can i make soup in a micro?

dorm resident here and never been a cook, so i'm quite ignorant. can i make my own soup in the micro? if so, how do i do it and what basic ingredients will i need? low-sodium if possible. thanks!

I've never heard of homemade soup in a microwave, no. I don't think the ingredients would cook up properly, and the flavors wouldn't blend to well. If you have a day or so to devote to it, and a stove available, make a big pot then freeze it in individual baggies. Then, you can microwave your leftovers!

It won't be as good as on the stovetop, but here's what you can do:

Steam veggies in microwave (don't completely cook them, they'll cook more when you heat everything up at the end)

Cook some rice if you want (instant can be made in the micro) using low-sodium broth

Add more broth to rice and veggies if needed

Add a little milk, cream, or tomato paste if desired

Add cooked meat, cheese, or whatever else you want

Stir it all up and microwave until everything is hot.

Here's what I would do:

1 bag of frozen mixed veggies, cooked until almost done

Instant rice, cooked with a can of low-sodium chicken broth

Mix together and add a small dab of tomato paste plus more broth if needed

Add canned chicken breast (so it's already cooked) or cook and cut up chicken to add

Mix everything and micro in a large bowl (you may want to cover the top of the bowl with paper towel so if it the soup splatters it won't get all over the microwave)

You can refrigerate or freeze the extra to microwave again later.

You could make it from scratch, but it would be a little hard in a dorm room because of chopping the vegetables.

I like particle woman's technique.  Instead of rice, you could use noodles.  I think Japanese Soba noodles, which are whole buckwheat, would be good with an oriental vegetable blend, a little soy sauce and some chicken or a few shrimp.  Be sure and use low sodium broth.

could i just mix a bunch of veggies and low-sodium broth together? no, not very flavorful, but warm and filling on a cold day (our dining hall is two blocks away)

Absolutely.  I just suggested rice and meat so you have some starch and protein in there.  I used to make soup like that all the time when I was in school housing.  A can of broth, a can of veggies, nuke until hot.  Quick, easy to store until I wanted it, reasonably cheap.  You can also get low-sodium canned soups, like tomato, and add veggies, beans, or meat, to it for a quick and easy soup that's more filling than plain canned soup.  Cream of mushroom + green beans is good.  Cheese soup + broccoli.