Get All the Essential Nutrients with These 6 Soup Recipes

Warm, tasty, easy to prepare and digest, rich in vitamins and essentials nutrients. Yes! We’re talking about the benefits of soup for seniors. Soups have a long history dating back to the beginning of culinary arts. It is believed that the first bowl of soup was prepared around 20,000 BC! And to your surprise, American people eat more than 10 billion bowls of soup each year!

Soups are a versatile and popular dish enjoyed by people worldwide. They can be a great way to consume a variety of healthy ingredients such as vegetables, legumes, and whole grains. They can also be a good source of vitamins, minerals, and fiber, making them an easy way to increase your nutrient intake.

Why Is Soup so Useful for Seniors?

As people get older, their metabolism slows down, and their energy levels drop. As a result, the body needs to devote all its energy to more important things. When a person eats heavy, fatty, and rich foods high in calories, the body needs more energy to digest them.
Soup is a light food that the body does not have much trouble digesting. On the other hand, due to being watery and having many vegetables, the elderly do not suffer from constipation, and soup slightly strengthens their digestive system.

If prepared with the right ingredients, soup can be a healthy dish that offers multiple nutritional benefits and boosts your immune system. It keeps you hydrated and full and doesn’t require much hands-on time. Moreover, most soups contain disease-fighting nutrients, so they can help you stave off cold and flu, and they’re an excellent antidote for times when you are sick. Not to mention that soup is actually a complete meal for seniors because of the vitamins and nutrients that must be included in their diet. So, if you are ready to get all the essential nutrients and benefit from some healthy and tasty soups, try these 6 immune-boosting soup recipes for seniors.

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1. Tomato Soup

To include this classic flavour in your diet, pour some water into a saucepan and bring it to a boil. Then put four medium tomatoes in boiling water for 2 to 3 minutes to peel them more easily. Let the tomatoes cool, and then peel them. After that, pour into a blender to create a puree.

Next, put one tablespoon of butter in a saucepan and melt it over low heat. Then, sauté one medium grated onion until it becomes soft and golden. After that, add one tablespoon of flour and stir for 2 minutes. Add flour and one tablespoon of tomato paste and stir for another minute or two.

Finally, add the mashed tomatoes, 1 cup of broth, salt and black pepper and let it boil. After boiling, reduce the heat and cook on low heat for half an hour. When serving the soup, pour basil and parsley on it and serve the soup hot.

2. Vegetable and Barley Soup for Seniors

This one is pretty high on fibre. Pour a teaspoon of oil into a saucepan to heat slightly. Then chop a clove of garlic and a small onion and fry in a bit of oil.

 

Add vegetables such as carrots, potatoes, green beans, squash, and cabbage to the mixture and fry a little. Then add a little salt and turmeric. Next, add two tablespoons of stuffed barley and chopped coriander to the pot. Finally, add three glasses of water and let it cook.

 

Remember not to overheat this soup since many of the vitamins in vegetables are lost while heating.

This soup will be ready in 15 minutes.

3. Spinach Soup

Spinach is very high in sodium-rich in vitamins and nutrients needed for the body. So for seniors with iron deficiency, spinach is highly recommended. Be sure to include vegetables such as spinach in your soups.

 

First, chop a medium onion and fry it in a pot with a tablespoon of oil.

To make this delicious soup, we need a cup of lentils and a cup of barley. Soak the lentils in water for a few hours to prevent bloating. You can even cook little lentils in a separate pot and mix them with the soup ingredients.

Beans can cause gastrointestinal issues in the elderly, so it might be wise to avoid adding them to this soup.

 

After frying the onions, add the lentils, barley, and spinach to your pot. Finally, add 2 cups of water and let the soup cook. We recommend this soup for high blood pressure.

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4. Chicken Vermicelli Soup

We are all familiar with and aware of the unique properties of Vermicelli soup or noodle soup. Another oldie but goodie.

To prepare this delicious soup, chop one medium onion and fry it in a pot with one tablespoon of oil.

 

Cook 100 grams of chicken breast in another pot with a bit of salt and turmeric. Then chop the chicken after it is fully cooked and add fried onions.

Next, add half a tablespoon of tomato paste, a pinch of salt, pepper, and turmeric to the mixture, and fry them all.

 

Now you are almost done. Just add 2 cups of water to the mixture and put the lid on the pot. Peel a squash, grate it and chop it finely. Add the potatoes and carrots when the water boils in the pot and let the soup settle.

The last step is to chop your noodles and pour them into the soup fifteen minutes before serving.

5. Carrot Soup for Seniors

This soup is very nutritious and energizing for the elderly. First, peel and chop a medium onion and put it in a pot to make this delicious soup. Add one tablespoon of olive oil and fry until the raw smell of onion disappears. Peel two medium carrots and one medium potato and chop them. Add the chopped vegetables to the hot onion and fry them a little.

 

Then add a little pepper, salt, and turmeric to the above mixture and instead of adding water to this soup, use chicken broth. Add two large cups of chicken broth to the onion and vegetable mixture and let the soup settle.

 

You can puree this soup before serving it with an electric meat grinder or mixer. You can also add freshly chopped coriander to the top of this delicious soup.

6. Mushroom and Barley Soup

Your family members will welcome this soup due to its unique taste. To prepare this delicious and nutritious soup, first cook a chicken breast with 1 cup of barley and three water glasses. Peel a squash, grate it and add to the chicken and barley.

 

Check the chicken and if it is cooked, take it out of the pot and cut it into pieces. If you want the chicken to be spread throughout the soup, chop it before adding it to the pot.

 

Add 2 cups of hot milk and chopped mushrooms to the pot and let the ingredients cook together for half an hour.

 

You can garnish the soup by adding chopped coriander and two tablespoons of cream when serving. Also, you can remove the cream if you feel the amount of fat in the cream is harmful to your health.

 

 

Final Words

It would be best if you had a proper diet to take care of your health. You should pay attention to all aspects of your physical needs. Diet planning, including nutritious, light, tasty, and vitamin-rich foods, will be part of this program.

 

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