I love soup! Autumn and winter are my favorite times of year (food-wise) because I get to enjoy so many hot, hot, hot soups. But, I recently read an article that explained why soup was so healthy ... and I realized that the article had missed the fact that it was a money saver, too. 1. Eating soup helps you eat less. If you have a nice bowl of soup before a meal or an entree, you eat less since there's already food in your stomach. If you go out to eat, you could enjoy a soup and perhaps another appetizer - instead of shelling out money for a more-expensive-than-it-is-worth entree. 2. It's convenient. There are a ton of canned soup - just check that canned food aisle in any grocery store. They're usually on sale - even the fancy, brand name ones - making it very easy to stock up. Personally, I like to take a can of soup to work. It's so easy to prepare and can be very delicious and filling. 3. Soup is healthy! Obviously a soup made of heavy cream may not be, but most soups are. Vegetables, chicken, lean meats, rice, pastas... there are so many varieties. This is sort of a stretch in my soup-saves-money post, but the healthier you are, the less you need to worry about: medicine, prescription drugs, doctor's visits, etc. 4. Making soup is easy. Most people on this forum know that grocery shopping can save you lots of money. Couponing is an art form, or even a science. Many people know that just taking some Time Out of the day (or the week, if you like to cook a lot one day a week and freeze food for the rest of the week) can really be a money saver. Even the fanciest soups don't take up a lot of money. And, for the most part, soups are really easy to make (moreso if you have an immersion/stick blender). So, what do you think? Did I go a little overboard in my soup-saves-money? Haha! Even if I did go a little overboard, let's share some of our best soup recipes.
I just have to say I just ate, but I still got hungry for soup reading this. My favorite way to cook soup is in the crock pot. I love chili and creamy tomato. I have had to deviate from some of my favorite recipes because my husband started weight watchers. The ingredients can be a little different in the weight watcher recipes, still good though.
Since becoming vegan, soup has become my best friend. Soup is healthy, filling and cheap to make. I fix a variety of bean soups from scratch. My health food store sells beans mixes in bulk. I never realized how fulfilling soup could be. My grocery bill has been drastically reduced since I started eating this way.
Nice share, I didn't realize that soup could save you money in those ways. I'll freeze leftover meats and veggies and make a soup out of them about once a week. It is like getting a free meal. The most common types of soup that I make are chicken noodle, minestrone and creamy potato and onion soup. I will usually make some homemade bread or rolls to go along with the soup to make a really filling meal.
All advantages offered soup as main food are very interesting. Particularly, I recognize that this isn't one of my favorite foods but I enjoy if l eat soup occasionally. The soup is a very ductile preparation and offers many possibilities with the combination of various ingredients. In my country we are going through the late spring and cold soups aren't my favorite but when the cold back to my city I will enjoy that style of different recipes. Thanks for sharing this information and recipes.
Do you have any simple bean soup recipes? I love the Bacon & Bean soup (which I realize you probably won't have a recipe for since you're vegan) from Campbell's, but never was able to replicate it. I have an immersion/stick blender, but it still turns out gritty (which I don't mind for certain soups, but the texture is key for bean soup). Any ideas? (Or altogether better-than-Campbells bean recipes?) Chili is my all-time favorite! The great thing about chili is that you can load up on vegetables and beans. It is really filling and hearty. I also enjoy corn and potato soup. It's simple, once the potatoes are cooked through. I've never made my own tomato soup - always got it out of a can - but it sounds very easy!
I keep it really simple. I use a few dry bean soup mixes. I cooked the beans in vegetable broth add some extra spices. I'm really into cumin lately. I might added diced garlic, red onion or crushed tomatoes depending on my mood. Last week, I found a recipe for easy black bean chili. It was so delicious. I used to 2 cans of black beans rinsed and a jar of salsa with garlic. I add cumin. Let that simmer for 10 minutes. Then a bag of frozen corn is to be added and cook warmed through. I saute the corn with a crushed garlic in a separate skillet and add that to pot. Add a half punch of cilantro before serving. Serve with corn tortillas on the side. It only takes 20 minutes to cook, is very filling and full of protein.
I love to make homemade soup using what ever is left over in the refrigerator. Often I will make a base soup and add things to it as more things are left over during the week. There is always lots of veggies in my soup and beans. I prefer to start with dry beans in my slow cooker and go from there.
I occasionally eat soup, but I very quickly grow tired of it. I over-did clam chowder and Ramon Noodles (does that even count as soup?) Anyway, soup is an inexpensive option, and it can be very nutritious if you choose one with vegetables.
I don't think you're going overboard....soup is delcious, has tons of varities and is very filling without costing much at all. Sounds like a money saver to me .
Soup is great for the winter months or anytime of year. My favorite soup is chicken soup. I can fix chicken soup in so many ways to make it taste delicious. I love it with a lot of vegetables such as the frozen mixed vegetables, if I don't have the time to cut up my own vegetables. I put some really good seasonings in there like sprinkles and black pepper. It is really good on those cold days in the year.
I've fairly recently gotten into making bone broth and using it to cook rice and eggs and other such things, but I've been hesitant to get into soup making except for when I have a cold. After reading this, I'm not certain why I'm so hesitant, haha!
Soup is less expensive however most soups have a lot of sodium. So it's best to get a crock pot and make your own stew or soup for optimum health benefits. You're right, they make a great meal and also save you money.
This definitely plays into number 3 a lot. I often see it as a tip as for how to lose weight. If you eat soup, then you're less likely to eat as much of the entree. That means shaving off quite a few calories that you otherwise would've eaten. I hadn't thought about how being healthier overall would also mean saving doctor and medication costs!
Soup is most definitely a money saver for me! Sometimes, when I get the munchies I will make myself a bowl of soup. I have the microwave bowl soup. It is much more convenient for me, and it can keep me full for quite a while as well. I love soup!
I absolutely agree with making your own soups! But I do not like to purchase soups from a can because of all the sodium. I think soups can be substantial enough for an entire meal, especially if its a bean based soup. Lots of fiber and it fills you up!
I'm really grateful for this thread, because I was thinking about what to have for dinner tonight, and now I know. I love soup too, and I love winter and fall months. So romantic... and a great time of the year for eating soup. I don't think you went overboard in talking about how soup saves money. Some people tend to forget all about soup as a meal option, but I think that soup is something that is really a luxury that some people tend to overlook it because of it's simplicity. A while ago, after I had watched some special on TV about Bill Gates. I googled his high school alma mater, which was spoken about during the show. I read up on the high school, and then I clicked on the lunch menu, and was surprised to find out that every single day the school serves soup for lunch. They serve all kinds of other things too, but soup is the constant. They have a different soup each day. This fascinated me, because I have a teen-age son in high school, and at the school he attends, soup is not served as a daily staple. Thanks for this post.
I remember my late father teaching me how to make a clam chowder. I didn't give importance, until I found out how much Campbell's is, and how my father can replicate it's taste. So yes it saves a lot..
Wow! Thanks for all of your thoughts. Another thing I realized is that it's SO easy to make extra soup if you make it from scratch. For the most part, you can probably freeze it or, at least, take it to work the next day. I have a crock pot but haven't used it too much to make soups. But, I am now inspired to use the crock pot to my full advantage. I usually make a quick soup from scratch, using an immersion blender if I need to. But, I'll look up making soups in the crock pot so I no longer have to be in the kitchen.
I also enjoy soup. I eat it during the week when I'm working from home and it's rather inexpensive ($0.66 per can). On Friday nights, my wife and I have soup (some really good, filling and hearty one), salad and a large baguette for our meal.
