Easy Hamburger Soup

Easy Hamburger Soup
published in Light & Tasty August/September 2006, p28

Ingredients

1-1/2 pounds lean ground beef (90% lean)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
2 cans (14-1/2 ounces each) beef broth
1 cup water
4 celery ribs, thinly sliced
4 large carrots, halved and thinly sliced
10 whole peppercorns
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup quick-cooking barley
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley

Directions

In a large saucepan, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the tomatoes, broth and water. Add celery and carrots.

Place peppercorns on a double thickness of cheesecloth; bring up corners of cloth and tie with kitchen string to form a bag. Add to beef mixture. Stir in thyme and salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 45 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Return to a boil. Stir in barley. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10-12 minutes or until barley is tender. Remove from the heat; stir in parsley. Let stand for 5 minutes. Discard spice bag. Yield: 8 servings.

Nutrition Facts: 1-1/3 cups equals 227 calories, 7 g fat (3 g saturated fat), 42 mg cholesterol, 762 mg sodium, 20 g carbohydrate, 5 g fiber, 20 g protein.
Diabetic Exchanges: 2 lean meat, 2 vegetable, 1/2 starch.

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Made May 2nd along with Herb Quick Bread. We had a cold front blow through so I took the opportunity to make one of the soups on my list. I used ground turkey instead of the beef because I found it on sale and needed to use it or get it in the freezer. It is so much easier to use it when I don't have to defrost it! The soup was good, but I think I would have preferred to have the flavor of real beef in this instance.

The recipe calls for quick cook barley but I have the regular barley in my pantry. So, the hour and a half cook time was slashed to just an hour. Instead of cooking the vegetables and then adding the barley, I simply added the barley along with the vegetables and voila! It was ready a lot sooner making this quick and easy in my book!

Matthew really liked this soup because it reminded him of a soup his mom would make growing up.

Anytime Turkey Chili

Anytime Turkey Chili
published in Light & Tasty October/November 2006, p41

Ingredients

2/3 cup chopped sweet onion
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1-1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 can (16 ounces) kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (15-1/2 ounces) great northern beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (15 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin
1 can (15 ounces) crushed tomatoes
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3 cups cubed cooked turkey breast

Directions

In a large saucepan, saute the onion, green pepper, oregano and cumin in oil until vegetables are tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer.

Stir in the beans, pumpkin, tomatoes, broth, water, brown sugar, chili powder and pepper; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 1 hour. Add turkey; heat through. Yield: 8 servings (2 quarts).

Nutrition Facts: 1 cup equals 241 calories, 2 g fat (trace saturated fat), 45 mg cholesterol, 478 mg sodium, 32 g carbohydrate, 10 g fiber, 25 g protein.
Diabetic Exchanges: 3 lean meat, 1-1/2 starch, 1 vegetable.

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Made April 5th: This is a recipe that I kept opening to and wanting to try but would be missing an ingredient here and there before I finally got everything together. Aside from the simmering, it was really quick to put together. I love that it had pumpkin in it. It was a really interesting soup flavor.

I served this with maple syrup corn bread and a strawberry-spinach salad.

Southwestern Chicken Black Bean Soup

Southwestern Chicken Black Bean Soup 2 pts for 1 cup soup (without cheese or chips)

Ingredients

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, cubed
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 tablespoon chopped onion
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 cans (14-1/2 ounces each) reduced-sodium chicken broth
3 cups fresh corn or frozen corn
1 can (15-1/2 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained
2 tablespoons lime juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup minced fresh cilantro
16 baked tortilla chip scoops, crumbled
1/2 cup shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese

Directions

In a large kettle or Dutch oven, saute chicken in oil until no longer pink. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. In the same pan, saute onion and jalapeno pepper until tender; add garlic and saute for 1 minute.

Stir in the broth, corn, beans, lime juice, salt, hot pepper sauce, pepper and reserved chicken; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Stir in cilantro. Top each serving with crumbled tortilla chips and cheese. Yield: 8 servings (2 quarts).

Editor's Note: When cutting hot peppers, disposable gloves are recommended. Avoid touching your face.

Nutritional Analysis: One serving (one cup soup with 1 tablespoon cheese and two crumbled tortilla chips) equals 227 calories, 4 g fat (1 g saturated fat), 37 mg cholesterol, 647 mg sodium, 27 g carbohydrate, 4 g fiber, 21 g protein.
Diabetic Exchanges: 2 lean meat, 1-1/2 starch, 1 vegetable.

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Made June 8, 2010. I was happily surprised to see the soup by itself was only 2 points for 8 servings. I added the chips and cheese separately when I calculated my points because it was easier to get an accurate accounting.

Variations:
*I cooked it in the crockpot on high for 4 hours. I cubed the chicken (which was frozen) and added all the other ingredients except the cilantro which I added in the last half hour. The leaves did look kind of bleached by the time the timer went off, so next time I might wait to add them. But, it did give them a chance to add their flavor to the soup.

*I did not add the jalapenos, so this soup was not as spicy as it could have been, but it had a wonderful flavor.

*I used white corn instead of yellow, so it looked really bland. Probably if I had used jalapenos or yellow corn it would have looked more colorful. I was surprised it didn't call for diced tomatoes. Perhaps a future trial might include a can of ro-tel in place of jalapenos.

Cheddar Potato Chowder

Cheddar Potato Chowder 5 pts for 1 cup

Ingredients
2 cups water
2 cups diced unpeeled red potatoes
1 cup diced carrot
1/2 cup diced celery
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups 2% milk
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese
1 cup cubed fully cooked lean ham

Directions

In a Dutch oven, combine the first seven ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10-12 minutes or until tender.

Meanwhile, place flour in a large saucepan; gradually whisk in milk. Bring to a boil over medium heat; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat. Add cheese; stir until melted. Stir the ham and the cheese sauce into undrained vegetables; stir until combined. Yield: 7 servings.

Nutritional Analysis: One serving (1 cup) equals 212 calories, 9 g fat (5 g saturated fat), 29 mg cholesterol, 847 mg sodium, 18 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 16 g protein.
Diabetic Exchanges: 1 starch, 1 lean meat, 1 fat, 1/2 fat-free milk.

******
Made April 17th. This recipe was pretty simple to make. I wondered if I really had to make the sauce in a separate pan though because I've made other sauce recipes right into the soup. I went ahead and did it the way it described though to stay true to the recipe this time. Next time I will probably not dirty the extra pan. I was impressed with how quickly it thickened though. It was the quickest and easiest I've ever experienced. I don't know if it was the 2% milk or the way I blended the flour in that made a difference. Or maybe it was my new pan. Who knows?!

I had a package of Four Cheese Mexican style in my fridge, so I used that instead of taking the time to shred the 2 cups of cheddar.

This recipe was a huge hit with Aaron (and me). It was really good!!

Strawberry Soup

Strawberry Soup 2 pts

Ingredients

1 pound fresh strawberries
1-1/4 cups vanilla yogurt, divided
3 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons orange juice concentrate
1/8 teaspoon almond extract or 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

Directions

In a food processor, combine the strawberries, 1 cup yogurt, confectioners' sugar, orange juice concentrate and extract; cover and process until smooth. Garnish each serving with a dollop of remaining yogurt. Yield: 3 servings.

Nutritional Analysis: One serving (1 cup) equals 174 calories, 2 g fat (1 g saturated fat), 5 mg cholesterol, 69 mg sodium, 35 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 6 g protein.
Diabetic Exchanges: 1-1/2 fruit, 1/2 reduced-fat milk, 1/2 starch.

******
Made March 24th and 25th. This was a huge hit with everyone. It's pretty much a smoothie in a bowl. I had a bag of frozen strawberries from last year that I used instead of fresh strawberries. Since I defrosted the whole bag, I made two different batches.

First batch: I forgot that I was only supposed to put 1 cup of the yogurt in so it made more. I had fat free plain yogurt on hand, so I added some vanilla extract to be more in line with the recipe ingredients. I also used the almond extract instead of the lemon.

Second batch: Again I used the plain yogurt with vanilla extract, but I remembered to hold out the 1/4 cup for the dallop on each serving. I think it made the soup creamier to have the dallop. I also used the lemon juice instead of almond. I think I prefer the almond because it is a more subtle flavor. The soup was much more tart the second time. It might not have been an issue if I'd used actual vanilla yogurt though.

Sweet Potato Lentil Soup (Crockpot)

Sweet Potato Lentil Soup LT04, 183, 5 pts

Ingredients

4 cups vegetable broth
3 cups sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed (about 1-1/4 pounds)
1-1/2 cups lentils, rinsed
3 medium carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 medium onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro or parsley
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions

In a slow cooker, combine the first nine ingredients. Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours or until vegetables are tender. Stir in the cilantro and salt.
Yield: 6 servings.

Nutritional Analysis: One serving (1-1/3 cups) equals 247 calories, 1 g fat(trace saturated fat), 0 cholesterol, 785 mg sodium, 48 g carbohydrates, 13 g fiber, 14 g protien.
Diabetic Exchanges: 2-1/2 starch, 1 very lean meat, 1 vegetable.

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Made Feb 21st. This is one of those rare recipes that didn't make it to the website which didn't seem like a big stroke in its favor, but I was pleasantly surprised. I prepared this for our Sunday meal, so the house was smelling really good when we got home from church. Matthew and I liked it, Jared thought it was so-so, and Aaron wouldn't touch it.

This recipe is my first really good experience with lentils. They turned out so soft, and the sweet potatoes and carrots blended into a really good flavor. This dish is really filling and hearty too. I would be willing to make this again.

Taco Soup

Taco Soup LT04, 40, 4 pts

Made on Feb 11th. I happened to have exactly the 4 cups of V8 sitting in my fridge which is one of the reasons I chose this recipe. This tasted similar to a crockpot taco soup I like, but it was so much quicker. I added a can of kidney beans and a can of corn to give it so more umph. Matthew said it made it seem more like a chili though. We all really liked it. Definitely a keeper!

Southwestern Chicken Soup

Southwestern Chicken Soup LT02, 262, 3 pts before chips & cheese

Made on Feb 2nd. YUM!! Once you add the chips and cheese, this soup tastes very similar to Houlihan's Chicken Tortilla Soup. The cayenne pepper creates too much bite for my boys, so next time I'd probably cut it.

Cream of Cauliflower Soup

Cream of Cauliflower Soup LT02, 36, 4 points

Made on Feb 9th. This is a recipe I pulled because I had a bag of cauliflower in the freezer from an Angel Food order. I thought it would made the perfect use for it, and I was right. We liked it.

Broccoli Wild Rice Soup

Broccoli Wild Rice Soup LT04, 262, 4 pts

Ingredients

5 cups water
1 package (6 ounces) long grain and wild rice mix
1 can (10-3/4 ounces) reduced-fat reduced-sodium condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1-1/2 cups fat-free milk
1 package (8 ounces) fat-free cream cheese, cubed
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 cups frozen chopped broccoli, thawed
1 large carrot, shredded
1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted

Directions

In a large saucepan, combine the water and rice mix with contents of seasoning packet; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the soup, milk, cream cheese and salt; stir until cheese is melted. Add broccoli and carrot; cook over medium-low heat for 5-6 minutes or until vegetables and rice are tender. Sprinkle with almonds. Yield: 6 servings.

Editor's Note: This recipe was tested with Uncle Ben's Original Long Grain and Wild Rice mix.

Nutritional Analysis: One serving (1-1/2 cups) equals 232 calories, 5 g fat (1 g saturated fat), 10 mg cholesterol, 927 mg sodium, 35 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 14 g protein.
Diabetic Exchanges: 1-1/2 starch, 1 lean meat, 1 vegetable, 1/2 fat-free milk.

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I made this tasty soup tonight, Feb 23rd. Everyone liked it. Well, Aaron only ate the broccoli out of it, but that's more than he's been doing at dinner. This is a quick meal to put together. I toasted the almonds in the oven and over did it, so they added a smokey kind of flavor to the soup.