Looks like a soup but eats like a meal

It’s no secret: Quebecers eat according to the season. With the return of cooler and darker days, many of us have replaced refreshing summer salads with hot, hearty soups! Today, I’ll share a tasty and satisfying soup recipe that will be ready in no time.

Three key players

In addition to satisfying our taste buds, a meal should also satisfy our hunger. Satiety is felt when physical hunger has been addressed and satiety is easier to achieve when a meal combines three key elements: grains, vegetables and a source of protein. The grains provide the energy, and the veggies and protein will help maintain this energy for hours. The presence of these three food groups will transform your soup recipe into a complete and satisfying meal.

The MVP’s

While planning simplifies the meal prep process, sometimes there is simply no time to shop or cook. Some of us may also prefer to improvise the meal according to what we want at that moment. For these reasons, it is convenient to have some basic ingredients at hand, both in the pantry and in the freezer, which will allow you to prepare your soup meal in no time.

Pantry essentials:

• Canned tomatoes and broth
• Coconut milk
• Grains: amaranth, quinoa, barley, rice noodles and pasta
• Legumes: chickpeas, black beans, red and white kidney beans, lentils, etc.
• Variety of spices and dried herbs: thyme, oregano, pepper, curry, turmeric, etc.

Freezer essentials:

• Frozen veggies (ex: Soup mix or Asian mix)
• Edamame (soya beans) without pods
• Shrimps or fish fillets
• Firm or extra firm tofu (yes…you can freeze it!)
• Thinly sliced meats: (ex: fondue meats, cubed chicken)

Winning combinations

Here are some deliciously satisfying soup recipes that will inspire you to customize according to what you want at that moment and what you have on hand.

Grandma’s Soup: Beef broth + barley + fondue-style beef slices + mix of frozen vegetables + Herbes de Provence

Asian Soup: vegetable broth + coconut milk + rice noodles + salmon fillets cut in chunks + Asian style frozen vegetables + curry and turmeric

Don’t forget that you can always visit the Ultime Fit website for great recipe ideas (my favorite hearty soup recipe is Minestrone with Pesto!).

Get out those stock pots and happy souping!

Co-authored with Virginie Drolet-Labelle, level 4 Dietetics student

Looks like a soup but eats like a meal is a post from Nautilus Plus. The Nautilus Plus blog aims to help people in their journey to fitness through articles on training, nutrition, motivation, exercise and healthy recipes.
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