Soothing Soups

Cooler weather calls for hot soups simmering on the stove, filling the house with enticing aromas. Soup nourishes the body as well as the senses, providing plenty of nutrition as a main dish or served on the side.

The nutritional value of soup has long been acknowledged. In 16th century France, street vendors sold a highly concentrated soup as an energy booster for anyone suffering from exhaustion. Today, many turn to soups for essential nutrients that can also assist in alleviating sickness.

Soups with different vegetable combinations can help you obtain a range of vitamins, minerals and nutrients; use hearty, starchy potatoes to thicken your soup and amp up your vitamin A, C and D, or add onions for a boost in fiber. Flavorful soups also make for cost-effective meals. A boon to the budget, soups can be built around seasonal vegetables or less expensive cuts of meat that tenderize as they simmer in broth. When made with meat, soups provide essential amino acids, and fish-filled soups offer vitamin D, niacin, phosphorus and several B vitamins.

Homemade soups present opportunities for improvisation, so use the following tips as inspiration to make soup-er satisfying soups.

Broth vs. Stock vs. Bone Broth
Stock and broth are incredibly similar, but with one major difference. Broth is made from simmering meat and vegetables, and stock is made from simmering bones. Both flavorful options, broth is thinner and better suited for accenting dishes while stock is thicker, more gelatinous and best for soups where the liquid is the star ingredient.

Bone broth, cooked low and slow and made with a combination of bones and meat, provides nutrients such as collagen, minerals and amino acids. You can use bone broth to replace broth or stock in most recipes. Some also enjoy sipping on warm bone broth as an alternative to other hot beverages.

Chicken soup: Everyone’s favorite comfort food. This soup is high in protein and low in fat and cholesterol. Substitute turkey for chicken and you gain extra iron in every serving.

Vegetable soup: Low in fat with numerous vitamins and minerals, vegetable soups can feature a variety of your favorite veggies and make a good source of fiber.

Noodle soup: Add a bit of pasta to any soup – whole wheat varieties supply complex carbohydrates and starches. Since the body absorbs the starch slowly, you’ll feel full for longer.

Bean soup: Pick a bean, any bean! Or use a combination of your favorites. Bean soups provide a protein-based dish suitable for vegetarians and anyone else enamored with bean’s taste and texture. Beans also boast high concentrations of fiber, iron and calcium.