If it were up to me, soup would be the #1 food trend for every New Year. With so many trendy foods in the media headlines these days, my choice circles back around to soup and here are a few reasons why:
- Soup is a warm comfort food
- Soup can be homemade with only a little effort
- Soup is versatile as your breakfast, lunch, or dinner
- Soup, especially with broth and vegetables, is a low-calorie filler-upper
- Soup is a tasty way to add nutritious vegetables into your day
Show Me the Science
Considering the soup topic further, there are reasons to believe that soup is in line with good health and starting your year with soup is a very smart decision.
Healthy Weight Loss is typically easier when you feel pleasantly full – not hungry. The Volumetrics Diet, developed by nutrition professionals at Penn State University and backed by science, is ranked highly year-after-year at US News in their January reviews. Broth-based soup is a filling food which makes it work in this type of reputable plan. Read more here.
Lower Blood Pressure can be a delicious journey when you eat soup. In this case, a study showed that gazpacho, a cold soup made mostly of tomatoes, Bell peppers, cucumbers, garlic and onions, helped improve blood pressure. The study leaders concluded a positive effect was due to the biology of the vegetables. Read more here.
Curing the Common Cold Virus is basically impossible with chicken soup or any other soup. Making cold symptoms less severe by eating chicken soup, though, has been a topic of research at the University of Nebraska Medical School for more than a decade. The study leaders concluded that there are advantages to eating chicken soup when you have a cold, to stay better hydrated and rebound quicker. Learn more and watch chicken soup made here .
This easy-to-read article gives a nice overview of the health and flavor benefits of soup. Read here.
Making Soup at Home
It’s not hard to make a delicious soup at home when you have these kitchen tools:
- A large soup pot (12 quart size) for about $30-45
- A large wooden spoon to stir your soup as it cooks for about $2-6
- A soup ladle to serve your soup for about $3-10
Next, you’ll need to choose a soup recipe. Here are a few choices:
Finally, you’ll need to set aside time to make your soup from start-to-finish. Try these steps and enjoy the result.
- Read your soup recipe slowly, for comprehension, about 5 minutes
- Make your grocery list for soup ingredients you do not already have in your kitchen, about 5 minutes
- Go grocery shopping and buy your soup ingredients, about 15 minutes + travel time
- Get organized with your kitchen tools and soup ingredients in your kitchen, about 15 minutes
- Read your recipe slowly, again, about 5 minutes
- Get cooking soup! The time depends on your recipe. Also consider using a slow cooker and you can come home to the wonderful smell of soup along with a tasty dinner.
What type of soup will you make this month and will you make a double batch to freeze the leftovers for later?