Quick and Healthy Snacks: Soup-in-a-Mug

Quick and Healthy Snacks and Desserts

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I enjoy an instant soup as much as the next person. It’s quick, hot and tasty. However, every time I have one, I wonder whether I’m ingesting anything more than artificial colours and flavours, thickening agents, and, of course, salt…lots of salt. (Why else would they be so tasty?) Furthermore, if you have limited stomach capacity, is it displacing something more nutritious?

So I decided to see if I could come up with a few soups-in-a-mug that could be made in little more time than it takes to boil up a kettle, but guaranteed to be nutritious.

soup_in_a_mugThe following recipes, therefore, are quick, hearty and nutritious – perfect for a quick winter lunch – and they can all be made from Pantry Essentials, with an emphasis on vegetables and/or milk to ensure their nutritional value. For several of them, I recommend starting with a liquid stock, either chicken or vegetable, for ease and nutrition, but you can, of course, substitute stock powder and water.

I would also highly recommend soup-in-a-mug for people who have recently undergone bariatric surgery. To that end, the recipes usually start with a small volume which you can top up with boiling water to your preferred portion size.

In these recipes I suggest making the soup in a mug covered with a saucer. However, I would highly recommend using a microwave mug with a fitted, vented lid if you happen to have one. Alternatively, these soups could just as easily, and almost as quickly, be made in a small saucepan on the stovetop. (See Quick Soups from the Pantry.)

If you feel like something more comforting for lunch, you could try Quick and Healthy Snacks: Macaroni and Cheese.

For more quick and easy soups, see Hot Soups from the Pantry or enter ‘soup’ into ‘Search’.

 

Recipes:

Noodle Soup-in-a-Mug

Rice Soup-in-a-Mug

Cream of Chicken Soup-in-a-Mug

Sweetcorn Soup-in-a-Mug

Vegetable Soup-in-a-Mug

Cream of Vegetable Soup-in-a-Mug

Minestrone-in-a-Mug

Tomato and Couscous Soup-in-a-Mug

Mushroom and Spinach Soup-in-a-Mug

Tomato Soup-in-a-Mug

Pea Soup-in-a-Mug

Chickpea Soup-in-a-Mug

Chives and Potato Soup-in-a-Mug

 

Noodle Soup-in-a-Mug

  • ½ cup instant noodles, crushed
  • ½ –1 cup chicken or vegetable stock
  • Flavourings (see below)

 

  1. Place crushed noodles in a mug
  2. Cover with stock
  3. Stir in flavours (see below) or flavours of your choice
  4. Cover with a saucer and microwave on high for 2 minutes
  5. Stir, top up with boiling water (optional) and let stand for 3 minutes

Varieties:

Flavour with any of the following combinations:

  • Dried onion, pepper and parsley
  • ½ tsp. tomato paste and a pinch of paprika
  • Garlic granules, ginger and coriander
  • ½ tsp. soy sauce, ginger and chilli
  • Mild curry powder

 

Rice Soup-in-a-Mug

  • 1 single-serve microwave rice
  • ½ –1 cup chicken or vegetable stock
  • Pepper and parsley

 

  1. Microwave rice according to the instructions and place in a mug
  2. Add stock with pepper and parsley
  3. Cover with a saucer and microwave on high for 2 minutes
  4. Stir and top up with boiling water

 

Cream of Chicken Soup-in-a-Mug

  • 1 x 85gm can shredded chicken in water
  • ¼ cup chicken stock
  • 2 tsp. cornflour
  • 2 tbsp. skim milk powder
  • Garlic granules, dried onion, pepper and oregano
  • Shredded Parmesan cheese

 

  1. Place cold chicken stock in a mug
  2. Whisk in cornflour and skim milk powder
  3. Add spices
  4. Stir in canned chicken
  5. Add shredded Parmesan cheese to taste
  6. Cover with a saucer, microwave of high for 2 minutes and stir
  7. Top up with boiling water (optional) and stir

Variations:

  • substitute ½ cup chopped cooked chicken for the canned chicken
  • for a spicy soup, omit Parmesan cheese and add mild curry powder at Step 3

 

Sweetcorn Soup-in-a-Mug

  • 1 x 125gm can corn kernels
  • Ginger, garlic granules, dried onion and pepper
  • ½ –1 cup chicken or vegetable stock

 

  1. Place corn with the canning water in the small cup of a bullet blender and process until semi-puréed
  2. Place puréed corn into a mug
  3. Stir in spices
  4. Cover with stock and stir
  5. Cover with a saucer and microwave for 90 seconds
  6. Top up with boiling water (optional) and stir

Variation: substitute 1/3 cup frozen corn kernels with 1 tbsp. cold water for the canned corn at Step 1, microwave on high for 2 minutes then allow to cool before processing

 

Vegetable Soup-in-a-Mug

  • ¾ cup frozen mixed vegetables
  • ½ –1 cup chicken or vegetable stock
  • 1–2 tsp. tomato paste
  • Dried onion, pepper and basil

 

  1. Place vegetables in a mug
  2. Cover with stock
  3. Stir in tomato paste and spices
  4. Cover with a saucer, microwave on high for 2 minutes and stir
  5. Continue to microwave and stir in 30 second bursts until the vegetables are cooked to taste
  6. Top up with boiling water (optional) and stir

 

Cream of Vegetable Soup-in-a-Mug

  • ¾ cup (frozen) vegetables (see below)
  • ½ –1 cup chicken or vegetable stock
  • 1 tbsp. skim milk powder
  • Dried onion, pepper and parsley
  • Shredded Parmesan cheese

 

  1. Place vegetables in a mug with stock
  2. Stir in spices
  3. Cover with a saucer and microwave on high for 2 minutes and stir
  4. Continue to microwave and stir in 30 second bursts until the vegetables are tender
  5. Allow to cool to room temperature
  6. Transfer to a bullet blender and add Parmesan cheese to taste and skim milk powder
  7. Liquidise thoroughly
  8. Return to mug and microwave covered with a saucer for 45–60 seconds to reheat
  9. Top up with boiling water (optional) and stir

Variations:

  • for a lighter soup, omit skim milk powder
  • suitable for mushrooms, cauliflower, broccoli, carrot, pumpkin and sweet potato

 

Minestrone-in-a-Mug

  • 1 x 125gm can four-bean-mix
  • 1 portion frozen spinach
  • 2 tsp. tomato paste
  • ½ tsp. chicken stock powder
  • ¼ cup instant noodles, crushed
  • Dried onion, pepper, basil, parsley

 

  1. Empty can of beans with water into the small cup of a bullet blender
  2. Add ¼ cup water (or more as required)
  3. Add stock powder, tomato paste and spices and liquidise thoroughly
  4. Transfer to a mug, stir in crushed noodles and drop in frozen spinach
  5. Cover with a saucer and microwave on high for 3 minutes
  6. Top up with boiling water (optional) and stir

 

Tomato and Couscous Soup-in-a-Mug

  • ¾ –1 cup chicken or vegetable stock
  • 3 tsp. tomato paste
  • 1 tsp. lemon juice
  • 1 portion frozen spinach
  • 1 tbsp. instant couscous
  • Mild curry powder, garlic granules, ginger and coriander

 

  1. Place frozen spinach in a mug and microwave on high for 30 seconds
  2. Stir in stock with tomato paste, lemon juice and spices
  3. Cover with a sauce and microwave on high for 2 minutes
  4. Stir in couscous
  5. Top up with boiling water (optional) and let stand for 3 minutes

 

Mushroom and Spinach Soup-in-a-Mug

  • ¼ cup instant noodles, crushed
  • 1–2 portions frozen spinach
  • 1–2 mushrooms, chopped
  • 2–3 cherry tomatoes, chopped (optional)
  • ½ –1 cup chicken or vegetable stock
  • Dried onion, pepper and parsley

 

  1. Place chopped mushrooms and frozen spinach in a mug and microwave on high for 60 seconds
  2. Add crushed noodles, spices and stock and stir
  3. Stir in chopped tomatoes (optional)
  4. Cover with a saucer and microwave on high for 2 minutes
  5. Stir, top up with boiling water (optional) and let stand for 3 minutes

 

Tomato Soup-in-a-Mug

  • ½ cup diced tomatoes
  • 2 tsp. tomato paste
  • 1 tsp. chicken stock powder
  • Garlic granules, pepper, basil, dried onion and chilli (optional)

 

  1. Place all ingredients in the small cup of a bullet blender and liquidise thoroughly
  2. Transfer to a mug
  3. Cover with a saucer and microwave on high for 90 seconds and stir
  4. Top up with boiling water (optional) and stir

 

Pea Soup-in-a-Mug

  • 1 x 220gm can peas
  • 1 tsp. chicken stock powder
  • Garlic granules, pepper, parsley and dried onion

 

  1. Empty can of peas with water into the small cup of a bullet blender
  2. Add remaining ingredients and liquidise thoroughly
  3. Transfer to a mug
  4. Cover with a saucer and microwave on high for 90 seconds and stir
  5. Top up with boiling water (optional) and stir

 

Chickpea Soup-in-a-Mug

  • 1 x 125gm can chickpeas
  • 1 tsp. tomato paste
  • 1 tsp. lemon juice
  • 1 tsp. chicken stock powder
  • Garlic granules, mild curry powder and coriander

 

  1. Empty can of chickpeas with water into the small cup of a bullet blender
  2. Add ¼ cup water (or more as required)
  3. Add remaining ingredients and liquidise thoroughly
  4. Transfer to a mug
  5. Cover with a saucer and microwave on high for 90 seconds and stir
  6. Top up with boiling water (optional) and stir

 

Chives and Potato Soup-in-a-Mug

  • 2 tbsp. instant mashed potatoes
  • 1 tbsp. skim milk powder
  • 1 tbsp. shredded Parmesan cheese
  • 1 tsp. chicken stock powder
  • 1 tsp. chives
  • Low-fat milk

 

  1. Mix all dry ingredients together in a mug
  2. Cover with boiling water and stir
  3. Cool with a little low-fat milk

Variation: omit chives and before Step 1, place 1 tbsp. diced bacon in mug, cover and microwave on high for 30 seconds

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