It all happened so suddenly. Winter is here. Snow has fallen and now who wants to drink cold green juices to stay healthy and get their veggies in?
All you may want to eat this winter are mashed potatoes and clam chowder, but there are some delicious soups that will keep you beach-ready for that family vacation coming up during winter break.
1. Miso soup
Not only is it delicious, but miso soup is also good for digestion and strengthens your immune system. This soup will keep you slim and has anti-aging benefits.
2. Minestrone
So many vegetables, so much flavor. You can either buy minestrone or make it by hand with whatever veggies you have lying around. There’s even a diet called the minestrone soup diet, so you know it’s for real.
3. Tom Yum/Hot and Sour Soup
This is a shrimp soup with herbal ingredients such as coriander, lemon grass, lime leaves and galangal roots. It often includes mushrooms and a variety of chilies as well. A study in Thailand found that the ingredients are 100 times more effective in inhibiting cancerous tumor growth than other foods.
4. Butternut Squash Soup
A winter favorite. Butternut squash is an excellent sources of beta carotene that helps the prevent eye problems such as dry eyes and night blindness. Squash also contain vitamins that help to keep you from getting cataracts. Butternut squash is also a good source of potassium, which helps lower blood pressure. This is a broth-based soup so it provides a lot of nutrients without containing a lot of calories and the high water and fiber contents will fill you up.
5. Split Pea Soup
This soup is made from peas, carrots, onions and ham, so you’re getting both vegetables and protein. The fiber content will help keep you feeling full and the potassium will regulate your blood pressure and support your metabolism.
6. Black Bean Soup
This soup has everything. Black beans offer fiber, protein, folic acid, potassium and magnesium. Black beans are the most antioxidant-rich beans. This soup is good for your cholesterol, too!
So instead of shoveling down chowders or cream of chickens, consider these soups this winter to satisfy your soup cravings without giving you a winter blanket of your own.