Did you know that January is National Soup Month? For me, it doesn’t matter what month it is, as every day is the perfect time for a delicious steaming bowl of heaven! In fact, just the other day I made a big pot of white bean chicken chili for my family. Unfortunately later that day I learned that my son was not feeling well, so within minutes I was throwing together a second pot of soup. This time it was homemade chicken noodle to help sooth his stomach.
The best things about homemade soup are that it truly only takes minutes to prepare, can be adapted for all tastes and can literally cost only pennies to make. However, just remember that the most important foundation of any soup is a great tasting stock. And if you want to keep your calories and fat in check, broth soups are usually the way to go.
Soup Essentials. Rarely is there a time when my freezer is not well supplied with homemade chicken or turkey stock. Whether I am making a poultry meal or buying a delicious (and inexpensive) rotisserie chicken from Costco, I seldom throw the remnants and discarded pieces of the poultry into the garbage without first making a delectable rich broth.
Stock Preparation. Making soup stock is quite quick and easy, whether it is meat, seafood, poultry or vegetarian based. For chicken stock, simply place the poultry bones and miscellaneous pieces into a large stock pot, and then add some coarsely chopped carrots, celery, onions; herbs and spices and just enough water to cover the contents inside. From there the pot goes onto the stove over medium heat until it just begins to boil. Lower the heat, cover with a lid and lightly simmer for however long you desire. Typically, the longer the simmer, the more rich and flavorful the broth. Strain off the liquid and defat the broth using a fat separator or chill and then skim off the excess fat with a spoon. At this point the stock can be made into soup or poured into a Ziploc bag or other appropriate container to be labeled, dated and frozen for future use. In a short period of time you have created a delicious, healthy, low-calorie and low-fat pot of homemade stock that essentially only costs you the price of a few vegetables and herbs!
Finalizing The Soup. Now that you have the great foundation of homemade broth, your soup can be transformed into whatever meal your imagination creates. For example, the chicken noodle soup I made yesterday has been made into many versions. I like mine with a lot of chunky carrots, red pepper flakes, diced jalapeño’s and no meat. My daughter likes hers with no vegetables and no meat but quite a bit of cumin, and my husband likes a non-spicy yet hearty and substantial soup that includes both chicken and vegetables. Once you have a great tasting broth, it is very easy to simply add chicken, vegetables etc. directly into individual bowls, spice them up accordingly and serve!
So the next time you have remnants of chicken or turkey from a dish you already prepared, remember to use these to make a delicious healthy low-calorie stock for future meals. It’s quick, easy and can’t be much more kind to your budget!
For 25 top-rated healthy soup recipes, click here.
