3 simple soup recipes that will fill you up until dinner.
Autumn is well and truly upon us and soups are back on the menu.
Soup is incredibly nutritious, incorporating lots of seasonal vegetables and can be a great way to use up leftovers and scraps, so reduce food wastage. AND it’s very cheap to make (never needed more than now).
From a nutritional point of view, the slow cooking makes it very easy on the digestive system, so great if you have a compromised or inflamed gut, and by retaining the liquid you’ll keep all the nutrients.
Soups are a great way to get lots and lots of vegetables and healing herbs and spices into the diet, try adding ginger, turmeric or oregano. Use bone broths to boost your collagen and mineral intake, great for bones, connective tissues and skin health. If you’re adding cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, kale, sprouts) chop them 40 mins before cooking to ensure you maximise the amazing powers of the phytochemical sulforaphane.
Here are 3 simple hearty soups which are really versatile, and can be easily adapted depending on what you’ve got in the cupboard.
1) Minestrone
This tomato based Italian classic is rich in nutrients (including the powerful antioxidant lycopene) and endlessly adaptable. Full recipe here.
2) Gut Healing Cabbage Soup
The cabbage in this soup is high in glutamine which has been used for its gut healing properties for generations. It’s a great base for stews and casseroles and provides the body with an easily digestible source of vitamins and minerals as well as fibre. If you have problems digesting beans, replace them with lentils, split peas or chicken. Go to recipe.
3) Ribollita
This old Italian dish uses up stale bread. Make crispy croutons in the oven with a drizzle of oil and a pinch of salt and pepper if you don’t want to add the bread into the soup directly. Go to recipe.
Soups can be a simple lunch option whether you are working from home or in the office. They are peasant food, so really affordable but pack a nutritional punch. Add beans and legumes, sweet potato, quinoa and pasta to make them heartier and sustaining throughout the day.
