of the following as examples: onion, red or green pepper, carrot, celery, leek, garlic, parsley, curry, ginger, tomato, potato, pumpkin, fennel, chard, spinach, thyme, oregano, bay leaf, olive oil, whole grain rice or pasta, lean meat, skinless chicken, fish and bran of any kind such as wheat or oats.

Canned Soups and Soup Cubes

Canned soup and soup cubes are very high in sodium, high in unhealthy fats, and deficient in nutritional value. The invention is due to the organic chemist Justus von Liebig, in the 1850s.

These soups can be concentrated, requiring them to be diluted in water or ready to reheat. The first was commercialized in the United States by Joseph A. Campbell in 1899, thanks to a procedure invented by his nephew, the chemist John T. Dorrance.

They should not be consumed regularly by anyone, especially people with high blood pressure.

5 Soup Recipes, Nutritious and Healthy

Celery Soup

It can be done in different ways, but to give it variety, you can add other equally effective vegetables such as spinach and add potato, brown rice, or any bran to thicken it and give it a creamy texture.

Ingredients

6 stalks of celery, chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 medium potato, cut into small pieces
1 tablespoon of virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. In a frying pan, add a spoonful of oil. Then place the onion and fry until transparent.
2. Add the potato and celery, cook for 3 minutes over moderate heat and season to taste.
3. When the water boils, cook for 15-20 minutes until the celery and potato are cooked.
4. Remove and allow to cool before blending.

It is nutritious, satisfies hunger, and is low in calories.

Cold Tomato and Radish Soup

It’s a perfect appetizer of exquisite taste or a suitable replacement for a salad.

Ingredients

2 pounds of well-ripened tomatoes
1 medium onion
1 medium cucumber
1 green bell pepper
1 garlic clove
3 medium radishes
4 tablespoons of olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons wine vinegar
Salt to taste

 Directions

1. Peel the tomatoes and blend them into a puree.
2. Add the onion, the garlic clove, half the seedless cucumber, and half the green bell pepper.
3. Blend again until smooth and lump-free.
4. Add the olive oil in thread form and continue to process for a few more minutes until emulsified. Add salt and pepper and set aside.
5. On the other hand, grate the radishes and mix well the half cucumber and the half green pepper that was left well chopped.
6. Strain the preparation of the tomatoes, to avoid any lumps, and serve.
7. Place some of the preparation of radish with cucumber on top of the tomato soup.

This recipe is very refreshing, contains fiber and beta-carotene and lycopene present in the tomatoes.

Carrot Soup

It’s an easy recipe for eating healthy carrots in another way.

Ingredients

2 pounds of carrots
2 medium onions
3 cloves of garlic
1 quart of vegetable stock
2 tablespoons of virgin olive oil
1 Lemon
1 chopped chive
Salt

Directions

1. In a saucepan, sauté with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, an onion, 3 whole cloves of garlic and the 2 pounds of carrots cleaned and chopped into thin slices.
2. Sauté everything for 10 minutes. After that time, we add the broth and let everything cook for another 20 minutes.
3. Once the carrots are soft, we remove the garlic and grind the rest.
4. Finally, we add a dash of lemon juice and chopped chives.
5. We serve the soup very hot.

An ideal soup for dinner that is more than delicious and healthy.

Beet Soup

Ingredients

4 fresh beets
2 medium onions
1/2 teaspoon grated ginger
2 cloves of garlic
2 tablespoons of honey
1 glass of sweet orange juice
1 glass of water
4 slices of sweet orange
1 tablespoon of virgin olive oil
Some mint leaves to decorate
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°.
2. Wrap the beet in aluminum foil and roast it for about 45 minutes until it is tender.
3. Then, let them cool down, remove their skins, and cut them into large pieces.
4. In a casserole dish, heat a spoonful of olive oil, add the finely chopped onion and garlic, and sauté everything until the onion becomes transparent. Add the ginger, beet, and water.
5. Let everything cook for about 10 minutes, and after that time, blend everything until it becomes a soup.
6. At this point, add the orange juice and mix until light. If it is too thick, you can add a little more orange juice.
7. When you serve it, decorate with some mint leaves.

Hot is perfect for dinner.

Refreshing Cold Ripe Avocado Soup

To cool down in summer, a cold avocado soup. It is rich in vitamins, minerals, essential acids, and fiber.

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups vegetable broth
2 ripe peeled and seedless avocados
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 cup chopped red onion
1 tablespoon of lemon juice
1 tablespoon of freshly chopped cilantro
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 ripe tomatoes
Lemon rind to taste
Salt to taste

Directions

1. In a blender, add 1 cup of vegetable broth with the avocado, garlic, lemon juice, and cilantro.
2. Blend until smooth.
3. Add the rest of the broth and season with pepper.
4. Mix well and place the soup in a suitable bowl and store it in the refrigerator. Let it cool down for at least 1 hour and no more than 4 hours.
5. Decorate with tomato slices and grated lemon peel.

The recipe is straightforward to make, and when you try it, your palate will be pleasantly surprised — ideal for vegans and non-vegans.