When I was a teenager, I loved canned soup. My absolute favorite was the Chicken and Wild Rice Soup from Progresso. I never once thought about how much sodium was in processed foods, so it is no wonder that I had no problem eating nearly the daily recommended amount in one serving. It tasted delicious, that’s all I knew. And honestly, I thought it was a healthy thing to eat. It had chicken, vegetables, and rice — all healthy, right?
With 1,490mg of sodium per can, this soup is definitely not the “healthy” meal I thought that it was. According to the USDA, adults should consume a maximum of 2,300mg sodium per day and according to the American Heart Association, this number should be no more than 1,500mg per day. So when I was eating a can of soup, I was getting nearly a daily dose of sodium right then and there. While once in awhile may not be a problem, consistently over-consuming sodium can contribute to high blood pressure and heart disease.
A lot of times it’s the things that aren’t really “salty” tasting that contain a lot of hidden sodium. Canned vegetables and beans, fresh and frozen poultry injected with salt solution, and baked goods are some of the most common sources of “hidden” sodium in foods. All these items really add up and it is easy to get to the daily sodium maximum with just a couple processed snacks, and you haven’t even gotten to meal time yet.
This soup is not an exact replica of my favorite (it doesn’t contain salt!), but it is equally as addictive and delicious. As made in the recipe, it contains about 151mg of sodium per serving. If you are not on a low-sodium diet, you could add about a 1/2 teaspoon of salt to make each serving contain 441mg of sodium per serving. Or, if you can’t find unsalted chicken broth, use 4 cups of reduced sodium broth and 2 cups of water and leave out the salt.
Soups are a great way to stretch the budget for families, easy to throw together for a quick meal, and you can tailor them perfectly to fit your needs. The secret to this soup is using fresh ginger to flavor the broth. It adds a wonderful brightness. Customize this as you like, substituting or adding other vegetables as you prefer. To make it vegan, skip the chicken, and add a can of rinsed and roughly chopped low-sodium chickpeas instead.
When I took these pictures, I used boneless, skinless chicken thighs which were on sale at the store, and are often more economical than breasts. However, they are higher in fat and you may want to let the soup settle for about 5 minutes and skim off some fat from the surface if you choose to go this route.
This recipe is from my upcoming book, 30-Minute Low-Sodium Cookbook. If you are interested in more simple, quick recipes for easy and healthy weeknight dinners, pre-order my book today.
Chicken and Vegetable with Rice Soup
This low-sodium version of chicken soup is easy to make and deliciously fragrant, thanks to a combination of fresh ginger and garlic. Use any quick-cooking long grain rice here, and the soup is done as soon as the rice is tender.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 celery stalks
- 2 carrots, chopped
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced
- 12 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 6 cups unsalted chicken broth
- 1/4 cup rice (jasmine, basmati, or long-grain)
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Lemon wedges, for garnish
- Handful chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
Directions
- Step 1 In a large pot over medium-high heat, heat the oil until it shimmers. Add the celery, carrots, onion, garlic, and ginger and saute for 3 to 4 minutes, until the mixtures starts to soften.
- Step 2 Add the chicken and cook for 3 minutes until lightly browned.
- Step 3 Stir in the broth and rice and bring the soup to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for about 10 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and the rice is tender. Skim the soup a couple times throughout cooking to remove any scum on its surface.
- Step 4 Season with pepper. Serve with lemon wedges and sprinkled with parsley.
