Soup Season Here Again

The weather has turned quite cool and it seems like time to get these pots of soup on the go? Soup is so good for you as its adding so many nutrients whilst contributing to the ‘7 a day’ portions of fruit and vegetables needed for health.

Here are a few low calorie soup options which will fill you and warm you through the chilly Autumn and Winter days.

Low Calorie Soups

One of the easiest ways to either lose or maintain weight is to bulk up the diet with low-calorie soups. This will pack in lots of vitamins, minerals and fibre easily helping one to reach their ‘5 a day’. I do not add either cream or milk to my soups and they are ‘creamed’ by the process of liquidising. It is a really good idea to have soup around as you can easily have a cup while you are preparing dinner and may be getting very hungry.

These are a few of my favourites

Spicy Cauliflower

Ingredients

One head of cauliflower

Couple of onions

Clove of garlic

Marigold yeast free bouillon

Level tblsp olive oil

Large tsp of ground cumin

Extra salt and pepper (if desired)

Method

Put oil in large pan and warm. Add chopped onion, garlic and cumin. Fry gently for few mins. Add in cauliflower florets and cover with stock. Cook for 10-15min till soft (or a few mins if using a pressure cooker). Whizz and season to taste.

Variations

Omit cauliflower from the basic recipe above and add some of the following :

Carrot and Celery

One pound carrots

One head celery

Omit the cumin and cook as above

Carrot and Coriander

One pound carrot

Either fresh or ground coriander

Again omit cumin

French Onion

One pound sliced onions

Brown onions in the oil add the stock and cook gently for 15mins. Thicken slightly with cornflour. The traditional method has bread and cheese on top. Can add a little bread toasted and sprinkle with a small amount of parmesan for a cheesy flavour.

Country Vegetable

Use a variety of root vegetables. Cut into chunks and cook. Sweet potato is a good addition to this soup. You do not need to add any oil just chop vegetables. This is a great low calorie option as it is chunky but still low calorie. It could also be creamed for an option.

Spicy Coconut and Butternut Squash

Cook a butternut squash and scrape out flesh. Add to stock along with some onion. Cook for a few mins and add a tsp of balti curry paste along with a dssp of coconut powder. If you like it strongly curried add more of the paste. Whizz and season to taste. For an enhanced look top with a tiny amount of  toasted coconut.

Dinner ‘in a bowl’

I make two soups that are meals in bowl- A large bowl of this will see you from lunch to supper

Chicken and Rice

Organic chicken

Brown basmati rice

Chopped onion/celery/carrot/turnip

Marigold yeast free bouillon

Method

First cook chicken in pressure cooker for 20 mins. Take it out and cool stock. Put cooled stock into freezer and take off all fat before stock actually freezes. Add brown basmati and vegetables and cook for either 50min or 10 min under pressure. Add back in some of the chicken retaining some for another dish.

Tai Spicy Chicken soup – this soup is also brilliant with both prawns and tofu

8 oz chicken meat

Carrot – chopped longways

Courgette – chopped longways

Unsweetened soya milk

Marigold yeast free bouillon

Large onion – sliced

Spicy seasonings of choice e.g. chilli, curry paste

Coconut powder – tablespoon

Fresh coriander

Tsp olive oil

Method

Sauté onion add stock, vegetables and chicken and cook few mins till tender. Add soya milk (do not boil hard) and spicy seasonings plus some of fresh coriander. Thicken to dropping consistency. Season to taste. Before soya milk is added one can add skinny rice noodles or serve with a chapatti. Top with fresh coriander.