Ten Vegetable Soup - 9g Carbs, 2g Fiber
From: Very Healthy, Very Versatile Vegetable Soup by Dana Jacobi for the American Institute for Cancer Research VIA www.tdn-digital.com/recipe_031912.shtml
How can I prepare and consume the variety of cruciferous, leafy green,
and orange/red vegetables plus alliums and other vegetables experts urge
us to eat every day? I want their benefits, but taking that much time
to prepare them all is nearly impossible.
Make soup, I say. With Ten Vegetable Soup, you combine terrific-tasting
and healthy carrots, cabbage, cauliflower, celery, canned tomatoes, leek,
onion, Swiss chard, a potato, and parsley. Tossing them all into a pot
takes less than 30 minutes. The result is enough to eat for several days,
both as is and with variations I will suggest.
Ten Vegetable Soup freezes nicely. You may eat it until fed up then freeze
what is left, or you plan from the start to divide this generous kettle
of soup—either is a good plan. Plus, besides being satisfying and colorful, this soup is very low calorie.
Whether it is vegetarian or not is up to you, depending on if you choose
to make it with water or chicken or vegetable broth. I look at this soup
like a little black dress—lovely for itself and easy to embellish
differently each time you serve it.
First variation: Garnish with a drizzle of olive oil, squirt of fresh
lemon, a snipping of fresh dill, or a sprinkling of grated cheese.
Second variation: Toss a piece of genuine Parmigiano-Reggiano rind into
the pot. As the soup heats, it turns soft, rather like the cheese topping
on French onion soup. Rind costs a fraction of the imported cheese and is
entirely edible … molto Italiano.
Third variation: Add ½ cup canned beans per serving, choosing from
cannellini, red kidney, or chickpeas.
Fourth and fifth variations: Add bite-size pieces of chicken cutlet or
mini ground turkey meatballs and simmer gently for 5 minutes once the
soup is steaming in the pot. Their juices enrich the soup nicely.
My father would call this clean-up-the-kitchen soup. Indeed, do feel
free to vary the veggies. Butternut squash, kale, spinach and broccoli
are all nutrient dense and tasty alternatives.
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 cups chopped green cabbage, quartered and cut crosswise into 1/2-inch strips
1 cup cauliflower florets, 1-inch pieces
1 medium leek, sliced, use white and 1-inch of light green part
1 small onion, chopped
1 medium carrot, chopped
1 medium celery stalk, chopped
1 (14.5-oz can) no-salt-added diced tomatoes
4 cups low-fat, reduced-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
1 medium yellow-fleshed potato, diced
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 Tbsp dried thyme
1 1/2 packed cups Swiss chard OR spinach, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch strips
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Pinch of red pepper flakes OR cayenne, optional
Grated Parmesan cheese, optional
In large Dutch oven or heavy soup pot with tight-fitting cover, heat oil
over medium-high heat. Add cabbage, cauliflower, leek, onion, carrot and
celery and stir to coat them with oil. Cook until cabbage is limp and
onion translucent, 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cover, reduce heat
to medium-low and cook gently until vegetables release their juices, about
8 minutes.
Add tomatoes with their liquid, broth, potato, parsley and thyme. Increase
heat to medium-high until liquid boils, then cover, reduce heat, and simmer
soup for 10 minutes. Add Swiss chard and simmer for 10 minutes. Season soup
to taste with salt and pepper; let sit for 15 minutes before serving. If desired refrigerate for up to 4 days, reheating in covered pot over medium
heat. Or divide cooled soup among resealable freezer bags and freeze. This
soup keeps in freezer for up to 2 months.
Servings: 10
Serving Size: 1 cup
Nutrition per Serving:
70 Calories, 3g Fat, <1g Sat Fat, 9g Carbs, 3g Protein, 2g Fiber,
253mg Sodium
"Something Different" is written by Dana Jacobi, author of 12 Best Foods Cookbook and contributor to AICR's New American Plate Cookbook: Recipes for a Healthy Weight and a Healthy Life. The American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) is the cancer charity that fosters research on the relationship of nutrition, physical activity and weight management to cancer risk, interprets the scientific literature and educates the public about the results. www.aicr.org
