Simple Stews and Soups

One-pot stews and soups are easy to make for lunch or dinner – nutritious and delicious, and most of the base ingredients are nonperishable items you can store in your pantry or freezer. Use these basic building tips to make a nourishing large pot, which will last for several enjoyable meals to come.

Simple tips for creating flavourful stews and soups:

  • Start with alliums. Sauté onions, shallots, green onions, and/or garlic in a generous drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil over medium heat to get your strew started. If you’re including meat, brown it along with the alliums.
  • Add your broth: chicken or vegetable (preferably organic). If you have organic marrow bones to toss in, add those too. Remember to remove the bones before serving your stew.
  • Making chili or another tomato-based stew. Add cooked diced tomatoes (containing lycopene)
  • Add a creamy texture to your stew by stirring in cooked butternut squash, or sweet potatoes.
  • Fresh and dried herbs are delicious in stews, and spices like ginger, garlic, and turmeric, are flavourful and beneficial to one’s health.
  • Include some whole grains.  Wild rice takes about 50 minutes and is a great option for stews – it won’t absorb so much of the broth the way brown rice does or add quinoa or buckwheat during the last 10 minutes of cooking.
  • Quick-cooking legumes like lentils or beans need about 20 minutes to simmer
  • Root veggies are satisfying and nourishing. Peel and cube parsnips, carrots, turnips, sweet potato, beets, or whatever root you like.
  • Hearty greens like kale, spinach and collard greens are nutrient dense and great additions to stews as well as frozen veggies if desired. Chop them coarsely and add them during the last 5 to 10 minutes of cooking.
  • For protein options of choice choose from tofu, tempeh, cracked egg, seafood, lamb or chicken.

Looking for some simple stew and soup recipes? Try these:

Restorative Vegetable Broth – A Nourishing Soup
Refreshing Gazpacho Soup
Moroccan Chickpea and Vegetable Tagine‏

Enjoy!


Marsha Fenwick, C.N.P.  R.R.T.

Marsha is not your typical nutritionist. She began her career 20 years ago as a Registered Respiratory Therapist. Later, she earned her certifications as a Registered Nutritional Consultant Practitioner, Certified Nutritional Practitioner, and Registered Orthomolecular Health Practitioner. Marsha is also a Certified Cancer Coach. Her clinical practice specializes in: sustainable healthy weight loss, digestive health, women’s hormones, diabetes, heart health, and cancer prevention and recovery. For more information and to book a FREE 15 minute consultation go to Marsha Fenwick Nutrition.