When the weather starts turning cooler, we look forward to soups that nourish our bodies and warm our souls. This kidney-friendly, low sodium creamy mixed vegetable soup is chock full of vegetables and very low in the big 3 – Sodium, Potassium, and Phosphorus!
To balance this meal out, pair it with hearty bread or serve over a whole grain, such as brown rice.
Meal prep this low sodium vegetable soup recipe and win!
Don’t have the time or energy to get dinner together at the end of a long day? This low sodium vegetable soup is perfectly suited to meal prep earlier in the week (or even earlier that day). Follow these tips to help save time, get ahead, and have a deliciously creamy soup that’s ready in no time.
- Chop the vegetables ahead of time. This could happen one afternoon earlier in the week or even earlier that same day.
- Store the chopped vegetables in separate containers. For example, combine the roughly chopped onion and garlic of the soup base in one container. Then put the cauliflower and zucchini in another. In a third container combine the smaller diced medium onion, carrots and celery. (Keep the garlic off to the side in that same container and don’t worry if a little mixes with the other vegetables.)
- When you are ready to make the soup heat the oil and start adding the ingredients according to the recipe instructions.
- You can also make this soup ahead of time. It reheats beautifully!
Small steps to become a meal prepping pro
Do you want to meal prep more but don’t know where to start? If you are new to meal prepping, don’t expect to become a pro in your first week. The key is to start small! Here are a few tips to help you get started…
- Ask yourself, “how much time do I realistically have to meal prep?”
- What day/time of day is most convenient to set time aside for this task?
- Begin with one or two simple recipes that you are comfortable with. (As meal prepping becomes a part of your routine, add more when you are ready.)
- Meal prep can be about snacks too! Make these delicious Iron Bites, one of our favorite snacks, and pat yourself on the back for a job well done.
- If life gets hectic and a few weeks go by that don’t include meal prep, that’s ok! Start small again and you’ll be back in the swing of things again soon.
Don’t know where to start? Here are a few of our favorite meal prep recipes!
- Make Ahead Kale and Citrus Salad Slaw
- Try this Asian inspired Cold Sesame Noodle Salad
- Quick and Easy Vegan Macaroni Salad
- Roasted Vegetable Tacos
- Vegan Tex-Mex Style Stuffed Peppers
- Make Ahead Bean Salad with Adobo Vinaigrette
Want more strategies to help you take charge of your kidney health?
We are here to help! Join our free monthly class to find out how we use the power of nutrition to preserve kidney function. Prefer a one-to-one setting? Consider booking a consultation with one of our expert Renal Dietitians.
Low Sodium Creamy Mixed Vegetable Soup
Ingredients
Soup Base
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- 1/2 small onion roughly chopped
- 1 clove garlic roughly chopped
- ½ tsp dried thyme
- 1 cup cauliflower florets fresh or frozen and thawed
- 1/2 large or 1 cup zucchini, optionally peeled for a whiter soup, cut into chunks
- 1½ cups low sodium vegetable broth
- 1 cup coconut milk
Soup
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- ½ small onion finely diced
- 1 medium carrots peeled and finely diced or grated
- 1 stalk celery diced
- 2 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 1 cup kale packed
- ¼ tsp salt and pepper each to taste
- Optional: 1 tbsp nutritional yeast and 1 tsp white wine vinegar to taste
Instructions
- Make the soup base: in a pot over medium heat, add avocado oil. Once heated, add roughly chopped onion and garlic. Sauté until slightly golden, about 2 minutes. Then add dried thyme and cook for another 2 minutes, until fragrant.
- Add cauliflower florets, zucchini, vegetable broth, and coconut milk. Bring to a boil then lower the heat, cover with a lid and maintain a simmer for 12-15 minutes or until cauliflower and zucchini are both very tender.
- Blend the soup base using an immersion blender or let cool slightly then puree in a blender until thick and smooth. Set aside.
- In a clean pot or saucepan, heat avocado oil. Add finely diced onion, carrots, and celery and cook until soft and fragrant, about 5 minutes.
- Add chopped garlic. Cook while stirring until fragrant, about 1 minute, being careful not to burn the garlic.
- Then pour in the blended soup base along with the kale. Simmer for an additional 5 minutes to cook the kale and meld the flavors. Season with salt, pepper, and optionally nutritional yeast and vinegar to taste before serving.
- Variations
- Substitutions: Feel free to use your favorite vegetables in the soup like green beans, corn, or broccoli, but keep the zucchini and cauliflower in the soup base.
- Make it a more filling meal: Enjoy with some toasted crusty bread on the side.
Nutrition
KidneyRD Verdict
You might have noticed the optional addition of vinegar listed at the bottom of the recipe. Vinegar is a great way to add flavor without adding sodium. Don’t worry, you won’t taste the vinegar, just notice a little “zip.” Next time you make this recipe, or any soup, give it a try.
First, after the soup has been prepared, taste it. Then add a teaspoon of vinegar and taste it again. Do you notice a slight change in how it tastes? Do the flavors of the soup become a little “brighter”? Feel free to add another teaspoon, going one teaspoon at a time, and taste after each addition. If you try this, let us know what you think in the comments below!
ALL information you read on KidneyRD.com is purely for informational and educational purposes. Information is not intended to treat, cure or prevent any disease.
Is it possible to use a non-dairy milk in place of the coconut milk? Following a SOS cardiac program and no coconut products are used/allowed. This looks like such a wonderfully comforting soup!
Hi Kandy, absolutely! You can also replace it with almond milk or any other additive-free plant-based milk. It might not be as creamy as when prepared with the coconut milk but let us know how it comes out if you try it!
What about Califia Farms unsweetened dairy free coffee creamer instead of coconut milk.
Hi Cathy, that looks like a great swap! It should not change the sodium by much and would certainly cut down on the fat. Let us know if you test this and how it turns out!