Soups are just perfect for a healthful lunch on the go.
Nothing is more savory in a soup than carrots, celery, and onions, but you need not stop there, use all your favorite veggies. Soup basics include cooking the veggies until tender. Simmer your soup with lots of spices. Choose homemade broth or use soup base or bullion cubes. They come in chicken, beef or vegetable varieties. Want a thick, creamy soup? Try pureeing some of the cooked veggies and then adding them back into the broth.
After the veggies have been boiling 3 to 5 minutes, add seasonings and simmer. The soup should thicken nicely over time. Then, decide if you want to puree the soup or keep it chunky.
Mix and match your favorite veggies, herbs, and spices to create a new soup every day. Or just put them in a plastic tub with a lid, and you can freeze them and enjoy them later. Soup is the perfect leftover.
Eat your soup cold? Yes. You have heard of one of these signature cold soups - vichyssoise, made from potatoes and leeks, or gazpacho, made from diced onions, peppers, cucumbers, garlic, and fresh basil in a cool, refreshing, tomato flavored broth.
If you want a thicker, creamier soup, use reduced fat products and puree the soup ingredients. You don't have to see the veggies in your soup to appreciate them. Use a handheld blender in your soup pot to puree tender veggies, making them part of a creamy broth. You can also pour the soup into a food processor or blender if you like. Remember to cool soups before processing.
Remember, you can prepare soup in minutes and serve it right away, or you can simmer it for hours on the stove. However, be sure all the nutrients stay in the pot instead of boiling out by keeping the lid on while cooking.
