Warm Up With Wheat

Get cozy in the kitchen with some tasty, wheat-inspired soup recipes from one of our Revive Wellness registered dietitians, Andrea!

The following blog and recipes appeared on Life’s Simple Ingredient as part of one of our many collaborations.

There is a Danish term and lifestyle concept called “Hygge,” which means feeling cozy and surrounding yourself in life with things that bring joy. In the middle of winter, we tend to seek out ways to be warm, cozy, and “hygge.” Examples of this include friendship, warmth, wrapping up in a warm blanket by the fire with a book, laughter, and good food.  Since food is part of this feeling, we often see a change in eating patterns from summer to winter—people are looking for comfort and food that warms the soul.

Although not everyone is in love with winter and the long, cold days, there is something to be said about coming in after being outside with rosy cheeks and warming up with a good bowl of soup!

Did you know that February 4^th is Homemade Soup Day? Making your own soup may seem overwhelming, but there are many amazing benefits to creating your own soups, and the potential combinations of what to create are limitless, with most ingredients needed already in your pantry, freezer, or fridge. Maybe you already have a favourite recipe or a family secret recipe that comes to mind that you enjoy and could add to your winter meal plan!

Five Benefits of Making Your Own Soup

• Store-bought soups tend to be higher in salt/sodium. To check this, look at the nutrition label and focus on the percent daily value of sodium. Anything under 5% is considered “a little amount,” and over 15% is considered “a lot.” Making soup at home allows you to control the ingredients and keep the salt/sodium down by using herbs for flavouring.
• Homemade soups can be made with basically anything you have in your fridge, pantry, or freezer, which helps keep meal costs down and be budget-friendly.
• When you make a batch of soup, you can eat it immediately or put it in individual freezer containers to have on hand for a quick lunch or supper later.
• Soups can be a balanced meal if you are adding in a grain (noodles, barley, bread, rice, potato, etc.), a protein (beans or lentils, turkey, hamburger, chicken, etc.), and of course vegetables of your choice (carrots, celery, spinach, mushrooms, tomatoes, etc.) which can be either fresh or frozen.
• You can also make your own dry soup mixes to have ready soup bases on hand or to give away as gifts to family and friends!

When using grains in a soup recipe, a helpful tip is to cook the grain or pasta separately and to cook them to 1-2 minutes under the package’s suggested cooking time. This leaves the grain “al dente,” which is a pasta or grain that is firm when bitten but not hard or chalky. This prevents the grain from soaking up too much of your soup broth and becoming mushy!

Here are two amazingly warm, comforting, and hygge soups that I hope you will try and enjoy!

About Andrea Shackel, Registered Dietitian, CDE

Growing up in an agricultural family in rural Manitoba, Andrea had always had an interest in food and an appreciation of where it came from. After being a Registered Dietitian for over 10 years, becoming a Certified Diabetes Educator (CDE), and being a Strategic Centre for Obesity Professional Education (SCOPE) Certified Dietitian, her interest in nutrition and food has continued to evolve and grow.

Andrea has come to realize that being a Registered Dietitian is looking at not just what we eat but the bigger picture. Food is delicious, food can be therapeutic, food is complicated and messy, food is a part of our culture and passed down from each generation, food is enjoyment and social and part of an emotional roller coaster. Learning how to recognize our relationship with food and how complex it can be, allows us to understand our ability to unlock our potential to move forward with our health goals.

To learn more about Andrea or book a 15-minute discovery call with her to identify the best plan for your health, visit the link below:

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Get the full Carrot Ginger Soup recipe here

Carrot Ginger Soup with Whole Wheat Croutons
PREP 15M | COOK 25M | ENJOY IN 45M

Makes 4 servings (1 ½ cups per serving)

Ingredients

• 2 slices hearty whole wheat bread, cut into ½ inch cubes
• 2 tsp olive oil
• Pinch salt and pepper
• 1 tbsp salted butter or olive oil
• 1½ cups chopped onions
• 3 cloves roughly chopped garlic
• 1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
• ¾ tsp salt
• ½ tsp fresh ground pepper
• 1 tsp fresh thyme, or ¼ tsp dried thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• ¼ tsp chili flakes
• 4 cups peeled and sliced carrots (about 1 lb)
• 4 cups no-salt-added vegetable broth, divided
• 2 tsp cider vinegar
• Heavy cream, for finishing (optional)*

*Ingredient not included in nutritional analysis

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. To make croutons, toss bread cubes with 2 tsp oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Spread bread cubes on a baking sheet and bake until golden brown, about 10 – 15 minutes. Set aside to cool.
3. Heat butter or oil in a medium pot over medium-low heat.
4. Add onions, garlic, ginger, salt, pepper, thyme, bay leaf and chili flakes. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are softened and starting to caramelize, about 5 – 7 minutes.
5. Increase heat to medium-high and add carrots and 3 cups broth, reserving remaining 1 cup. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until carrots are very tender, about 15 – 20 minutes.
6. Remove from heat. Discard bay leaf.
7. Purée soup using an immersion blender until smooth (alternatively, blend soup in batches in a blender). Return soup to medium-low heat. Add cider vinegar and remaining 1 cup broth and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer and cook just until heated through.
8. Ladle soup into serving bowls. Drizzle with 1 – 2 tsp cream (if desired) and top with croutons.
9. Enjoy!

Nutritional analysis per serving: 201 calories, 6 g fat, 5 g protein, 34 g carbohydrate (28 g available carbohydrate), 6 g fibre, 693 mg sodium

Get the full Turkey Meatball and Vegetable Soup recipe here

Turkey Meatball and Vegetable Soup
PREP 20M | COOK 4H | ENJOY IN 4H 30M

Makes 6 servings (1½ cups per serving)

Ingredients

• ¼ cup milk (1%)
• 2 slices whole wheat bread, cut into cubes
• 1 lb. lean ground turkey
• ¼ cup finely chopped shallots
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• ½ tsp nutmeg
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• ½ tsp red pepper flakes
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp fresh ground pepper
• ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 tbsp fresh chopped parsley
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 2 tsp canola oil
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 8 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 1 can (540 mL) white kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• ¾ cup thinly sliced carrots
• 1½ cups sliced zucchini
• 3 sprigs thyme
• 1 small lemon, sliced
• 4 cups roughly chopped Swiss chard

Preparation

1. In a large bowl, combine milk and bread cubes. Let stand for 2 minutes, then add turkey, shallots, garlic, nutmeg, oregano, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper, cheese, parsley and egg. Stir just until combined. Do not overmix.
2. Use a small scoop to form ½- to 1-inch meatballs and place on a baking sheet. Set aside.
3. Heat oil in a small frypan over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring, until softened and lightly browned, about 4 – 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
4. Add cooked onions, broth, beans, carrots, zucchini, thyme and lemon slices to a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker.
5. Add meatballs and cover. Cook on low until meatballs are cooked through, about 3½ hours.
6. Stir in Swiss chard. Cover and continue cooking for 30 minutes.
7. Serve and enjoy!

Nutritional analysis per serving: 237 calories, 7 g fat, 22 g protein, 23 g carbohydrate (18 g available carbohydrate), 6 g fibre, 378 mg sodium.

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