Posted Jan 25, 2010
Americans eat approximately 10 billion bowls of soup each year. But that’s not the reason we celebrate National Soup Month in January.
Soup is the perfect comfort food for this cold, wintry month. A steaming bowl or mug of delicious, homemade soup can take the chill off. The added bonus is, it satisfies your hunger and makes you feel full longer.
Wendy Bazilian, DrPH, MA, RD, author of “The
SuperFoodsRx Diet,” recommends choosing soups packed with flavorful “super foods” like beans, lean chicken or turkey, broccoli, spinach, tomatoes — and especially spices and herbs.
“Using spices and herbs does more than add flavor to your favorite soups without added calories or sodium. They also contain concentrated levels of natural antioxidants comparable to fruits and vegetables, including many of the super foods,” said Bazilian.
Visit www.SpicesForHealth.com or McCormick.com for additional recipes and tips for spicing up soups.
Chicken Pot Pie Soup
1 1/2 teaspoons rosemary leaves, crushed
1 1/2 teaspoons thyme leaves
1 teaspoon garlic powder
4 teaspoons butter, divided
1 package (8 ounces) mushrooms, sliced
1 cup sliced carrots
1/2 cup flour
4 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 1/2 cups frozen pearl onions
1 cup frozen peas
8 thin bread slices
1 teaspoon oil
Mix rosemary, thyme and garlic powder in small bowl. Reserve 1/2 teaspoon. Heat 1 teaspoon butter in large saucepan on medium heat. Add mushrooms, carrots and remaining seasoning mixture; cook and stir 3 minutes. Remove from saucepan. Set aside.
Melt remaining 3 teaspoons butter in saucepan on medium heat, stirring to release browned bits from bottom of skillet. Sprinkle with flour; cook and stir 3 to 4 minutes or until flour is lightly browned. Gradually stir in broth until well blended. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to low; simmer 10 minutes or until slightly thickened, stirring occasionally. Add vegetable mixture, chicken, pearl onions and peas; simmer 8 minutes or until chicken is cooked through, stirring occasionally.
Meanwhile, cut bread into rounds with 3-inch cookie cutter. Place on baking sheet. Brush bread with oil and sprinkle with reserved seasoning mixture. Bake in preheated 350 F oven 10 minutes or until toasted. To serve soup, ladle into soup bowls and top each with 1 crouton.
Makes 8 (1-cup) servings. Note: This soup cannot be frozen.
Nutrition information per serving: 211 calories, fat 7g, protein 16g, carbohydrates 21g, cholesterol 42mg, sodium 469mg, fiber 2g
Corn and Potato Chowder
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 ounces Canadian bacon, chopped (about 3/4 cup)
2 cups chopped onions
1 cup diced celery
3 tablespoons flour
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons oregano leaves
1 teaspoon rosemary leaves, crushed
2 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
1 pound red potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 3 cups)
2 bay leaves
2 cups milk
3 cups frozen corn kernels
Heat oil in large saucepan on medium heat. Add bacon; cook and stir 3 minutes. Add onions and celery; cook and stir 6 minutes or until softened. Sprinkle with flour, garlic powder, oregano and rosemary. Cook and stir 1 minute.
Stir broth into saucepan until well mixed. Add potatoes and bay leaves. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender, stirring occasionally.
Stir in milk and corn. Bring to simmer — do not boil. Simmer 5 minutes or until corn is tender. Discard bay leaves. Ladle into soup bowls to serve. Makes 8 (1-cup) servings.
Nutrition information per serving: 192 calories, fat 4g, protein 9g, carbohydrates 30g, cholesterol 12mg, sodium 388mg, fiber 3g
Sausage and Lentil Soup
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups chopped onions
1 cup diced celery
4 ounces turkey kielbasa, chopped (about 3/4 cup)
2 teaspoons thyme leaves
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
4 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) no salt added diced tomatoes, drained
1 cup red or brown lentils, picked over and rinsed
1 package (5 ounces) baby spinach leaves
Heat oil in large saucepan on medium heat. Add onions and celery; cook and stir 3 minutes. Add kielbasa; cook and stir 3 minutes longer or until kielbasa is lightly browned and vegetables are softened. Stir in thyme, garlic powder, paprika and red pepper; cook and stir 2 minutes or until fragrant.
Stir in broth, tomatoes and lentils. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 15 minutes or until lentils are tender. Stir in spinach. Simmer until wilted. Ladle into soup bowls to serve. Makes 8 (1-cup) servings.
Nutrition information per serving: 172 calories, fat 4g, protein 11g, carbohydrates 23g, cholesterol 9mg, sodium 468mg, fiber 6g
To see more of the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.wcfcourier.com/.
Copyright © 2011, Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier, Iowa
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.