By Madison Butkus
Hometown Weekly Reporter
The Fall weather is officially here which means that it is time for soup season! In honor of this, the Westwood Council on Aging (COA) welcomed Therapy Gardens’ owner, David, to talk about all things soup.
David is known to many as the soup expert and this is yet another appearance he has made at the Westwood COA. The goal of these types of presentations is to help seniors discover new passions, spark existing interests, and help them feel empowered towards their journey in a healthier and happier lifestyle.
David makes some amazing soup stocks and broths all while adding no extra sodium. For his presentation, he went over how to make homemade stocks and broths, use healthier ingredients to increase nutritional value, create a variety of soups, including vegetarian, and find “healthy-ish” shortcuts when you do not have a lot of time.
Not only did seniors learn how to make some delicious soups, but they also were lucky enough to try some of them out! The two soups that David brought to try were chicken and tomato, both of which were a huge hit.
The chicken soup that David made, he refers to it as Detox Soup. The reason for this name is because it is one hundred percent organic, there is no added sodium, and it is just fresh chicken broth, vegetables, and fresh thyme. This kind of idea was really at the forefront of his presentation, as he went on to mention, “I am a soup lover, I absolutely love soup, you guys are probably here because you love soup too. The fact of the matter is that it’s been hijacked by companies that are selling us crap that is thirty percent sodium. That is why I am going to show you the process that I use to make a much healthier version compared to what is being sold on the selves.”
Throughout the presentation, David told seniors an array of different facts, tips and tricks, some of which were really shocking to some seniors. For example, David let them know that we as a society have certainly come a long way when it comes to making soups. The first soup known to be created was actually made with hippopotamus meat if you can believe it. From there, we have definitely expanded our horizons but not always in the best ways. To this day, soups are one of the most highly processed foods that we can eat.
Due to this, David went on to state, “The great thing about making your own soup is that you control the sodium. Additionally, it is a great way to get more vegetables into your diet that are not processed.”
Overall, this presentation definitely lit a spark within these seniors to start cooking some homemade soups. With the heat outside dying down, now is the perfect time to start testing and trying out any new soup recipes you’ve wanted to try!
