Shakin & Bakin Foodie Blog

January is National Soup Month, and with a polar vortex bearing down on the United States, soup is a great antidote to all that ails. A piping hot soup does so much more than warm up our bodies on a cold day—it’s a versatile food with myriad health benefits—that’s why the soup experts at Boulder Organic are excited to share their Top Five Reasons to Eat Soup NOW!

1. It helps keep your New Year’s Resolutions on track!
Broth-based soups packed with vegetables are the perfect way to fill up your belly without adding unnecessary calories. A soup like Golden Quinoa and Kale has the perfect combination of fiber from quinoa coupled with kale, a nutrient-dense superfood.

2. Soup is a quick and easy meal and PERFECT for leftovers.
Making a big batch of soup on a Sunday is an easy way to ensure that there is always a hot, healthy option for lunch or dinner throughout a busy workweek. Need a quick snack? Pour some leftover soup in a coffee mug and heat it in the microwave for a drinkable treat.
3. This year’s flu season is intense, and soup can help!
Vegetables have tremendous anti-inflammatory properties and when heated up, a steaming bowl of vegetable soup “can help reduce mucus and facilitates coughing it up.[1]” If making a homemade batch of vegetable soup doesn’t fit into your busy schedule, try a FRESH (not canned) soup. Boulder Organic!’s Garden Minestrone is packed with healthy veggies and tasty vegetable broth and is
ideal for those days when you have the sniffles.

4. Soup is affordable!
Making a warm, healthy soup doesn’t have to require a big investment. All you need is a quick trip to the grocery store to buy some fresh vegetables and broth to have the necessary ingredients to make a soup to feed your entire family! If time is an issue, a tub (or two!) of one of Boulder Organic!’s fresh soups is an easy way to put dinner on the table. Or, pair a Boulder Organic! soup like Roasted Tomato Basil with a homemade grilled cheese sandwich, and dinner is done in under 15 minutes!
5. Above all else, soup tastes GREAT!
Kate Brown, the Founder of Boulder Organic! created a National Soup Month recipe perfect for cold January days. This French Lentil with Potato is healthy, filling and perfect for lunch or dinner.

French Lentil with Potato Recipe (created by Kate Brown, Founder, Boulder Organic!)

6 cups water
1 ½ cups French lentils
2 stalks of celery, chopped medium
1 large carrot, chopped medium
1 large Yukon potato, chopped medium
1 medium onion, chopped medium
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 large bay leaf
1 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped
½ cup fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt

In a medium-sized, heavy pot add olive oil, onions and garlic. Sauté on medium heat until onion edges begin to brown slightly. Add lentils, celery, carrots, potato and bay leaf, and water. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer – cook for about 20 minutes or until lentils are tender, but not falling apart. Turn the heat to low. Add thyme, parsley, pepper and salt and simmer for 10 minutes to integrate ingredients. Remove bay leaf before serving. Yields about six servings.