Pick up a spoon:  It’s National Soup Month!  Soup is a winter warming and waistline-trimming wonder that not only helps cure the common cold but, as an entrée or first course, helps to curb appetite and slow down consumption, allowing your brain to register that you’ve eaten enough.  With as many recipes as there are days in the year, and quart boxes of healthy ready-made, low-sodium stocks available at any supermarket, it’s easier than ever to whip up homemade soups to please a crowd.  To get you inspired, we’ve collected a few easy peasy recipes for you, and even some pointers on how to dress up canned soup in a pinch.

1.  Feeling the love for tomatoes, go for minestrone! A tomato-based soup is the perfect vehicle for delivering lycopene – a cancer fighting antioxidant that becomes more potent with heat. Not to mention minestrone is the perfect type of soup to use up leftover veggies. Dice up vegetables, like green beans, zucchini, broccoli and follow this recipe. The longer you let the soup hang out, the better the flavors will be. So make a big batch on a weekend morning to enjoy later in the day and everyone in your house will be thanking you for the yummy smells!

2.  Got leftover chicken from a family dinner? Chicken noodle soup is calling you! Shred 1 to 2 cooked chicken breasts using two forks to pull apart the meat and set aside. Bust out 1 onion, 1 large carrot and 2 celery stalks. Dice everything up and put in a large pot, pour in 4 cups of chicken or veggie broth and 2 cups of water and heat over medium. Once the mixture starts to bubble, pour in 1 cup whole wheat noodles and a pinch of salt and pepper. After 15 minutes, toss in the chicken and stir. Voila! Just like that you have 4 servings of homemade chicken noodle soup. You can even package it up and freeze individual portions for a cold and rainy day!

3.  Whoever said potatoes were bad for you?! Reap the benefits of this high-fiber food with a fresh batch of potato soup. Use this low-fat version as a guide and leave half of the skin on the potatoes for an extra vitamin boost. Stir in ¼ cup of low-fat cheddar cheese to your portion, and you’ll get enough protein and fiber to keep you full for hours.

4.  Split pea soup gets a low-maintenance makeover! This soup often gets a bad rap from the younger crowd (something about the name?), but we promise this tasty version will have them coming back for more.  Not only is split pea soup filling, but those little peas pack a mean protein punch too. Plus you get a healthy serving of iron to keep your energy up for an active, 10,000-step day!

5.  And, if you’re in a pinch between school, homework and extracurricular activities reach for a can of low-sodium vegetable soup. Look for something tomato or broth-based to really fill up your grumbling tummy! Toss in half a cup of frozen spinach and half a cup of canned beans, like garbanzos or black beans, when heating up the soup.  You don’t have to sacrifice their health just because everyone’s in a mad rush!
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photo credit: The Unseasoned Wok via photopin cc