Home made soups are a delicious addition to your weekly menus at any time of year but they are especially welcome as summer turns to fall and cooler weather prevails. They are nutritious and easy to make, providing a great lunch, dinner or first course. Taken in a thermos or leak-proof container to work or school, they make a wonderful and quick noon meal.
The crock pot or slow cooker is the ideal utensil for making flavourful soups. You can put it on in the morning and let it simmer away all day, filling your house with a mouth-watering aroma. A good recipe for slow cooker soup is this hearty vegetable beef soup.
Vegetable Beef Soup
- 1lb. stew beef cut into small pieces
- 1 small onion chopped
- 1 1/2 cup carrots cut in 1/2 inch pieces
- 1 1/2 cup celery cut in 1/2 inch pieces
- 1 medium potato cut into 1/2 inch cubes
- 3 cans beef broth
- 1 can diced tomatoes
- 1 can chick peas
- 1 cup water
- dash of salt and pepper--to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- Other vegetables when in season such as cauliflower or broccoli
Put all ingredients into crock pot on high for 6 to 7 hours. This and a great variety of slow cooker soup recipes can be found at www.a-crock-cook.com.
A big batch of Mexican Bean and Lentil Soup can be made by combining:
- 2 onions, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp (15 mL) chili powder
- 1 can (28 oz/796 mL) tomatoes
- 6 cups (1.5 L) vegetable or chicken stock
- 2 cups (500 mL) water
- 3/4 cup (175 mL) red lentils
- 1 each can (19 oz/540 mL) chickpeas, red kidney beans and black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 tbsp (15 mL) chopped fresh coriander
- 1 tsp (5 mL) lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp (2 mL) salt
- 1/4 tsp (1 mL) pepper
Cook on low heat for 8 hours, adding chickpeas, red kidney beans and black beans 30 minutes before serving. This is a large quantity, making 10 servings, so there will be plenty left over to freeze for another day.
If you need a quicker recipe for soup, purchase healthy varieties by checking the nutrition label to ensure they are 250 calories or less per serving, have less than 3 grams of fat, provide at least 3 grams of fibre per serving, and have less than 600 mg of sodium. Cream soups have the highest calorie content so be sure to use skim milk when preparing. There are many broth-based soups which are much lower in calories and just as tasty. You can add some of your own cooked vegetables to increase the fibre content and you can mix and match your favourite flavours as well, such as one can each of tomato and vegetable soups.
Serve soup with a warm whole-wheat dinner bun and a glass of nutritious soy milk and you and your family will have a truly delicious and wholesome dinner. Why not try some tonight?
