Woohoo! I love this kind of stuff!
Been really into health for the past four years and have lost 80 pounds and becoming a fitness life coach.
Soup is not necessarily bad. There are soups out there that are not high in sodium and whatnot. I would stay away from creamy soups.
Here are some healthy soups that I try to eat when I'm in the mood for a soup
Mushroom and Barely Soup
- This recipe is low in calories and loaded with vegetables! Will fill you up
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
3 carrots, peeled and chopped
3 c. mushrooms, sliced
3 cans low-sodium vegetable broth
1 c. barley, cooked
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Heat the olive oil in a pot over medium heat. Add onion and carrots, cooking until soft. Add mushrooms and cook until soft. Then add vegetable broth and barley, simmering for 10 minutes. Stir until mixture is blended. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Lumberjackie Soup
This soup is vegan. It's loaded with veggies, antioxidants, and minerals.
7 1/2 cups chopped rutabaga
6 cups chopped carrots
1 1/2 cups chopped celery
1 1/2 cups chopped mushrooms
18 cups water
2 cups cooked chickpeas (roast for 15 to 20 minutes at 350 degrees)
5 teaspoons garlic powder
2 tablespoons black pepper
1 cup organic Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon sea salt
2 low-sodium vegetable bullion cubes
6 cups fresh spinach
Directions:
Place all ingredients except spinach in a slow cooker. Cook for approximately 6 hours until rutabaga and carrots are soft. Add spinach, allow to cook down, and stir to incorporate into soup.
Creamy Carrot and Tomato Soup
This is not a hot soup, but cold.
Ingredients:
1 lb. carrots, peeled and sliced
2 c. vegetable stock
1/2 c. celery, chopped
1 c. yellow onion, chopped
1 1/2 lb. tomato, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. garlic, chopped
Directions:
Heat oil in a pot, and cook garlic, onion, celery and carrots over medium heat until they are soft. Add the tomatoes and vegetable stock, and simmer for 15 minutes. Pour the mixture into a blender and puree until smith. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Chicken, zucchini and potato soup.
2 lbs. potatoes, peeled and cut into inch square pieces
2 lbs. chicken breast
2 lbs. zucchini, cut into inch square pieces
2 med. onions, chopped
5 c. low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1 tbsp. per serving unsweetened Greek yogurt (optional)
Directions:
Place all ingredients into a crock pot, layering potatoes first, then chicken, followed by zucchini and onions last. Pour in low sodium chicken broth, and sprinkle nutmeg on top. Cover and cook for 8-10 hours on low heat. After cooking, shred chicken with a fork. When ready to serve, add a tablespoon of unsweetened Greek yogurt to each bowl and enjoy.
Makes 8-10 servings.
Homemade Tomato Soup
This is healthier than canned tomato soup.
Ingredients:
6 vine ripe tomatoes
2 med. red peppers
1 med. onion
Olive oil
2-3 sprigs fresh thyme
1 6 oz. can tomato paste
1 tbsp. garlic, minced
2 boxes organic vegetable broth
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Slice tomatoes in half and remove all seeds. Slice and roughly chop the red peppers into large pieces. Quarter the onion. Place all the vegetables, keeping tomatoes cut side up, on a baking sheet. Drizzle everything with olive oil and cover with fresh thyme sprigs. Roast in a 400 degree oven for 30 minutes. A few minutes before the vegetables finish in the oven, bring a large pot to medium heat. Once the vegetables finish, add the can of tomato paste and the roasted vegetables. Remove the thyme from the sprigs. Add it to the pot along with the minced garlic. Add the vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Then, reduce to a simmer for 30 minutes. Once the soup has simmered for thirty minutes, remove from the heat and use an immersion blender to blend to an even, smooth consistency. If you do not have an immersion blender, ladle the soup 2-3 c. at a time into a blender. Blend until smooth and repeat as necessary.
Makes 8 servings.