Last month, we announced the launch of Cooking. Comfort. Care. Nourishment for the Pancreatic Cancer Fight in collaboration with Celgene, Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, and Chef Michael Ferraro. This educational and awareness program features tips for nutritional issues that pancreatic cancer patients and their caregivers may face.
In our blog introducing this program, we mentioned that it offers some recipes appropriate for the pancreatic cancer patient. One of the recipes included was the Turkey Tortellini Soup. Although this is a fitting recipe for pancreatic cancer patients, it is also appropriate for anyone going through cancer treatment. Soups are so easy to customize according to your own preference and tolerance, so we hope you can prepare your own version of turkey tortellini soup that works best for you!
This soup contains lean protein, a variety of fresh vegetables, and just the right amount of carbohydrate, fat and sodium, which makes it a balanced meal on its own. Many cancer patients struggle with change in taste resulting from chemotherapy or radiation treatments. The use of fresh aromatics and the Parmesan cheese will help with this issue. The ingredients soften as they cook in the turkey broth, which makes them easier to digest.
As mentioned before, it is very easy to customize this recipe to your preference and tolerance. If you would like more protein in your diet, you can easily add more turkey to the soup. If you are experiencing fat intolerance, you can substitute regular or whole grain pasta for the cheese tortellini. For dairy intolerance, simply leave out the Parmesan cheese. You can also change the amount of herbs and spices according to your tolerance level.
Other than the nutritional content, this soup is very convenient because you or your caregiver can easily make a larger batch and freeze it in containers for future meals. This is especially helpful if you are experiencing fatigue and don’t have the energy to cook everyday. This warm and hearty soup is great for this cold winter season, so we hope you give it a try!
To see the full recipe, click here.
We also have a video recipe version, featuring Chef Michael Ferraro and our oncology dietitian and Chief Operating Officer, Jessica Iannotta.
