Healthy Zuppa Toscana

Zuppa Toscana (you know, the wonderful white soup at Olive Garden with potatoes and sausage) is one of my favorite things.  But now that I don't eat gluten, I can't eat it anymore.  There are many "cheater" recipes online and over the last two years, we've tried a few, then made several tweaks of our own.  The original soup is actually not terrible for you (170 calories per bowl), but we've made some healthy changes to it.  We use half and half instead of cream and low-fat Jimmy Dean sausage.  Here you go!  Enjoy!

Hilary's Healthy Zuppa Toscana (and its gluten-free!)

1 lb. low-fat Jimmy Dean sausage
1/2 lb. bacon - chopped
2 qt. water
4 cans broth (or I use 4 cups water + 4 chicken bouillon cubes in addition to the 2 qt water)
2-3 russet (or red) potatoes - cubed
4-5 garlic cloves - crushed and coarsely chopped
1 med. onion - chopped
2 cups (or more, we use a whole head) of coarsely chopped kale
1 cup half and half
salt and pepper
crushed red pepper flakes (if you like a little punch)

In a BIG stockpot (this recipe has 13 cups of liquid), brown sausage and bacon.  Once cooked, remove from pan and set in a bowl with a paper towel in it (to soak up excess fat).
Put water, broth, potatoes, garlic, and onion in pot.  Simmer over medium heat until potatoes are tender.
Add bacon and sausage.  Simmer 5-10 minutes (depending on how impatient you are).
Add kale, half and half and two or three dashes of crushed red pepper flakes to pot, simmer for 5-10 minutes (depending on how soft you like the kale).
Season with lots of salt and pepper.

This makes a HUGE pot of soup, which rocks because it tastes better as it sits in the fridge.  Yum, leftovers!  Or it can serve 12 all at once!

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!

Leftover Krab (and corn) Soup

Me and my husband makes lots of homemade sushi, and yes, we sometimes use fake krab. :)  Often I have some krab leftover and if I don't use it, it goes bad.  This soup is a great way to use up krab before it gets forgotten about in the meat drawer!  Its also low-fat because you use flour to thicken it up and only a tiny bit of whole milk to get a "chowder" feel without using cream!

Roasted Corn and Krab Soup
2 cups frozen corn, thawed
1 large onion, chopped
4-5 stalks of celery, chopped
1 Tbsp. cooking oil
8 cups of water (with 8 bouillon cubes)
1/2 tsp. of dried thyme
1/4 tsp of ground red pepper
1/3 c. flour
1/2 c. whole milk
however much krab you have (the more the better, I typically use about half of a package or 1/2 to 1 cup of krab)

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Put thawed corn into a pan lined with foil, and bake for 10-15 minutes, stirring one or two times.  Take out of oven and set aside.
2. In a big stockpot, saute onions and celery in tablespoon of oil until they are soft.  Add 6 cups of water and 6 bouillon cubes, corn, thyme, red pepper and pepper.  Bring to boiling and then simmer for about 10 minutes (make sure bouillon cubes have dissolved).
3. In a large cup or a jar, heat up two cups of water with two bouillon cubes in microwave until its chicken broth.  Add flour and whisk (or if in jar, shake) until thoroughly mixed.  Stir into the soup and cook until thickened (a few minutes), add whole milk and crab.  Heat for one more minute, then serve!

Yum!

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

Spicy Peanut Soup (its wonderful, I promise!)

I've noticed that peanut butter has become a popular ingredient in a lot of recipes, including this recipe.  It sounds weird and everyone I tell about it is skeptical, but it is tasty, quick and easy.  It is also low-calorie (less than 200 calories a bowl) and low-fat!  I serve this with bread or rolls on the side and it is filling enough to be a complete dinner!

Spicy Peanut Soup:
1 teaspoon butter
A couple of stalks (3-5) chopped celery
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 big onion, chopped into smallish pieces
1 or 2 chicken breasts, chopped into small pieces
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
4 cups chicken broth
4 tablespoons whole milk (we always have some in the house, but I'm sure 2% would be ok too!)
2 tablespoons peanut butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1.  In a medium soup pot, melt butter.  Saute the celery, onions, garlic and chicken pieces until veggies are tender and chicken is cooked.
2. Stir in flour to make a roux, cook for one minute.
3. Add chicken broth, peanut butter, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes.  Bring to a low rolling boil and simmer for about 10 minutes. Add 4 tablespoons of whole milk right before you serve it.

Its good.  I promise.  No, seriously it is.  Go ahead, I dare you to try it! :D  Please feel free to comment and let me know how it turned out!  Enjoy!

Super Easy Egg Drop Soup

This is one of favorite lunches.  I make it at least once a week.  It is fast, tasty and has only a few ingredients.  You can totally mix and match the veggies.  Even just the eggs and thickened broth are tasty.  Its definitely a comfort food!   It is also only has about 150 calories for a huge bowl. Yum!

Egg Drop Soup:
4 c. chicken broth (I use 4 bouillon cubes and 4 c. water)
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1 1/2 Tbsp. cornstarch
3 eggs, beaten
Lots of salt and pepper to taste!

There are two ways to do this recipe:

If you do have canned chicken broth:
1. You can put 3/4 c. of the chicken broth in a small bowl with 1 1/2 Tbsp. of cornstarch.  Whisk it together.  Set aside.
2. Put the remaining broth (3 1/4 c.) into a saucepan on the stove and heat up.  Throw in the ground ginger while its heating up.
3. Bring broth to boiling and pour in the beaten eggs slowly, while slowly stirring in one direction (that makes those nice long strands).
4. You can throw in the veggies at this point.  Things like mushrooms and green onions get mushy if cooked too long, so throwing them in at this point means they'll be soft, but have their shape.
5. Bring broth (with eggs and veggies) to boiling again.  Slowly pour the broth/cornstarch mixture into the soup.  Stir until thickened (a minute or two).  Serve!  Top with lots of salt and pepper!

If you DON'T have canned chicken broth:
1. Put 4 c. water and 4 chicken bouillon cubes in a saucepan and heat until cubes are dissolved.  Add ground ginger.
2. Take a measuring cup and scoop out 3/4 c. of the broth.  If you mix the cornstarch into the super hot broth immediately, it will cook into these chewy weird balls.  So I put the 3/4 c. broth into the freezer for a few minutes.  Once its lukewarm, I pull it out and mix the cornstarch into that broth and then set aside.
3. Bring broth to boiling and pour in the beaten eggs slowly, while slowly stirring in one direction (that makes those nice long strands).
4. You can throw in the veggies at this point.  Things like mushrooms and green onions get mushy if cooked too long, so throwing them in at this point means they'll be soft, but have their shape.
5. Bring broth (with eggs and veggies) to boiling again.  Slowly pour the broth/cornstarch mixture into the soup.  Stir until thickened (a minute or two).  Serve!  Top with lots of salt and pepper!


Coming soon...
Turkey with Peanut Sauce
Quick Paella
Spicy Soup
Green Enchiladas
Thai Noodles with Pork and Cabbage
Healthy Lime Chiffon Pie
and more...