Are you ready for a warm bowl of soup

Are you Ready for a Warm Bowl of Soup

The cold weather has arrived in Raleigh. What could be better to warm you up, than a nice bowl of warm soup. Soup can be a great choice to provide plenty of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber in the winter months. It can be served as an appetizer or can be eaten as your main meal. Whether eating at home or in a restaurant there are lots of soup choices available, but remember, not all soups are created equal. Whether you make your own, buy prepared soup, or have it out in a restaurant, below are some suggestions for making healthy choices.

When eating out

1. Choose a broth based soup that contains plenty of vegetables and protein. Some good options include vegetable soup, bean based soups, chicken noodle, and chili.
2. Avoid cream based soups which are loaded with calories and fat. Some words to watch out for when ordering soup: "creamy", "chowder", and "cheese".
3. Be aware that most restaurant soups are high in sodium. If you are on a sodium restriction, soup in a restaurant may not be the best choice.
4. If you are going to a chain restaurant, look online at the menu for the nutrition information to help you make a healthy meal choice.

At home

1. Avoid regular canned and powdered based soups which are loaded with sodium. Choose lower sodium soups instead.
2. Try making a soup from scratch. Have a few "favorite" recipes.
3. Make large batches of soup and freeze some to have for another time.
4. Invest in an immersion blender which can help to make thick soups without having to transfer your soup to a stand-alone blender.
5. Make soups, stews, and chili in a crockpot. You can make the soup early in the morning and let it cook slowly all day long.

Below are some healthy soup recipes.


Minestrone Soup
(Recipe from Mayo Clinic website -http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/healthy-recipes/NU00408 )

Ingredients
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/3 cup chopped celery
1 carrot, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
4 cups fat-free, unsalted chicken broth
2 large tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1/2 cup chopped spinach
1 can (16 ounces) canned chickpeas or red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup uncooked small shell pasta
1 small zucchini, diced
2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped

Directions
In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, celery and carrots and sauté until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and continue cooking for another minute. Stir in broth, tomatoes, spinach, beans and pasta. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Add zucchini. Cover and cook for 5 minutes more.
Remove from heat and stir in the basil. Ladle into individual bowls and serve immediately.
Nutritional analysis per serving
Servings per recipe: 4

Calories	190	Sodium	400 mg
Total fat	4 g	Total carbohydrate	30 g
Saturated fat	0.5 g	Dietary fiber	8 g
Monounsaturated fat	2.5 g	Protein	9 g

White Chicken Chili
(Recipe from the Mayo Clinic Website http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/healthy-recipes/NU00579)


Ingredients
1 can (10 ounces) white chunk chicken
3 cups cooked white beans
1 can (14.5 ounces) low-sodium diced tomatoes
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 medium green pepper, chopped
1 medium red pepper, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Cayenne pepper, to taste
6 tablespoons shredded reduced-fat Monterey Jack cheese
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
6 ounces low-fat baked tortilla chips (about 65 chips)


Directions
In a large soup pot, add the chicken, beans, tomatoes and chicken broth. Cover and simmer over medium heat. Meanwhile, spray a nonstick frying pan with cooking spray. Add the onions, peppers and garlic and sauté until the vegetables are soft, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the onion and pepper mixture to the soup pot. Stir in the chili powder, cumin, oregano and, as desired, cayenne pepper. Simmer for about 10 minutes, or until all the vegetables are soft. Ladle into warmed bowls. Sprinkle each serving with 1 tablespoon cheese and 1 teaspoon cilantro. Serve with baked chips on the side (about 6 to 8 chips with each serving of chili).

Nutritional analysis per serving

Serving size: About 1.5 cups
Calories	268	Sodium	389 mg
Total fat	4 g	Total carbohydrate	41 g
Saturated fat	1 g	Dietary fiber	7 g
Monounsaturated fat	1 g	Protein	19 g
Cholesterol	22 mg

Chicken vegetable barley soup
Recipe from All Recipes.com website http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Chicken-Vegetable-Barley-Soup/Detail.aspx

Ingredients

1 cup slivered almonds 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 medium onion, chopped 1 cup chopped celery 4 cups sliced fresh mushrooms 4 cloves garlic, minced 1 cup chopped carrots

5 cups diced red potatoes 3 cups chopped cooked chicken 2 1/2 quarts chicken broth 1 cup quick-cooking barley 2 tablespoons butter 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley salt and black pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Spread slivered almonds evenly over a baking sheet. Toast in preheated oven until golden brown and fragrant.
Heat the oil in a large stock pot over medium heat. Cook onions, celery, mushrooms, and garlic in oil until onions are tender.
Stir in carrots, potatoes, chicken, and broth. Bring to a boil, and then stir in barley. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 20 minutes.
Remove from heat, and stir in butter, parsley, and toasted almonds. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Nutrition information Servings Per Recipe: 12 Calories: 275 Total Fat: 12g Cholesterol: 31mg Sodium: 94mg		Total Carbs: 27.1g     Dietary Fiber: 5.6g Protein: 16g