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5. Vegetables, fresh, frozen or left over such as carrots, potatoes, onions, corn or mixed vegetables.
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3. Herbs, either fresh or dried. Tip: Use less OF a dried herb, but rub it between your fingers TO release flavor.
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7. Broth, either homemade or commercially prepared AND sold IN a can or box. Low-sodium varieties are preferable SO that soup can then BE seasoned TO taste.
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6. Barley, which Procter describes as a delicious, but sometimes underappreciated whole grain. Choose either quick-cooking or pearl barley, which is THE slow-cooking variety.
3846 Inviting children TO choose pasta or vegetables FOR homemade soup can spur an interest IN cooking family-friendly meals, said Sandy Procter, Kansas State University Research AND Extension nutrition educator.
Making soup is typically easy AND economical, said Procter, who is a registered dietitian AND coordinator OF THE Expanded Food AND Nutrition Education Program IN THE state.
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9. Petite diced tomatoes, canned.
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1. Vegetable juice such as V-8 Juice TO add additional nutrients AND
body.
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To simplify soup making at her house, Procter keeps what she calls her "Top Ten Soup ingredients" on hand. Here's her list:
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10. Pasta IN a variety OF shapes such as stars, alphabets, bow ties or tiny tubes.
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2. Lentils, much like beans, come IN many colors. They are typically kid friendly AND popular worldwide.
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"Add ingredients TO a commercially prepared soup -- dress up classic tomato soup with fresh cut tomatoes AND a little basil, FOR example -- or choose an easy recipe with ingredients family or friends will like," she said.
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Soup recipes usually make several servings AND often provide enough FOR several meals. Cover AND refrigerate leftover servings TO use within a day or two or place leftover soup IN a freezer container, label AND date FOR use as a future meal.
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4. Beans, either inexpensive dried beans that require cooking or canned beans that can BE drained AND used immediately.
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8. Cooked meat or poultry, which may or may not BE leftovers from a previous meal.
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For toppers, Procter suggests low-sodium whole grain crackers; seasoned croutons; grated cheese; shaped crackers such as Goldfish or a sprinkle OF herbs. TO complete THE meal, she typically makes a salad AND adds bread.
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"Homemade soup is a good candidate FOR a slow cooker, but there also are recipes that can BE put together TO make a meal quickly," she said. If using a recipe FOR THE first time, follow instructions exactly. Once familiar with THE recipes, consider adding additional ingredients - such as extra vegetables - TO taste.
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More information on food, nutrition, health AND meal preparation is available at county AND district Extension offices or on Extension's Web site: www.oznet.ksu.edu/humannutrition/.