Bearing, nurturing, and delivering a new life from your womb haul out a whole lot of your strength and physical energy. Healthy soups and foods should be a mandatory staple in your postpartum diet. Postpartum is the time of healing and recovery of your sore body. Your body needs extra care and support to heal and rejuvenate post-delivery. It is highly essential to take good rest and eat healthy to recover wholly. This article is a compilation of some of the healthiest soups for postpartum recovery. Keep reading to know the recipes and try them over.
7 Healthy Soups For Postpartum Recovery
Vegetable garlic soup
This soup is loaded with colorful veggies that have nourishing and healing effects. It is also flavored with garlic that helps in enhancing breast milk supply. Furthermore, vegetable garlic soup is low in calories hence it helps in weight loss after pregnancy.
Ingredients:
- Onions finely chopped- ¼ cup
- Garlic finely chopped- 2 tsp
- Mixed veggies (baby corn, carrots, asparagus, etc)
- Low-fat milk- 1 ½ cup
- Rolled oats- 2 tbsp
- Oil- 2 tsp
- Salt- as per taste
Method:
- Heat oil in a deep pan.
- Add the onions and garlic and sauté for 2 minutes.
- Then add the veggie mix and sauté for another 2 minutes.
- Add milk and 1 cup of water. Add salt and pepper.
- Next, add the oats mix well, and simmer for 5 minutes till the soup thickens.
- Serve hot.
Split moong dal soup
Split moong dal or moong bean is extremely nourishing, is easy to digest, and rich in protein. It heals the gut and other tissue tears in the body. It makes a perfect soup for postpartum healing.
Ingredients:
- Split moong beans- ¾ cup
- Ginger and garlic grated- 1 tablespoon
- Water- 6 cups
- Cloves- 2
- Cinnamon stick- 1 inch- 1 piece
- Cumin powder- 2 tsp
- Turmeric- ½ tsp
- Garam masala- 1 ½ tsp
- Sugar- 1 tablespoon
- Ghee- 2 tablespoon
Method:
- Soak the moong dal for 1 hour, wash and drain.
- In a heavy-bottomed pan add ghee and let it get heated.
- Then add garlic and ginger and let it brown slightly.
- Add cinnamon, cloves, cumin, and garam masala and fry for ½ a minute.
- Then add moong dal and fry for a minute.
- Now add turmeric, water, and sugar.
- Bring it to a boil.
- Cook till the dal turns soft.
- Serve hot.
Chicken soup
Chicken soups are good not only for postpartum healing but any recovery. It is healthy, nourishing, and yummy at the same time.
Ingredients:
- The meat of one whole chicken chopped into small pieces.
- Shallots- 5 nos.
- Ginger garlic paste- 1 tablespoon
- Turmeric- ½ tsp
- Peppercorns- 2-3 teaspoons
- Cumin seeds- 1 tsp
- Coriander leaves finely chopped- 1 tablespoon
- Salt- to taste
- Sesame oil- 2 tsp
Method:
- Blend the shallots, peppercorn, cumin seeds, and turmeric powder into a smooth paste.
- Mix the chicken pieces, shallot paste, ginger garlic paste, and salt in a pressure cooker.
- Add 4 cups of water and let it cook for 3 whistles.
- Drizzle sesame oil and garnish with coriander leaves.
- Serve hot.
Vegetable barley soup
Barley is a rich source of protein iron and fiber highly required for postpartum healing. Colorful veggies add vitamins, antioxidants, and fiber to the soup making it healthy and nourishing.
Ingredients:
- Barley- 2 tablespoons soaked for 2 hours and drained.
- Onions finely chopped- ¼ cup
- Tomatoes finely chopped- ¼ cup
- Carrots chopped- ¼ cup
- Garlic grated- 2 tsp
- Red whole lentil (washed and drained)- 2 tablespoon
- Coriander leaves finely chopped- 2 tablespoon
- Salt – to taste
- Freshly ground pepper- to taste
- Oil- 2 tsp
Method:
- Add oil to a pressure cooker.
- Then add onions and garlic and sauté for few minutes.
- Add barley, carrots, lentil, and 4 ½ cups of water.
- Cook for 3 whistles.
- Then add tomatoes, salt, pepper, and coriander leaves and let it boil for 5-7 minutes.
- Serve hot.
Broccoli, carrot broth
Broccoli and carrots are rich in beta carotene which converts into vitamin A once inside the body. They are highly nutritious and are one of the healthy soups for postpartum healing.
Ingredients:
- Broccoli florets- 1cup
- Carrots chopped- ½ cup
- Onions thinly chopped- ½ cup
- Celery finely chopped- 2 tablespoons
- Garlic crushed- 2 tsp
- Oil- 2 tsp
- Salt to taste.
Method:
- Heat oil in a deep pan.
- Add onions, garlic, celery, and carrots and sauté for 2-3 minutes on low flame.
- Then add broccoli florets, 2 ½ cups of water, and salt and let everything boil for 5 minutes.
- Serve hot.
Spinach cottage cheese dal soup
This soup is rich in calcium and protein and hence helps to repair damaged tissues. It also helps to increase bone strength making it a perfect soup for postpartum healing.
Ingredients:
- Chopped spinach- 2 cups
- Cubed cottage cheese- ¾ cup
- Split yellow moong dal washed and drained- ½ cup
- Finely chopped onions- ½ cup
- Butter- 1 tsp
- Salt to taste
Method:
- To make this healthy soup mix in onions, spinach, and moong dal in a pan. Add 6 cups of water and cook on medium flame till the dal is softened.
- Allow it to cool completely and blend well.
- Pour the blended mixture into the same pan add butter, salt, and pepper.
- Let it simmer for 5 minutes.
- Serve hot.
Healthy tomato soup
This is amongst one of the healthy soups made with tomatoes and split moong dal. It is rich in vitamin C, protein, and folic acid. It is not just nourishing but also filling.
Ingredients:
- Chopped tomatoes- 5 cups
- Moong dal- 1/3 cup
- Finely chopped onions- 1
- Corn flour- 1 tablespoon
- Sugar- 2 teaspoon
- Warm milk- 1/3 cup
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Butter- 2 tsp
Method:
- Cook tomatoes and moong dal in a pressure cooker with 3 ½ cups of water for 3 whistles.
- Let it cool completely and blend it well.
- Add butter to a pan and sauté the onions.
- Add in the puree, mix cornflour in 2 tablespoons of water and add to the mixture.
- Simmer for 2 minutes.
- Add milk, salt, and pepper, and bring it to boil.
- Serve hot.
Conclusion
A woman needs a lot of rest and nourishing food to heal and rejuvenate post-childbirth. These healthy, tasty, and nourishing soups are a must in every woman’s diet after delivery. Hence try these soups and reap their benefits.
References:
Moong Bean Soup Recipe: Nourishing Mother After Birth
