Soup Recipes Soups That Are Easy On the Stomach Chicken Noodle Soup (from the American Cancer Society) 1 rotisserie chicken full breast or 3 cups chopped cooked chicken 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1 onion, chopped 1 large carrot (or 2 small), sliced 1 large celery stalk (or 2 small), sliced 6 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth 2 cups water ½ to 1 cup egg noodles 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley Nutritional Information Per Serving Calories: 120 Total Fat: 3.5 g Total Carbohydrate: 6 g Dietary Fiber: 1 g Sugars: 2 g Protein: 16 g Sodium: 420 mg 1. Remove the wings from the chicken breast and reserve. Remove the skin from the breast and discard. Shred the meat off the breastbone and break the breastbone into two pieces. Reserve the meat and bones separately. 2. In a stockpot over medium-high heat, add the oil. Sauté the onion, carrot, celery, chicken wings, and breastbone for 8 to 10 minutes, or until vegetables soften. 3. Add the broth and water and stir to combine. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the noodles and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add reserved chicken and parsley and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Discard the bones before serving. Season with salt and pepper.
Soups That Are Easy On the Stomach (Continued) Beef and Vegetable-Barley Soup (from the American Cancer Society) 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 pound lean stew beef, cut into ½-inch pieces 1 small (or ½ large) onion, chopped 1 celery stalk, chopped 1 carrot, chopped 1 garlic clove, finely chopped 7 cups reduced-sodium beef broth 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes ½ teaspoon dried basil 1 bay leaf ½ cup barley Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 110 Total Fat: 3 g Total Carbohydrate: 11 g Dietary Fiber: 2 g Sugars: 2 g Protein: 10 g Sodium: 380 mg 1. In a stockpot over medium-high heat, add the oil. Brown the beef on all sides. Remove the beef and set aside. You may need to brown the beef in two or more batches, depending on the size of your skillet. 2. Add the onion, celery, and carrot to the stockpot and sauté for 5 to 8 minutes, or until softened. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add the broth, tomatoes, basil, and bay leaf and stir to combine. Bring to a boil. Add the barley and reserved beef and stir to combine. Reduce the heat, partially cover, and simmer for 50 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper. Remove the bay leaf before serving. The longer you let this broth simmer, the better tasting and more nutrient-dense the broth will be.
Soup to Help You Stay Hydrated Lemon-Egg Drop Soup (from American Cancer Society) * vegetarian option 6 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth 2 eggs Juice of 2 lemons 1 cup cooked white rice 1 cup finely chopped cooked chicken, optional Nutritional Information Per Serving Calories: 80 Total Fat: 2 g Total Carbohydrate: 10 g Dietary Fiber: 0 g Sugars: 1 g Protein: 5 g Sodium: 115 mg 1. In a large saucepan over high heat, bring the broth to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer. 2. Meanwhile, in a bowl, beat the eggs. Gradually, add 1 cup of the hot broth to the eggs a little at a time, beating constantly until the eggs are warmed through, but still liquid. You don t want the broth to cook the eggs, just to warm them through. 3. Over low heat, add the warm egg mixture back to the saucepan, stirring constantly. Add the lemon juice, rice, and chicken and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, or until heated through. Season with salt and pepper.
Soups for Sore Mouth/Difficulty Swallowing Chilled Cucumber and Yogurt Soup (from American Cancer Society) * vegetarian option 1 large garlic clove 2 tablespoons fresh dill, thick stems removed 3 medium cucumbers, peeled, seeded, and coarsely chopped (about 4 cups) 2 cups plain nonfat yogurt or Greek yogurt 2 cups water 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 tablespoon honey 2 teaspoons salt 1 teaspoon ground black pepper Nutritional Information Per Serving Calories: 80 Total Fat: 2.5 g Total Carbohydrate: 11 g Dietary Fiber: 1 g Sugars: 9 g Protein: 5 g Sodium: 830 mg 1. In a food processor, with the motor running, drop in the garlic and dill and puree. Stop the machine, add the cucumbers, and pulse until finely chopped. Add the yogurt, water, oil, honey, salt, and pepper and pulse 2 or 3 times just to combine. Do not over process. 2. Transfer to a large bowl. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. If the soup thickens too much, dilute with ice cubes.
Soups For Sore Mouth/Difficulty Swallowing (Cont.) Roasted Root Vegetable Soup (from American Cancer Society) * vegetarian option 3 carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces 1 small (about 1 pound) butternut squash, peeled and seeded, cut into 1 ¼-inch pieces 1 small (about 8 ounces) sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1 ¼-inch pieces 1 small sweet onion, peeled and cut into 1 ¼-inch pieces 2 tablespoons olive oil 5 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth, heated Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 100 Total Fat: 4 g Total Carbohydrate: 14 g Dietary Fiber: 2 g Sugars: 6 g Protein: 3 g Sodium: 320 mg 1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. 2. On two foil-lined, rimmed baking sheets, combine the carrots, squash, sweet potato, and onion. Drizzle with oil and toss to coat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for 40 to 50 minutes, or until very tender and slightly charred, tossing every 15 minutes. 3. Transfer to a food processor and add 3 cups of the warmed broth. Blend until smooth, adding more of the broth to achieve desired consistency. (You may need to do this step in batches or transfer the mixture to a large bowl before adding all the broth.)
Restorative Soup Basic Congee* vegetarian option 1 cup short grain white rice 8 cups reduced sodium chicken broth, or water 1 teaspoon salt 1. Rinse rice in a colander under running water Nutritional Information Per Serving: (recipe makes four servings) Calories: 120 Total Fat: < 1 gram Total Carbohydrate: 20 g Fiber: < 1 gram Protein: 6 g Sodium: 1340 mg Potassium: 390 mg 2. Put the rice and water in a heavy saucepan over high heat. Bring the broth or water to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and partially cover the rice and broth. Simmer for at least an hour, stirring occasionally. The congee will be thick and creamy. This is a basic recipe, many things can be added to the congee as the patient tolerates or wishes. Some suggestions: hard boiled eggs, cooked shredded chicken, cooked ground pork, sliced ginger, sliced scallion. Note - these additions will change the nutrient content of the congee
Citations for Smoothie and Soup Recipes Woodruff, Sandra, and Leah Gilbert-Henderson. Soft Foods for Easier Eating Cookbook: Easy- To-Follow Recipes for People Who Have Chewing and Swallowing Problems. Square One Publishers, 2009. Besser, Jean, Kristina Ratley, Sheri Knecht and Michele Szafranski. What To Eat During Cancer Treatment: 100 Great-Tasting, Family-Friendly Recipes to Help You Cope. Georgia: Health Promotions Publishing, 2009. Katz, Rebecca. The Cancer Fighting Kitchen: Nourishing, Big-Flavor Recipes for Cancer Treatment and Recovery. New York: Ten Speed Press, 2009. Simonds, Nina. A Spoonful of Ginger: Irresistible Health-Giving Recipes from Asian Kitchens. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., 1999.