Soups
SPAGHETTI SQUASH SOUP
Makes ~ 5 servings providing 2 vegetable portions and 3 ounces of protein.
Ingredients:
1 Medium Spaghetti Squash
1 diced zucchini
1 diced summer squash
2 bell peppers, diced
16 ounces lean ground meat (turkey, chicken or beef)
6 Cups of low sodium broth
1/2 Tbsp Italian Seasoning
Directions:
Cut Spaghetti squash in half and remove inner pulp and seeds. Place squash face down in microwave safe dish with ~ 1/2 C water and microwave on high for 10 to 15 minutes. Meanwhile, prep veggies by rinsing and dicing, set aside.
Remove squash with pot holders from microwave and scrape out squash into large pot. Add diced veggies to pot as well as broth. Add seasoning. Place on medium heat and cover. Meanwhile, spray pan and brown the meat. Once the meat is finished the soup should be ready to go. Reduce heat to low or turn off and serve. Measure out 3 ounce of protein to top off soup.
BROCCOLI AND CHEDDAR CHEESE SOUP
(Makes 4 servings)
Ingredients:
1 tbsp olive oil
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, chopped
1 head of cauliflower
1 bunch of broccoli, thinly sliced
1/4 C heavy whipping cream
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
6 ounces 2% cheddar cheese
Directions: Chop cauliflower heads and steam, then process in food processor or blender, set aside. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.
Add the celery, garlic, onion, cauliflower puree, broccoli stalks, salt and pepper and cook, covered stirring occasionally, until just tender, 5-6 minutes. Meanwhile, cut the remaining broccoli into small florets. Add the florets and 3 cups water to the vegetables, cover and bring to a boil.
Once boiling, the broccoli should be just tender, if not, simmer 1-2 minutes more. Remove from heat and use hand blender to puree veggies. You may want to do these in batches. Add the heavy cream and nutmeg and simmer to heat through, about 2 minutes. Add the cheese and stir until melted.
CAULIFLOWER CHOWDER
(Makes 6 servings)
A creamy, low carb, hearty and wonderfully cozy soup for those chilly nights!
Ingredients:
4 slices bacon, diced
1 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
4 cups chicken broth
¼ cup Heavy whipping cream (HWC)
¼ C Grated cheese of your choice
1 head cauliflower, roughly chopped
1 bay leaf
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
Directions: Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add bacon and cook until brown and crispy, about 6-8 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate; set aside. Melt butter in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add garlic, onion and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 3-4 minutes. Stir in cauliflower and bay leaf. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 3-4 minutes. Gradually whisk in chicken broth and HWC, and cook, whisking constantly, until slightly thickened, about 3-4 minutes. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until cauliflower are tender, about 12-15 minutes; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Add cheese and allow to melt. Serve immediately, garnished with bacon and parsley, if desired.
BROCCOLI SPINACH SOUP
Ingredients:
2 C chicken stock, vegetable stock or water1 bunch broccoli, including stems, chopped to yield about 6 cups
1 yellow onion
4 C baby spinach
1/2 C freshly grated Parmesan or 2% cheddar cheese
salt and freshly ground pepper
Directions: Steam the broccoli until it is bright green. Then in a pan sauté the onion until tender and add the spinach, cook until wilted. Place all ingredients into a blender with the stock. Then add the parmesan. May need to puree in batches in a blender or use an immersion blender to puree in the pan. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
THAI CHICKEN SOUP
Ingredients:
12 oz. cooked chicken, shredded or cut up
4 oz. onion, chopped
½ c. red bell pepper, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp. ginger root, peeled and minced
3 c. green cabbage, chopped
4 c. chicken broth
1 c. coconut milk (no added sugar)
2 T. Thai red curry paste
1 tsp. sesame oil (added right before serving)
Directions: Mix all ingredients but the coconut milk in a large soup pot. Stir well, bring to a boil over high heat. Then reduce to a simmer and simmer for about 20 minutes to allow cabbage to get tender. Once cabbage is tender, add coconut milk. Simmer 2-3 more minutes. Add sesame oil, stir and serve.
ROASTED PEPPER (NO TOMATO) CHILI
Ingredients:
16 ounces lean ground beef
1/2 large yellow onion, chopped
1 large jalapeno pepper, roasted and chopped
2 jars of roasted red peppers (glass jar), no added sugar
1 tablespoon dark chili powder
1/2 tablespoon garlic, minced
1 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
Cooking Directions
Heat a large pan to medium heat and add olive oil. Add onion and cook about 2-3 minutes.
Season ground beef with salt and pepper then add to the pan. Brown about 5 minutes. This will help seal in the flavor and juices.
While beef is cooking, puree the peppers (both jars) then add all remaining ingredients to a large crock pot or slow cooker and mix well.
Add beef and onions. Stir.
Cook on high heat for 2 hours, then reduce heat to medium and cook for at least one more hour. You can leave it in longer for the meat to grow more tender.
Serve!
Makes 4 servings, 4 ounces of protein per portion. 2 vegetables/portion.
MEXICAN CHICKEN SOUP
Ingredients:
1 C/serving provides 4 ounces of protein and 1 veggie serving.
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into 1 inch cubes
2 tsp olive oil, divided
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cups chicken broth
1 can (15.5 oz) roasted red peppers with no added sugar, un-drained
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
1/4 tsp ground cumin
Directions:
Sauté the chicken in 1 tsp oil until no longer pink. Remove. In the same pan, sauté onion and chili powder in remaining oil until onion is tender. Add the broth, peppers, cumin and jalapeno. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
CAULIFLOWER CHEESE SOUP
Serves 8
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup finely chopped onion
4 cups cauliflower florets, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
2 cups water
2 tablespoons butter
8 ounces 2% shredded cheese of choice
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Heat olive oil in a stockpot over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes. Add cauliflower and broth, lower heat to medium, and cover pot. Cook for 5 to 10 minutes or until cauliflower is tender. Whisk together cream and water in a medium-sized bowl and set aside. In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Gradually add cream and water to this mixture, stirring constantly. Continue to cook and stir as needed. Reduce heat to medium-low and add cheese, herbs and spices. Cook, stirring, until cheese is melted. Pour cheese mixture into stockpot with cauliflower (use a hand blender if desired to puree). Reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes. Be sure to not boil. Serve hot.
*½ C per portion, each portion provides 1 ounces of protein/portion.
ROASTED RED PEPPER SOUP
Ingredients:
2 tbsp olive oil
2 medium size onions, finely chopped
2 large green bell peppers, finely diced
6 large garlic cloves, minced
4 containers of prepared roasted red peppers (use liquid)
4 C vegetable broth
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 tbsp fresh cilantro (optional)
Directions: Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Cook onions and green pepper until lightly browned and tender, adding in garlic when nearly done to keep it from burning. Stir in Roasted red peppers, vegetable broth, pepper and chili powder. Blend with hand blender. Stir in cilantro as desired.
Makes 6 servings. Add lean ground meat to this and serve with a salad
BROCCOLI SOUP
(MAKES 6 SERVINGS)
Ingredients:
8 C Broccoli
3 C Chicken broth
1 onion
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp heavy cream
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast
Garlic clove, minced
1 can of roasted red peppers
2% white cheddar cheese (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste
Ingredients:
Sauté’ onion, garlic and celery in a pan using small amount of olive oil. Steam the broccoli until tender. While broccoli is steaming, slice the chicken and cook on medium heat in a non-stick skillet until brown throughout. Once steamed, add broccoli as well as the celery, garlic and onion to large pot with chicken broth and heavy cream. Using a hand blender puree until smooth (may also use a regular blender but would need to do in batches). Simmer on medium/low heat until ready to serve. Add chicken strips to soup or on the side. Garnish with roasted red pepper and shredded cheese (optional).
ASPARAGUS SOUP
(Makes 6 servings)
Ingredients:
2 lbs asparagus (2 bunches)
1/2 tbsp butter
1 medium onion, chopped
6 cups fat free chicken broth
2 tbsp cottage cheese- purred
salt and fresh pepper to taste
Directions: In a large pot, melt better on low heat. Add onion and sauté on low for about 2-3 minutes. Remove the tough ends off the asparagus. Chop the asparagus into 2 inch pieces. Add to the pot with the onions. Add chicken broth, salt and pepper. Cover and cook about 20- 25 minutes or until asparagus is very tender. Remove from heat, add purred cottage cheese and using your hand held blender, puree until smooth.
LOW CARB CROCKPOT SOUP
Makes 8 servings
Ingredients:
2 lb skinless chicken breasts cut in 1 inch cubes
2 cans fat-free chicken broth
1 cup onion; chopped
1 cup celery and bell pepper; sliced
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp rubbed sage
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/4 cup cold water
Directions:
In your favorite crockpot, combine the ingredients; cover and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours. Enjoy!