Blog > What Are the Easiest Nutritionally-Packed Soups to Make During National Soup Month?

What Are the Easiest Nutritionally-Packed Soups to Make During National Soup Month?

National Soup Month takes place every January. Why January? January is the month where weather is usually at its worst. Bitter cold temperatures and snow are common in northern states, while those in the south tend to experience cooler temperatures and rain. It’s good weather across the country for a hot bowl of soup.

While canned soup is easy to make, it’s often higher in sodium and added sugar. It’s just as easy to make some nutritionally-packed soups for your parents. Start these soups in a slow cooker and ensure your parents have a warm meal on cold days.

Easy Vegetable Soup

A hearty vegetable soup that contains whole grains, vegetables, and protein is one of the quickest soups to make. Chop three carrots, three stalks of celery, and a large onion. Place them in the slow cooker with eight cups of water and a 28-ounce can of salt-free crushed tomatoes.

Add black pepper, dried basil, and two cups of chopped spinach, kale, or cabbage. Add a can of drained, rinsed low-sodium chickpeas and half a cup of whole barley. Let that cook all day and add salt to taste.

Manhattan-Style Fish Chowder

Typical chowders have cream. A Manhattan-style chowder swaps the cream for a tomato broth. Take eight cups of vegetable broth and add a 28-ounce can of low-sodium diced tomatoes and put those in a slow cooker.

Chop two potatoes and move those to the pot. Chop three stalks of celery, an onion, and three carrots and add those. Stir in a teaspoon of dried Italian seasoning and black pepper to taste. Let that cook for six hours. Add a pound and a half of cubed whitefish – cod and haddock are popular – and stir that in. Cook for another hour.

Chicken Noodle

Buy a fryer chicken and remove the skin. Place it in a slow cooker with eight cups of water, 3 bay leaves, a teaspoon of peppercorns, and six peeled cloves of garlic. Cook that for six hours. Use a strainer and separate the stock from the chicken. Remove the chicken meat and return it to the stock.

Add two cups of whole grain egg noodles, a bag of frozen peas and carrots, and a cup of chopped parsley. Cook that for another two hours.

In today’s busy world, you may not have the time to make meals from scratch. If you’re at work all day and can only stop in to check on your parents during the weekend, there’s another option. Hire caregivers to cook for them.

Caregivers can take them to the grocery store, help them pick out items, read the fine print on labels, and help them carry groceries into the house. Once items are put away, caregivers can cook dinner and clean up after. Call our home care agency to schedule caregiver services.

If you are considering Caregiver Services in Newberry FL, for an aging loved one, please contact the caring staff at Touching Hearts Home Care. Call today: 352-225-3727.