Soups are a simple way to add a healthy element to your diet. Here are some of the easiest vegetable soups to boost your immunity this monsoon season. There is much to love about the monsoons. The lovely showers that work as the perfect excuse to munch on some pakoras and the lush greenery that follows the rain are all factors that make the season a much-loved one. However, along with the romance of the weather comes a slew of annoying flu symptoms and infections that can put a serious dampener on our plans.
As we find ourselves amid a pandemic, it is important -- now more than ever -- to build your immunity by eating the right kinds of food. One of the best ways to ensure that you are beginning to eat right is by adding a soup to your daily menu.
Soups are simple to make, yummy to taste, and add warmth and comfort to your meals. To simplify your job, we have curated a list of seven immunity-boosting soups that are vegetarian, delicious, and can be made in a few simple steps.
1. Carrot Ginger Soup
This soup is bound to be a hit with the family thanks to the lovely, rich flavours of ginger and carrot. The soup combines the nutritious benefits of vegetable stock, carrot, ginger, and thyme. Ginger helps to aid digestion and reduces inflammation in the body. Carrot has a significant amount of dietary fibre which helps in maintaining good digestive health. It also contains immunity-boosting elements such as vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants such as potassium, and phosphorus, among others.
2. Pumpkin Soup
This classic soup is easy to make and is full of nutritious benefits. The creamy soup is rich in vitamins A, C, E, iron, and folate. These are all elements that help the immune system stay strong and are just what you need in the monsoon.
3. Mixed Vegetable Soup
This recipe is made for those looking to strengthen their immunity as it combines several yummy and healthy vegetables. Perfect for those with diabetes, this recipe uses vegetables such as carrots, French beans, tomatoes, and peas. Tomatoes are a good source of vitamin C, potassium, folate, and vitamin K, all of which promote immunity.
4. Moong Dal Kiwi Coconut Cream Soup
If you love the sweetness of kiwi, this recipe is for you. The soup is a melange of flavours ranging from kiwi and coconut cream to moong dal. Kiwi is a great source of hydration and immunity-boosting nutrients such as vitamin C. It is also rich in antioxidants, which protect the body from disease and inflammation.
5. Tomato Peppercorns Clear Soup
This is another simple and tasty soup that can be prepared easily at home. Tomatoes are rich in potassium, and vitamins B and E which help boost immunity, while peppercorns help in regulating heart rate and high blood pressure.
6. Cream of Broccoli Mushroom Soup
This soup is just as tasty as it is healthy. The recipe combines the goodness of broccoli and mushroom to create a rich soup that is simply yummy. Add a hint of pepper and cream to elevate the flavours of the soup. Broccoli is a great source of fibre and protein. Additionally, it also contains iron, potassium, calcium, selenium, and magnesium. Among vitamins, it contains vitamins A, C, E, K, and folic acid. Mushrooms, meanwhile, are rich in antioxidants.
A hot bowl of soup in the monsoon is the perfect way to warm you up on a rainy day and make you feel good about life. Soups are also a storehouse of nutrients considering the many healthy ingredients we can add to them from fresh vegetables, and proteins, to healthy carbs. Fitness enthusiasts with hectic routines can definitely trust this one-pot meal to lose weight healthily.
Here are reasons why homemade soups can help in monsoon:
Great way to add vegetables before your meal to avoid glucose spikes:
In monsoon, it’s advisable to avoid salads and uncooked veggies. Soup is a great way to start your meal that packs in fiber and reduces glucose spikes. Prepared with the right ingredients (vegetables + enough protein + some carbs), soup can be a truly healthy dish and be considered as a complete meal.
Keep you hydrated:
During monsoon, it’s not uncommon to drink less than you need. But while you may not be hot and sweaty, you still lose fluid through daily activities. Since soups are mostly liquid, they’re a great way to stay hydrated and full.
Give your immune system a boost:
Monsoon brings a host of infections and soups are a great antidote for times when you are sick. Freshly prepared vegetable soups with seasonings like ginger and black pepper stop certain white blood cells – neutrophils from congregating and causing inflammation which in turn triggers the body to produce mucus. It also thins mucus effectively.
Can reduce hunger pangs:
Soup may reduce hunger and increase fullness due to the fibre present (through vegetables/beans). Fiber is known to increase feelings of fullness by delaying gastric emptying and increasing stomach leads to your stomach being fuller for longer, which translates to reduced hunger. It also increases insulin sensitivity.
We Indians think about pakoras or bhajias as the first comfort food in the Monsoon season. It is time to add a steaming bowl of soup to monsoon foods. More than being a comfort food, soups are healthy and contain all the goodness of a full-course meal. They are also an excellent home remedy to help ease the discomforts of flu and cold, especially during monsoons.
Traditional Hot Soups from Across India
1. Rasam
One of the most beloved soups of Southern India, there is nothing healthier or more comforting than a bowl of tomato or pepper rasam on a rainy day. Made with a mix of spices, this traditional South Indian recipe is prepared using tamarind juice as a base. Several other ingredients — turmeric, tomato, chilli pepper, pepper, garlic, curry leaves, mustard, coriander — go into the dish, and they’re all beneficial for a series of ailments, such as common cold, flu, sore throat, and so on. Rasam is also considered a perfect home remedy for the flu, as well as ideal for digestion. It comes in many varieties and is usually consumed with steamed rice, but can be had as is.
2. Dal Soup
A common accompaniment for rice and chapati, dal is loved by people across the country. The same dish can be made into a soup with a hint of chilli, a few vegetables, and some additional spices. The soup is protein-rich and versatile and can be made with any type of lentils, or even a mix of a few. You can also add any variety of seasonal vegetables, fresh or dried herbs, or spices to highlight different flavours.
3. Mulligatawny Soup
Prominent among the Anglo-Indian community, the Mulligatawny soup is rich in flavours and is believed to have origins in Madras during the colonial period. It carries the culinary goodness of both Indian as well as English cuisines. The name of the soup originated from the Tamil word ‘milagu’, meaning pepper, and ‘tanni’, meaning water. Very similar to the South Indian rasam, this soup features a set of ingredients with chicken broth as the base, which can also be replaced with mutton or vegetable stock. The major ingredients of this soup are lentils, chillies, onion, coconut milk, cinnamon, cloves, and black peppercorns. The soup also includes vegetables like potatoes and carrots and even fruits like apples.
4. Kairiche Saar
Kairiche saar or Kairiche Kadhi is another popular dish in Maharashtra, particularly in the Konkan regions. It is slightly sour, slightly sweet with a pinch of spiciness. The main ingredient of this soupy curry is raw mango, and it is usually eaten with rice. While there are several methods to prepare this yummy curry, the major difference in its variations is whether or not coconut milk is used, as it can be replaced with jaggery.
5. Tomato Saar
A tangy soupy curry made from tomato pulp and some spices, tomato saar is a mildly spicy dish from Maharashtra. Almost similar to rasam, this sweet and sour dish is as refreshing as it is good for health. It is prepared by adding boiled tomato pulp to a temper, made using ingredients like cumin, mustard seeds, tamarind, curry leaves, and so on. Coconut milk is also added to increase the flavour and make it thicker. As the main ingredient of the recipe is tomato, saar is rich in Vitamin C and antioxidants that are good for immunity. It is best served with rice and papad but can also be consumed as a soup.
6. Ulavacharu
Ulavacharu is an authentic Andhra recipe made from ulava/ chana dal or horse gram to form a gravy or rasam-like dish. Popular in the Guntur and Krishna districts of Andhra, this dish is believed to have evolved in the kitchens of farmers. The main ingredient is horse gram. The dish can also be cooked in lentil stock and combined with tamarind paste and several other spices. Often prepared during festivals or functions, this soupy dish is usually served with rice.
7. Yakhni Shorba
Kashmiri cuisine is known for its rich flavours and Yakhni Shorba is an important element of the traditional wazwan feast of the valley. It is a mutton broth soup seasoned with fresh herbs and spices and has evolved as a delicious local delicacy. The dish originated in the Middle East and Central Asia and was later adopted into Mughlai and Kashmiri cuisines. The broth is prepared by cooking mutton (either minced or diced) with yoghurt, spices like cinnamon, cardamom, cumin, coriander, and other ingredients like bay leaf, garlic, and onion, over low heat for several hours. The soup is usually served hot as an appetizer before meals.
These traditional hot soups from India can be your best friends this monsoon. While they will fill you with warmth and comfort, they are also some of the healthiest dishes you can consume during this season.
Happy monsoons.
Neerja Bhatnagar
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