3 Tricks for Super Quick Weeknight Soup
This drool-worthy bowl can be on your table in a matter of minutes.
Key Takeaways
KONTAK PERKASA FUTURES - Canned soup may be easy, but beware of super high salt levels: canned chicken soup can have up to 1,106 mg of sodium per cup!
KONTAK PERKASA FUTURES - Pureeing veggies into your soup is a great way to up the nutritional stats and sneak produce into a picky eaters diet.
KONTAK PERKASA FUTURES - Nothing beats a hot bowl of homemade soup or stew on a cold day, but sometimes “homemade” can seem like a tall order, especially on busy weeknights. While popping open a can may seem easier, with these three simple tricks you can whip a better-for-you soup bursting with flavor in no time. Use What You’ve Got You may think if you’re cooking something at home, you’ll need to run out and pick up all fresh ingredients from the store to prepare your meal. But who has time to dedicate a shopping trip to each and every dinner? Luckily soup is the easiest meal to whip up using what you already have on hand in the kitchen, saving you money and time. Check for these leftovers in your fridge:
1. Meat: Maybe you made a roast chicken earlier in the week, or sautéed ground turkey for tacos — whatever you have leftover will make the perfect, hearty addition to your soup! Next time you make a meaty meal, make enough to include the leftovers in your soups and stews for easy dinners the rest of the week.
2. Grains: Did the family eat couscous, rice, pasta, or quinoa earlier in the week? All of these make a great add-in to beef up your soups and offer filling fiber. If you don’t have any left over, quinoa cooks quickly in soups and tastes great (especially in tomato!). Noodles also work great in a variety of soups; give our Chinese Pork and Vegetable Hot Pot a try.
3. Produce: Have leftover broccoli, cauliflower or spinach? Puree veggies and add them to your broth! Not only does this put leftovers to good use, but it’s a great way to sneak added nutrients into your meal without your kids even knowing they are eating veggies. Give the pureeing trick a try with our Garden-Fresh Asparagus Soup. Cook While You’re Out
No time to cook when you get home at night? Do it while you’re out during the day! Slow cookers are a lifesaver on hectic weeknights; simply throw some ingredients in before you leave the house and by the time you get home you’ll have a delicious stew waiting to be served. A general rule of thumb to follow is: one liquid (try chicken broth, veggie broth, or a creamy tomato base), one protein, one starch (we love using black beans) and tons of veggies! Time-Saver Tip: Make your stew even more effortless by setting aside a little time on Sunday to divide out chicken, potatoes, veggies, beans and anything else you want in your soups into resealable freezer bags. On busy days, you can simply dump the bag in the slow cooker on your way out the door in the morning! Cheat A Little
If your kitchen creativity is null and you can’t quite break away from the canned soup, you can still pop one open, but increase the health factor with this easy trick. Add your own ingredients — anything you have on hand — to a can of premade soup; you’ll slash the sodium content while also upping the amount of servings you get from one can. Try adding extra chicken and veggies to a can of chicken soup or turning a can of chili into a hearty meal by adding extra beans, carrots, and ground turkey.
Source : everydayhealth.com
