Alisha Buttar, Student and Dani Renouf, RD, MSc
As the cold weather has touched down, there is no better time to cozy up beside the fireplace with a hot bowl of soup! We all know how it feels to walk into a kitchen filled with irresistible aromas, and upon reading this, you can rest assured that many ingredients that you enjoy can be added to a kidney-friendly bowl of soup. Below, we have tips on how to also incorporate seasonal ingredients, while adding more vegetables that are lower in potassium to your diet.
1. Eat Seasonal Vegetables.
Soups are a quick and wholesome dish where you can experiment with seasonal ingredients and new flavors. Try adding colorful vegetables such as cauliflower, peppers, cabbage and carrots to increase dietary variety and nutrients in your meal, such as vitamin A and C. Seasonal and local vegetables are usually cheaper because of their abundance in the market so a great way to lower your grocery bill while eating fresh!
2. Make Cooking Simple.
By adding your ingredients into the same pot, you can reduce your number of dishes to wash and have an easier cooking experience. Batch cooking soups can save you time and energy because soups freeze well and can be reheated for leftovers later. Properly stored soups can last up to 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator however, if the soup is frozen, it can last up to a few months.
3. Eating Kidney Friendly.
Eating kidney-friendly does not mean you are restricted to bland foods. For example, try adding these delicious low-sodium herbs into your soup: oregano, garlic, rosemary or thyme. Preferably, add ground herbs in the last 15 minutes of cooking, so the flavors come through when you’re enjoying your soup. Canned soups are abundant in many grocery stores and while they’re a quick and easy alternative to cooking, many are high in salt and contain hidden salt ingredients, like brine, as well as potassium and phosphate additives. In comparison, homemade soups contain fresher ingredients, fewer preservatives, and are much more cost-effective.
We hope you will find the following Kidney Community Kitchen recipes enticing as you try your hand at soups:
- Chicken and Rice Soup Recipe
- Chicken Chili Stew Recipe
- Cauliflower Apple Soup with Roasted Garlic Crostini Recipe
Happy Eating!