Hi Coach Jeri here!
Nothing is more comforting than homemade soup. As the weather gets cooler more and more we look for foods that warms us up, keep us full and satisfied and are low in bites. Most of the soups that are store bought are loaded with sodium and preservatives.
I grew up in an apartment in Queens, NY so having a backyard garden was foreign to me. The only vegetables that were served in my house came in a can so my love of fresh vegetables came later in life when I married an Italian who grew up with a backyard garden.
Every year we plant tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, eggplant, peppers and try something new from year to year. Anyone that grows their own vegetables will tell you they seem to taste so much better when you grow your own. Two things we do every summer when we start to harvest. We jar and make soup. So here are two of my favorite recipes for homemade soup. Zucchini Soup and Tomato Vegetable soup.
For Zucchini Soup you will need:
- 1/2 onion
- 2 garlic cloves
- Hand-full of mushrooms
- 2 1/2 cups cubed zucchini
- 32 oz broth
- 3 tbsp of fat free yogurt
- salt and pepper to taste
- grated cheese
Stir fry onion, garlic, mushrooms with butter spray. Combine with zucchini and broth over med heat. bring to boil and then simmer till tender. Use an immersion blender, add yogurt and season. Divide up freeze and sprinkle cheese( optional)
For the Tomato Vegetable Soup:
There are a few ways to make the base. I use my garden tomatoes in a pot with a broth simmer, use an immersion blender and then strain out the seeds and skin before adding vegetables. However you can use a low sodium broth with tomato paste or diced tomatoes. Once you have the base you can make it your own creation.
Here is what I do: I stir fry onions, garlic, mushrooms and zucchini with butter spray in a teflon pan, then add it to the base with carrots and celery. I divide them up and freeze.
For myself I like to add chicken or shrimp and cauliflower rice. Since the other members of my family are not as weight conscious, I may add rice, chicken, sausage, pasta, mini ravioli (a favorite) anything goes! (If you would like potatoes I would add those with the carrots and celery) It may seem like a bit of work but once it is all frozen and ready to be warmed up you will be glad you put in the effort. It is filling, satisfying, low bites and nutritious.
Nothing tastes better and is more comforting than homemade soup and for most of us brings back a host of good memories. I would love to know your favorite types of soup! Comment below! If you haven’t read my post on veggie pies, find that here!
Happy Tracking!
