Cooking with Karina: Fall Soups and Salads

Blender Tomato Turmeric Soup. (Photo: Karina Arnold)

Karina Arnold is a sophomore at the University of Oklahoma who’s passionate about healthy cooking. She provides creative, healthy recipes and tips on clean eating.

Soups and salads are usually secondary to the main course. Restaurants often make you choose a “house salad” or “soup of the day.” Usually, the house salad includes lettuce with two cherry tomatoes and three carrot shavings. Pick the soup and the waiter presents a small bowl of watery, over-salted broth with three mushy chucks you assume are vegetables. Stop the madness! 

It’s time for soups and salads to ascend the “side-dish” label and become the delectable piece de resistance. With healthy, fresh ingredients, soups and salads are easy ways to incorporate more nutrient-dense vegetables. This Blender Tomato Turmeric Soup includes vegetables and turmeric. This soup is easy to make and you can alter it according to your preferences.

Shrimp and Veggie Salad. (Photo: Karina Arnold)

Experiment with this recipe by adding or subtracting seasonings. I generally change up the vegetables I add. For example, this recipe includes mushrooms, but broccoli and cauliflower are also great vegetables to use. 

In addition to leafy greens, soups and salads generally consist of plant-based proteins. Plant-based proteins include lentils (like black beans), chickpeas, seeds (like hemp or pumpkin seeds), nuts and dark leafy greens (like spinach and kale). Garnish salads with these proteins to boost your daily intake. This Shrimp and Veggie Salad is packed with protein and filling. 

Lemon Chickpea Soup. (Photo: Karina Arnold)

Tasty and filling carbs still make their way into soups and salads. Adding carbs like quinoa, couscous, brown rice or orzo help maintain steady sugar and energy levels in your body. This Quinoa Salad and Lemon Chickpea Soup incorporate carbs in your diet and keep you full. 

These recipes will reveal the power (and deliciousness) of a good soup or salad as a main dish. What are your favorite soups or salads? Comment below!