Healthy Soups for Cold Nights

Here is a soup I certainly didnt expect to put on my blog...  I couldnt believe I didnt mind lentils.  The sausage and pancetta add a lot!  I do not have a calorie count but I would like to believe this is a pretty healthy dish full of healthy calories energy.

Lentil soup with Italian Sausage:

2T olive oil
1 lb fully cooked sweet Italian sausage
1/4 lb pancetta
1 large onion
2 large carrots
2 large stalks of celery
2.5 t dried Italian seasoning
1 lb brown lentils
6oz tomato paste with Italian herbs
6 c chicken/veggie broth
5oz spinach

For 7-10 minutes cook first 3 things, then transfer sausage and pancetta to a bowl and add onion, carrots, celery, seasoning.   Cook 7-8 min stirring often.  Add paste and lentils.  Add 4 cups of broth.  Bring to boil.  Reduce and simmer 30-40 min.  Add more broth as needed.  When lentils are tender, add 10-20 more minutes and sausage mixture.  Season with salt and pepper.  Stir in spinach right before serving.  Cook for 3-4 minutes.

This recipe comes from the restaurant Latin King in Des Moines.


Daniel Plan Chicken Noodle Soup:

Serves 4−6

2 tablespoons oil
3 ribs celery, finely chopped
2−3 carrots, finely chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons fresh thyme, minced (or 3/4 teaspoon dried thyme)
1 bay leaf
Kosher or sea salt and pepper to taste
2 quarts (64 ounces) low-sodium chicken broth
1 large bone-in chicken breast (or shredded cooked chicken)
1 cup whole wheat or brown rice elbow pasta
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped

Preparation:

Add oil to a large pot over medium heat. Turn the heat down to medium low and add the celery, carrots, and onion. Cook until the vegetables are soft and translucent, 12−15 minutes. Stir in the garlic, and cook another 30−60 seconds. Add thyme, bay leaf, salt, and pepper.

Remove skin and fat from chicken breast. Cut chicken breast crosswise through the bone into two pieces. Add the broth and the chicken breast to the pot. Bring to a boil, turn down to a simmer, and cook until chicken is cooked through, about 18 minutes.

Remove chicken from the pot. Add the pasta and simmer until pasta is tender. When chicken is cool enough to handle, shred the meat, and add back to the pot to warm.

Remove the bay leaf. Add parsley. Ladle into warm bowls to serve.




Turkey and Red Bean Chili

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, cut into ½-inch dice (about 1 ½ cups)
2 large cloves garlic, minced (about 1 tablespoon)
1 medium jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced (about 1 tablespoon)
2 pounds ground turkey breast
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 (28-ounce) can low-sodium whole tomatoes
½ cup water
3 tablespoons ancho chile powder
4 teaspoons ground cumin
1 ½ teaspoons ground coriander
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon hot paprika
2 tablespoons minced oregano
1 (15-ounce) can red beans, drained and rinsed
Chopped cilantro (optional)
Chopped red or green onion (optional)
8 (8-inch) sprouted corn tortillas

Heat the extra-virgin olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring, for about 3 to 5 minutes, until translucent. Add the garlic and jalapeño and cook 1 minute longer.

Stir in the ground turkey and the salt and cook the turkey for about 5 minutes, breaking up the pieces with a wooden spoon, until it loses its pink color.

Crush the tomatoes with your hands and add them to the pan with their juice. Add the water and the ancho chile powder, cumin, coriander, black pepper, and paprika. Cook for 30 minutes at a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally.

Add the oregano and red beans and simmer for about 20 to 30 minutes, until the beans are heated through. Thin out the chili as desired with additional water if necessary.

Garnish as desired, just before serving, with one of the optional toppings, and serve with warm sprouted corn tortillas, wrapped in foil and heated in the oven at 300 degrees F. for about 5 minutes.

Nutritional Analysis
Per 1-cup serving: 302 Calories, 16 g Fat, 3.3 g Sat, 65 mg Chol,
4 g Fiber, 26 g Protein, 14 g Carb, 453 mg Sodium”


Spanish Chicken Soup


“1 tablespoon olive oil

2 pounds boneless, skinless
chicken thighs, cut into cubes

1 cup chicken chorizo or Italian sausage

1 cup carrots, chopped

1 cup tomatoes, diced

1 onion, chopped

2 mild green chile peppers,
chopped, seeds left in

2–4 cups chicken stock
or water (see note)

OPTIONAL ADDITIONS

½ cup apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 cup cooked white beans, rinsed”

“PER SERVING (1/4 of the recipe) 543 cal • Fat 31 g • Sodium 226 mg • Carbs 10 g • Fiber 2 g • Protein 53 g”