As the days grow shorter and colder, I tend to enjoy soups more. I’ve made three different soups in as many weeks, all equally delicious. These I have for dinner on Sunday, then bring for work meals the rest of the week. They are easy to heat up in the microwave and make a hearty meal.
Sometimes I do like to put pineapples and their juice in a soup because of the amazing health benefits associated with it. Vitamin C is one of those benefits, but there are others. Manganese is important for bone health as well as metabolism. Fiber is important for gut health, and Bromelain is an anti-inflammatory, and helps with the digestion of protein. Pineapple is a great addition to many things.
Beef broth is also good for you. It helps with collagen production and hydration and is good for gut health.
Using both of these in soup helps to up your nutrient consumption.
Kielbasa Soup with Vegetables & Pineapple
serves 5-9, depending on serving sizes
Ingredients
32 ounces reduced/low sodium beef bone broth (can use less mixed with water) (can also use water if that’s all you have)
1 kielbasa cut into rounds then quartered
2 cups corn
2 cups peas
1-2 cups chopped pineapple and any juice
about 1 tsp ground pepper
about 1 tsp onion powder
about 1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp parsley
1-2 tbsp oregano, to taste
- Add all but the broth and seasonings to a slow cooker.
- Pour the broth into the slow cooker and add water if this does not cover all the ingredients. Or, just add water until covered.
- Cook on low 2-3 hours, or high 4-6 hours, adding the seasonings about 30 minutes before you are ready to serve.
- Taste for flavor at the end of the cooking time. You can always add more seasonings if needed.
Notes
- You can really use any type of those sausage products for this recipe, so go ahead and buy the most affordable option.
- I use frozen veggies for this, and fresh cut pineapple from the fresh foods section of the grocery store. You might save money by comparing fresh, frozen, and canned options for these items. Also, dried vegetables might be an option. Find out whether you need to rehydrate before putting them into the slow cooker, or if they will rehydrate enough while cooking. This might actually be the most frugal way to make this recipe.
- I usually use a reduced sodium broth. However, if they don’t have that option, I will buy the organic regular broth which for me usually cheaper if I go with the store brand.
- I grow a lot of my herbs which is more affordable. When I do buy, I always go for the organic version because I like the taste better even though they are more costly.
Serving Suggestions
While this recipe can be made more cheaply than I make it, the health benefits are the most important thing to me. I do make this more affordably when money is especially tight.
~ Shannon
