THE SECRET OF DISCOVERING HEALTHY SOUPS IN THE WINTER MONTHS
(Written by Sheila Gail Landgraf)
We all know that a fresh salad is the healthiest thing we can consume in the spring and summer months; but when winter comes the produce aisles can look pretty foreboding; and the only thing available fresh are the root vegetables; which can make for a few good side dishes; but then what?
S-O-U-P!!!!!!
It is good and tasty and warm and delicious on these cold winter days. You can’t go wrong with a fresh serving of homemade soup. We try to alternate a regular meal and a meal of soup on the weeknights at our house in the winter months. There are more than health benefits in this; it is also easy and less time consuming to cook when you get home from a long hard day at work.
If you take the time to prepare homemade soups ahead on the weekends; you can just heat and serve, add a few crackers; maybe a sandwich and a beverage and …….
“Whahla! Delicious and nutritious dinner is served!”
If you own a freezer, a good plan would be to spend a weekend canning and/or freezing some of your favorite soups before the winter months arrive. Then you will be all ready when that first winter blizzard hits; no running to the grocery store in the midst of a crazed crowd of frantic shoppers! More peace and tranquility for your winter season! While everyone else is out there; you can be enjoying the fireside with your warm meal!
I’ve already shared my Christmas Eve Soup recipe (a bean soup) with you at Christmas time, and my Turnip Green Soup for New Years; but here are some good old every day soup recipes that you can add to your weekly menus:
CHICKEN AVOCADO LIME SOUP
Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts*
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup chopped green onions (including whites, mince the whites)
2 jalapenos, seeded and minced (leave seeds if you want soup spicy, omit if you don't like heat)
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 (14.5 oz) cans low-sodium chicken broth
2 Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
1/2 tsp ground cumin
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
3 Tbsp fresh lime juice
3 medium avocados, peeled, cored and diced
Tortilla chips, Monterrey jack cheese, sour cream for serving (optional)
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup chopped green onions (including whites, mince the whites)
2 jalapenos, seeded and minced (leave seeds if you want soup spicy, omit if you don't like heat)
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 (14.5 oz) cans low-sodium chicken broth
2 Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
1/2 tsp ground cumin
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
3 Tbsp fresh lime juice
3 medium avocados, peeled, cored and diced
Tortilla chips, Monterrey jack cheese, sour cream for serving (optional)
Preparation
In a large pot heat 1 Tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Once hot, add green onions and jalapenos and saute until tender, about 2 minutes, adding garlic during last 30 seconds of sauteing. Add chicken broth, tomatoes, cumin, season with salt and pepper to taste and add chicken breasts. Bring mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Then reduce heat to medium, cover with lid and allow to cook, stirring occasionally, until chicken has cooked through 10 - 15 minutes (cook time will vary based on thickness of chicken breasts). Reduce burner to warm heat, remove chicken from pan and let rest on a cutting board 5 minutes, then shred chicken and return to soup. Stir in cilantro and lime juice. Add avocados to soup just before serving (if you don't plan on serving the soup right away, I would recommend adding the avocados to each bowl individually, about 1/2 an avocado per serving). Serve with tortilla chips, cheese and sour cream if desired.
TORTELLINI AND VEGETABLE SOUP
Ingredients
3 medium carrots, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 cans (14-1/2 ounces each) vegetable broth
2 medium zucchini, chopped
4 plum tomatoes, chopped
2 cups refrigerated cheese tortellini
1/3 cup chopped fresh spinach
1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary or 1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 large onion, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 cans (14-1/2 ounces each) vegetable broth
2 medium zucchini, chopped
4 plum tomatoes, chopped
2 cups refrigerated cheese tortellini
1/3 cup chopped fresh spinach
1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary or 1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
Preparation
In a Dutch oven, saute carrots and onion in oil until onion is tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Stir in the broth, zucchini, tomatoes, tortellini, spinach, rosemary and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 8-10 minutes or until tortellini are tender. Just before serving, stir in vinegar. Yield: 7 servings.
Look forward to a lot more good soup recipes in this column during this long, cold stretch of winter!
Stay warm and enjoy your soup!
