Creamy Tomato Soup

I love cream of tomato soup. I love the acidity of the tomatoes and the richness of the cream. Of course, that doesn’t bode well when you’re trying to lose or maintain your weight. I found a great recipe for tomato soup in a cookbook, and I adapted it for a lighter lifestyle and for a “creamy” feel and finish. I hope you like it!

Ingredients

• 1/2 tsp dried basil
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp (dried) fennel seeds
• Cooking spray 
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 1/4 – 1/2 cup white wine
• 2 – 14oz cans of diced tomatoes
• 1 – 28oz can crushed tomatoes
• 4 cups broth (I used chicken)
• 1 tbsp. sugar (I used Splenda) or to taste
• Salt & pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 can fat-free evaporated milk
• 1 Tablespoon of fresh chopped basil

Preparation

Crush the dried herbs until the are aromatic. Spray heavy soup pot with cooking spray or heat and add oil. Add the onions and cook over medium-high heat until nicely translucent and browned, about 5 to 8 minutes. Add garlic and tomato paste and combine. Slowly stir in white wine until incorporated and no lumps of tomato paste remain.

Add the tomatoes, broth and sugar. Add a bit of salt and pepper. Bring to a slow simmer (just bubbling) and simmer for about 30 minutes.

Add cinnamon and stir to blend. Add basil and evaporated milk. Taste and adjust salt, pepper, cinnamon and sugar. Serve.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

(Note: I will have to calculate the nutritional information and append later)

Recipe: Butternut Squash Three Bean Soup

Need something quick and easy but are at a loss for what to make?  Look in your pantry.  I often grab what I have and make something easy and delicious with it.  The trick is to have a variety of goods in your pantry to choose from.  Here’s what I made last night:

Ingredients

• 2 packages (1 quart each) Trader Joe’s Organic Butternut Squash Soup (Low Sodium)
• 1 can (14 ounces) small white beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can (14 ounces) pinquintos or small red beans, drained
• 1 can (14 ounces) cut green beans, drained
• 1 small can mushrooms
• 1 box (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach
• 4 ounces (4 slices) honey roasted turkey deli meat, diced
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

Place the first 5 ingredients to a boil.  Add the frozen spinach and turkey meat and cook until the spinach has thawed and incorporated into the soup.  Add salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Was that easy, or what?

Makes 10 servings, 1 cup each.

Nutritional Information

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 152 Calories; 1g Fat (3.3% calories from fat); 9g Protein; 29g Carbohydrate; 9g Dietary Fiber; 5mg Cholesterol; 271mg Sodium.

WW Points Estimate: 2

Recipe: Cream of Asparagus Soup

I went grocery shopping today and found some very lovely fresh asparagus on sale. I could envision a wonderful soup that would bring out the flavor of this beautiful ingredient. So I bought a couple of pounds and searched the Internet for a good recipe. I found one, but it was full of fat…1/2 a cup of heavy cream? 3 tablespoons of butter? NOT! Here’s my take on Cream of Asparagus Soup, a modified version of a Gourmet Magazine recipe.

Ingredients

• 2 pounds fresh green asparagus stalks, woody ends removed
• 1 medium onion, minced
• Olive oil or Canola oil cooking spray
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped
• 5 cups chicken stock (low fat/low sodium–home made if possible)
• 1/2 cup fat-free sour cream
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice, fresh squeezed
• salt and pepper, to taste

Preparation

Cut the asparagus into 1/2 inch pieces. Mince the onion. Spray the bottom of a heavy dutch oven with cooking spray and heat over medium heat. Add the onions and a little salt and pepper. Saute the onions until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the asparagus and thyme and saute another 3 to 5 minutes, or until the asparagus has begun to soften.

Add the chicken stock. Increase heat to medium-high and bring the soup to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer 15 to 20 minutes or until the asparagus is very tender. Add lemon juice.

Using an immersion blender, puree the soup until desired texture is achieved (I like my soup to have a few small chunks). Stir in sour cream. If the soup is a little too thick, add a bit more chicken stock until you reach the desired thickness. Taste, add salt and pepper as desired, and serve.

Makes 4 servings, about 1 3/4 cups each.

Nutritional Information

1 serving = 96 calories, 2 grams fat, 3 grams fiber

WW Points Estimate: 2

Note: Some people have commented that using leeks instead of onions brings additional flavor to the dish. Just make sure to clean your leeks well and soften them thoroughly before adding additional ingredients.