Sipping (or slurping) hot soups and stews can keep you and your family warm and feeling well if you’re sick. Not only does soup warm you up, but it’s also a quick way to get dinner on the table.

Whether you prefer a broth-based soup or a bowl of hearty stew, Henry Ford Health tells us that these delicious creations offer these five benefits:

  1. They’re good for you
  2. They’re inexpensive and easy to prepare
  3. They freeze well
  4. They keep you hydrated
  5. They give your immune system a boost

Most soups and stews are hydrating, filling and packed with nutrients from vegetables, slow-simmered proteins and mineral-rich broth. Looking at the diets of 10,500 Americans, Iowa State University researchers found that people who ate soup had higher diet‐quality scores than people who didn’t. Soup‐eaters had higher intakes of fiber, vitamin A, magnesium, iron and potassium. And overall, they got more servings of vegetables.

Remember that homemade soup and stew is generally a better choice than canned soup because canned soup often contains the chemical BPA and is high in sodium. Once you make a homemade soup, you’ll never go back to canned. Remember that your soup will easily freeze, so over-prepare and store leftovers in single-size containers for enjoying later.

Check out our simple Homemade Bone Broth recipe if you need a base to get started.

 

Start your homemade stew cooking skills by preparing our delicious “Acorn” Beef Stew that blends roasted beef and veggies.

Adding acorn squash to this delicious anti-inflammatory stew gives you the health benefits of antioxidants. These antioxidants can help to protect people against health issues like arthritis, heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure and certain cancers.

Acorn squash also contains high levels of carotenoid pigments, the chemicals that give it its yellow-orange color and convert them into more vitamin A. Some studies also show that carotenoids can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer.

Acorn Beef Stew

"Acorn" Beef Stew

This delicious stew is filled with roasted beef and tender roasted veggies, atop a bed of roasted acorn squash. It's such a treat from traditional stew and you will reap the benefits of antioxidants, vitamin A and other nutrients from the winter squash. Give it a try; you won't miss the white potatoes.
Course Main Course, Soup
Servings 6

Ingredients
  

  • 2 ¼ lbs grass-fed beef stew meat cut in pieces
  • 1 yellow onion finely chopped
  • 10 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 Tbsp ground marjoram
  • Sea salt and black pepper to taste
  • ½ cup beef or vegetable broth or stock
  • 2 cups leeks sliced
  • 2 cups carrots chopped
  • 2 stalks celery chopped
  • 1 acorn squash halved and seeds removed
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350°F.
  • In a roasting pan or dutch oven top the stew meat with all ingredients except for the acorn squash and oil; mix well to combine. Cover tightly with foil and roast in the oven until tender, about 1 hour.
  • Remove the prepared acorn squash from its skin and cut into cubes. Toss cubes with olive oil and roast in the oven until cubes are tender, about 30-45 minutes.
  • Serve stew on top of roasted squash.

Notes

Try this recipe with sweet potatoes instead of acorn squash if you prefer.
Keyword Anti-Inflammatory, Antioxidant, Beef, Carrots, Complete Meal, Entree, Lean Protein, Soup, Squash

 

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