There's nothing better on a cold winter day than having something piping hot to warm you from the inside out. Plus, with all of the germs and flu bugs that seem to circulate in the winter, it's not a bad idea to pack as many nutrients into your meals as possible. One of the best remedies for this is a homemade veggie soup!
The beauty of making this type of soup is that you can add pretty much any and everything to it to fit your specific taste. If you want a little extra protein pack, you can certainly add things like Quinoa, ground beef or turkey, or beans. Plus, if you see a vegetable that you aren't too keen on in the list below, simply trade it out for one that you do like. One thing to keep in mind to maximize the health benefits...make it as colorful as you can! Try to pull from a variety of vegetables so that you have a rainbow of colors in addition to loads of nutrients.
I hope you enjoy this dish and it keeps you warm through these winter months! Have a happy and healthy holiday season!
Ingredients:
- 1 large bottle reduced sodium V8 juice
- 2-3 cups of water
- 2-3 cloves crushed garlic or 1-2 tbsp minced garlic
- 1-2 bunches kale leaves (torn into bite size pieces from stalk)
- 1 bunch rainbow Swiss chard (torn into bite size pieces from stalk)
- 1/2 yellow onion, diced
- 3-4 thinly sliced carrots
- 1-2 diced squash
- 1 small bag frozen green beans
- 1-2 cans cannellini beans
- 2 tsp salt
- 2-3 tsp black pepper
- 2 tsp cayenne pepper
Add all ingredients to a large pot, bring to a boil, and then let simmer for 3-4 hours or until all ingredients have softened. Enjoy!
– LAUREN ORMSBEE, CHC, CEP
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