A healthy winter soup can support your immune system, help you meet your daily requirements for essential nutrients and warm you up at the end of the day without excessive calories or fat. Eating a filling, low-calorie bowl of soup before dinner may allow you to consume fewer calories during your meal, which can help you manage your weight. To control the amount of fat, sodium and calories in your soup, shop for low-sodium, low-fat brands or prepare your own soups at home using low-sodium vegetable broth or homemade stock.
Root Vegetable Medley
The starches in potatoes, sweet potatoes, parsnips and other root vegetables act as natural thickeners, adding substance to homemade soup recipes. White potatoes are rich in potassium, a mineral that keeps your blood pressure within a healthy range, and vitamin C, a nutrient that helps your body fight infection. Sweet potatoes offer beta-carotene, a provitamin that turns into vitamin A in your digestive system. Vitamin A, known as the "anti-infective vitamin," plays an essential role in supporting your immune system. Combine sliced winter root vegetables with garlic, carrots, leeks, tomatoes, beans or lean meat for a high-fiber winter stew.
Chicken and Kale
Chicken soup is an age-old home remedy for seasonal colds and congestion. However, canned soups are a major source of sodium in the American diet, according to the American Heart Association. The AHA advises that you have no more than 1,500 mg sodium per day to maintain normal blood pressure and prevent heart disease. If you are buying canned chicken soup, look for brands labeled "low-sodium," which indicates that they have 140 mg sodium per serving. You can reduce sodium even further by preparing chicken soup at home using your own stock. Simmer vegetables with beef, chicken or fish in water for several hours, then drain the liquid. This nutrient-rich stock can provide the basis for a homemade chicken soup. Add sauteed kale, a dark green, leafy cruciferous vegetable, for vitamin C, beta-carotene, iron and zinc.
Cream of Broccoli
Rich in vitamin C and fiber, broccoli complements potato, chicken or cheese soups. You can add chopped broccoli to clear soups or puree its stalks and florets to blend into creamy, low-fat concoctions. For healthy creamed soups, blend pureed vegetables with low-fat or nonfat milk and ricotta cheese. A diet high in cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli, may reduce your risk of lung and colorectal cancer, according to the Linus Pauling Institute. Other cruciferous vegetables that lend themselves to winter soup recipes include cabbage, bok choi and cauliflower.
Bean and Barley
Combine barley, a whole grain, with legumes such as pinto beans, navy beans or lentils in a chicken, beef or vegetable stock for a nourishing winter meal that's high in complex carbohydrates, fiber and protein. Onions, leeks, celery root and carrots complement the nutty flavor of barley, which contains minerals such as copper, manganese, selenium and phosphorous. Legumes come in a multitude of shapes, sizes and colors, all of which provide fiber, protein, iron, calcium, zinc and folate. Combine an assortment of beans with barley for a thick, rich, cold-weather soup.
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