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Winter is the time to make delicious soups at home. There is no better feeling than cooking a warm bowl of soup at home and eating it while watching TV. Making soup at home is a great way to ensure that you are using healthy ingredients and also making it as per your taste requirements. It also gives you the creative window of testing out the new type of flavours and ingredients. Here are 10 ways to make your winter healthier and more nourishing.
* Add plenty of vegetables
The winter season brings a lot of new vegetables. You will find so many fresh vegetables, especially greens in the market. To make your soup more nourishing and nutritious, you can add lots of vegetables like carrots, peace, spinach, pigweed, broccoli, mushroom and other vegetables of your choice. These vegetables are high in macronutrients and antioxidants. They will enhance the taste and also fulfil your nutritional value.
* Don't forget to add protein
Having a protein-rich meal is very important. Always make sure that you add some or the other sources of protein to your soup. This can be chicken or any other kind of meat or it can even be eggs. If you are a vegetarian, then you can add cottage cheese or some kind of lentils. For vegans, both lentils and tofu are a great option. Always ensure that you do not use canned beans with high sodium content as it violates the whole purpose of eating a healthy meal.
* Add grains
If you want to have soup as your meal then adding grains can be a great option. You can add barley, quinoa, brown, rice, wholewheat, pasta, sauce, or any other leftovers again at your home. Always remember that greens like pasta, barley and rice absorb the stock of soup in large quantities. So make sure that you cook extra stock for your soup.
* Use fresh herbs
To enhance the flavour of your soup you can use a lot of fresh herbs. Always use them at the end of the cooking process so that the flavour of these herbs remains evident when you start eating the soup. Always remember to use very light spices and herbs in your soup to keep it balanced. A meal of soup is meant to be light on your stomach.
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* Avoid sodium-rich food
Avoid using food that is high in sodium levels. Food items like fish sauce and soy sauce have a very high level of sodium content. Only use ingredients that are natural and healthy. To enhance the flavour of your soup you can also use ginger and garlic. Try to avoid onions if you can.
* Add extra ingredients
You can garnish your soup with extra ingredients like sliced avocados, some pesto, or homemade croutons. This can enhance the overall flavour of your soup. Try making these extra ingredients at home instead of buying them from the market. The market-available variants have chemicals in preservatives.
* Choose healthier substitutes
Try to choose healthier substitutes for your go-to ingredients in making a suit. Choose ingredients that are low in fat and calories. Go for low-fat shredded cheese, low-fat sour cream and fresh meat to make your soup. Also while buying your grain, go for refined products.
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* Store it in the refrigerator properly
Home-made soups can be cooked at home in large quantities and then can be enjoyed for 3 to 4 days. But always remember that you must store your soup at a very low temperature. This will ensure that your soup doesn't go bad and you can eat it.
* Lower the fat content
Avoid using degree deals that have higher fat content. Do not use a lot of vegetable oil or butter in the cooking of your soup. Let the vegetables that you add to your soup boil with the stew. You do not have to sauté or fry vegetables before adding them to your soup.
* Follow all the steps properly
Making a tasty and healthy soup is the outcome of following a recipe properly. Each ingredient is added at a particular point in time because of a particular reason. You cannot go against the recipe and expect the soup to turn out well.
These are some steps to make your soup healthy and nutritious. Also following these steps will ensure that your soup turns out to be extremely delicious. You can follow these easy steps to make a tempting homemade soup.
