Tomato-Basil Parmesan Soup

Original recipe is here

Ingredients:
14.5 oz can diced tomatoes (basil, garlic & oregano), with juice
3/4 c diced celery
1/2 c diced carrots
onion powder to taste
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 T basil
2 c vegetable broth
1/4 c flour
1/4 c butter (Blue Bonnet light)
1/2 c Parmesan cheese
1 c milk, warmed in microwave
salt & pepper, to taste

Directions:
Place tomatoes, celery, carrots, onion powder, oregano, basil and broth in crock pot. Cook on low 5-7 hours on low. (Or you know, on high for shorter, or whatever.)
About a half hour before serving, melt butter on low and stir in flour. I actually pureed my soup in a food processor at this point because I don't enjoy the tomato chunks. Mix 1/2 c soup into the flour/butter mixture. Then mix in another 1-1/2c. Transfer back to the crock pot. Stir in milk and cheese and season to taste (I added salt, pepper, and garlic powder.)
Cook for another 30 min on low and enjoy!

Nutritional Information: (Let's call it 4 servings for nutritional purposes, but I didn't measure how much it made LOL)

Calories: 182
Fat: 9g
Saturated: 3.5g
Carbs: 15g
Fiber: 2g
Protein: 8g

Ratings:
Kristen: 4.5
Dave: Not home from work yet :-P

Broccoli Cheese Soup

I got this recipe from The Girl Who Ate Everything. I think she credits someone else with it as well. Here's my version. It is hands down the best soup I have ever made. Perhaps even the best soup I have ever eaten. Really. It's that good.


Ingredients:
1-3/4 c vegetable broth
1/3 c all-purpose flour
4 T butter
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp salt
2 c milk
1-1/2 c shredded cheddar cheese, preferably sharp or extra sharp
1/2 c shredded Swiss cheese
1 bunch of broccoli, chopped


Directions:
In the microwave, heat milk and veggie broth (I think I heated mine about 2 min each.) Also cook the broccoli in a glass bowl covered with saran wrap for 3-4 min.
Meanwhile, melt butter in a pot and then add flour, salt and pepper. Cook together, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes, and then whisk in warmed milk. Stir and heat together on medium heat until soup starts to thicken, about 5-8 minutes. Add warmed broth and continue to stir until well blended.
Add cheeses and stir until completely melted. Stir in cooked broccoli.
Makes about 6 cups.

Nutritional Information:
I don't want to know.

Ratings:
Kristen: 5!!!! 6!!!!
Dave: 4

Slow Cooker Cheesy Potato Soup

Hm, I made a veggie lasagne a while back that I didn't post. I don't know where the recipe is now! If I can find it, I'll post it. I had found it online.

Anyway, right now I am making this in the crock pot! It'll be ready before too long and then I'll take a picture and we'll rate it! The original recipe is here. I made just a few slight changes/additions.

Ingredients:

32 oz. potatoes, diced
1/2 c celery, diced
1 carrot, sliced
1 garlic clove, minced
onion powder, to taste
32 oz. no-chicken broth
1 c water
1 c milk
3 T all-purpose flour
8 oz (2 c) shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 c bacon bits, if desired

Directions:
1. Combine potatoes, celery, and carrot in crock pot. Sprinkle with onion powder. Pour in the water and broth. Cook on low for 5 hours.
2. Stir flour into milk. Add to crock pot. Change to high and cook 20-30 minutes, until thickened.
3. Stir in cheese until melted. Garnish individual bowls with bacon bits. Enjoy!*
Makes 6 servings.

Nutritonal Information:
Calories: 300
Fat: 12.5g
Saturated Fat: 7g
Carbs: 35g
Fiber: 2.5g
Protein: 14.5g

Ratings:
Kristen: 4
Dave: 4

*We seasoned with salt & pepper. Next time I make this, I'm going to replace the water with beer. And maybe throw in some broccoli.

Carrot and Red Pepper Soup

Here is half of this recipe. I forgot to take a picture. Sorry. It looks like orange soup. :)

Ingredients:
1/2 c diced onion
3 carrots, sliced
1 c vegetable broth
1 red bell pepper
1 c soymilk
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:
Place onions and carrots into a pot with broth and simmer, covered, over medium heat until the carrots can be easily pierced with a fork, about 20 minutes.

Roast bell peppers by placing them over an open gas flame or directly under the broiler until the skin is completely blackened. Place in a bowl, cover, and let stand about 15 minutes. Slip the charred skin off with your fingers, then cut the peppers in half and remove the seeds.

Blend the carrot mixture along with the bell peppers in a blender or food processor in several small batches. Add some of the soymilk to each batch to facilitate blending. Return to the pot and add lemon juice, vinegar, salt, and black pepper. Heat until steamy.

Makes two 1-1/2 c servings.

Nutritional Information:
Calories: 110
Fat: 2g
Saturated: 0g
Carbs: 17g
Fiber: 4g
Protein: 5g

Ratings:
Kristen: 1.5
Dave: 2
We spiced the heck out of this because it's really bland. I put too much hot sauce in mine and then I couldn't eat it. LOL Oh well!

Autumn Harvest Soup

The original recipe says it makes 5 servings. I made half of the recipe, as follows. This half recipe made between 7-8 cups of soup! I'm going to have to disagree and say this made much more than 2.5 servings!!

Ingredients:
1/2 T olive oil
1/4 tsp basil
1/4 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp onion powder
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 carrot, sliced (56g)
1 celery stalk, sliced (58g)
8 oz diced tomatoes (I used Hunt's No Salt Added Basil, Garlic, and Oregano)
2 c vegetable broth
1 small sweet potato, peeled and diced (5.2 oz)
2 small white potatoes, diced (5 oz)
2 c water
4 oz kale, stemmed and torn
4 oz green beans
15-oz can great northern beans, drained and rinsed

Directions:
In a soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion powder, basil, thyme, garlic, carrots and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, about 7 minutes or until vegetables are soft.
Add the tomatoes, vegetable broth and sweet and white potatoes and the 2 cups of water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes. Stir in the kale, green beans and white beans and simmer another 15 minutes.
Makes 5 servings (1.5 c each).

 Nutritional Information:
Per 1.5 cup:
Calories: 166
Fat: 1.5g
Saturated: 0g
Carbs: 30.5g
Fiber: 8g
Protein: 7.5g

Ratings:
Kristen: 3
Dave: 3

Savory Bean and Kale Soup

Original recipe is here, courtesy of Fitness Magazine.

Ingredients:
42 oz vegetable broth (mine's homemade!)
15 oz tomato puree
15.5 oz great northern beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 c uncooked rice
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 bunch of kale, stemmed and coarsely chopped (or spinach!)

Directions:
In a crockpot, combine vegetable broth, tomato puree, beans, rice, onion powder, basil, salt, pepper, and garlic.
Cover; cook on low 5 to 7 hours or on high 2-1/2 to 3-1/2 hours.
Just before serving, stir in kale.
Makes 8 (1 cup) servings.

Nutritional Information:
Calories: 93
Fat: 0.5g
Saturated: 0g
Carbs: 17g
Fiber: 4g
Protein: 5g

DELICIOUS! :)
***FORK SYSTEM!!! (Back by popular demand!!)
Kristen: 5

Vegetarian Stew

Original recipe is here. I changed it slightly just based on what I had. Here's what I did.

Ingredients:
2 c apple cider
2 c vegetable broth
1 butternut squash, peeled and chopped into large chunks
4 apples, cut into large chunks
1 parsnip, sliced
4 ribs of celery, sliced
2 potatoes, chopped into large chunks
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into large chunks
5 small carrots, peeled and sliced
1 red onion, sliced into large chunks
2 garlic cloves, minced
salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a crock pot. Cook on high for 3-4 hours.
Makes 12 1-cup servings.

Nutritional Information:
Calories: 152
Fat: 0.3g
Carbs: 38g
Fiber: 5g
Sugar: 6g
Protein: 3g

I also sprinkled my individual bowl with cinnamon and nutmeg. Yum!

Zippy Three-Bean Chili

Recipe from Taste of Home's Light & Tasty magazine, October/November 2004.

Ingredients:
1c chopped fresh mushrooms
1c chopped green pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
2c water
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes and green chilies, undrained (I used Muir Glen fire roasted tomatoes)
1 envelope taco seasoning (Ortega is vegan, many other brands that I looked at contained milk)
1 can (15.5 oz) great northern beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (15.5 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained (I used kidney beans)
1 can (15.5 oz) pinto beans, rinsed and drained


I made 2 versions of this. One, as listed above. The recipe called for 3 other ingredients, which I used in Dave's version only (I used only half of this, for obvious reasons):
1 lb extra lean ground beef
1/2 c chopped onion
8 T shredded cheddar cheese, divided

Directions:
[In a large saucepan, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain.]
Add the mushrooms, peppers, and garlic; cook and stir 3 minutes longer or until vegetables are almost tender. Stir in the water, tomatoes, and taco seasoning. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Add beans; simmer 30 minutes longer.
[Sprinkle each serving with 1 T cheese.]
Makes 8 servings (1 cup each).

Nutritional Information: (w/o beef, onions, and cheese)
Calories: 170
Fat: 0.9g
Carbs: 29g
Fiber: 7.7g
Protein: 9.2g

Ratings:
Kristen: 4

Broccoli Cheese Soup

I got this recipe from a Light & Tasty magazine. Here's a link to the original recipe.

Ingredients:
1/2 c celery, diced
3-4 cloves of garlic, chopped
2 T flour
1-3/4c vegetable broth
4 c fresh broccoli, chopped
1/4-1/2 tsp dried tarragon
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/8 tsp black pepper
1-1/2 c milk (1%)
1 c shredded reduced fat cheddar cheese

Directions:
In a nonstick saucepan coated with cooking spray, saute celery until tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Stir in flour until blended. Gradually stir in broth. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until slightly thickened.
Add the broccoli, tarragon, thyme and pepper; return to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10 minutes or until broccoli is tender. Add milk; cook, uncovered, 5 minutes longer. Add cheese; stir until just melted.
Serves 4.

Nutritional Information:

Calories: 163
Fat: 7.3g
Saturated Fat: 4.6g
Carbs: 13.6g
Fiber: 3g
Protein: 13.1g


Ratings:
Kristen: 3
Dave: 2.5

*I wouldn't call this broccoli CHEESE soup. Yeah, it has cheese in it, but you really can't taste it. More like a cream of broccoli soup. The seasoning makes it better than a run-of-the-mill cream of broccoli though. It was still pretty good, just not cheesy. Dave added some more cheese to his, which he said took it from a 2.5 to a 3. It is very filling though! I had planned on having something else with it, but I am full!
*I'll upload a picture later.

Broke Bean Stew

Trying out some Biggest Loser recipes from their book "6 Weeks to a Healthier You". So far, they're great!

Ingredients:
1 T EVOO
1 large yellow or white onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
28 oz can diced fire-roasted tomatoes (Muir Glen)
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp crushed red pepper
3 (15.5 oz) cans chickpeas, kidney beans, black beans, or white beans, rinsed and drained, or 4-1/2 c cooked beans (I used chickpeas, great northern beans, and red beans)
4 c fat-free, low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth (mine's homemade!)
1/4 c cilantro
3 c fresh baby spinach leaves or 3 c chopped kale or swiss chard (I used kale)

Directions:
In a 4-qt saucepan, heat the oil over medium high heat. Add the onion and cook for about 5 minutes, until softened but not browned. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute longer. Do not brown the garlic.
Add the tomatoes, cumin, chili powder, and crushed red pepper. Simmer for about 5 minutes. Add 3 cups (2 cans) of the beans and 3-1/2 cups of the broth and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer.
Meanwhile, place the remaining 1-1/2 c of beans and 1/2 c of broth in a food processor or blender. Add the cilantro and puree or blend until smooth.
Add the puree to the stew. Add the greens and heat just until wilted. Stir well and serve hot.
Makes 10 (1 cup) servings.

Nutritional Information:

Calories: 145
Fat: 2.2g
Saturated: 0.2g
Poly: 0.3g
Mono: 1g
Carbs: 22.7g
Fiber: 6.9g
Sugar: 4.3g
Protein: 7.7g

Ratings:
Kristen: 4
Dave: 3

Dave said he rated it a 3 because it was bland. He ate it as soon as it was ready but I didn't eat any until several hours later. Maybe letting the flavors blend for a little while longer helped. I am SHOCKED that I even liked this at all, because I normally don't like tomatoes OR onions, and there are lots of both in this. But it was really good! The onions and tomatoes did not bother me in the least.
Note: Any leftovers should freeze just fine. I'm planning on freezing about 6 cups.

Portuguese Chourico and Kale Soup

THANK YOU RACHAEL RAY!! This is soooo good. (Original Recipe)

Ingredients:
1 T EVOO
3 medium red potatoes, diced
1 red onion, chunked
6 cloves garlic, chopped
1 bunch of kale, stemmed and coarsely chopped (recipe called for 1lb... after I stemmed it, I ended up with 5oz)
Salt and pepper to taste
16 oz can garbanzos (chick peas), drained and rinsed
14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
1 lb hot italian turkey sausage, casing removed, split into small pieces
29 oz chicken broth

Directions:
 Heat oil in a deep pot over medium high heat. Add potatoes and onions, cover and cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add garlic and kale to the pot. Cover pot and wilt greens 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add beans, tomatoes, sausage and broth to the pot and bring soup to a full boil. Reduce heat back to medium and cook 5-10 minutes longer or until potatoes are tender.
Makes about 10 cups.

Nutritional Information:
(Per 1 cup)
Calories: 175
Fat: 6g
Saturated Fat: 1g
Carbs: 21g
Protein: 11g

Ratings:
Kristen: 4
Dave: 4.5

Chicken and Dumplings

Ingredients:
4 c chicken broth (Meijer ready-to-serve, 99% fat free)
8 oz chicken tenders
10.5 oz cream of chicken soup
1/2 c milk (1/2%)
1/2 pkg Pillsbury Grands homestyle buttermilk biscuits
black pepper to taste

Directions:
Bring the chicken broth to a boil. Add chicken and boil until cooked through.
Remove chicken from pot and shred. Return chicken to the pot.
Add cream of chicken soup and milk; bring to a boil.
Gradually add cut-up biscuits. Reduce heat and simmer for 25 minutes.
Add pepper to taste.
Makes 4 servings.

Nutritional Information:
Calories: 305
Fat: 11.5g
Saturated Fat: 2.5g
Carbs: 32g
Protein: 17g

Ratings:
Kristen: 4
Dave: 4

Holly's Crockpot Gumbo

Ingredients:
2 c fat free, reduced sodium chicken broth
1 link Jennie-O Hot Italian Turkey Sausage, Lean
2 oz boneless skinless chicken tenders
1.2 c shrimp, baby, precooked (recipe called for 1.5 c but I only had 1.2)
3/4 c canned diced tomatoes (Hunt's)
2 T jalapeno pepper (1 pepper)
1/2 diced bell pepper (90g)
 2 c frozen okra (Pict Sweet)
onion powder
cayenne pepper

Directions:
Cut the sausage and chicken into bite-sized pieces. Combine all ingredients in crockpot and cook on low for 4 hours.
Serve over rice.
Makes 4 servings.

Nutritional Information:
(Gumbo only, not including rice)
Calories: 127
Fat: 3g
Saturated Fat: .5g
Carbs: 8.5g
Protein: 17g

Ratings:
Kristen: 4.5
Dave: 3.5
Dave says it wasn't spicy enough... I agree, it could be spicier! But it's really good comfort food! I WILL make it spicier next time!

The Whole Enchilada Chicken Soup

Another one from Hungry Girl!

Ingredients:

3 c fat free chicken broth (and reduced sodium)
1 1/4 c finely chopped celery
1/2 c diced sweet yellow onion (onion powder)
3 c green enchilada sauce
15 oz can pure pumpkin
10 oz cooked chicken, chopped or shredded
1 c frozen white or yellow corn
Optional: dash hot sauce, or more to taste
Optional toppings: shredded fat-free cheddar cheese, crushed baked tortilla chips

Directions:

 In a large pot, bring broth to a low boil on the stove. Add celery and onion, and simmer for about 5 minutes, until slightly tender. 

Stir in enchilada sauce and pumpkin. Once soup returns to a low boil, add chicken and corn, and mix well. Cook for an additional 3 - 5 minutes, until soup is heated through. 

Add a dash or more hot sauce. (Or not. It's your soup.) Serve and, if you like, top with shredded cheese and/or crushed chips. 

Makes 9 servings. (Mine only made 8.)

Nutritional Information: 

Per 1 cup serving:

Calories: 107

Fat: 3g

Carbs: 14g

Protein: 9g

Ratings:

Kristen: 4

Dave: 4

This soup was really good. I didn't add the hot sauce and it was still plenty spicy from the enchilada sauce! Yum!