Soup Satisfaction
Almost everyone likes soup. Whether it's the first course, a meal in a bowl, or even a snack, soup can add important nutrients and fiber to our diets while keeping the calories low. Studies have been done showing that people who eat soup lose weight more easily. It is believed that it curbs the appetite and provides extra fiber to help reach that full feeling. Read this article from About.com, Eating Soup for Weight Loss, for more information.
With so many brands of canned soups on the store shelves, it's hard to decide which ones provide what we need. Most are very high in sodium. It's not uncommon to find that one serving contains half the daily recommended amount of salt. Watch out for fat content too, especially in cream style soups. Sometimes canned soups are thin and don't have as many vegetables as we might like. We can avoid these pitfalls by learning to make our own soups from scratch.
Soup making basics are not difficult once you learn how. An important part of most soups is the stock, broth or base of the soup. Stock can be made using the ends of vegetables that you might otherwise throw away, such as those tough ends of celery and onions, the green tops of leeks, carrots that are less than perfect, and also the stems of herbs such as parsley. We can cook this separately and freeze it in meal size containers, ready to add soup ingredients to it.
There are many methods for making good stock. It can be made with poultry, meats, fish or vegetables. For example, you can make a flavorful brown chicken stock by roasting bony chicken parts such as the wings and backs. Put the roasted bones and meat into a large pot, add carrots, celery, onions or leeks, a few crushed cloves of garlic, a few peppercorns, and herbs, and enough water to cover to a depth of about two inches over the top of the meat. Simmer for two to three hours, allow to cool, then strain and discard the solids. Refrigerate this stock until the fat comes to the surface and hardens so that it can be easily lifted off. You can then freeze pints or quarts of your stock for future use. You can also make this kind of stock using the leftover bones and scraps of a roast chicken.
For stock using raw meats, use tough meat with bones. Put the raw meat or poultry into a large pot and cover with cold water to a depth of about three inches over the top of the meat. Bring it slowly to a boil and skim off any foam that rises to the top. The skimming step can be skipped, but doing it produces a lovely, clear broth. Once the foam stops rising, add the rest of the stock ingredients. They usually include carrots, celery and onion, garlic, and may also include parsnips and other root vegetables. Add parsley stems, bay leaf and herbs of your choice. Simmer slowly for at least two hours or until the meat falls from the bone. Cool, strain, and if desired, pick out the meat, chop and reserve it to add back to your soup. Proceed as described above.
If you want a fish stock to make a soup such as clam chowder, you can use shrimp shells and ends of bony fish. Chefs use the head and tail of the fish. The procedure is the same as above, but it can be cooked for a shorter time and is best used fresh. Bottled clam juice is a good substitute for fish stock.
Today we've chosen a few recipes we hope you will find different and easy to make. Be creative and enjoy making and eating soup.
Comments
I like soup as a back up type of food. I like to always have a few different varieties on hand for when I am pressed for time or when the fridge is almost empty before grocery day. I often buy minestrone or chicken noodle with low sodium.
Here are the articles featured in today's newsletter
Forums: Soup challenge The evil side of soup Soup - nutritional infoSoup can be a lunch, a starter, or a full dinner, and it can be very inexpensive. For those of us with more time than money it is a way to provide nutritious and satisfying meals without breaking the bank AND it is easy. I love homemade soups, to the point that I don`t even buy canned soup thus avoiding the sodium and fat trap. Because I make it, I know what is in the soup. I always have stock on hand, homemade if I am lucky or tetra packed if not. I can have a great meal made in a very short time depending on the type of soup and whether or not I use dried beans etc.
As you can guess I love soup. Keep those tips and recipes coming.
Ok I am hoping I can help as I am a bit of a soup freak and also a qualified chef and nutritionist.... still I learn alot from everyones posts so I hope I can give something back here...I have just read the evil side of soup and have to stand up for it as I dont think there is one!!
Soup is very filling if made in the right way.. its also very easy to make.. so easy u will not believe it... Canned anything is out.. there is no protein in this rubbish and its full of sugars etc etc..
U can make a soup from pretty much any veg you can get that is fresh and in season. try to avoid adding potatoes, maybe add one sweet potato, but squash is much better as a thickener... Also a must.... add lots of spinach and also essential are pulses, a handful of dried lentils or split green or yellow peas.
There is no need for a big fuss... just throw it all in a big pan... with onion and garlic and any good fresh herbs.. let it boil and simmer for about an hour. Put the lid on and leave it to completely cool, it will continue cooking after you have turned the gas off. U dont need to chop everything small as when its cooled you simply use an old fashioned hand blender (electric ones that our grans / mums used for making cakes) and presto you have soup that will fill you and you will not even need bread...
Celery is great for flavour and black pepper, go easy on the salt, use sea salt if u must use it, and add some balsamic vinegar and black pepper.
U can try any combination of veggies, the more the better... and the lentils and peas will add thickness and protein and you wont be left hungry...
Making a big batch makes it easy and u can freeze it and it heats up perfectly.
If you really need bread go for rye bread, or make some brown rice...
I am 115 pounds, I eat like a horse... (I am also vegan) and my health, mind and spirit as well as my body is in pretty good nick!
Even my boyfriend eats and enjoys these soups and gets really full after a bowl...
Another tip, drink a glass of water before you eat and if u have a sweet craving go for some fruit... papaya is excellent after a meal!
Progresso Light Chicken Noodle soup tastes great, has just 140 calories for the entire can, fills me up and is real food.
We make vegetable soup using canned broth, veggies (cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, zucchini etc) boil until soft. For a thickener we have been adding a 1/4 cake of silken tofu - it adds good texture and some protein. These are great soups, and even our most meat and potato friends like them (we don't tell them about the tofu).
I love this article. Thank you!
Question: What ingredient makes the difference between soup and stew? I've been meaning to make a beef stew but don't know how to thicken the broth.
In my stew, I add 2-3 Tbs of tapioca and one piece of bread, crusts removed, and torn into pieces. It makes a nice thickener.
for stew, to thicken the broth, i add flour and or cornstarch. Not a lot, use your jugement and add gradually.
A long time ago (like 25 years), I had my tarot cards read by a psychic. I can't remember what she had to say, but I do remember that she asked me what I did for a living, and when I told her I was a nutritionist, she said, "Why don't they just eat soup?" I had to say that I didn't know why they didn't "just eat soup", but I "just eat soup" almost everyday. My favorite is lentil soup, which is wildly nutritious.
I LOVE soup and make it often. I am a vegetarian, so it's always vegetarian soup. I don't use vegetable broth as often I don't have it on hand. I just use water and it tastes delicious.
Sometimes, I just saute onions and garlic and put italian seasoning or other spices. Throw in a ton of veggies like zucchini (big chunks), yellow squash (big chunks), carrots, celery, broccoli, spinach, tomatoes and a can of butter beans. And add barley, water and salt. Then I pressure cook it for about 30 mins.
Sometimes, instead of the barley I add 12 bean mix. Sometimes I just go with brown lentils. It's always high in protein because of the barley/beans or lentils. And I can bring a lot of variety by using different beans, etc.
THANKS! I will try.For a real quickie in a pinch, I use a boullion cube and a cup of frozen mixed vegetables-only 85 calories and very filling!
You know what is just so great!!!!??? Is just today, I thought to my self, "Self, you should eat soup, it fills you up and its really low in calories and then maybe you wouldnt get so grabby for snacks all the time!!" And the low and behold what do I see when I sign into my account on Calorie Counter????? Well I am sure most of you have figured it out but for the really slow like myself, I seen "Soup Satisfaction" 
I mean isnt that just so great?? The wonders of the universe when your on the right path of life!!! I love it!!! Thank You...thank you ALL....:)
Original Post by: ajkjloverI love this article. Thank you!
Question: What ingredient makes the difference between soup and stew? I've been meaning to make a beef stew but don't know how to thicken the broth.
It's a fine line. If you've ever listened to Rachel Ray or read any of her cookbooks, she calls a thick, chunky soup "stoup." I think of stew as having larger chunks of ingredients in a thickened gravy rather than a broth.
We can call it whatever we want - it's still good stuff.
Beware the portion control with these recipes that express their serving sizes in grams instead of the more familiar ounces. When you combine the fact that there is no portion equivalence in this recipe set with the widely-held notion that soup is a lower-calorie way to eat, and then add in the reassuring feeling you get because you're at a calorie-conscious web site, it's easy for readers to make some bad assumptions about having "a cup of soup."
Using the unit converter, a "portion" of the lentil soup is 3.75 ounces, 186 calories. Compare this with the 172 calories listed for 16.9 ounces of classic chicken noodle. Now picture yourself picking up some soup for lunch at the local take out, where the containers are usually 8 and 16 oz.
It would be so helpful if these articles pointed out these subtlties, or better yet--declared that a serving is, say, 8 ounces for all recipes, and then calculated the nutrition labels based on that standard.
I make a quick soup by keeping always vegetable broth in cubes or paste at hand. I skip the salt as these can be quite salty by themselves.
Then I add grated carrot, leek, lots of garlic powder, cayenne pepper and herbs, and I also ass quorn chicken style pieces for a low fat high protein veggie "chicken style" soup. Sometimes I add rice at the end, or fine noodles.
I have obseved that if I drink a big mug of vegetable broth with lots of garlic and cayenned pepper with each meal I feel a lot fuller and more satisfied. I increase the water intake and stick easily to my controlled portions. Easy and cheap!!
Brussel sprouts are a real no in soups unless you use one or maybe two max. They totally override any other flavours.
I have found that if your making carrot and corriander soup sweet potato and butternut squash really adds to the flavour.
If you just thicken soup by sprinkling it with flour or corn starch you'll often end up with lumps of 'glue' in your soup. Mix a little of your soup in a coffee cup with a tablespoon or two of flour or corn starch. When it's the consistency of cream, you can add it back to your soup. Let it cook a few minutes and the soup will thicken. I was taught you add flour if you're going to cook it for a while, and corn starch if you're nearly ready to serve it. Don't know if that's true or not.
Original Post by: ajkjloverI love this article. Thank you!
Question: What ingredient makes the difference between soup and stew? I've been meaning to make a beef stew but don't know how to thicken the broth.
If you just thicken soup, stew (or for that matter, gravy) by sprinkling it with flour or corn starch you'll often end up with lumps of 'glue' in your soup. Mix (with a fork) a little of your soup in a coffee cup with a tablespoon or two of flour or corn starch. When it's the consistency of cream, you can add it back to your soup. Let it cook a few minutes and the soup will thicken. I was taught you add flour if you're going to cook it for a while, and corn starch if you're nearly ready to serve it. Don't know if that's true or not.
Soups are one of my favorite foods to prepare. It's like building a work of art. You start with one ingredient and add a soupcon of this and a bit of that until it reaches gustatory perfection. The house smells wonderful! It is warm and nourishing, and it generally tastes even better the next day after the flavors have developed.
http://www.healthy-eating-support.org/Recipes.html
http://www.healthy-eating-support.org/Healthy-Eating-Weight- Loss.html
I know I'm a little late to the party, but I've just discovered curry and cayenne.
Yikes! That stuff gets your attention!
Sure takes the boring out of a meal in a hurry.
You can't help but eat your soup "mindfully" when you've used these spices.
By the way, check out this article on how soup can make you feel fuller longer.
(it has to do with your pyloric sphincter valve)
advice
alcohol
all-or-nothingthinking
american
asparagus
beans
breakfast
calorierequirements
calories
children
confidence
cookies
cooking
craving
dessert
diet
dieting
dinner
eatingout
emotionaleating
energybars
exercise
family
fastfood
fat
fda
fiber
fish
foodshopping
foodtest
friends
fruit
goals
healthy
holiday
holidays
hunger
inspiration
kids
lunch
mediterranean
mediterraneandiet
mindset
motivation
obesity
parties
party
peerpressure
plateau
portions
protein
recipe
recipes
recommendations
restrictivediets
salad
satiety
scale
self-esteem
shrimp
sleep
snack
snacks
soup
success
successstory
sugar
support
thanksgiving
tips
tv
unsupportive
weightloss
100
vegetables
5
Thank you for a great article; I am going to save and use; soup is a wonderul food for anyone.