Nutrition in the Kitchen: Budget-Friendly, Healthy Soup with Shayla Adams-Stafford

Prince George’s County Councilmember Shayla Adams-Stafford, a fierce advocate for Food Is Medicine, recently joined Food & Friends to make a delicious Root Vegetable Soup that is heart healthy and budget friendly for our Nutrition in the Kitchen series.

The soup ingredients are included in Food & Friends’ medically tailored groceries, which we deliver at no cost to individuals living with serious illnesses and their families in D.C., Virginia, and Maryland, including Prince George’s County. For those not on our services, the ingredients are low cost and can be customized based on your taste, budget, what’s on sale, and what you already have at home.

“As Councilperson, I want to make sure every family has the resources they need to thrive. And that includes having access to healthy, nutritious meals, regardless of your budget or zip code,” said Adams-Stafford, who represents District 5.

This recipe is low in sodium, high in fiber, and full of nutrients.

“This soup is versatile, low budget, and heart healthy,” said Food & Friends Community Dietitian Matthew Walker, who hosts our Nutrition in the Kitchen series. “You can use any root vegetable you want, any oil you want, any beans you want, and any acid you want.”

Adams-Stafford likes to make hers with Jamaican seasonings and serve it with rice, while Matt likes to make a Thai Green Curry version.

Expect a lot of leftovers. You can even turn them into pasta sauce to make the most of them.

Get the Recipe

Food & Friends prepares and home-delivers medically tailored meals and groceries to neighbors in need across the DMV. In 2025, we home-delivered over 544,000 meals at no cost to over 1,000 Prince George’s residents. We also provide nutrition counseling to help individuals better manage their symptoms and treatment side effects.

Nutrition in the Kitchen is part of the education Food & Friends’ registered dietitians provide so the individuals we serve can make healthy choices they enjoy, use the ingredients from our medically tailored groceries, and learn cooking tips.

In 2025, Food & Friends partnered with Prince George’s County Council on their Food as Medicine Health Program Act, which aims to reduce chronic disease, address food insecurity, and improve long-term health outcomes for residents. We are grateful to the County Council for passing this legislation, including sponsor Councilmember Wala Blegay.

Roasted Winter Vegetable Soup

Ingredients

3 pounds mixed root vegetables (any combination of potato, sweet potato, turnip, rutabaga, parsnip, carrot, celery root, fennel bulbs) and winter squash, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
1 yellow or white onion, diced
2-3 celery stalks, diced
2 quarts water or stock
3-4 garlic cloves, chopped
2 15-oz cans of white beans, drained and rinsed
Salt and pepper
Juice from one lemon
Cooking oil

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 F. Toss chunked vegetables with oil and salt and spread in single layer on baking sheets. Roast in oven for 45 minutes until browned and soft. (Tip: if you have whole squash you can cut them in half, scoop out the seeds, brush oil on the cut sides, and lay them face down on the sheet instead of peeling and chopping).
Meanwhile, heat oil in Dutch oven or large saucepan over medium-low. Add diced onion and celery and cook, stirring often, until softened but not browned, 5-10 minutes.
Add garlic, pepper, and any optional seasonings and cook for an additional 2 minutes.
Add stock or water to soup pot and bring to a simmer (Tip: Heat stock in a separate pot and add scraps from carrots, celery, onions, and garlic to improve flavor).
Add roasted vegetables and beans, then simmer for 15 minutes.
Blend soup together, either in the pot with an immersion blender or by transferring the soup to a cup blender. Add lemon juice, then begin tasting for seasoning, adding salt and pepper to taste.
Soup can be served at this point, or portioned out and customized or frozen.

Customize

Thai coconut curry soup: To reheat, first sweat garlic, ginger, and chili (if desired) in oil, then add a spoonful of curry paste. Deglaze with a little coconut milk, then add in soup and creamy peanut butter. Top with cilantro and cooked or canned chicken.

Pasta sauce: Only have a little soup left? Saute garlic with oregano and chili flakes, then add tomato paste. Cook until this darkens, deglaze with some pasta water, and mix in your soup to reheat. Add in your pasta once it’s al dente and stir to combine.