Easy Superfood Soups to Make This Winter

Cooler weather often puts you in the mood for a hot, steaming bowl of soup — and mixing “superfoods” into your bowl can provide a whole heap of nutrition for a fairly low number of calories.

Superfoods have no official definition. But most of what we consider such nutritional powerhouses come from plants: vegetables, especially greens and cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, kale, cabbage and bok choy; herbs and spices, which are potent antioxidants even in small amounts; and mushrooms, miso and other fermented foods.

Legumes, beans, peas and lentils, as well as sweet potatoes and winter squash, make the list thanks to their resistant starch. These powerful molecules help balance blood sugar, enhance digestion and may promote weight loss. Beets and garlic (along with leafy greens) contain naturally occurring dietary nitrates that convert to nitric oxide. Nitric oxide helps relax blood vessels, aiding in blood circulation throughout your body.

The following recipes were originally written for the pressure cooker but have been converted for simple stove-top cooking. The biggest difference in converting to stove-top involves the time (much shorter in the pressure cooker) and amount of liquid (less in the pressure cooker). Make them often for better nutrition. Both the sweet potato soup and borscht freeze well for up to 2 months.

Hearty Healing Sweet Potato Soup

I had my tooth pulled and could eat only purely pureed or soft foods for three days, which to me is not really eating. I realized that I would need something beyond drinking a green smoothie to satisfy my taste buds and keep my belly full.

This resulting soup is  tasty and filling, thick and creamy, and definitely good for you. Curry powder contains turmeric, a potent anti-inflammatory spice. Stir the miso in just before serving to preserve its probiotic, gut-nourishing qualities.

Serves 2 to 4

• 2 cups finely chopped onion
• 1 clove garlic, cut in half
• 1 (1/2-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and cut in half
• 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
• 1/2 medium carrot, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1/2 cup cooked chickpeas, white beans, or baby lima beans
• 4 cups homemade or low sodium vegetable stock
• 2 teaspoons curry powder
• 1 cup chopped fresh spinach
• 1/4 cup packed chopped cilantro
• 1 tablespoon or more mellow white miso, or your favorite miso

1. Heat a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic and ginger, and dry sauté for 2 minutes, adding broth if the vegetables start to stick. Add the sweet potato, carrot, chickpeas, stock and curry powder.

2. Bring to a boil. Then reduce the heat to a simmer. Simmer for 20 to 25 minutes until the sweet potato is tender.

3. Add the spinach and cilantro and simmer one more minute. Using an immersion blender (or your blender in batches), puree the soup until smooth. Stir in the miso right before serving.

Adapted from Vegan Under Pressure, Jill Nussinow, reprinted with permission from Houghton, Mifflin, Harcourt

Nutrition Facts: 243 calories; total fat 2.25 grams; saturated fat .3 grams; trans fat 0 grams; carbohydrate 49 grams; total sugars: 18 grams; fiber 10 grams; protein 8.5 grams; sodium 200 milligrams; cholesterol 0 milligrams

Borscht With a Lemon Twist and Greens

I can't caim that it was my idea to add red lentils to this beautiful red beet soup: Christy Morgan, author of Blissful Bites, gave me the idea. I love how it gives the soup even more body. Get the freshest beets you can find — ideally with the greens on, which you should cut off immediately and reserve to include in the soup. Both the root and greens stay freshest when stored separately.

If you can't find beets with greens, substitute the greens for Swiss chard. (You can also substitute green cabbage for the red cabbage, although the red packs more antioxidants and looks nicer.) I add the finely diced beet greens to the bowls first and pour the hot soup over to slightly wilt them, but you can also stir the greens into the hot soup.

A dollop of plain yogurt (I use a nondairy variety to make this recipe vegan) adds to the allure, as do lemon zest and juice and smoked salt. You decide how pureed you like this soup. I prefer mine a bit chunky. It's not necessary to peel the beets, as they will puree well either way. This soup freezes well, but remember to add the yogurt right before serving.

Serves 6 to 8

• 1 cup diced red onion
• 2 medium carrots, diced, equal to about 1 cup
• 1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed
• 1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds
• 2 bay leaves
• 5 cups finely sliced red cabbage (about 1/2 medium head)
• 1 pound beets (2 to 3 medium), ideally with their greens, washed well, roots chopped
• 1/2 cup red lentils, rinsed and picked over
• 6 cups low sodium or homemade vegetable stock or broth
• Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
• 1 teaspoon smoked or regular salt, optional
• 2 to 3 cups finely chopped beet greens or Swiss chard
• Finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, chives or dill, for garnish
• Dollop of unsweetened yogurt, for garnish

1. Heat a 2 quart pot over medium heat. Add the onion and carrots, and dry sauté for 2 to 3 minutes, adding a bit of liquid if anything sticks. Add the dill, caraway, bay leaves, cabbage, chopped beet roots, lentils and stock.

2. Bring to a boil. Then reduce the heat to a simmer, and simmer, partially covered, for 20 to 25 minutes until the lentils are cooked through and the beets are fork tender.

3. Using a pair of tongs, carefully remove and discard the bay leaves. Using an immersion blender if you have one, puree the soup in the pot to the consistency that you like. (If you don't have an immersion blender, carefully blend in batches in a regular blender.) Add the lemon zest and juice and smoked salt, if using. Taste and adjust seasonings.

4. Add the beet greens or chard to the soup; or add to individual serving bowls. Spoon the hot soup over the greens. Garnish with herbs and a dollop of yogurt.

Adapted from Vegan Under Pressure, Jill Nussinow, reprinted with permission from Houghton, Mifflin, Harcourt

Nutrition Facts: 150 calories; total fat 1.4 grams; saturated fat 0 grams; trans fat 0 grams; carbohydrate 30 grams; total sugars 14 grams; fiber 8.4 grams; protein 7 grams; sodium 270 milligrams; cholesterol 0 milligrams