This past season I’ve been working hard to eat healthier meals. This is easy in the summertime, but once soup season rolls around and our gardens are put to rest, it can be a little more challenging.
In this post, I’ll be sharing some easy and simple tweaks that will help you enjoy healthier soup recipes with minimal effort.
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Using Bone Broth Instead of Regular Stock
I’m a fan of using bone broth protein powder due to his nutritional benefits. It can help support things like joint health and digestion. I have mild arthritis in my hands, so anything that will help my joints is always welcome.
Bone broth adds extra protein, collagen, and minerals such as calcium and magnesium.
Using a good-quality organic bone broth in a soup like my Italian chicken pastina soup is simply a matter of swapping out the broth. Some broths have different flavors so experiment with how you use it. It literally is the easiest thing to do.
You can discover Bone Broth Protein Powder by Naked Nutrition on Amazon.
Increase More Vegetables in the Soup
Increasing healthy vegetables in soups is such a great way to turn a regular recipe into a healthy one. I often fall short in this area because I usually stick to the basics, afraid to alter the flavors I already love.
But this year, I’m going to start adding in more greens (such as spinach and kale) as well as adding more onion and garlic which are both anti-inflammatory.
One recipe I keep pretty simple is my Italian minestrone winter soup, but this year I’m going to really bulk it up with more hearty vegetables such as green beans, mushrooms and greens like I mentioned before. Plus, if I use some bone broth – I’ll really be in good shape!
Make sure to see below a full list of vegetables that can be added to many different types of soups. But first, let’s talk about our 3rd tip for making healthier soups.
More Whole Grains or Legumes Instead of Pasta
Trust me, I love pasta in my soups, like my pasta e fagioli soup. But I plan on adding in more grains like farro, barley, quinoa, and chickpeas. I already use chickpeas in my chickpea soup recipe, but I don’t see why some lentils wouldn’t be a bad idea either.
Just keep in mind to find that right balance. We’re looking to be healthier, not health extremists. It’s important not to lose the original flavor of the recipe to the point where we no longer want to eat it!
Lower Fat Content in Creamy Soups
One thing I notice as a food writer and creator is how many creamy soup recipes are floating around on Pinterest and other places that use heavy cream – and lots of it! Ugh!!! So unhealthy!!
Since, in authentic Italian cooking, we don’t use heavy cream (I’ve yet to see a traditional recipe that does), I like to use whole milk instead. If a more modern recipe requires the use of heavy cream and I can’t avoid it, then I’ll use half and half along with some whole milk.
Use Extra Virgin Olive Oil Instead of Unhealthy Oils
Many soups use onion, celery, and carrot as the base. You saute these until tender and then work in the rest of the soup. But many times, recipes will use butter or vegetable/canola oils to saute the vegetables. I prefer to use extra virgin olive oil, which have healthier fats.
Canola and vegetable oils are heavily processed and are not as healthy as one might assume. So I use EVOO (extra virgin olive oil), and yes, I know this oil is mostly recommended for salads, but I use it for everything (except for deep frying).
If you still don’t want to use olive oil, use something like avocado oil for your soup. This is also a healthy oil and has a higher smoke point – meaning it can deal with higher cooking temperatures without breaking down into harmful compounds.
Avocado oil also has a mild flavor, so it won’t alter the flavor of the soup. But it still won’t replace the flavor of using a good quality extra virgin olive oil.
And in case you’re wondering about regular olive oil, I’m becoming less of a fan as I’m learning that this too is heavily processed and isn’t very healthy either!
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Delicious Soup Recipes
For a full list of Italian soup recipes click here. Otherwise, check out these below!
This is one of my favorite white bean soups that uses lots of healthy greens!
Here’s an easy tortellini soup that you can use bone broth with!
This simple kale soup is a perfect example of how you can use lots of kale for great flavor and health!
If you have your own tips, make sure to comment and let me know!
