The Mail-Order Catalog for Healthy Eating

Simple Soups

These and other family-friendly soups can be found in Vegetarian Soups for All Seasons

Cream of Broccoli Soup
Alphabet Vegetable Soup
Chinese Vegetable and Tofu Soup
Simple Ramen Noodle Soup

See also Creamy Corn Chowder in Tofu 101

Is there anyone out there who isn't instantly comforted by the thought of a nice warm bowl of soup? Here are a few nice and easy, immediately appealing soups that have long been favorites of my children and their friends. Even kids who balk at vegetables may be more likely to enjoy them when encased in a tasty broth.

Cream of Broccoli Soup
Serves: 4 to 6

This soup gets a thick, creamy base from pureed white beans or tofu. Either way, it’s a comforting and nourishing soup.

1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium-large onion, coarsely chopped
2 large or 3 medium broccoli crowns, coarsely chopped
1 vegetable bouillon cube
16-ounce can great northern beans or cannellini, drained and rinsed, or one 16-ounce tub soft tofu
Low-fat milk, rice milk or soymilk, as needed
1/2 teaspoon dried dill
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat the oil in a large saucepan or small soup pot and add the onion. Sauté over medium heat until golden, about 5 to 7 minutes.

Add the broccoli, bouillon cube, and 2 cups water. Bring to a simmer, then cover and simmer gently until the broccoli is tender but not overcooked, about 8 to 10 minutes.

Transfer the mixture in the saucepan to a food processor and add the beans. Puree until smooth, then transfer back to the saucepan.

Add enough milk to give the soup a medium-thick consistency. Stir in the dill, then season with salt and pepper. Cook over very low heat for 5 minutes, then serve.

Alphabet Vegetable Soup
Serves: 4 to 6 servings

This tasty soup doesn’t need a lot of time to simmer. Start it about 30 minutes before you want to serve it. As kids get older, you can leave out the alphabets (or replace them with ditalini orzo, or other small pasta), but those letters floating around in the soup gives it great appeal to young eaters. This soup will recall the canned version you may have eaten as a child—but better.

1 tablespoon nonhydrogenated margarine
2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into small dice
2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into small dice
1/2 cup tiny alphabet noodles
1 vegetable bouillon cube
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon dried dill
1 cup frozen green peas, thawed
1 cup diced ripe tomato or about half a 16-ounce can diced tomatoes, (see Notes)

Heat the margarine in a medium size saucepan. Add the diced carrots and sauté for 5 minutes over medium heat.

Add the potatoes, alphabet noodles, dill, paprika, and 4 cups water. Bring to a simmer, then simmer gently, covered, for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the carrots and potatoes are tender.

Add the peas and tomatoes and simmer for another 5 minutes. Add a little more water if the broth seems crowded and cook just until heated through.

NOTES: If you like a more tomatoey soup, use the entire can. If there are leftovers, much of the broth will be absorbed by the noodles. Add water as needed, then correct the seasoning with additional paprika, dill, and salt if needed.

Chinese Vegetable and Tofu Soup
Serves: 4 to 6

This quick and colorful soup will please kids and teens who enjoy Asian flavors. Just toss everything into a soup pot and in a few moments, it’s done!

2 vegetable bouillon cubes
15-ounce can cut baby corn, with liquid
1/2 medium red bell pepper, cut into short narrow strips
1 cup snow peas, trimmed and cut in half
8 ounces soft tofu, sliced, well blotted, and cut into small dice
A good handful of spinach or dark green lettuce leaves
Freshly ground pepper to taste

Combine 5 cups of water with the bouillon cubes, baby corn, bell pepper, snow peas, and tofu in a large saucepan or small soup pot. Bring to a gentle simmer, then simmer, covered, for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, if using spinach, rinse it well, remove the stems, and chop coarsely. If using lettuce, cut into narrow shreds. Add to the soup and simmer for another 2 minutes or so, just until the greens are wilted, and serve.

Simple Ramen Noodle Soup
4 to 6 servings

Full of curly noodles, this easy soup has long been one of my sons’ favorites.

Two 15-ounce cans vegetable broth (preferably low-sodium) plus 1 cup water, or 5 cups water with 2 vegetable bouillon cubes
4- to 6-ounce package curly ramen noodles (see note), broken up
1 or 2 scallions, green part only, thinly sliced
1 cup sliced small white or brown mushrooms, optional
1 cup frozen green peas, thawed

Bring the broth and water (or water and bouillon cubes) to a simmer in a large saucepan. Add the noodles and cook for a couple of minutes, until you can separate the strands with a fork.
Add the scallions and optional mushrooms and cook until the noodles and mushrooms are tender, about 5 to 7 minutes. If you’d like to make the strands of noodles even shorter, reach a pair of kitchen shears into the saucepan and cut the noodles here and there. Add the green peas. Simmer just until they’re cooked through, then serve.

NOTE: Look for packages of plain curly ramen noodles (not noodle soup) in the Asian foods section of well-stocked supermarkets. If you can find them, short, fine egg noodles are a good substitute.

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