My Mom, the Food Genius, wrote this thing up this morning on
Facebook.
*Healthy Basic Vegetable Soup for 10 different meals*: Makes 28
cups Freeze in serving size containers. You can leave out the
veggies you don#t like and add any that you do.
1 lb. carrots, 3 med. onions, 4 stalks celery, 2 cloves garlic,
2 cans 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes and juice, 1/2 sm. head green
cabbage, thinly sliced (or 1 lb pkg of coleslaw), 3/4 lb. green
beans, or frozen or cans, 3 med. zucchini, 1 pkg of frozen
chopped spinach, 6 cups water, 1 can 48 oz. chicken broth (or
vegetable) or your own stock from slow simmering bones from a
roasted chicken with 2-3 chicken/beef bouillon cubes for free
broth. Salt and Pepper to taste.
You can use a small food slicer ($15 drugstore Food Processor)
and slice one vegetable after another and put them all in a pot
with the already hot tomatoes with juice and the water. This
means some veggies will be soft and some with a little bit to
them when done cooking. Slow simmer for about a half hour or so.
Taste and if too flat, add a pkg of dry onion soup or a couple
of chicken broth cubes or packets, or more salt & pepper.
Each cup: About 45 calories, 2 g protein, 9 g carbohydrate, 1 g
total fat (0 g saturated), 4 g fiber, 0 mg cholesterol, 410 mg
sodium.
1. Minestrone: To 2 c. Basic Soup add 1/2 c. rinsed and drained
canned white beans (cannelloni); heat to boiling. Stir in 1/2 c.
cooked rotini or other pasta; heat through. Stir in 2 Tbs.
freshly grated Parmesan or Romano cheese and 1 Tbs. chopped
fresh basil. Sprinkle with 1 Tbs. Parmesan or Romano to serve.
Cooked chop meat optional.
2. Mexican: To 2 c. Basic Soup, stir in 3 oz. skinless, boneless
chicken breast, cut into 1/2-inch chunks 1/3 c. fresh or frozen
corn kernels, and 1/4 tsp. ground cumin; heat to boiling. Reduce
heat; cover and simmer 3 minutes or until chicken is cooked
through, stirring occasionally. Stir in 3 Tbs. coarsely crumbled
baked tortilla chips.
3. Chili: In nonstick saucepan, cook 4 oz. (1/2 c. packed)
ground turkey breast or beef, 1/2 tsp. chili powder, and 1/8
tsp. ground cumin 3 minutes or until turkey or beef is browned
and cooked through, stirring to break up meat. Stir in 2 c.
Basic Soup, 1/2 c. drained and rinsed canned black beans and 1/4
c. salsa; heat to boiling. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 5
minutes to blend flavors. Sprinkle with 2 Tbs. shredded Cheddar
to serve.
4. Thai: In bowl, cover 1 oz. rice noodles or linguine pasta
with hot water. Let stand 10 minutes; drain. Heat 2 c. Basic
Soup to boiling. Stir in 4 oz. shelled and de veined med.
shrimp, 12 halved snow peas, a pinch ground red pepper, and
soaked noodles; heat to boiling. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 2
to 3 minutes or until shrimp turn opaque, stirring occasionally.
Remove saucepan from heat; stir in 1/4 c. light coconut milk,
1/2 tsp. grated fresh lime peel, and 2 tsp. fresh lime juice
5. Goulash: In nonstick saucepan, cook 4 oz. ground turkey
breast or beef, 1/2 tsp. paprika, a pinch caraway seeds, and a
pinch salt 4 minutes or until meat is browned and cooked
through, stirring to break up meat. Stir in 2 c. Basic Soup,
heat to boiling. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 5 minutes to
blend flavors. Stir in 1/2 c. cooked egg noodles; heat through.
Remove saucepan from heat; stir in 2 Tbs. reduced-fat sour cream
6. Beans and Rice: In saucepan coated with cooking spray, cook 2
oz. turkey kielbasa, cut into 1/2-in. pieces, with 1 sliced
green onion (white part only; reserve green part for garnish),
until sausage browns. Add 2 c Basic Soup, 1/2 c. rinsed and
drained canned red beans, 1/2 c. cooked brown rice, and 1/8 tsp.
Cajun seasoning; heat to boiling. Reduce heat; cover and simmer
5 minutes. Sprinkle green onion. Serve with hot sauce.
7. Italian Soup: Cook 2 ounces crumbled turkey sausage 5 minutes
or until it loses its pink color. Add 3 cups Basic Soup, 1/2 cup
thinly sliced zucchini, 1/4 cup drained and rinsed canned butter
beans, and 1/4 teaspoon dried basil; heat to boiling, then
simmer until zucchini for 2 minutes. Pour into bowls. Sprinkle
with 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese.
8. Oriental Soup: In small saucepan, over medium-high heat, heat
1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil. Add 1/2 cup sliced shiitake mushroom
caps (discard stems) and cook 3 minutes until wilted. Stir in 1
teaspoon hot pepper sauce. Add 3 cups Basic Soup and 5 or 6
ounces small shrimp, shelled and de veined. Heat to boiling.
Stir in 1/2 cup snow peas, cut diagonally in half, and simmer
just until shrimp turn opaque.
9. Hot-and-Sour Soup: In 1 teaspoon hot oil, saute 2 teaspoons
minced, peeled fresh ginger and 2 green onions (white part
only), thinly sliced, until soft, about 2 minutes. Add 3
tablespoons rice vinegar and 2 tablespoons soy sauce, and heat
to simmering. Stir in 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper, 1
teaspoon Asian sesame oil, and 4 ounces firm bean curd (tofu),
cut into 1/2-inch dice. Add 3 cups Basic Soup and simmer.
Garnish with green part of green onions.
10. Emeril Lagasse's Creole Super Soup: To 3 cups Basic Soup,
add 3 ounces skinless chicken breast, cut into 1/2-inch dice; 2
ounces sliced fully cooked fat-free/low-fat smoked sausage or
kielbasa (60 to 70 calories per 2 ounces); 1 cup diced frozen
okra; 1/3 cup cooked white rice; and 1 teaspoon Emeril's
Original Essence spice blend. Heat to boiling, then reduce to
simmer for 5 minutes. Turn off heat and serve immediately.
