5 Things to Keep in Mind while Making Soups

Soups are made by boiling ingredients (vegetables, legumes or meat, sliced onions, pepper, garlic, etc.) in water or broth until they become soft. The nutrients are absorbed into the liquid itself. Soups may be clear or thick. They can be thickened by flour, rice, cornmeal, eggs, butter, starch or cream.
During frying and stewing, vegetables, mushrooms, and meat lose much of their natural nutrients, vitamins and flavour. However, when they are cooked directly in soups, they conserve most of their nutritional value. Even though soups contain less calories than the main dish, they are highly nutritious and filling.

To make healthier soups, remember the following:

• It is always best not to add cream, milk or butter to soups. These do make soups thicker and tastier; however, these also add calories to the soup. Moreover, these bind and lock the vitamins in the soup, and make them unavailable to the body.
• Avoid adding cornflour or maida (plain white flour) to soups. These affect the decongestant benefits of soups.
• Soups should be eaten as soon as they are made to make use of their antioxidant properties.
• Avoid soups from restaurants as these tend to have artificial flavors and ingredients.
• Add herbs like coriander, lemon grass, ginger, garlic, etc. These add to the taste as well as the healing properties of the soup.
• To make the soup a complete meal, you can add chicken, vegetables, or boiled and mashed mung dal or channa dal.
  

Knorr soups combine all the soup advantages and are a great way to bring a wide variety of health-promoting vegetables to your table in one simple meal. For speed and convenience, use it straight from the pack. Or get more creative by using it as a stock and adding your own selection of tasty fresh vegetables. For more ideas, connect with us at http://www.facebook.com/KnorrSoup and share your favorite soup recipes with us.

The Advantages of drinking soup

It is not a coincidence that soups have become the number one choice for health watchers across the world. Read below to know more about the ‘Soup Advantage:’

• Soups are one of the most nutritive methods of consuming vegetables.
• Since soups are made by boiling ingredients in water or broth until they are soft, the flavor is not lost, and is absorbed in the liquid. The body can absorb and assimilate these nutrients quickly without having to digest and break down the ingredients.
• Soups are low in fats (especially saturated fat) and calories.
• A bowl of soup before a meal helps reduce food intake.
• Soups are great appetizers too.
• They are good for people of all ages, and especially for those who have difficulty chewing or digesting.
• Soups are good immunity-builders.
• Hot soups, especially chicken soups, have an anti-inflammatory effect, which makes them effective against cold and fever.
• Low-salt soups get rid of excess body wastes.
• A daily bowl of soup can also reduce the risk of cancers, heart diseases and stroke.
• Some soups have been traditionally used as effective remedies for diarrhea.
• Soups have also been found excellent against asthma, diabetes, and high cholesterol levels.
• The high antioxidant content of soups can rectify the damage caused by high blood sugar levels.
• Soups help restore the necessary water balance, which in turn keeps our blood pressure (and salt content) under control.
• Soups are also good decongestants. This is because onions and pepper added to soups are natural decongestants.
• Soups are a healthy substitute for tea/coffee etc.
• Soups are also the best way for your kids to get the right nutrients critical for their growth. Kids- often reluctant when it comes to cooked or raw vegetables- love soups.
• And the biggest advantage? You can make soup from almost any vegetable or meat and that too, in a matter of minutes.

Knorr soups are a great way to bring a wide variety of health-promoting vegetables to your table in one simple meal. For speed and convenience, use it straight from the pack. Or get more creative by using it as a stock and adding your own selection of tasty fresh vegetables. For more ideas, connect with us at http://www.facebook.com/KnorrSoup and share your favorite soup recipes with us.