Healthy/balanced soup for small appetite/cancer?

Question

My grandmother is sick with lung cancer; the pain has significantly reduced her appetite. Prior to this second bout of cancer (or the first) we suspected she had orthorexia nervosa - her obsession with "healthy" food included things like a fear of salt that led to a family member she feeds suffering from hyponatraemia. As such, she's not eating much but rejecting a lot of food.

I need a recipe for soup that:
- tastes pretty good
- has no added sugars (she won't eat it),
- a few complex carbs but not too many carbs or "simple" carbs
- has a bit of healthy fat (she won't admit it, but she has been repeatedly told to gain weight; she won't eat fat unless it is hidden in something)
- packs a nutritional punch so she can stay fairly balanced even when she cannot eat much
- preferably freezable, so I can make packets for her to just take when she does not want to cook
** NO SOY/TOFU and no processed products: she shouldn't be eating the former and she will reject the later. Any protein should come from legumes for her to eat it, or small bits of meat (she is more likely to eat fish; chicken/white okay, red meat is a struggle for her to accept).

If it is vegan, with a lot of vegetables, she is more likely to accept it; however, anything balanced she might be willing to try. It can be chunky or pureed; she likes both - chunky feels more like food, but pureeing is best when one cannot eat (hey, a soup that works as both would be great!).

Does anyone have a good soup recipe that just makes them feel healthy?

Cheryl G · Accepted Answer

So sorry to hear of your grandmother's illness. You are wonderful to care so much about her. 

There are a couple of ideas that come to mind. One is a mixed bean soup. Soak a bag of 15 bean mix overnight. Drain and rinse well. Saute a small onion, chopped, a clove of chopped garlic, diced celery and a diced carrot in olive oil until the onion is translucent. Add a can of diced stewed tomatoes along with a can of beer and three to four cans of water and a bay leaf. Add two chicken buillion cubes. Season with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and some freshly ground black pepper. Bring it all to a boil, cover and let it simmer for 2 hours, stirring occasionally. If it cooks down too much, add more water. Check the finished soup for seasoning. You can add salt and pepper as you like. The beans should be soft, but not mushy.

This soup can be frozen in zip bags and reheated as needed. 

Gazpacho might also appeal to your grandmother. There are many, many recipes available online and none contain meat. You can also make ratatouille, a vegetable stew, with eggplant, squash, zucchini, onion, garlic and tomatoes. All can be frozen and reheated. 

Using chicken broth as a base for almost any soup is a good way to add extra protein, but limit the fat and calories. Potato soup is one example. Just simmer diced, peeled potatoes with some chopped onion and a bit of garlic in chicken broth until the potatoes are tender. Add some chopped parsley before serving. The potatoes absorb a lot of salt, by the way and the chicken broth comes salted.

?!?! · Answer

Sunny soup/Frankensoup

Ingredients:
1-2 tsp coconut oil (or extra virgin olive oil)
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups sweet onion, diced
1.5 pounds carrots, peeled and chopped into big chunks (about 5 cups)
1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice (about 2 lg. oranges)
5 cups vegetable broth, plus more if needed
2-3 tbsp freshly grated ginger, to taste
3/4 cup raw cashews, soaked in water
salt & pepper, to taste
 
It's vegan,low sugar,gluten free & soy free

Read more: http://ohsheglows.com/2012/10/29/creamy-orange-sunshine-soup-akafrankensoup/#ixzz2fYcvRKNX

Another recipe:
http://ohsheglows.com/2011/06/21/chilled-strawberry-almond-butter-soup/

It's gluten free, nut free, oil free & soy free. You also don't have to bake it (raw)

rogerrabbitanddoe · Answer

basic chicken soup . The home made  stock with veggies of choice and a bit of the meat

Healthy/balanced soup for small appetite/cancer?

3 Answers