Get the Salt Out (29 page)

In a large soup pot, combine the broth, lemongrass, chile peppers, and lime zest. Bring to a boil; cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Lift out the lime zest and discard. Add the mushrooms and shrimp; simmer for 4 minutes. Stir in the lime juice. Transfer the shrimp to a serving bowl and pour in the broth. Sprinkle with the scallions and cilantro.
Serves 4.

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For convenience, look for no-salt soup mixes or make your own.
Popular commercial soup starters and instant cups of soup may be handy, but they actually are small salt mines, often containing more than 500 milligrams of sodium and sometimes as much as 1,000 milligrams per cup! To avoid all that salt, plan ahead and make this simple Speedy Soup Mix. It will allow you the same no-fuss soup preparation commercial soup starters do, but with five to ten times less sodium. This versatile recipe is another one from
Deliriously Simple
by Harriet Roth.
One Salt Shaker.

To store, combine all the ingredients and place in a covered container or plastic bag.
Makes 2 cups dry mix.
To prepare, combine 1 recipe dry soup mix with 8 cups of water or salt-free chicken, turkey, or vegetable broth in a 4-quart saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer for 1 to 1½ hours, or until the beans are tender. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Remove bay leaf before serving.

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Don’t be fooled by canned soup labels that
sound
good for you.
Remember that manufacturers often try to cleverly label foods to capitalize on consumers’ interest in eating better. Here are a few examples. Campbell’s Home Cookin’ Minestrone certainly sounds as if it should be full of goodness, but hydrolyzed wheat gluten, yeast extract, MSG, and 990 milligrams of sodium aren’t what most people expect in a cup of good, old-fashioned, home-cooked soup. Healthy Choice makes a country vegetable soup that delivers on its lower-sodium claims, but with 430 milligrams per cup it’s still not
exactly
low
in sodium. (In addition, it contains unwanted sugar, maltodextrin, and added color.) Campbell’s Healthy Request Minestrone is labeled MSG-free—which it is—but it also contains disodium inosinate and disodium guanylate, which are potent flavor enhancers that may cause adverse physical reactions similar to what MSG does. Don’t forget that the foods that are best for you come without a label. If this easy-to-make Spring Minestrone from my book
Super Nutrition for Menopause
had a label, its claims would be impressive: home-cooked, healthy style, low in fat, low in sodium, sugar-free, MSG-free and preservative-free!
One to Two Salt Shakers.

Sauté the onion in oil over low heat until translucent. Add 1½ quarts of water and bring to a boil. Add all the other vegetables and herbs and stir for 1 minute. Cover and simmer for 20 to 30
minutes. (Remove the kombu, if used.) Season with salt, if desired.
Serves 6.

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Keep Hain Healthy Naturals No-Salt-Added Soups on hand
to have when you’re sick or just too busy to cook. Remember, it’s fine to add some Real Salt or sea salt at the table if you need to.
One to Two Salt Shakers.