Broccoli & Cheese Soup

              Normally at this time of the year I'm looking for salads and barbeque dishes to post. But with a high of 10 degrees and rain all day, I decided to make soup for dinner. This broccoli & cheese soup recipe is creamy and rich but doesn't have any of the normal high fat & calorie ingredients. I adapted it from Weight Watchers, which is quickly becoming my go-to for a dependable healthy recipe source. Serve with fresh bread or salad to make a complete meal.

Ingredients:
1 tsp oil
1/2 cup onions, diced fine
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large head fresh broccoli, chopped
32 oz (4 cups) chicken broth - I used Epicure's chicken base which is salt-free
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
5 oz (about 1/3 cup) MacLaren's Imperial Carefully Aged cold pack cheddar
1/2 cup fat-free milk
1/2 cup cold water
1/2 cup cornstarch
medium cheddar cheese, light,  shredded


Directions:
1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and cook 3 minutes, until soft. Add broccoli and chicken broth and bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium and simmer 3 minutes, until broccoli is tender.
2. Reduce heat to low, add cheese, salt and pepper and stir until cheese melts.
3. Stir in milk and cook about two minutes until well-blended.
4. Whisk together water and cornstarch, add mixture and simmer 2-4 minutes, until thick.
5. Ladle into bowls and sprinkle 2 tbsp shredded cheddar cheese on top. Serve immediately.


Yield: 1 1/2 cups per serving, 4 servings.


Nutritional information: 5 weight watchers points, about 250 calories per 1 1/2 cup serving.

Simple Sweet Potato & Lentil Soup

I love sweet potatoes, and I love lentils. I love them SO much that I have another soup already on this blog!  This one is a bit different - much simpler, and the ingredients do not get pureed. It resembles a traditional vegetable soup more than the previous recipe. It is loaded with fibre and vitamins, so its perfect for this time of year when most of us are on diets & detoxing post-holidays.
I used dried lentils, but you could certainly used canned. If you do choose to use the latter, make sure to rinse them well, and add them about 10 minutes before serving instead of letting them boil with the rest of the soup.

Ingredients:
1 large sweet potato, peeled & diced (about 1 cm pieces)
1 cup dry red lentils (or 2 cups canned)
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups diced tomatoes
4 cups reduced-sodium vegetable broth
1 tsp oregano
1 bay leaf

Directions:
1. Heat oil in large saucepan. Add onion & garlic and cook until translucent.
2. Add sweet potatoes and lightly brown, about 3 minutes.
3. Add remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes.
4. Remove bay leaf.
5. Serves 6

Sweet potato, Apple & Lentil Soup

            One of the best things about soup is that it is incredibly versatile; allowing for an almost unprecedented level of innovation in the world of food. You can combine just about anything in soup to create an entirely new flavour.
          I found a great recipe for sweet potato and lentil soup, but I could tell it was missing something just from reading it. I made it as-written, and did a taste test, confirming my suspicion that it was missing something. A few spices and pureed apple later, and voila! We have a winner. This sweet potato, apple & lentil soup is fabulous, healthy & delightfully easy.  I have included the recipe with all of my tweaks & additions. It could easily be served as its own meal, with some fresh bread; or paired with a salad for a light dinner.
          
Ingredients:


1 tbsp cooking oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1 large onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded & chopped
4-5 cups vegetable bouillon
1 lb (3 medium) sweet potatoes, peeled & chopped
1 carrot, peeled & chopped
3 apples, peeled & chopped
1 cup red lentils
ground black pepper
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp chili powder


Directions:
1. Heat the oil in a large pan. Add the garlic and onion and cook over medium heat, until slightly softened. Add the bell pepper & cook for another two minutes, stirring. 
2. Pour in the bouillon, then add the sweet potatoes, carrots, apples & lentils. Season with pepper, paprika, ginger & chilli powder. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer for 45 minutes, until all of the vegetables & fruits are tender and cooked through.
3. Remove from heat and let cool ten minutes.
4.Transfer half of the soup into a food processor and blend until smooth. Return to the pan with the rest of the soup and mix well. Cook for an additional 10 minutes, then serve.


Source: 
Adapted from "Essential Soups" by Frances Ros. Published by Parragon Publishing.

Sweet Russian Cabbage Soup

           A few years ago, I went backpacking across Europe with my dear friend Hayley. One of our stops was Prague, where ALL meals contained either cabbage, potato, or beef. And often, a combination of all three. For one of our meals, I had a delicious cabbage & beef soup, that was tangy and sweet all at the time. It was absolutely marvelous and I vowed to learn how to make it once I got home.
          Well, that was two years ago. Better late then never? This cabbage soup recipe is very similar to the meal I had in Prague, and I'm sorry that I have forgotten about it until now. The best part? Its both simple and inexpensive to make, like many Eastern European foods are.

        Although the cooking time is about 1-2 hours, don't be scared - it requires very little actual cooking work, just a lot of simmering. And besides - the wait is definitely worth it - this is one of the best soups I have had in a long time.

Ingredients

• 1 to 1 1/2 pounds ground lean beef
• 1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 3 cubes beef bouillon
• 2 medium carrots, shredded
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 1/3 cup white vinegar 
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 quarts water, divided
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 head cabbage, cored and cut into wedges

Directions

1. Brown the ground beef and onion in a large pot. Add the diced tomatoes, beef bouillon cubes, carrots, vinegar, sugar and pepper. Pour in 1 quart of water, and bring to a boil. Stir to break up the beef while heating. Once the soup comes to a boil, cover and simmer for 15 minutes over low heat.
2. Pour in another quart of water, and return to a slow boil. Add garlic and cabbage. Simmer for 25 minutes, until cabbage is tender. Ladle into soup bowls to serve.

Serves 6-8 people.

Note: You can definitely play around with the vinegar/sugar content to suit your personal taste. If you would like the soup to be more sour or tangy, add vinegar, 1 tbsp at a time. If you would like it to be more sweet, add more sugar 1 tbsp at a time.

Curried Red Lentil Soup

        I have been on a huge thai kick lately - and thanks to the Banana Leaf in Woodstock, I can get great Thai food almost any day of the week. The only thing is, you have absolutely no idea how fattening the food is when you don't make it. So I scoured the Internet searching for what sounded like a good Thai soup. I found this on Allrecipes, and just adapted it slightly to suit what ingredients I had on hand.
        It turned out phenomenally! One of the best soups I have ever had, and I am not saying that because I made it :) I completely forgot to take a photo, although since I am an amateur photographer, the soup never looks as cool as some other foods. You will just have to trust me on this :)

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon peanut or sesame oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger root
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/3 cup dry red lentils
1 medium potato - peeled, and cubed
1/3 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 cup julienned or grated carrots
1/2 cup finely diced red pepper
2 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1 can light coconut milk (about 1 1/3 cup)
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon curry powder
1/8 teaspoon cumin
1 pinch cayenne pepper
1 pinch ground nutmeg
salt and pepper to taste


Directions:
1. In large saucepan, heat oil with onion, ginger & garlic. Saute for about 3-4 minutes.
2. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and let summer for 45 minutes.
3. In a food processor, blend half of the soup for 1 minute. Add back to remaining soup.
4. Don't be afraid to add or remove ingredients to your liking - this soup is very forgiving! Make sure to add spices in small increments (1/4 tsp) - it is far easier to add than to remove!

Leek & Potato Soup

          I absolutely love soup. I feel like its one of the most versatile meals on the planet - there are probably hundreds, if not thousands of types of soup. So when I picked leek as my new vegetable to try, I knew that I could use it for leek & potato soup. 

           This soup is incredibly simple with its ingredient list & it can be made in less than an hour. Its satisfying enough to have as a complete meal if you have some fresh veggies or bread on the side. Enjoy!

Ingredients

       6 large potatoes, peeled and cubed

       4-5  cups chicken broth

       1/2 pound bacon, cut into 1 inch pieces

       3 leeks, cleaned & sliced

       1 cup half & half cream

       salt & pepper to taste

      

       Directions

            1. In a large saucepan or stockpot, bring potatoes and chicken broth to a boil. Cook until potatoes are tender. Meanwhile, place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, reserving 3 tablespoons of grease and set aside. Sautee the leeks in the frying pan with the reserved bacon grease 8 to 10 minutes. (if you choose not to use bacon, saute leeks in 1/4 cup butter instead)

          2. When the potatoes are tender, stir in the fried leeks, cream and bacon. Stir to blend and remove from heat.
          3. Blend 1/2 of the soup mixture in a food processor for about 30 seconds. Add to remaining soup mixture, stir well & serve immediately.

Corn, Black Bean & Tomato Soup

I love, love, love homemade soup. Its so fresh & flavourful compared to canned soup. This recipe here is very Mexican-inspired and is perfect served topped with sour cream & parsley.

Ingredients:

1 cup chopped onion

1 small chopped green pepper

1 small can corn kernels, drained (about 1 cup)

1 cup black beans, rinsed & drained

1 1/2 cups diced tomatoes (about 3 plum tomatoes)

2 cloves garlic, minced

5 cups low-sodium vegetable or chicken stock

2 tbsp basmati rice

2 tbsp medium spice chili paste

1 tbsp ketchup

dash of salt and pepper
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1 tbsp flour or cornstarch (if desired)

1 tbsp cilantro or parsley

Directions:

1) Spray a saucepan with cooking oil (Pam), add the vegetable oil and place over medium heat. Cook the onion, green pepper, corn, and garlic for 6-8 minutes.

2) Add the vegetable stock, black beans, rice, chili paste, ketchup, salt & pepper, red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 15 minutes.

3) Add tomatoes and stir well. If soup seems too runny, stir in 1 tbsp corn starch mixed with water and cook another 3-4 minutes.

4) Garnish with sour cream & cilantro.