Soups are often only associated with winter, but a healthy and delicious soup can be eaten all year round. With a little bit of planning, soups can be highly nutritious and easily transformed into a satisfying main meal.

Hearty soups full of potato, pasta or grains like rice and barley provide a burst of carbohydrate to refuel the hungry and tired.  A light, clear Asian-style broth full of different-coloured vegetables provides essential antioxidant vitamins and minerals. Serving bread with soup boosts its refuelling power and forms a perfect partnership. 

Tips on making soup

Here are a few suggestions to spice up your soups.

-          Legumes and pulses such as soybeans, kidney beans, chickpeas or commercially available bean mixes make great additions to soups and salads. These are high in carbohydrate, protein and fibre, whilst being low in fat, and they are also a rich source of vitamins and minerals, antioxidants and phyto-oestrogens.

-          Soups freeze well, so the time taken to cook a large pot will reward you with many single serves tucked away in the freezer.  Defrost frozen portions in the microwave or in a small saucepan on the stove.  Make sure that soups are simmered for a few minutes after defrosting to ensure that any bacteria are destroyed.

-          Commercial croutons are usually high in fat, so make your own instant croutons by toasting or grilling bread and then cutting it into cubes.  Experiment with different types of bread such as sourdough, wholegrain types or pitta bread.

-          Soups can be easily modified to lower the fat content.  Try using skim milk or CARNATION Light and Creamy Evaporated Skim Milk in creamy-style soup recipes. In recipes where cream is used for thickening as well as flavour, you can thicken the soup with 1-2 teaspoons of cornflour instead.

So there you have it.  Now there’s no need to wait for winter to enjoy a good soup.