With the winter in full swing, there is no better time to add nutritious and hearty soups and stews featuring seasonal ingredients to your meal planning rotation for warmth, comfort and good health.
Butternut Squash and Apple Soup
This smooth and slightly sweet soup is low in calories and high in fiber for a delicious and filling meal.
Ingredients:
- 3 cups cooked mashed butternut squash (about 1 medium squash)
- 1/2 cup diced shallots
- 3/4 cup chopped and peeled gala apples (about 1 medium sized apple)
- Two 14 ounce cans vegetable or chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pierce the raw butternut squashes a few times with a knife and roast whole on a baking sheet until tender, about an hour. Let the squash cool for 15-20 minutes and scoop out the seeds and discard. Remove the squash away from peel and set aside in a dish. Put the minced shallots and diced apple into a medium pot coated with the olive oil and sauté until tender on medium heat for about 10 minutes. Add the squash and broth and bring to a boil, then simmer on medium heat for about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool for 10-15 minutes. Blend in batches (filling only half the blender) on low speed for about 1-2 minutes until a smooth consistency is reached. Put all the finished blended mixture back in the saucepan and warm on low heat (stirring frequently to prevent spattering) for 7-10 minutes and serve.
Makes 6 cups, four servings
Serving size: 1 1/2 cups Calories 110 Protein 4 g Carb 25 g Fiber 6 g Sugars 3 g Fat 1 g saturated fat 0 g Sodium 820 mg
Moroccan Stew
An exotic, hearty and satisfying stew with plenty of non-starchy veggies to add warmth and spice to a chilly night.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup chopped white onion
- 2 cups sliced carrots
- 2 cups sliced zucchini
- 2 cups peeled and cubed eggplant
- One 14 ounce can chickpeas, rinsed well
- Two 14.5 ounce cans crushed tomatoes
- 11/2 teaspoons curry
- 11/2 teaspoons cumin
- 11/2 teaspoons cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon tumeric
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
Directions:
In a small bowl combine spices and canned tomatoes and set aside. Put the onions and carrots into a large sized pot coated with the olive oil and sauté on medium heat until just before tender (about 7-10 minutes). Add the rest of the veggies, canned tomatoes/spice mixture and beans in and bring to a light boil. Reduce to low heat and simmer until the veggies are tender, about 12-15 minutes.
Makes 7 cups, seven servings:
Serving size: 1 cup Calories 110 Protein 4 g Carb 20 g Fiber 6 g Sugars 8 g Fat 1.5 g Saturated fat 0 g Sodium 400 mg
Roasted Pumpkin Parmesan Soup
4 simple ingredients combine to make this delicious soup that is low in carbs and fat as chocked full of antioxidants.
Ingredients:
- 3 cups fresh roasted pumpkin, (one pie sized pumpkin)
- 3 ½ cups chicken or vegetable broth
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese, salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Pierce the raw pumpkin a few times with a fork and roast whole on a baking sheet for about 40-60 minutes. Roasting time will vary based on the oven’s actual temperature, the moistness of the pumpkin, the variety of pumpkin and its size- it is done when a knife slips into the flesh very easily. Let the pumpkin cool for 15 -20 minutes. Slice in half and scoop out the seeds with a spoon and then scrape the pumpkin off the skins.
Add the pumpkin, the broth and garlic powder to a large pot and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low -medium and simmer for a 5 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in the parmesan cheese and let cool for 10-15 minutes. Blend in batches (filling only half the blender) on low speed for about 1-2 minutes until a smooth consistency is reached. Put all the finished blended mixture back in the saucepan and warm on low heat (stirring frequently to prevent spattering) for 7-10 minutes and serve. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Makes 4 cups, 4 servings
Serving size: 1 cup Calories 80 Protein 4 g Carb 12 g Fiber 2 g Sugars 4 g Fat 3 g Saturated fat 0 g Sodium 620 mg