Simple & Healthy Soup Recipes Using Pantry Staples!

Soups are probably due more credit than they receive. They're warming when the weather is cold and can be comforting if you're fighting a cold. They're also a great way to reduce food waste.  You can create a pot of soup starring all the veggies sitting in your fridge and add Mom’s Place Chicken, Beef or Vegetable Bouillon for an amazing flavor! Then you have the beginnings of an amazing dish. You can freeze soups & warm them up at any moment, helping you feel full & satisfied with minimal effort!

Soups can also be incredibly healthy for our overall diets & waistlines. Sipping on soup before a meal can help us eat less overall but still feel just as satisfied, according to a study in the April 2007 study published in Appetite. Those who had soup before lunch took in significantly fewer calories overall (even with soup and lunch combined) compared to those who just ate lunch.

What's more, people who drink soup regularly were observed to weigh less, have smaller waists and eat fewer calories on average than those who skipped the soup, an April 2014 paper published in the British Journal of Nutrition found. Soup lovers also appear to have better diets overall, taking in more protein, fiber and several vitamins and minerals, as well as less overall fat intake.

Try these seven simple soup recipes you can throw together in a cinch!

1. Italian White Bean, Spinach & Pasta Soup

The major components in this soup are vegetable broth, pasta, cannellini beans (or any beans) and baby spinach. The recipe calls for fresh spinach but frozen works well, too.

While the warmth of this soup can comfort you, the spinach might also help with your mood. Leafy greens like spinach, top the list for containing nutrients linked to better mental health, according to a September 2018 paper published in the World Journal of Psychiatry.

This soup bursts with white beans and spinach, which contain heart-healthy folates. And if you’re trying to manage your weight, perhaps the best part of this scrumptious soup is that it’s very satisfying, thanks to the fiber and protein from the beans. This soup provides 10 grams of protein and 5 grams of fiber per serving!

INGREDIENTS – 4 SERVINGS

• 1 Tlbs Olive Oil, Extra Virgin
• 2 garlic cloves
• 6 cups Vegetable or Chicken Broth
• (made with Mom’s Place Bouillon)
• 2 Tlbs Lemon Juice
• 1 1/4 tsp Sea Salt
• 1 tsp Rosemary, fresh
• 6 oz GF Pasta 
• 15 oz Cannellini Beans (or whatever Beans you have)
• 10 oz Fresh Baby Spinach
• 1/4 C Shredded Parmesan

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan or stockpot over medium-high. Add the garlic and sauté until golden, about 1 minute.
2. Add the broth, lemon juice, salt and rosemary and bring to a boil over high. Stir in the Mom’s Place GF Pasta and beans and bring back to a boil.
3. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered until the pasta is cooked through, about 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Stir in the spinach to wilt, about 1 minute. Adjust seasoning.
5. Ladle into bowls, sprinkle with the shredded (or shaved) parmesan, and serve. If desired, serve with crushed hot pepper flakes and/or lemon zest. You may also add GF sausage or chicken if you like. 

2. Mexican Chicken Tortilla Soup

The hearty beans in this soup helps up the fiber, which is something most of us (like, 9 out of 10) could benefit from.

Research shows 90 percent of Americans fall short of their fiber needs every day. Women should get 25 grams per day and men, 38 grams, according to the National Institutes of Health. Good news: This soup provides 14 grams per serving.

Mom’s Place Mexican Chicken Tortilla Soup makes it so simple! You’ll just add the beans and a can of tomatoes & then top it with sour cream, cheese & tortilla chips & you’ve hit a home run!

3. Roasted Butternut Soup

This blended soup features butternut squash, which is great to keep on hand because it can be stored for up to two to three months, according to Iowa State University Extension.

Blended soups may be the real MVP when it comes to keeping you feeling full, according to a clinical trial published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition in October 2012. Researchers compared the effects of a solid meal versus a chunky soup versus a smooth soup (like this Roasted Butternut Soup) on gastric emptying and appetite. Turns out, thicker blended soups take the longest to empty and provide the greatest feelings of satiety.

All you have to do to make soup out of a butternut squash is cut it in half, scoop out the seeds, roast it, and blend. No need for complex cubing, and the caramelization from roasting makes for a satisfying flavor.

INGREDIENTS—6 Servings

• 1 Whole Butternut Squash
• 4 cups Beef Broth (made with Mom’s Place Bouillon)
• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp Salt
• 3/4 tsp Sage, Fresh
• 1/2 tsp Pepper, Black

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Halve squash lengthwise and remove the seeds.
3. Sprinkle squash with salt and pepper.
4. Place butternut squash halves skin side down in a baking dish and drizzle with olive oil.
5. Bake until tender, approximately 50 minutes.
6. Once removed from the oven and cooled slightly, scoop squash meat out of skin and place in blender.
7. Blend squash, broth, and sage until smooth. Add salt if desired.
8. You may add a drizzle of heavy cream or coconut cream on the top to make it pretty. 

4. White Bean & Veggie Soup

This is one of those vegetable soups where anything goes. It calls for celery, mushrooms, carrots, frozen peas and canned white beans but you can really use any combo of veggies and beans you have on hand — in your freezer, pantry or fridge.

Walnuts are a surprising add-in, and they give more heft to the soup, along with a dose of omega-3 fatty acids, fiber and some protein. And get this: people who ate 1.5 ounces of walnuts each day saw significant positive changes in their guts, a February 2018 clinical trial published in Nutrients found.

INGREDIENTS (2 servings)

• 4 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1-2 carrots
• 1-2 celery stalks
• 1/4 onion
• 1/2 garlic clove
• 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
• 1 tsp fresh thyme
• 1 dash salt and pepper
• 2 cups vegetable or chicken broth
•   (Using Mom’s Place Vegetable or Chicken Bouillon)
• 3/4  cup water
• 1/3 cup frozen peas
• 3/4 cup canned white beans
• 4 half walnut halves (opt.)

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.
2. Add carrot, celery, onion, garlic, mushrooms, thyme, salt and black pepper and cook, stirring, until the vegetables soften, about 3 to 5 minutes.
3. Increase heat to medium-high and continue to cook, until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 5 minutes.
4. Add broth, water, and beans; cook until just heated through and serve.
5. Top with nuts (optional).

5. Cream of Mushroom Soup

You typically want to steer clear of any soup with the words "cream of" in the name because it is usually an indication that it's filled with well, cream. And that means extra saturated fat and calories. However, Mom’s Place Cream of Soups aren’t overly heavy or full of fat. 

Use Mom’s Place Cream of Mushroom Soup by cooking it on the stove until thick. Then top with fresh (or canned) mushrooms and serve with GF crackers and literally it melts in your mouth & soothes the soul!

6. Chicken Enchilada Soup 

One of the best attributes of this recipe is its simplicity. It comes together with Mom’s Place Cream of Chicken, Chicken Bouillon, Chicken & some green chiles— that's it. We're taught to eat the rainbow but that definitely includes the color white. Don't skip out on foods like cauliflower, onions, garlic and potatoes—any of these can be added to any soup to add extra flavor and nutrients!

Simply make 4 servings of Mom’s Place Cream of Chicken soup, add cooked chicken, a couple extra teaspoons of Chicken bouillon & a spoonful of canned green chiles to give it a little zing! You can also simply order our Mom’s Place Chicken Enchilada Mix—we make it very simple! Then just serve with tortilla chips & avocados and enjoy!

7. Chicken Noodle Soup 

You can never go wrong with some good ol’ Chicken Noodle Soup. Mom’s Place Chicken Noodle Soup is so easy to make (just add chicken) with an amazing broth and GF pasta.  It tastes like you remember from your childhood. 

Tip: Keep It Simple! Use What You Have…

While specific soup recipes vary, my advice is just to use what you have! For example… you can create a minestrone style vegetable soup that is low in fat and calories and rich in fiber and flavor. Saute onion, garlic, celery and peppers in a bit of water & bouillon to keep the fat to a minimum. Add bouillon, canned tomatoes and their juice, and vegetables to your minestrone. Add green beans, squash and chopped leafy greens, like spinach, kale or cabbage. Simmer until the mixture is cooked through, (recommends Weight Watchers). Season your soup with basil, oregano, garlic and rosemary or leave it simply seasoned with salt and pepper to add additional herbs and spices when you warm it.

Tip: Added Benefits of Soups… 

Low-calorie broth-based soups can fill you up. Make sure to always have Mom’s Place Chicken, Beef & Vegetable Bouillon on hand so you can whip up a flavorful soup at any moment! Any greens in your soup will provide fiber and additional fluids may reduce the feeling of hunger common on a reduced calorie diet. If you opt to add a light minestrone soup to a well balanced diet, you may find that you can reduce your portions at meals or eliminate between meal snacking.