15-Min Recipes: Chunky Tomato Soup with Sweetcorn

I'm currently halfway through my first year in university, and juggling academics alongside overall health and wellness cannot be deemed as an easy task.

Time management and compromise is the key to everything in college. It took me weeks to adjust my schedule so I would be able to squeeze in a workout at the gym and still be able to hand in my assignments on time. With socials and other extra-curricular commitments going on, in order to "save" time, students are tempted to order fast food and takeaways, which contain little nutritional value. But is it worth clogging your arteries with pizza grease and damaging your kidneys with the crazy amount of sodium in your lo mein?

My recipes are not only uni student-friendly, they are also quick (under 15 minutes!) and easy (so no "I can't cook to save my life" excuses). On top of that, they are jam-packed with good-for-you nutrients and taste so much better than any average takeaway shop has to offer!

Ruby's Chunky (and Hearty!) Tomato Soup with Sweetcorn

(serves 2)

Ingredients:

• 100g Canned sweetcorn, drained
• 1 Vegetable stock cube (I used Kallø organic low sodium vegetable stock cube)
• 1/2-1 tbsp of Extra virgin olive oil
• Sea salt and cracked black pepper (I used Maldon sea salt)

Time to cook!

1. Add olive oil and a pinch of sea salt, cover the pot, allowing the tomatoes to sweat over medium heat, for about five to six minutes.
2. Crumble the stock cube into the pot, mix, add 250ml of water, mix again, and place the lid back on the pot, letting the mixture to simmer for another five minutes.
3. When the soup is almost done, stir in the sweetcorn and add cracked black pepper to taste.

This recipe is delicious, quick, easy, and is much better for you and your body than any generic takeaway. I hope you give my recipe a try!

Nutritional Information Per Serving

• Calories: 156 kcal
• Fat: 9.2 g
• Carbs: 13.2g
• Protein: 3g

Did you know...?

Tomatoes are an excellent source of vitamin C and other micronutrients such as copper, potassium, vitamin A, and vitamin B. Essential antioxidants such as vitamin C and vitamin A can neutralize harmful free radicals in the bloodstream, preventing cell damage. Eating tomatoes is also good for your heart ("hearty" tomato soup, haha, get it?). The potassium and vitamin B contained in tomatoes reduces cholesterol levels and lowers blood pressure pretty effectively, so incorporating tomatoes into your diet strengthens your heart and prevents you from suffering from any cardiac illnesses and diseases.

P.S. Sometimes, when I'm feeling extra hungry, I like to beef up my soup with rice noodles (vermicelli, pho...you name it, they all go really well with the soup!) or pasta (penne, macaroni, farfalle—any shaped pasta would work!). When using rice noodles, I would cook the rice noodles according to the instructions on the back of its package, then ladle the soup over the noodles; and when I'm using pasta, I would mix in the dried pasta into the mixture after the soup boils (step three), then cook it according to package instructions.

If you like my articles/recipes, please let me know! Your support means a lot to me! Thank you!

Get to know me!

Hi everybody! I'm Ruby and I'm currently a first-year law undergrad at the University of Bristol. I am passionate about creating easy, quick, and most importantly, healthy recipes for everyone. Please give my recipes a try (I promise you, there will be no regrets) and bon appétit!