Soup Season

It's winter, and it's freezing out there. There are few things better for keeping you warm than soup. Fortunately soup is also one of the best things for filling you up and keeping you healthy. Here are a few of my favorites for cuddling up by the fire (or Netflix) after a long day. Throw them in a crock pot or whisk them up in a pinch. Each of these are fast, easy and full of goodness.

Chicken Supersoup

This soup is a miracle cure if you’re starting to feel sick.

In a crock pot combine:

8 cups chicken broth (fresh or from concentrate but not powdered)

¾ C chopped fresh ginger

½ - 1 whole bulb of fresh garlic

1 C fresh parsley OR ¼ c dried

¾ C lemon juice

1 Tbs Salt

Optional:

1-2lb chicken

Allow to simmer on high for 2-4 hours (if cooking with chicken, cook until chicken falls apart).

Serving options:

For a quick immune boost serve as broth in a mug or to-go in a thermos.

For a lean dinner serve broth over chicken and fresh/frozen green veggies. I like green beans or peas best. You can also add noodles for a healthy chicken noodle soup, or mung bean sprouts if you want to keep it really lean and still have crunch.

Turkey White Bean Soup

½ lb -1 lb homemade turkey sausage

½ lb dry great northern white beans

8 cups turkey or chicken broth (from scratch or concentrate but not powdered)

1 Tbs garlic powder

Combine ingredients in a crock pot. Cook on low for 5-8 hours, or on high for 2-4 hours, until beans are soft.

Add Salt to taste

15 minutes before serving add:

4 cups fresh kale or spinach

Serve with whole wheat bread.

Magic Gourmet Canned Soup

There are some great quick meals in the soup isle, but often I’m left wishing there were more in the can. Here’s a quick guide for making a hearty, healthy meal with canned soup as a base.

Step 1: Pick your soup.

Typically you are looking at soups with a chicken broth, beef broth or vegetable broth base. Avoid creamy soup basses if you want to keep the meal extra lean.

Step 2: Add your meat.

This is one of the best ways to get rid of the last leftover grilled chicken or steak from the night before. Chunk it up and add it to the hot soup.

Step 3: Add your veggies.

The vegetables already in the soup should give you a guide as to what you can add. Frozen veggies cook up quickly and are faster than chopping fresh veggies if you are short on time.

Step 4: Enjoy!

#fitness #recipes