Mix and Match Soup – fresh, healthy & quick
Do you find yourself often trying to think of quick and easy lunches for yourself and your family?
Well, last week I worked with Erin from well.ca on an article about nutrition trends for 2016. One of the ideas we talked about were easy lunch ideas, and specifically – mix and match soup.
I love this idea because this is a regular lunch I have, particularly when I’m at the office.
There is a restaurant a couple of blocks form my work that has a lemongrass soup, and you can pick and choose the veggies and protein you would like to add.
So for example you can add beans or lentils or chicken if you like. Then you get to choose the vegetables. They’re all fresh and added to the soup, and voila! A healthy custom made lunch that you’ll love.
So I thought, why not make this myself, and share it in a blog post! It’s simple and healthy and delicious, and is quick and easy to prepare.
2 simple tips to save you time so you can make this lunch in 10 minutes
- As a first step, you can use frozen vegetables that are already prepared for you. Also, because frozen vegetables are just as healthy, and in some cases healthier than fresh, because they are picked at the peak of the season, it’s quicker than having to peel and prep fresh veggies. Another option is to use pre-washed greens vs a bunch that you would have to separate and wash to save time.
- Also, If you have a food processer, you can whiz all your veggies in the processor and use the cut veggies for 2-3 days to save you time. Add celery, carrots and cucumber and set it to shred, and your done!
Healthy Homemade Mix and Match Soup
For the broth, start by using a simple chicken broth you like. You can also spice it up, by adding some garlic, ginger, or even hot sauce.
Once you have your broth, then you can start making your mix and match soup!
here’s how it works…
carbohydrate – 1-2 servings of grains (1/2 – 1 cup)
1-2 servings of grains
Cook grains for 2-3 days
Quinoa, brown rice or buckwheat noodles
Add choice of protein 2-4 ounces of protein or 1/3 cup of beans
Use leftover chicken breast or wild salmon, or use chickpeas or blackbeans for protein and a fibre boost
Add-1-2 tsp Healthy oils or 2 tbsp nuts/seeds
For healthy fats, add a little flaxseed oil or olive oil. Sesame oil will add a nice flavour to the broth.
Include hempseed or ground flaxseed for omega 3s, and crushed pistachios, peanuts or cashews for crunch.
Add 1+ cup Vegetables, seasonings and Fresh Herbs
This is where you get to be adventurous! Try Cilantro, parsley or other herbs you enjoy!
Add garlic, ginger, lemongrass to give it some kick.
Mix in fresh (or frozen) veggies – Carrots, cabbage, corn, spinach, mushrooms, zucchini…
Add your soup base
Salt free chicken or vegetable broth (you can either heat this on the stove or in the microwave if you are at work or school)
ENJOY!
It is super healthy, packed with nutrients and antioxidants, and delicious, and once the veggies are prepped, (which remember you can then use for a few days) it can be put together in 10 minutes or less.
It’s just that simple.
Here’s a soup with quinoa, grated zucchini & carrots, blackbeans, cilantro, garlic and ginger.