Cold and flu season is here, and so are all the viruses that come with it. Whether you’re fighting a cold or flu, there’s nothing like a warm bowl of soup to make you feel better. These delicious soup recipes are filled with disease-fighting nutrients that will give your immune system the extra strength it needs. Enjoy (and feel better)!
These recipes are from Mount Sinai’s 2022 Calm & Fit Wellness Cookbook.
Ribollita Soup
Ingredients
1 large onion
3 medium carrots
2 celery stalks
8 garlic cloves
2 bunches Tuscan kale
1 small wedge of Parmesan with rind
1 28-oz can whole peeled tomatoes
1/2 loaf unsliced crusty country bread
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil Kosher salt (to taste)
1 14-oz can cannellini beans
3/4 teaspoons crushed red pepper flake
Preparation
Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 450 degrees.
Cut the onion in half. Peel and discard the onion skin. Finely chop and transfer onion to a medium bowl. Wash, peel, and trim the carrots. Cut carrot sections into half-inch pieces. Add to bowl with onion. Chop the celery into half-inch pieces. Add to bowl with the onion and carrots. Smash and peel the garlic cloves with the back of a knife. Add to the bowl with the onion, celery, and carrot pieces to form the mirepoix mixture. Set aside.
Strip and discard the stems from the kale. Wash the kale leaves, and tear leaves into two-inch pieces; set aside. Cut rind off the Parmesan wedge; set aside. Pour the tomatoes and the juice into a strainer that is set over a medium bowl. Squeeze tomatoes and crush them with your hands. Save the tomatoes in the strainer over the bowl with the tomato juices. Set aside.
Tear the half loaf of crusty country bread into one-and-half inch pieces. Set aside.
Heat the olive oil in a medium Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium heat.
Add the mirepoix mixture to the heated oil and stir in salt to taste. Cook and stir until vegetables are softened but not browned, approximately 8 to 10 minutes.
Add tomatoes without juices and cook in the pan with the mirepoix, stirring occasionally for about 10 minutes until the tomatoes are caramelized.
While the mirepoix and tomatoes are cooking, drain and rinse the canned cannellini beans in the strainer over the sink (discard the liquid from the beans).
Add the strained beans, the Parmesan rind, the bowl of tomato juices, the red pepper flakes, and 4 cups of water to the pot and bring to a simmer. Add kale in two batches. Stir allowing to wilt. Add a third of the torn bread to the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, to warm through, about five minutes. Remove the pot from the heat. Place remaining torn bread chunks on top and drizzle with olive oil.
Transfer pot to oven and bake until it is thick, bubbling, and the bread is golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Ladle into bowls, drizzle each generously with olive oil, and top with lots of grated Parmesan cheese.
Serves 4-6
Nutritional Information per Serving
Approximately 369 calories
Carbohydrates: 45 grams
Protein: 12 grams
Fiber: 6 grams
This recipe for Ribollita soup is a family favorite. I studied abroad in Florence, Italy when I was in college and had my first bowl of Ribollita soup then. Since then, we have traveled back to Italy and always make it a point to grab a bowl of this delicious and hearty soup. We love it so much that we worked on perfecting this recipe at home. This dish brings me so much joy and fond memories of Italy every time we make it. It is even better the next day as leftovers. I hope you and your family enjoy it as much as we do! -Jennifer, Clinical Nutritionist, Diabetes Alliance Mount Sinai Brooklyn and Staten Island
Red Lentil Vegetable Soup
Ingredients
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup chopped red onion
1 cup chopped celery
1 tablespoon of lemon zest
Fresh dill, chopped
1 pinch red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon of curry powder
1 tablespoon of paprika
1 teaspoon of turmeric
1 teaspoon of pepper
1 small can tomato paste or 1 cup tomato sauce
1 cup dry red lentils
2 vegetable buillons
8 cups water
1 can coconut milk
1 lemon, juiced
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
Preparation
Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven or a generous size soup pan over medium heat. Add the chopped carrots, onion, celery, lemon zest, dill, pepper flakes, curry powder, paprika, turmeric, and pepper and stir for five minutes. Stir in the tomato paste or sauce and stir and cook on medium heat for five minutes.
Add the lentils, vegetable bouillons, and the water; stir to combine and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes until the lentils are soft.
Add the coconut milk and stir. Cook on low heat to blend flavors until fully heated through.
Puree half of the soup in a blender; return blended portion back into the pot. Add the lemon juice and serve in bowls. Season with pepper to taste.
Serves 4-6
Nutritional Information per Serving
Approximately 140 calories
Protein: 8 grams
Fat: 2.4 grams
My mother always serves one of her famous vegetable soups when my sisters, I, and our brother visit in Philadelphia. Her soup is extra hardy, and she always sends me home with a container as well (lucky me—as this is a perfect lunch or dinner!). This is a riff on her infamous soup. It is a complete meal or feel free to serve with a side dish. -Abby, Mount Sinai Health Network and Vice President, Disease Management
Grandma’s Mushroom Barley Soup—Vegan Style
Ingredients
1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil
1 pound assorted fresh mushrooms (button, cremini, and shiitake), cleaned and chopped
1 medium onion, diced
1 cup carrots, peeled and chopped (about 2 medium)
1 cup celery, chopped, including the leaves
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup dry white wine
1 teaspoon dried thyme
6 cup low sodium vegetable broth, divided
1/2 cup pearl barley
1/2 cup raw cashews, soaked in water 4 to 8 hours, or boiled in water for 15 minutes, and drained
1 1/2 tablespoon soy sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
Preparation
Coat the bottom of a large pot with oil and place over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the mushrooms in a single, even layer. Allow to cook for about 5 minutes. Turn and cook other side for 5 minutes until most of the mushrooms are nicely browned. Add onion, carrot, celery, and garlic to the pot and sauté until the vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes.
Add wine and the thyme to the pot. Raise heat and bring to a simmer. Lower heat and continue to simmer until the liquid is reduced by half, about 5 minutes.
Add five cups of the broth (reserving 1 cup), and add the barley to the pot. Bring to a boil. Lower the heat and allow to simmer, uncovered, until the barley is tender, about 45 minutes.
Transfer 1 cup of the soup to a blender. Add the reserved cup of broth and cashews to the blender. Blend until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Return it to the pot. Add the soy sauce and stir the soup, which will be thick. If you prefer a thinner soup, add some water. Reheat, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Serves 4
Nutritional Information per Serving
Approximately 344.5 calories
Carbohydrates: 20 grams
Fat: 19 grams
Protein: 5.5 grams
Whenever my sister and I visited my grandmother, she cooked for us. One of my favorite meals, once the weather turned chilly, was her mushroom barley soup. I loved it because mushroom barley was not something I could normally buy in a store or eat at a restaurant. I have always associated this dish with visiting my grandparents’ home in the fall. This vegan version of her recipe still brings me and my family great memories even with ingredient substitutions. It is lovely to share this comforting dish with friends and family. -Wendy, Mount Sinai Health System, Volunteer
These recipes from faculty, staff, and students across the Mount Sinai Health System celebrate the value of healthy eating and how cooking offers an opportunity to create community by bringing people together.
