Winter Soups & Comfort Food for Interstitial Cystitis Patients

Many people with interstitial cystitis and other bladder problems like overactive bladder cannot use canned soups because they contain tomato products, monosodium glutamate (MSG), vinegar, or even mystery ingredients listed on the labels as “natural and artificial flavorings.”

The good news for people with chronic bladder disease is that homemade soups are easy to make, and the recipes are easily modified. If you cannot use onion or pepper, leave them out. If you like one vegetable more than another, leave one out and add more of what you like. For those who cannot use canned chicken or beef broth (even if it is organic and MSG-free), you can save pan drippings from roasted meats to add flavor, or make your own stock from leftovers. The world of soups is endless and can be a great source of comfort foods for those iffy days.

Here is a recipe from Confident Choices: A Cookbook for Interstitial Cystitis and Overactive Bladder to get you started!

Rosemary Chicken Noodle Soup

Ingredients

• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cup water
• 1 can MSG-free chicken broth or 2 cups homemade chicken soup base
• 1 cup cubed chicken
• 1 celery stalk, cut into bite size pieces
• 2 carrots, peeled and cut into bite size “coins”
• 1/2 cup frozen peas
• 1/4 cup chopped onion, if tolerated
• 2 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
• Salt and pepper to taste, if tolerated
• 2 ounces thin egg noodles

Combine all ingredients except egg noodles on stove in large sauce pan. Heat to boiling. Simmer soup until vegetables are slightly cooked. Add egg noodles and continue to cook for 5 to 10 minutes until noodles are cooked through. Serves 6.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

MSG-Free Beef Boullion
MSG-Free Chicken Boullion
MSG-Free Swanson Chicken Broth

Julie Beyer, MA, RDN

Author, Speaker, Patient Advocate

www.ic-diet.com 

Just Tell Me What to Eat!

For step by step guidance for creating your own personal interstitial cystitis meal plan, see: Confident Choices^®: Customizing the Interstitial Cystitis Diet.

For some basic, family-style, IC bladder-friendly recipes, see: Confident Choices^®: A Cookbook for Interstitial Cystitis and Overactive Bladder

For health care workers:  Interstitial Cystitis: A Guide for Nutrition Educators 

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