8 Easy Tips for Making Soup

I’m not sure about you, but I AM COLD!

I don’t remember an October where I had to turn on the heat. We’re cheap and usually wait until November to turn it on, ha! 

I think this comes from growing up in a 150-year-old house and my mom saying ‘Just put on a sweater!‘

Well, guess what? I live in a 185-year-old house now and it’s cold in here! So naturally, I’m thinking about soup to warm me up.

Are you thinking about soup too?

This week I wanted to give you some tips on buying and making soup. I make a lot of soup, but I do buy it sometimes and there are some things to consider:

If you buy soup:

• Always read the ingredients label. Look for olive oil or water. I encourage you to stay away from canola and vegetable oil if possible because they’re not health-building. 
• Watch the salt. I find canned and pre-made soups full of sodium. Look for something low in sodium on the label.
• Go to the refrigerated fresh aisle first. I prefer jarred soups that seem like they were made by a person, instead of a factory. 
• Boost up a canned or jarred soup with a scoop of grass-fed collagen, or grass-fed gelatin for added nutrients (the gelatin will help to mimic bone broth).
• Add a glug of extra virgin olive oil once the soup is cooked to help to make the nutrients more bio-available (Vitamin A, D, E and K, for example, need fat to work properly!), 

If you make soup:

• Make or use bone broth or chicken stock to ‘beef’ up the soup. Adding bone broth can add nutrients to help you stay healthy during the winter months.
• But don’t feel you need to have the added cost of broth to make a good soup. For example, if you make chicken soup, simply cooking the chicken in water will create a delicious and nourishing broth. If you’re not making chicken you can still use water and add onion, garlic, herbs, and spices for flavour.
• If you have a ‘selective eater’ in the house who doesn’t like chunky soups, puree a serving for him/her right before you eat. I do this for my kids and it saves some headaches at the table!

I hope that helps you with some ideas to make awesome soup this fall and winter.

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P.P.S.: Check out my Easy Slow Cooker Recipes booklet for awesome soup and stew recipes!