Tag Archives: Soups

“Irish” French Onion Soup

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Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Nothing says Irish more than a Guinness, so why not add it to one of my favorite soups. French onion soup is easy to make, but it does take some time to caramelize the onions to perfection. But it is so worth it! Usually at a restaurant, french onion soup is loaded with cheese. Don’t get me wrong I love cheese, but I am trying to avoid extra calories.  You control the calories by the amount of cheese you use for the topping.

Irish French Onion Soup

tips&tricks To caramelize the onions, they must cook for about 40 minutes. Stirring about every 10 minutes to help them turn a golden brown. If the onions start to stick to the pan, simply add some Guinness to deglaze the pan.

Irish French Onion Soup

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 large onions sliced thinly, about 8 cups (this looks like a lot, but they will cook down)
  • 4 cloves of garlic, pressed
  • 1 teaspoon of dried thyme
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon of butter
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1 can of Guinness
  • 4 cups of beef or vegetable broth (used organic beef, but vegetable would work for vegetarians)
  • splash of Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tablespoon of dijon mustard
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • French baguette, sliced into 1/2 inch slices, brush lightly with olive oil and toast in the oven
  • shredded cheddar or swiss

Directions

  •  Add olive oil to a heated large pot or sauce pan of over medium heat. Add the sliced onions to caramelize. To caramelize the onions, see tips.
  • Add the brown sugar, garlic, thyme, and butter cook for  a few minutes.
  • Meanwhile whisk the flour and water until smooth. Add to pan and cook for about 3 minutes.
  • Add the Guinness and increase the heat to get it nice and bubbly. Reduce the Guinness by half.
  • Add the broth, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, salt, and pepper. Simmer for about 30 minutes.
  • Ladle the soup into oven proof bowls. Top with toasted baguette and cheese. Bake until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Cheddar Vegetable Chowder

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Between work, the gym, and dance classes for my daughter, it’s tough to find time during the week to make dinner. So on Sundays I like to make a few meals to prepare for the busy week.  I try to keep them simple and healthy. You may want to double this one though, since most of it was gone by lunch.

vegetable chowder

vegetable chowder 02

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped
  • 2 carrots, finely chopped or shredded
  • 2 celery stalks, finely chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, pressed
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 4 cups vegetable or chicken broth (low sodium)
  • 2 large potatoes, peeled and chopped
  • 1 tablespoon flour
  • 1/2 cup of water
  • 2/3 cup of milk (I used almond coconut)
  • 2 cups broccoli, chopped into small pieces
  • 1 cup of cheddar cheese

Directions

  1.  In a large pot heat olive oil and add onion, carrots, and celery. For easy prep I used the food processer attachment from my immersion blender to chop this veggies quickly. Saute veggies for a few minutes and add pressed garlic and cook for 2 more minutes. Add salt and pepper.
  2. Add vegetable or chicken broth and potatoes and bring to a boil. Cook until potatoes are tender.
  3. In a small bowl mix water and flour and add to soup. Bring to a slight boil and heat for a few minutes until thickened.
  4. Add milk and broccoli. Cook until broccoli is tender about 5 minutes.
  5. Add cheese and stir until melted. I used my immersion blender to make the soup a little smoother, but this step is not needed.

nutrional facts - veg chowder

Black Bean Soup

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If you love hearty soups, I think you’ll really enjoy this dish.  High in fiber, folate, protein, and antioxidants, black beans are a great, healthy main ingredient to make a soup a meal.

bean-soup-01


Ingredients

  • 3 cans black beans drained and rinsed
  • 1 onion finely chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 1 14oz can vegetable broth
  • 1 1/2 cup canned tomatoes
  • 2 tablespoon ketchup
  • 2 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • 1/2 tablespoon cumin
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1/2 of lime juice
  • handful of fresh cilantro, picked from stems
  • greek yogurt, for topping
  • cheddar cheese, for topping

Directions

  1. Heat olive oil in a large pot. Add the onions and cook, stirring, about 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until you can smell it, about 1 minute. Add the broth, tomatoes, ketchup, Worcestershire, and chili powder. Stir in the beans, turn the heat to high and bring to a boil. Adjust the heat so the soup is bubbling gently and cook 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
  2. Chop the cilantro coarsely and stir it into the soup when it has been simmering 10 minutes. Cook until the soup is thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the lime juice. Put half of the soup in a food processor or blender and puree. Mix back together in large pot. Serve with the garnishes.

Enjoy!

Pumpkin Soup

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Hot pumpkin soup with a hint of spice makes the perfect meal to warm you up on a chilly fall day.


Ingredients

  • 1 tbs olive oil
  • 1 small onion
  • 2 cloves garlic pressed
  • 2 tsp curry powder
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 3 cups of chicken or vegetable broth
  • 1.5 cups of evaporated milk (I used almond milk for less calories)
  • 1 15oz can of pumpkin puree

Directions

  1. Heat olive oil in a large pot.
  2. Saute onions and garlic
  3. Add the curry powder, salt and pepper to the pot
  4. Add the chicken broth and pumpkin to the pot and simmer for about 15 minutes
  5. Put batches in food processor or blender and puree
  6. Pour back into the pot and add the milk of your choice

Enjoy!