Holding a bowl or cup of soup is instant warmth during the cold weather season.
It’s also a quick meal that needs little prep. Plus, home-cooked soups have plenty of health benefits, too.
Homemade soups are typically lighter in salt content than canned soups. Eating too many cans of salty soup is not heart healthy. It can cause high blood pressure among other health conditions. Therefore, the healthier choice is to make your own soups at home this fall season.
Is low-sodium canned soup OK?
You can take advantage of low-sodium canned soups to help you make homemade soups. A can of low-sodium soup will have less than 460 milligrams of sodium per serving. Reduced-sodium products usually have more sodium than low-sodium soups, however, so always check the labels.
Below are three delicious fall soup recipes.
The recipes have only three to five ingredients, and two of them include a low-sodium soup or broth. Each soup will be a good, hearty and balanced meal, especially with the addition of a green salad or a piece of whole grain bread.
Red pepper comfort soup
It takes less than 15 minutes to make this soup that serves two people. It’s vegetarian, high-protein and gluten-free.
Ingredients:
- 1 32-ounce carton of low-sodium roasted red pepper soup
- 1 15-ounce can of chickpeas, no salt added
- 3 cups of fresh baby spinach
Directions:
- Simmer red pepper soup over medium heat in a saucepan.
- Rinse chickpeas and stir them into the soup.
- Rinse the baby spinach well (and trim stems if necessary).
- Stir in the fresh baby spinach.
- Simmer the mixture for about a minute until the spinach wilts.
- Season with black pepper.
Chunky soup with sweet potatoes
For a chunky soup, try sweet potatoes and beans. This recipe is like chili, but without the meat. It’s a five-ingredient soup that can be on your dinner table in less than an hour. Top with ingredients of your choice, including diced avocado, low-fat sour cream or a pinch of low-fat shredded cheddar cheese.
Ingredients:
- 1 medium white or yellow onion
- 3 medium sweet potatoes
- 1 16-ounce jar low-sodium chunky salsa
- 1 15-ounce can salted or unsalted black beans (drained, not rinsed)
- 2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
- 2 cups water
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Optional spices to add when simmering: chili or chipotle powder, cumin
Directions:
- Rinse, peel and dice sweet potatoes and set aside.
- Peel and dice onion, and in a large pan, saute in 1 tablespoon of olive oil until translucent and soft.
- Add sweet potatoes into the pan with the onions, seasoning with a pinch of salt and pepper. Saute for three minutes.
- Add in salsa, broth and water and bring to a boil.
- Lower heat to medium, add beans, cover the pan and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes or until the potatoes are soft and the liquid has thickened.
- If you desire thicker soup, cover and refrigerate overnight. Heat through when ready to eat.
Vegetable soup with roasted carrots
This minimalist soup recipe is super easy to make. And it’s pretty to look at, too. This low-calorie vegan recipe doesn’t use any oil and it’s loaded with potassium and vitamin A, plus plant protein.
Ingredients:
- 2 pounds of carrots
- 1 large onion
- 1 can of white beans, drained
- Salt
- Pepper
Directions:
- Peel carrots. Then cut crosswise.
- Peel and cut the onion into chunks.
- Place carrots and onion chunks on a roasting pan lined with parchment paper or lightly sprayed with cooking oil.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Roast in the oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes or until vegetables are soft and have brown edges (which means they are caramelized for flavor).
- When carrots and onions finish roasting, place them in a blender or food processor.
- Drain the can of beans and add them to the blender.
- Add 2 cups of water.
- Blend the mixture until smooth and creamy.
- Scrape the carrot, onion and bean mixture into a saucepan, and add about a cup or so of water.
- Heat through on the stove for about five minutes.
- If you prefer a thinner soup, add more water.
- Season and serve.
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