Diet is a powerful tool in the fight against disease and bodily aches and pains. The anti-inflammatory diet is especially helpful in getting more whole foods with antioxidants into each meal.
Soups are delicious and easy to make in large quantities. Each recipe incorporates several anti-inflammatory foods to satisfy your taste buds. Here is an overview of the anti-inflammatory diet and soup recipes you can whip up every season.
What Is the Anti-Inflammatory Diet?
Although inflammation is a natural bodily response, chronic instances could pose significant health risks and pain. For example, cancer and cardiovascular disease typically derive from oxidative stress. Joint inflammation can also make it difficult to exercise and move around. As such, experts recommend an anti-inflammatory diet with one to two servings of anti-inflammatory foods at each meal.
Anti-inflammatory foods comprise fatty fish with omega-3s, vitamin C-based fruits and vegetables, olive oil, whole grains, yogurt and other probiotic-rich foods. Of course, dairy products may cause more inflammation in some people. Meanwhile, it would help if you avoided the following:
Red meat
Processed meat, like deli cold cuts
White flour bread and pasta
Fried foods
High-sugar foods
Sweetened beverages, soda and sports drinks
Foods high in trans fats
Instead, to prevent inflammation, it is better to eat fruits, vegetables, seasonings, herbs, and other foods from the Mediterranean diet.
7 Anti-Inflammatory Soup Recipes for Every Season
Are you looking for a delicious, easy meal to beat inflammation? These seven soup recipes use scientifically proven anti-inflammatory ingredients for every season.
1. Ginger and Turmeric Carrot Soup
Ginger and turmeric carrot soup is everyone's go-to recipe for the anti-inflammatory diet. Turmeric contains curcumin, which is jam-packed with antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties. Ginger is another root herb that fights inflammation.
In a saucepan or Dutch oven, saute fennel, carrots, leeks and squash in olive oil for three to five minutes — then add ginger, garlic, turmeric, salt and pepper. Pour in broth and coconut milk, bringing the pot to a boil and allowing it to simmer for 20 minutes while covered.
Use a blender or immersion blender to make the soup smooth and creamy. Drop coconut yogurt into the bowl before serving.
2. Gazpacho
Soup may not be your first choice for warmer weather. However, nothing says "summer" more than a cool gazpacho. This soup is easy to make — simply toss the ingredients in a bowl to marinate for 12-24 hours and blitz in the blender until smooth.
For this gazpacho, buy ripe tomatoes, cucumber, red bell pepper, garlic cloves, red onion, sherry vinegar and olive oil. You'll also want kosher salt and black pepper on hand.
Depending on how smooth you want the gazpacho to be, pour it through a mesh strainer before serving to remove leftover vegetable chunks. Then, serve with a crusty slice of bread on the side.
3. Instant Pot Lentil Soup
Lentil soup delivers rich warmth using Middle Eastern spices like cumin, coriander, turmeric and white pepper. Lentils are also highly anti-inflammatory and high in protein, making them satiating for any mealtime. Even better, using an Instant Pot, you can enjoy a bowl of this lentil soup within an hour.
Saute onions, carrot, celery and garlic in olive oil for four to five minutes before adding your seasonings for two more minutes. Stir in tomato paste, broth, water, lentils and squash with a crumbled bouillon cube. Allow the pressure cooker to cook the soup on high for eight minutes.
Then, follow the manufacturer's instructions for opening the valve and unlocking the pot. Before serving, add lemon juice and kale leaves, allowing it to steam for five minutes.
4. Cabbage Soup
Cabbage soup is an ultra-satisfying meal for lunch or dinner, excellent for fighting inflammation and aiding weight loss.
Start by cooking chopped carrots, celery and onion in a stock pot for six to eight minutes, adding bell pepper, garlic, an Italian seasoning blend, and salt and pepper for another two minutes.
Pour in the broth, cabbage, and tomato, allowing the soup to boil over medium-high heat. Simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Finally, stir in two teaspoons of white wine vinegar.
5. Turmeric Roasted Sweet Potato and Macadamia Soup
Sweet potatoes aren't just anti-inflammatory — they help strengthen the gut microbiome and promote immune function, making them a key ingredient in Blue Zone diets. Along with turmeric, this soup is a powerhouse in the anti-inflammatory diet.
First, roast the sweet potatoes for 50 minutes at 375 degrees Fahrenheit with olive oil and salt. Then, transfer the sweet potatoes and red onion to a saucepan with vegetable broth, ginger, turmeric and cayenne pepper.
Bring the soup to a boil and allow it to simmer for 15 minutes. Mix in macadamia nuts and allow them to soften in the soup for another 10 minutes. Blend the soup — or use an immersion blender — until it is smooth and creamy.
6. Bone Broth
Bone broth is a nutritious and restorative soup made from high-collagen bones. The bones are simmered for about 12 hours in a stock pot or three to four hours in a pressure cooker. Once the soup cools, it forms a gelatin.
Many refer to bone broth as "liquid gold," aiding digestion, sleep, joint pain, weight loss and inflammation. The soup contains glycine and arginine, anti-inflammatory amino acids for women with obesity.
Although there are many ways to make bone broth, this recipe calls for 10 pounds of beef bones — a combination of femur bones, oxtail, knucklebones and short ribs. Others may prefer to include parts of the chicken or chicken feet. You'll also need carrots, celery, onion, garlic, bay leaves, peppercorns, star anise, cinnamon sticks and apple cider vinegar.
7. Anti-Inflammatory Egg Drop Soup
You can use the bone broth recipe — or vegetable or chicken stock — to make an anti-inflammatory egg drop soup. This recipe calls for grated turmeric and ginger, chile pepper and minced garlic — all of which contain the most potent anti-inflammatory properties.
You'll also want to add sliced mushrooms, chard stalks and leaves, and coconut amino acids before slowly pouring beaten eggs into the stock. Once the eggs have cooked, pour the soup into a bowl and season it with salt, pepper, spring onions, cilantro, and a drizzle of olive oil.
Beat Inflammation With a Hearty Bowl of Soup
If food is thy medicine, then soup is the ticket to beating inflammation. If you're starting the anti-inflammatory diet to prevent disease and ease your pain, consider making soups to nourish yourself.
