The Soup Story

Winter is upon us. The chill surely makes us all wish we could stay snug in bed all day with that universal comforter – a bowl of soup.

There are many types of soups. You have clear soup that is more like an extract of herbs and vegetables. And you have thick soup that contains any or all of the following: vegetables, meat, fish, chicken, lentils and herbs.

You can drink soup as an appetizer or make it the main meal. This is because its calorie content can vary from 100 to 500 calories per bowl. So remember, it’s a myth that all soups are low calorie.

Soups can roughly be classified into the following:

• Vegetable Soup:Made of tomato, mushrooms, cabbage, spinach, potatoes, etc.

• Lentil Soup: Made primarily of boiled and mashed pulses.

• Chicken/Meat Soup: Made from chicken or meat, whatever specified. Chicken soup is viewed as the best thing to have in the winters, especially if you have cold.

• Herb Soup: In which a bit of lemon grass or a lot of ginger and garlic is added to a basic vegetable broth.

• Mixed Meal Soup: This nutritious soup can contain a mix of vegetables and lentils in which cheese or soy has been added.

There are many soup add-ons too. Soup is often thickened with rice, corn, barley and oats.

Therapeutic Qualities

Vegetables are rich source of antioxidantsdefine and making soup out of them is a good way to maximize that benefit. This is because when you put vegetables in soup, they do not lose their nutrients.

• Cabbage soup is beneficial for those who suffer from arthritis, liver disorders and water retention problems. Cabbage soup also helps people lose weight.

• Spinach soup is a good source of iron.

• Onions, garlic and chives are antiseptic and have anti-kapha properties. They are also good for those suffering from respiratory problems like asthma and bronchitis. Onion is a cleanser and an expectorant. It also reduces the levels of blood sugar and cholesterol and is good for those caught with cold.

• Drink lentil soup to increase your intake of proteins.

• The herbs and spices added to soups also have their benefits. Spices like black pepper and cinnamon are excellent cleansers for the upper respiratory tract.

• Cinnamon is commonly used as a stimulant for the digestive and circulatory system.

• Nutmeg is a carminative that induces the expulsion of gas from the stomach and intestines and an antispasmodic.

• Besides adding flavor, lemon can also be used to replace salt in soups. Lemon boosts the immune systemdefine, counters infections and can relieve rheumatic pain.