A Nutritionist’s Go-to Soup Recipe for Glowing Skin

Mia Rigden’s nourishing, collagen-rich soup will keep you glowing through the winter months

Collagen accounts for 30% of your body’s protein. It provides structure, support and strength to your skin, muscles, bones and connective tissues. When it comes to skin, collagen helps fibroblasts form in the dermis, which helps new cells grow, plays a role in replacing dead skin cells and gives structure, strength and elasticity to your skin.

Our bodies naturally produce collagen, but levels decrease with age starting in our mid-twenties and, for women, speeding up as we enter menopause. The result of decreased collagen production leads not only to fine lines and wrinkles, but also causes the skin to become thinner and drier.

Read more about collagen here.

There are also external factors that can lead to a drop in collagen production, including sun exposure, environmental pollution, smoking, alcohol consumption, and a lack of sleep and exercise, leading to loss of skin tone and sagging.

When it comes to boosting collagen production, professional treatments like laser facials and chemical peels can stimulate collagen production by encouraging skin regeneration. The most powerful way to support long-term skin health however is a holistic approach that combines these treatments with healthy lifestyle habits and a collagen-rich diet. What you eat plays a crucial role in your body’s ability to produce collagen, and by incorporating the right foods, you can enhance your skin's elasticity, tone and health from the inside out.

Scientific research is lacking for most collagen supplements, but a well-balanced diet gives your body the raw ingredients it needs to help it make collagen naturally. Collagen can’t be absorbed by your body in its whole form, as your body breaks down the collagen proteins you eat into amino acids, so eating collagen-rich foods doesn’t directly result in higher collagen levels in your body. Many foods can however provide the raw ingredients to support your body’s natural collagen production.

What you eat plays a crucial role in your body’s ability to produce collagen.

Collagen Boosting Foods

To support your body's natural collagen production, try incorporating these foods into your diet:

Foods that contain the amino acid proline such as mushrooms, cabbage, asparagus, peanuts, wheat, fish, egg whites and meat.

Foods that contain the amino acid glycine such as red meats, turkey and chicken.

Foods that are rich in Vitamin C such as oranges, strawberries, bell peppers, broccoli, Brussel sprouts and potatoes.

Foods that are rich in zinc such as oysters, red meat, poultry, pork, beans, chickpeas, nuts, broccoli, green leafy vegetables, whole grains and milk products.

Foods that are rich in copper such as liver, lobster, oysters, shiitake mushrooms, nuts and seeds, leafy greens, tofu and dark chocolate.

A Collagen Stimulating Soup

This nourishing collagen boosting soup is perfect for both cold weather and strong, healthy skin. It has a base of collagen and amino acid-rich bone broth along with ingredients that are full of nutrients that support collagen production—mushrooms for proline and copper, chicken for glycine, spinach and brown rice for zinc, and onions, garlic and lime for vitamin C. 

Savory and satisfying, this soup gets a little fire and an extra antioxidant boost from the red Thai curry paste, and is complemented by coconut milk—which, in addition to its creamy texture, provides anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial medium-chain triglycerides.

Like many soups, this batch always tastes better the next day as the flavors meld and intensify. It also freezes beautifully and will be a welcome treat on a night you don’t feel like cooking.

Thai Coconut Chicken Soup

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

1 tablespoon avocado oil 1 medium yellow onion, halved and sliced thin

2 cloves of garlic, mince

1-inch nub of ginger, peeled and minced

2 teaspoons lemongrass, freshly chopped or a paste (like this one)

1 basket cremini mushrooms, sliced (about 2 cups)

2 teaspoons red Thai curry

1 pound chicken breast 

4 cups chicken bone broth 

1, 16-ounce can unsweetened coconut milk 

2 tablespoons fish sauce 

2 limes

3 cups spinach 

2 cups cooked brown rice 

Fresh basil 

Salt 

Directions

Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat.
Add the onions, garlic, ginger, and lemongrass. Season with salt and stir for 2-3 minutes, or until fragrant. 
Next, add the mushrooms, followed by the Thai curry. Stir to combine. 
Place the chicken breast on top of the seasoned vegetables and pour the bone broth and coconut milk on top. Bring to a simmer then add the fish sauce plus the juice of 1 lime. 
Lower the heat, cover, and allow to cook for about 15-20 minutes. Then, remove the chicken, slice and add back to the soup. 
Add the spinach to the soup and stir to wilt. Taste for and adjust flavor with more lime juice or fish sauce as necessary. 
Serve with a garnish of lime and basil and a side of brown rice.