So I’m always on the hunt for lunch food that is healthy but, more importantly, will keep me full for the rest of the day or at least close to it. I stumbled upon this soup recipe in a tweet by xsparkage (recipe originally from First For Women Magazine). I love soup and usually have lentil soup but I was getting bored with it after having it for a couple months. This recipe, called the “New Basic Slimming Soup”, looked yummy and not too difficult so I thought I’d give it a try. I wasn’t too interested in the “slimming” aspect of it (I think you have to replace 2 meals a day with this soup for it to have that effect), but I wanted to see if it would be a filling lunch. Surprisingly, it was! I ate it around 12:30 and didn’t get hungry until 3:30/4:00. I’m someone who usually eats a yogurt and is starving like 30 minutes later haha…so the fact that this kept me full for so long is a miracle. Not only that, but its delicious (reminds me of chile) and chock full of veggies. Read the rest to find out the recipe!
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Ingredients:
- 1 3/4 lbs. lean ground beef, turkey or chopped chicken (I used turkey) *scroll down for vegetarian option
- 1 tsp. olive oil
- 1 large onion, peeled and chopped
- 1 large red, yellow or green pepper, seeded and chopped (I used red)
- 1 large yellow squash, chopped
- 8 oz. mushrooms, chopped
- 2 tsp. chopped garlic
- 1 bottle (46 oz.) reduced-sodium tomato or veggie cocktail juice (I used V8 Low Sodium)
- 1 can (15 oz.) pinto, garbanzo or black beans, rinsed and drained (I used black)
- 1 can (14 oz.) crushed tomatoes
- 1 Tbs. fresh lime juice
- 1 Tbs. ground cumin
- 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper, or to taste
- 1/4 cup each fresh cilantro and parsley leaves, chopped (I didn’t add parsley, didn’t have it)
- Prep time: 10 minutes
- Total time: 45 minutes
- Makes: 10 to 12 cups (2 to 3 cups/serving)
For a vegetarian option, omit the meat and add an additional 15 oz. can of pinto, garbanzo or black beans.
Source: First For Women Magazine
Directions:
1. In a saucepot over medium-high heat, cook beef, turkey or chicken in olive oil 5 minutes or until cooked through, stirring occasionally. Remove from pot; drain, if desired.
2. In same saucepot, cook onions, peppers, squash, mushrooms and garlic 5 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender, stirring occasionally.
3. Stir in cocktail juice, beans, tomatoes, lime juice, cumin, cayenne and cooked meat. Add 1 cup water to thin soup, if desired. Cover; bring soup just to a simmer. (Do not boil.) Reduce heat to medium-low; let simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add cilantro and parsley. Cover; let simmer 5 minutes. Garnish with shaved Parmesan cheese, if desired. (Note: Soup can be stored in refrigerator for up to 5 days or frozen.)
I’m not too sure about the sodium content, but if thats an issue I’m guessing you could omit half the veggie juice and replace it with water. I’ve used water as a base for my soups before and they’ve been just as tasty. Enjoy!