Healthy Sausage and Lentil Soup

Here is an amazing recipe for a sausage and lentil soup.  It was seriously one of the best soups I've ever made!  And it's got low-fat sausage and no thickening agent, so its healthy!

4 cups of water and 4 chicken bouillon cubes
3 1/2 cups of water
1 cup dried brown lentils, rinsed
3 stalks of celery, sliced
1/3 of a bag of baby carrots, cut into quarters
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound of Jimmy Dean reduced-fat pork sausage
1/2 of a bunch of green onions, chopped into slices
 
1. Put water, bouillon cubes, lentils, celery, carrots, thyme, cayenne pepper and garlic into a big stockpot.  Bring to boiling, then let simmer over medium-heat for about 20 minutes.  Add sausage (since its in a tube, I mushed it with my hands into small chunks as I dropped it into the pot) and green onions and cook for 5-10 minutes more (until everything is soft and sausage is cooked).
2. Serve! 
 
So easy!!!!!  It was soooo flavorful, and about 250 calories a bowl!

Mexican Meatball Soup

I love quick soups.  Although it is summer, there is something wonderful about throwing together some broth, vegetables and meat and making a huge pot that will have leftovers for days!  So here's two soup recipes I love: a great meatball soup I found online and a wonderful (low-fat!) roasted corn and crab soup!


The link to the Mexican meatball soup is here: http://homecooking.about.com/od/soups/r/blss48.htm


The original article shows you how to make your own meatballs.  I simply used frozen ones from the store to cut down on time and work!  Other than that, I kept everything the same and it tasted great!  Subtle, but still savory.  I'm not sure how fattening the recipe is, but several ways to keep Mexican-based dishes low-fat are: use low-fat sour cream, and skip the cheese and tortilla chips.  This was honestly super tasty with a dollop of low-fat sour cream on top, it didn't need other garnishes!


Mexican Meatball Soup

• 1 package of pre-made meatballs (I used 15 meatballs - half a bag - and the meatballs were a little sparse, I'd use a full bag if you can!)
• 2 quarts beef or chicken broth (or a combination - I used beef)
• 1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes
• 1 can (4.5 ounces) chopped mild green chiles, with liquid
• 1 cup diced sweet onion
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano, crushed
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon liquid hot pepper sauce, or more to taste
• 1/3 cup long-grain white rice
• 1 cup frozen corn kernels
• 1/4 chopped fresh cilantro (coriander) leaves
• Salt and pepper to taste
• For Garnish: fresh cilantro sprigs, crushed tortilla chips, shredded Mexican cheese blend

Preparation (The original article has how to prepare the meatballs from scratch, I'm assuming here that you're using pre-made ones):

Place beef or chicken stock, tomatoes, green chiles, onion, oregano, cumin, and hot pepper sauce in a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Add rice, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes. Carefully add meatballs to the broth and simmer an additional 10 to 15 minutes until meatballs are cooked through (or are heated up!). Add corn and cook until heated through. Taste and add salt and pepper, if needed. Stir in chopped cilantro leaves just before serving.

Garnish each bowl with crushed tortilla chips, a sprinkling of Mexican cheese blend, and a sprig of fresh cilantro. (Just use cilantro and low-fat sour cream to save calories!) Serve immediately.

Yield: about 8 to 10 servings