Chickpea Noodle Soup

We are starting to head into January and February and if there is any time of year I get sick, it’s during these months. Usually with some sort of a sinus infection/cold. And what meal always comes to mind when we’re sick? Chicken Noodle Soup! So I thought I’d share with you my vegetarian version: Chickpea Noodle Soup.

Now – one rule is that if I’m sick, I don’t feel like cooking, so it better be simple, quick, and easy. If I do have a small amount of energy to cook something so I don’t have to heat up a canned soup, then this is one of the ones I’ll make. And to be honest – I might even “cheat” and get the frozen chopped carrot/celery/onion mixture so the prep work is basically nothing. But if you can and feel like chopping the vegetables fresh, do so.

Low Sodium or Regular Broth?

I will talk more about the salt content in my video next week, but unless you have a heart issue and/or having to take blood pressure medication, salt can be important when you are sick. It helps your body to stay hydrated since it helps your cells holds onto fluid. When you’re sick this can be an important part of your diet since dehydration is the number one concern with any sickness. I mean – when do you not hear the doctor say “drink plenty of fluids”?

Depending on your personal situation, using regular broth verses a low-sodium version might be needed when you’re sick and especially if this might be the only meal you eat in a day. However – if you do have heart disease and/or taking medication for high blood pressure, then the low-sodium option would be better to use.

Video Coming Next Week

To go with the post yesterday about the new A Different Beet You Tube Channel, this will be part of my first video along with two other soups already on the blog for easy soups when you’re sick.

Until then… enjoy the recipe!

Chickpea Noodle Soup

• Servings: 4 main or 6 side
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Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 1 Tbsp poultry seasoning
• 1 tsp dried parsley
• 1 15oz can chickpeas, drained
• 4 cups vegetable broth (should be 1 regular size carton)
• 1 pkg cooked udon noodles
• Salt and Pepper, if desired
• Lemon juice to top

Directions

1. In a medium pot heat oil on medium high heat. Add in chopped onion, carrots, and celery and cook until onions are translucent, about 8 minutes.
2. Add poultry seasoning and stir to combine and toast about 1 minute.
3. Add in chickpeas, broth and cooked udon noodles.
4. Let simmer for about 15 minutes and it’s ready to serve.
5. Top with salt and pepper if needed and/or lemon juice.

Green Chile and Potato Stew

This is one of my favorite quick stews to make in the fall and winter for those rainy days or days that you don’t feel very well. It can be spicy if you want to make it that way, and it’s super comforting and full of flavor. It’s also something I make that reminds me of saying goodbye to summer and welcoming fall.

In the Southwest Hatch green chilies are in season in August and finding fresh roasted green chilies can be found at the store. You can always use the diced green chilies in the can that are more accessible throughout the year, although it will have a different flavor and won’t be very spicy. Either way, both version are delicious!

We usually will make something to go along with this like quesadillas, tacos, etc. if it’s going to be dinner. Otherwise it makes a good lunch with some chips and salsa or tortillas.

Green Chili and Potato Stew

• Servings: 4-6 servings
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Ingredients

• 1-2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 potatoes, chopped
• 1/2 medium onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 cup vegetable or chicken broth
• 2 15oz cans Pinto Beans, or 3 cups cooked
• 2 4oz cans diced green chilies, or 2-3 diced roasted green chilies with or without seeds
• 1 28oz can crushed tomatoes
• Cilantro and Limes for serving

Directions

1. In a medium pan heat olive oil on medium heat and add potatoes and onion. Saute for about 5-8 minutes until onions are translucent and the potatoes and onion start to brown.
2. Add on garlic, chili powder, and cumin. Continuously stir and toast the spices until fragrant, about 1 minute.
3. Slowly add broth. It will steam. Make sure what started to stick on the bottom of the pan is now incorporated.
4. Add the rest of the ingredients: pinto beans, green chilies, and crushed tomatoes.
5. Simmer for at least 20 minutes.
6. Serve hot with cilantro and limes.

Macro Balance

• 63% Carbohydrates
• 16% Protein
• 21% Fat

Creamy Tomato Basil Soup (Low-Fat & Dairy Free)

Tomato basil soup is one of our favorites and is simple to make. When I became plant based it was one of those things that was hard to find a good recipe that wasn’t too acidic that James would eat. When we were first married I made a creamy tomato basil soup with canned tomatoes with Italian seasonings, and cream cheese… that was pretty much it. It was delicious. One of James’ favorites, but couldn’t say it was nutritiously balanced. Plus the fact that both James and I are (at the least) lactose-intolerant.

So finding a dairy-free creamy tomato soup was one of my challenges. I was able to make a few here and there that were “good” but I wanted something I could make over and over again, and it be just as easy as the other recipe. And through trial and error, I’ve come up with this one! But before we get to the recipe, let’s look at tomatoes for a minute.

Tomatoes

Tomatoes is one of the few fruits/vegetables that can be more nutritious after cooking it, than before. Heat changes the chemistry of the food and for tomatoes, it’s a good thing. However raw tomatoes will have more vitamin C. Why is it sometimes better to cook tomatoes?

Lycopene is the phytochemical that gives tomatoes their rich red color, although not all red fruits and vegetables have lycopene. It’s also an antioxidant which is what helps with the oxygenation of cells that naturally occurs with aging. Scientists found that the more tomatoes were cooked, although loosing the amount of vitamin C, increased in the amount of lycopene. So what does it specifically do for us?

Lycopene

• Antioxidant
  • Fights toxins and pesticides
• Eye Health
  • Ability to prevent or delay cataracts
• Brain Health
  • Counteracts future cell damage and death
• Heart Health
  • Helps lower blood pressure, helps and prevents coronary heart disease
• Bone Health
  • Relieves oxidative stress in bones that cause them to be brittle and weak

The other good thing about cooking tomatoes, the longer they cook, the better the flavor. Spaghetti sauce, chili, tomato soup, etc. If you are able to let it simmer for a while, even a few hours, the flavor is richer and less acidic. And now you know it will have higher levels of a powerful antioxidant.

Ready for a dairy-free, low-fat, creamy tomato soup that is easy to make in 10 minutes?

• Servings: 4 Servings
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Ingredients

• 1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes with garlic, basil, and oregano, undrained
• 1 (14 oz) can tomato sauce
• 1 (15 oz) can butter beans (or cannellini beans if you can’t find butter beans)
• 1 cup unsweetened plain plant-based yogurt (I use Kite Hill’s) Or you can use a plant based version that is creamy and adds fat, which is using coconut cream from the can.
• 1 tsp brown sugar, optional
• salt and pepper to taste, if desired

Directions

1. Add all ingredients to a blender, other than brown sugar, and blend until smooth. Add to a medium pan and heat through at least for 10 minutes.
2. If you can let it simmer for 30 minutes or more the flavors will be more combined and less acidic. If they are still acidic or you don’t want to wait for it to simmer, add in the 1 teaspoon of brown sugar to cut the acidity.

Nutritional Information

215 calories | 1.0 g total fat | 0.2 g saturated fat | 0.4 g polyunsaturated fat | 0.1 g monounsaturated fat | 0 g trans fat | 2.4 mg cholesterol | 1437 sodium (if not using low sodium canned goods) | 37 g carbohydrates | 8 g fiber | 15.5 g sugar | 14.4 g protein

Macro Sources

69% Carbohydrates | 4% Fat | 27% Protein

Dietary Servings per Portion

• 0.6 Meat Alternative
• 0.3 Milk Alternative
• 3.4 Vegetables

White Bean & Kale Italian Soup

One of my favorite ways to eat kale is in soups. It’s a hearty enough green that it keeps it’s form when cooked and in broth and it add a deep rich green color to your meal. This simple bean and vegetable stew it’s great when you just want to warm up, or are getting sick, or just want a low-fat high-fiber meal. I like to make this recipe this time of year because of it being flu season and the extra nutrition boost it can give. Check out some the benefits of white beans & kale.

Benefits of White Beans

• High Fiber
• High in Plant-Based Protein
• Helps Healthy Weight Loss
• Regulates Blood Sugar
• High in Magnesium for Heart Health, Bone Health, Nerve Health, etc.

Benefits of Kale

• Cruciferous Vegetable – Known to Fight Cancer
• Anti-Inflammatory
• Rich in Vitamin C
• Helps to Lower Bad Cholesterol
• High in Lutein for Healthy Vision

No doubt this antioxidant rich, high fiber, delicious stew is one to keep in your recipe box for emergencies during flu season!

 

White Bean and Kale Italian Soup

• Servings: 4 servings as meal
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Ingredients

• 1 small yellow onion, chopped
• 2 large garlic cloves, minced
• 3 medium carrots, chopped
• 2 celery sticks, chopped
• 1 small bunch of kale, chopped
• 1 cup dry white wine*
• 4-6 cups vegetable broth, depending on how much broth you’d like
• 1 15oz. can cannelloni beans, drained or 3 cups cooked cannelloni beans
• 1 tsp ground sage
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tbsp dried parsley
• salt and pepper to taste

*I use a cup of white wine to give it an added layer of flavor. When wine is cooked the alcohol and any sulfites, that many can be allergic to, are cooked off. If you don’t want to put wine in the soup, add another cup of vegetable broth or until it is as thick or thin as you’d like it to be.

Directions

1. Heat a large pot on low heat, add onion, if you’d like to add a small amount of oil you can or keep the heat on low to allow the onion to excrete all it’s juices. Once the onion is cooking and starting to be translucent, add in the garlic. Cook until fragrant – about 1 minute. Add in carrots and celery and allow to cook for a few minutes until carrots start to get soft. About 7-10 minutes.
2. Add in the chopped kale, dry white wine (optional), and vegetable broth. Allow to simmer and the kale to wilt. 5 minutes.
3. Add in the cooked beans, sage, thyme, and parsley. Let simmer for a few minutes. Taste and add salt and pepper if needed.

Nutritional Information

284 calories | 3.6 g total fat | 1.9 g polyunsaturated fat | 0.6 g monounsaturated fat | 0.5 g saturated | 0 g trans fats | 0 mg cholesterol | 1235 mg sodium (depending on broth) | 43 g carbohydrates | 15 g fiber | 6.6 g total sugar | 11.7 g protein | 502% Vitamin A | 88% Vitamin C | 433% Vitamin K | 18% Calcium | 20% Iron