Soups & Stews

White Bean & Spinach Soup

Leah Short — Sat, 06 Oct 2018 18:34:02 +0000

Is it fall where you are? Not here in Nashville. We’ve had weather in the 80s and 90s STILL. I’m thinking if I keep making cold weather meals, I can will fall weather this way south. This is the second weekend in a row that I’ve made this incredibly easy and delicious White Bean & Spinach Soup. It’s so easy, you probably have most of the ingredients on hand. I used to be team fresh (garlic, lemons, onions, etc) and while I still appreciate that those items are better fresh, I find myself turning more and more to convenience items. And you know what? I’m not missing out on any flavor, but saving tons of time.

I say this recipe is super easy because I use frozen chopped onions (I always have a bag or two in the freezer), jarred minced garlic (I know, I know), Better Than Bouillon Chicken Base, and already cooked crumbled bacon. When I want a quick dinner, these items are life savers…and saves clean up time, too! You just have to be mindful of how you’re using them because sometimes the fresh versions are truly better. In this soup recipe, the shortcuts work great!

This soup is so colorful and full of flavor. It’s pretty good without the optional toppings, but ooo boy the bowl I had today was a game changer! A sprinkle of bacon, cheese, and chunks of avocado on top took this to another level. So, come on Nashville, where’s my cardigan weather?

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Sausage, Cannellini, and Tomato Ragout

Leah Short — Mon, 11 May 2015 23:12:27 +0000

Posts have been a little scarce around here lately, but for good reason. So, How’s It Taste had a little behind-the-scenes makeover and you should notice how much faster the site is! It’s lightning fast thanks to moving to a new hosting company. More changes are coming soon…but until then, let’s talk about this Sausage, Cannellini, and Tomato Ragout. You won’t believe the flavor in this, and all under 300 calories per serving. One recipe makes four large servings and wait until you see what I serve with it.

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Clean Slate: Almond Chicken Soup with Sweet Potato, Kale, & Ginger

Leah Short — Sun, 22 Feb 2015 18:47:38 +0000

Oh if there’s ever been the perfect time for this soup. I’ve been stuck in my house since last Sunday thanks to an unreal ice storm plus snow in Nashville. I can finally see parts of my driveway peeking through the ice as it melts more and more. With temps below freezing, all I want is soup. Y’all know my love for odd flavor combinations, so I had to try this Almond Chicken Soup with Sweet Potato, Kale, and Ginger from the Clean Slate cookbook. Yep, it’s not only a big bowl of comfort, but it’s good for you!

So, how’s it taste?

I was really curious about how almond butter would work in a soup. I’ve had it mixed with savory before in this sandwich, but I couldn’t imagine how it would work in broth. It makes it incredible! The almond butter with the ginger makes this soup phenomenal! The original recipe in Clean Slate called for collard greens, but I subbed kale. Kale really stood up to the soup and didn’t get mushy. I had leftovers from the fridge and froze some as well, and both times the soup was just as good as when I first made it. I loved the texture of the smooth broth with the chunks of chicken and sweet potato. The squeeze of lime at the end brightens the dish. I can’t wait to make this one again!

The dishes you see in the pictures above are part of the Martha Stewart Collection white dishware available exclusively at Macy’s. Fantastic dishware for everyday use, plus they’re dishwasher and microwave safe!

Yield: 4 servings

Almond Chicken Soup with Sweet Potato, Kale, & Ginger

Ingredients:

4 cups chicken stock
1/2 yellow onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 large sweet potato, peeled and finely chopped
8 oz. boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 cup smooth almond butter
1 cup chopped, trimmed kale leaves (or collard green leaves)
2 tbsp. minced peeled fresh ginger
coarse salt & freshly ground black pepper
lime wedges, for serving

Directions:

1. Combine stock, onion, garlic, and sweet potato in a stockpot, and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, and add the chicken; cover and simmer 20 minutes.

2. In a bowl, whisk together almond butter and 1/2 cup of hot broth into a thick paste.

3. Add kale (or collard) and ginger to soup; bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered, 5 minutes. Stir in almond butter paste. Season with salt and pepper. Serve soup immediately with lime wedges.

per serving: 348 calories, 21g fat, 17g carbs, 26g protein, 3g fiber

*Nutrition based on using collards, not kale.

Source: Clean Slate by the editors of Martha Stewart Living

Disclosure: I received a copy of Clean Slate: A Cookbook and Guide: Reset Your Health, Detox Your Body, and Feel Your Best and the Martha Stewart Collection white dishware at no cost. All opinions expressed here are solely my own, as always. This post contains affiliate links.

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Creamy Tomato Soup

Leah Short — Mon, 31 Mar 2014 13:39:42 +0000

Last week I brought you a recipe for mac and cheese that I just adore. It’s a bonus that it’s low calorie, too. I promised to share with you another tasty low calorie dish that I eat with the mac and cheese. This Creamy Tomato Soup is low enough in calories that a small bowl of it is the perfect companion to those cheesy macaroni noodles. This is such a simple recipe, but has a lot of savory flavors that go so well with the creamy mac and cheese. One serving is about 74 calories and that’s perfect to pair this with almost any entree!

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Roasted Tomato-Corn Chowder with Cilantro Pesto

Leah Short — Fri, 14 Mar 2014 14:08:05 +0000

I love a good soup. Even when it’s hot outside, I’ll still crave a good bowl of soup. They’re easy, comforting, and a great source for bread-dipping. This Roasted Tomato-Corn Chowder with Cilantro Pesto certainly meets all those requirements. It takes no time to make, is low calorie (which hello, room for more bread!), and only makes four servings so you’re not stuck eating soup for weeks. A tasty bonus is the cilantro pesto swirled on top with pepitas!

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White Turkey Chili

Leah Short — Mon, 27 Jan 2014 16:48:21 +0000

Last week I was craving chili something awful. I had a bunch of turkey in my freezer that I had fried and was itching to make a White Turkey Chili. I found this Williams-Sonoma recipe and couldn’t get the addition of cornmeal out of my mind. I had to make it. Plus any reason to add cheese and a dollop of sour cream to my food is good enough for me!

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Lemon Chicken Soup with Fettuccine

Leah Short — Mon, 18 Nov 2013 15:22:22 +0000

I was really in the mood for some classic comfort food a few weekends ago. I wasn’t quite up for a big pot of chili, but soup sounded so good. I found this Lemon Chicken Soup with Fettuccine in my Giada at Home: Family Recipes from Italy and California cookbook and was instantly sold. Homemade chicken noodle soup but with a few twists. Giada uses spaghetti, but I wanted thicker noodles so I opted for fettuccine. The addition of lemon smelled amazing while it was cooking on the stove. Using already cooked rotisserie chicken makes this a cinch. It doesn’t get any better than a big bowl of soup, especially when you didn’t have to slave over the stove all day.

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Broccoli Cheese Soup

Leah Short — Wed, 25 Sep 2013 13:00:00 +0000

I really got into Fall mode this past Sunday. Windows open and a pot of veggies simmering on the stove for soup. I’m a huge fan of Broccoli Cheese Soup, but it can easily get a little overboard in the calorie department. I found a simple recipe from Cooking Light for a more figure-friendly version. It’s not as thick and creamy as it’s not-so-light counterpart, but at 160 calories per serving, I’m not complaining.

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Pierogi, Sausage & Squash Stew

Leah Short — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 16:04:35 +0000

We’ve barely mentioned pierogies on this blog. Back in 2010, they were on my recap post of a food tour I took in NYC. I love them. If you’re not familiar with pierogies, they are a carb-lovers dream. Pillows of dough filled with mashed potatoes. I like to slather mine in sour cream and onions. As I flipped through my Food Network magazine, I had eyes for this Pierogi, Sausage & Squash Stew. I added sausage to the title because it’s such a huge part of this dish. So much going on in this recipe and it makes four huge servings. I like the word “huge” when it refers to a serving size and I’m counting calories.

So, how’s it taste?

I was iffy about it because the ingredients have the potential to be too weird together to be good. Especially when you add the cabbage. It stinks! Seriously stinks! Luckily the smell is no where near the flavor. I had to alter the recipe a bit and used pork sausage instead of turkey. That worked out really well, so I highly suggest making that substitution. I also couldn’t find pre-cut butternut squash either fresh or frozen and I wasn’t about to cut one myself, so I substituted frozen, pureed butternut squash. I really toiled over that decision at the grocery store, but again, I think it worked out better than if I had used cubed. It makes the stew really thick and comforting. There’s enough chunks it it with the mushrooms, sausage, and the pierogies, so I liked not having yet another chunk of something.

The flavor was incredible. I’ll repeat that. Incredible! I was surprised at how much I loved it. It was hearty and comforting and had so many textures. The cabbage stays a bit crunchy, then all the chunks of mushrooms and sausage, and oh those pierogies! A dollop of sour cream makes it so rich. I started using a bit of prepared horseradish in this soup and now I try it in others all the time. It works fantastic in this stew. It gives just a bit of kick and yet another layer of awesomeness.

I would suggest cooking the pierogies separately as you need them for a serving. While I really enjoyed the leftovers, the pierogies got a bit soggy the longer they were in the stew. If you’re using full size pierogies, I also suggest cutting them in thirds. It makes for much easier eating.

Pierogi, Sausage & Squash Stew

adapted from Food Network Magazine
makes 4 servings
per serving: 388 calories, 13g fat, 46g carbs, 4g fiber, 24g protein

Ingredients:

2 tsp. olive oil
8 oz. Italian turkey or pork sausage, casings removed
1 tbsp. tomato paste
1 lb. cremini mushrooms, sliced
2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
3 cups shredded coleslaw mix or shredded cabbage
10 oz. box frozen butternut squash, thawed
1 (12 oz.) package cheddar and potato pierogies
Kosher salt
1/3 cup sour cream
Freshly ground pepper
Horseradish, prepared, optional

Directions:

1. Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat; add sausage and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until browned, about 5 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring, 30 seconds. Add mushrooms and stir well to coat. Increase heat to medium high, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are tender, about 5 minutes. Add flour and cook, stirring, 1 minute, then stir in chicken broth and 2 cups water, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.

2. Add coleslaw mix, cover and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium and cook until the cabbage is wilted, about 3 minutes. Add the squash and pierogies* and simmer, uncovered, until the pierogies are cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes. Season with salt. Divide among bowls and top with the sour cream, and pepper to taste. Add horseradish for a spicy kick.

*Note: I would suggest cooking the pierogies separately and adding them as you need them for each serving. The leftovers tasted great, but the pierogies did get a bit soggy the longer they were in the stew. So if you're not going to eat the entire recipe in one sitting, cook as many pierogies as you need per serving. It's also good to cut them into thirds to make eating the stew easier.

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Roasted Cauliflower Soup

Leah Short — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 13:00:28 +0000

A few years ago I made a Cream of Cauliflower Soup and was obsessed with it. Obsessed. When I saw this Roasted Cauliflower Soup recipe in Cooking Light, I knew I had to make it asap. I’m a huge, huge fan of roasting vegetables. They are so easy to pop in the oven with just salt and pepper, and what a wonderful flavor you get for almost any vegetable, especially cauliflower. I could only imagine how good that flavor would be in a creamy soup.

So, how’s it taste?

Oh my my my was it ever good. It gives the illusion that it would be a thick and creamy soup, but it’s actually on the thinner side. Not quite as thin as broth, but it’s not as thick as a “cream of” soup. I loved it. I thought it was so pretty in such a simple way with the flecks of the darker spots on the roasted cauliflower. I used an immersion blender and purposely left some small chunks of cauliflower in my version. There’s really not much to the ingredients, but roasting the cauliflower first is where all the awesome flavor comes from. The original recipe has additional steps to add ham and a bread topping, but I was too lazy for all of that. I topped a few servings with parsley and other servings with crumbled blue cheese and almond slivers. All of those toppings really worked well, but it’s good plain if you don’t want to fuss with the extra steps and make this a weeknight meal.

Yield: 4 servings

Roasted Cauliflower Soup

Ingredients:

1 large cauliflower head, cut into florets
2 tsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp. kosher salt, divided
Cooking spray
1 1/2 tsp. unsalted butter
3/4 cup chopped yellow onion
4 garlic cloves, chopped
4 cups unsalted chicken stock or broth (or vegetable for vegetarian)
1 cup water
1/2 cup half-and-half
optional toppings: sliced almonds, parsley, blue cheese crumbles

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450F.

2. Place cauliflower in a large bowl; drizzle with oil, and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Toss to coat. Arrange mixture in a single layer on a jelly-roll pan coated with cooking spray. Bake 30 minutes or until tender and browned, stirring once after 15 minutes.

3. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Melt 1 1/2 teaspoons butter in pan. Add onion and garlic; sauté 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add cauliflower, stock, and water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; stir in half-and-half.

4. Place half of cauliflower mixture in a blender (or you can use an immersion blender in the Dutch oven and skip the next few steps). Remove center piece of blender lid (to allow steam to escape); secure blender lid on blender. Place a clean towel over opening in blender lid (to avoid splatters). Blend until smooth; pour pureed soup into a bowl. Repeat with remaining cauliflower mixture. Stir in remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt.

per serving: 245 calories, 12.6g fat, 14.7g protein, 21.7g carbs, 5.6g fiber
*note: nutrition information from original recipe on Cooking Light

adapted from Cooking Light, January/February 2013

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