I know what you’re thinking. “She’s blogging about soup when it’s 100000 degrees outside??” Yeahhh…I am. I love soup though, and while it is much more cozy in the Fall/Winter, I crave it all the same. Plus, when I made it yesterday and my 2 year old inhaled 2 whole bowls of it, I thought it might be worth sharing. AND if that’s not enough, it is loaded with vegetables, so if you are looking for a tasty way to sneak extra vegetables into somebody, this is a good way to go about it. So, as I sit here eating a bowl of this leftover soup (makes for good leftovers), here is the recipe to try at home. It has no artificial ingredients, and is reduced sodium compared to many versions if you use no added salt canned products, and low sodium broth. You can also get creative with herbs and spices if you feel like it needs more of a kick, like cumin or chili powder. Because I served this as a main dish, I added leftover cooked, chopped up chicken as a source of protein. 
Eat Your Vegetables Soup Serves about 8 Ingredients: 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil 1 medium onion, chopped 2 stalks celery, chopped 4 carrots, chopped 4 teaspoons minced garlic 4 14.5 oz cans of low sodium chicken broth (can sub with vegetable broth too) 2 14.5 oz cans of no salt added diced tomatoes (undrained) 2 bay leaves 1 Tablespoon dried parsley 1/2 teaspoon thyme 2 1/2-3 cups potatoes, chopped (I used baby golden so I didn’t have to peel them..) 1 14.5 oz can no salt added green beans 1 cup frozen peas 1 cup frozen corn Salt and Pepper to taste Optional: Chopped cooked chicken, as much as you’d like Optional: 1 teaspoon cumin or chili powder, for spice Directions: 1) Heat olive oil in a stock pot over medium heat. Sauté onion, celery, and carrot for about 3 minutes 2) Add minced garlic, sauté a couple minutes more 3) Add chicken broth, diced tomatoes, bay leaves, parsley, thyme, (cumin or chili powder if desired) and chopped potatoes. Season with salt and pepper to taste, but as always, go easy on the salt. 4) Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and allow to simmer covered for about 30 minutes. 5) Add green beans, peas, corn, and if desired, cooked chicken. Cook until all heated through. Like any recipe that has fresh vegetables, chopping them up the night before and throwing them in a ziplock bag in the fridge is a great time saver for that dinner time rush. Or if you are in a pinch, frozen mixed vegetables can work as well. Let me know how it works out for you!
This Thursday, July 14 at 6:30pm I will be holding another Carbohydrate Counting Made Easy class at the office. If you are confused on what proper carb portioning should look like, have diabetes, or want to prevent diabetes, this is a great class for you! Check out www.food4success.com for more info. Until next time!
