Soup is the song of the hearth and the home

WOW, it's freezing out there today. I could think of nothing better than to share my favorite cozy inspiration second only to a warm hug, soup. I LOVE soup and particularly on a day like this. Soup is the perfect balm and helps to melt away a lot. Is there anything more satisfying than a beautiful bowl of homemade soup to warm you from the inside out?

What's your favorite? Borscht, lime, French onion, lentil, or homemade chicken noodle? I don't know if I could decide. I just love that my essential oils add flavor and health benefits to my favorite soups so easily. Add your oils when the cooking is finished to get the most health benefits from their addition. Here are some of the reasons I LOVE soups.

• It’s quick and easy to make. If you’re pressed for time and concerned about making healthy meals, soup is the answer. Just about any combination of vegetables, meat or legumes, and seasonings can make a delicious soup. If you have a pressure cooking appliance like an Instant Pot, cooking time can be even shorter. A quality blender like a Vitamix makes the smoothest pureed soups you can imagine. And you can make large batches and store some in the freezer for busy days.

• Eating soup is an easy way to increase your intake of nutrients, vitamins, and minerals. Choosing healthy foods (including healthy fats, fruits, vegetables, and lean proteins) supports satiety, mood regulation, and healthy sleep patterns. Choosing healthy foods more often can also break the negative cycle caused by stress eating. Creating soups out of the veggies that I need to use up is a weekly ritual and an opportunity to get creative in the kitchen.

• Soups are hydrating. When you’re finding it challenging to get all of those daily glasses of water in, soups with broths can be a way to give yourself some extra hydration and electrolytes.

• Soup just feels right in the winter. Warm, flavourful, soothing foods like soup are comforting when it’s cold outside. It’s the perfect food when you’re feeling under the weather. And soup is easy to eat and digest, and often very kid-friendly.

• Soup is budget-friendly. It can be filling and nutritious, especially when made with inexpensive nutritional powerhouses like beans and lentils, and it’s a great way to use up leftover meats and vegetables.

• Using bone broth can make soup even healthier. Using bone broth as a base will increase a soup’s vitamin, mineral, and amino acid content as well as its anti-inflammatory effects. Make your own or purchase it. If you're making your own and omit and onions and garlic in a batch, you can even add it your pets food to support their joints and a healthier response to typical inflammation.

• Soups work beautifully with essential oils! Adding oils to your soup recipe can add tons of amazing flavour while helping to support your body systems. Essential oils can be an excellent source of antioxidants and provide a boost to healthy cell function, gastrointestinal health, and healthy immune function, as well as cleansing benefits.

Try adding any of these oils, depending on the flavour profile of your soup. Often, I prefer to use essential oils over herbs or spices like lemon, lemongrass, and basil. The potency of essential oils mean you only need a couple drops and often it's easier to source or have essential oils on hand. Generally, you can replace 1 tsp of dried herbs with 1-2 drops of essential oil. For spicier oils like cinnamon, oregano, and ginger, try adding a toothpick to your soup first and see if that achieves the flavour you're looking for. Other oils that could replace herbs and spices very conveniently in recipes could be

• Turmeric

• Cilantro

• Basil

• Oregano

• Black Pepper

• Pink Pepper

• Lemon

• Thyme

• Ginger

• Coriander

• Fennel

• Lime

• Marjoram

• Rosemary

• Lemongrass

Here are some healthy and delicious soup recipes featuring doTERRA essential oils.

Coconut Lemongrass Red Lentil Soup:

https://wave0.doterra.com/US/en/blog/recipes-coconut-lemon-grass-red-lentil-soup

Italian Oregano Chicken Soup:

https://wave0.doterra.com/US/en/blog/recipe-italian-chicken-soup Roasted Butternut Squash Soup:

https://www.doterra.com/US/en/blog/recipes-roasted-butternut-squash-soup

Costa Rican Black Bean Soup:

https://www.doterra.com/US/en/blog/recipes-costa-rican-black-bean-soup

Comment below on your favorite soup and have fun with your oils in the kitchen!