Whether you live somewhere that has very cold, snowy winters or somewhere with mild winters, soup is a classic, cozy winter dish. There are so many options and it is also easy to recreate soup recipes to meet any special dietary needs that you or family members may have. The other great thing about soup is that the ingredients are typically already healthy or can be modified to meet health or diet needs as well. Soup is also a perfect lunch option, quick and filling, just what you need for a busy day at work. Below are a couple of my favorite healthy soup dishes. Pair these soups with a salad or sandwich for an easy, care free lunch that’s healthy and affordable.
Simple Tomato Basil Soup
This recipe is open to interpretation because it is so simple, feel free to put your own spin on it! I personally love spicy flavors so I will sometimes add red pepper flakes or a few tablespoons of sriracha to the soup as well to give it a kick. Milk can also be added if you prefer a creamy soup. In total, the recipe takes about 15-20 minutes from start to finish.
Ingredients
32 oz. stewed tomatoes
½ Tbsp. chopped basil (or to taste/preference)
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
Black pepper to taste
1 Tsp. olive oil
1 small onion (chopped)
Directions
- Sautee onion and garlic with olive oil in a deep pan until onions are soft
- Add stewed tomatoes and cook until tomatoes are broken down
- Add black pepper to taste and basil, stir thoroughly while in pan
- Put entire mixture into blender and blend until smooth
- Serve
Slow Cooker Ramen Noodle Soup
Ingredients
Olive oil
2 Lb. pork loin
1 medium yellow onion (halved)
4 C. reduced sodium chicken or vegetable broth
4 C. water
2 Tbsp. low sodium soy sauce
2 Tsp. Hoisin
½ C. roughly chopped mushroom
2 Tsp. grated ginger
2 Tbsp. minced garlic
12 oz. uncooked ramen or rice noodles
6-8 eggs (room temperature works best)
2 green onions (thinly sliced)
Red pepper flakes or spicy kimchi if desired
Directions
- Put olive oil in skillet and cook pork until golden brown on each side
- Place pork, chicken stock, water, soy sauce, and Hoisin into slow cooker, cook on Low for 7 hours
- Remove pork from slow cooker and chop or shred
- Strain liquid from slow cooker and discard any solids, return liquid to slow cooker
- Add mushroom, ginger, and garlic to slow cooker, cook on High for 30 minutes
- In a medium pot, bring water to a boil
- Add noodles and pork to slow cooker, cook for 5 minutes
- Add eggs to boiling water and cook 5-6 minutes while noodles are cooking
- Remove eggs and place in an ice bath for one minute
- After eggs are peeled, slice in half vertically
- After putting noodles and broth in a bowl, garnish with two slices of egg and green onion
This is another great recipe that can allow for substitutions based on taste or dietary preference. Different forms of protein may be used such as chicken or tofu. You can also use chicken, beef, or vegetable broth based on your preference. As always, I like to add some spice to mine with spicy kimchi and red pepper flakes or sriracha sauce. Standard mushrooms may also be substituted for shitake mushrooms. Although there are a few additional steps, the preparation time for this recipe can be reduced by cooking the meat the night before. This can also be prepared on a work day by letting the protein and broth cook on Low for about 9-10 hours while at work. To take for lunch store soup and eggs separately.
What’s your favorite soup recipe?
