Canned Soup? Stick This in It

A bowl of canned soup is a quick and easy meal option when you're pressed for time, but sometimes it's hard to find the veggies in there. So soup up your soup with this: fennel.

Fennel -- a spice, herb, and veggie all rolled into one -- happens to complement lots of different soups, from chicken noodle to tomato. And it's loaded with disease-stomping antioxidants.

Nutrition and More
Not only is aromatic, versatile fennel an antioxidant powerhouse, but also it may help hinder foodborne bacteria like E. coli, Salmonella, and certain strains of Staphylococcus. Look for this wholly edible root vegetable in the produce section. It looks like a bulb with feathered leaves and celery-like stalks -- just toss some chopped bits in your bowl before you nuke your soup. Or hit the spice aisle: Fennel produces spicy little seeds that taste similar to anise. Here are a few other top-notch veggies that can power up your soups and stews.

Get Cookin'
When soup won't do, try these creative ways to add fabulous fennel to your week's menu:

• Fennel-Crusted Salmon on White Beans
• Fennel and Orange Salad with Toasted Pistachios
• Fennel and Parmesan

Which type of meat product is safer when it comes to preventing foodborne illness -- fresh or frozen? Take the quiz in this article to find out.

Antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of Foeniculum vulgare and Crithmum maritimum essential oils. Ruberto, G. et al., Planta Medica 2000 Dec;66(8):687-693.