Soup

[domestic goddess]

On another thread, I was complaining (as usual) about the sheer amounts of food that my dsil can sometimes eat. He does construction work, and can get very hungry. lessisbest suggested adding a soup course to our meals. I have been thinking a lot about that. But in my family, we never really ate first course type soups. We like filling, hearty soups that are a meal in themselves. I guess I could use some of those, but in smaller portions? Of course, French onion soup, tomato bisque and some others are pretty commonly found recipes. Does anyone have any other suggestions? Do you have recipes you would be willing to share? DSIL will work off about any amount of calories, provided I allow him to live long enough (just kidding, I think!). I had a recipe for a garlic-onion soup that I often used when we were sick. I no longer have the book it was in, but I'm sure I can find a similar recipe somewhere.
Anyway, for those who wonder if anyone actually pays attention to things said on the boards, I DO! Sometimes I'm a little slow on the uptake, but I do think about what I read here, and there is a lot of thought-provoking stuff here. Thanks!

[Float On]

I think any cream based soups would make a good filling first course for a construction type of guy needing a lot of calories - potato, bean, cream of broccoli, corn chowder, etc. Cornbread is also more filling than a lot of other breads.

[catherine]

I just made a hearty vegetarian chili, which I eat with basmati rice. It's definitely a meal in itself, and very cheap. I'm estimating $7 for about 12 servings.

[sweetana3]

Delicate broth based soups dont do much to fill a big guy with a hard job as others have said.. Thick soups with protein and carbs as others have mentioned are good. Bean soups with added things like Kielbasa are really warm and filling. Chili with loads of beans help to stretch budget and fill up a hungry person.

[JaneV2.0]

I like to make chicken gumbo soup with lots of chicken, okra, onions, tomatoes, peppers, and garlic in homemade stock.

[Birdie]

Split pea soup and winter squash soup are two of my favorites.

[TxZen]

Good old navy bean soup. I just saute up some carrots, cut up small, onion and a little bit of bacon. Add 1 can vegetable broth, 2 cans of navy beans, drained and rinsed, black pepper, a little garlic powder and some rosemary. Simmer for 20 minutes. I let it cool and sit over night. Next day, I add a little water and heat up. YUM!!

[lessisbest]

If you use homemade bone broth rich with gelatin, or add gelatin to the soup, the additional protein will help, and it is a relatively inexpensive way to add protein to your diet. I even add gelatin to hot cocoa. Just sipping on a cup of rich bone broth is one of the best thing we can eat before a meal. Serve more cottage cheese. It's an inexpensive protein and 1/2 c. = 14 g. protein. Check out "Ten Health Benefits of Gelatin" http://healthmad.com/nutrition/10-he...ts-of-gelatin/

The next thing is to add a lot of fiber to the soup and/or the meal in order to fill full longer. Eat whole fruits and vegetables. I add hi-maize resistant starch (http://www.hi-maize.com/Himaize/USA/Home) to our morning smoothie and many of the bake goods I make (1 T. = 5.5 g. fiber). I get hi-maize resistant starch from Honeyville Grain. I use coconut flour in baked goods, 1/4 c. = 14 g. of fiber. Chia seeds and flaxseed meal are other good add-ins. Chia seeds have 11 g. fiber per ounce.

Make sure you have a good balance between protein (meat) and "good" fat. Some fat in your diet helps keep you satisfied longer than eating empty carbohydrates.

Slow down.... Most people eat way too fast and then eat more food than they really need.

[wren]

I just made a hearty vegetarian chili, which I eat with basmati rice. It's definitely a meal in itself, and very cheap. I'm estimating $7 for about 12 servings.

We love this combination, too.

Other suggestions:
- Beef Barley Soup, (ground beef, onion, tomato sauce, pot barley, salt + pepper) served with rolls or biscuits

- Lentil Soup or Stew (onions, garlic, lentils, rice, cubed potato, canned tomato, green beans, celery, spiced with cumin.)

- Minestrone Soup (lentils, small pasta shells, chopped bacon or ham, canned tomato, chopped carrot, onion, garlic, celery, basil, oregano, ground cumin, black pepper).

[wren]

Make sure you have a good balance between protein (meat) and "good" fat. Some fat in your diet helps keep you satisfied longer than eating empty carbohydrates.

Slow down.... Most people eat way too fast and then eat more food than they really need.

These are excellent points, lessisbest! I make notes from many of your posts, they are so informative. As the OP said, there is much to learn, on these boards.

When I made bone broth from scratch, I ended up with quite a lot of extra marrow fat, which I have saved in the freezer. I am wondering what is the best way to use it? Sorry if this is off topic.