February 2011
Delicious Soups to Warm Your Tummy
by Mary Gerlach, R.D.
Registered Dietician
Nothing beats the winter chill than an easy-to-fix steaming bowl of homemade soup or stew. These delicious, hot dinner meals are filled with good-for-you vegetables and often high protein meats, fish or chicken.
Whether you put it in the crockpot before leaving the house for your busy day, or simmer it on the stovetop when you get home in the evening, a steaming bowl of hot mouth-watering soup hits the spot.
In many countries, hearty soups and stews are enjoyed any time of the day or night, including for breakfast. Soups can be comforting and will warm you from the inside out. A hearty stew can sure hit the spot on a blustery day. Soups can also be festive, like large pots of posole served throughout New Mexico during the holidays.
They can take all day to simmer, like the crockpot chile recipe below, or be ready in a flash, like the tortellini and bean soup. Serve them with bread or rolls and a green or fruit salad for a complete dinner meal.
These recipes have a rather long list of ingredients, but they are worth the extra effort of measuring out all the herbs and spices and chopping all the vegetables.
Serve mouth-watering, delicious soups during February to warm your families’ hearts and tummies.
Smokey Slow Cooker Pork Chile
Chile
1 pound ground pork
1 pound boneless pork shoulder, cut into ½-inch chunks
3 cups chopped onion
1¾ cups chopped green bell pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 Tbs. tomato paste
1 (12 ounce) can beer
½ tsp. salt, divided
3 Tbs. red chile powder
1 Tb. ground cumin
2 tsps. dried oregano
¾ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
6 fresh tomatillos, quartered (or ½ cup canned tomatillos, include juice)
2 bay leaves
2 (14½ ounce) cans plum tomatoes,undrained and chopped
1 (15 ounce) can no-salt-added pinto beans
1 (7¾ ounce) can Mexican hot-style tomato sauce
1 (8 ounce or so) smoked ham hock
1½ Tbs. brown sugar
Toppings½ cup finely chopped cilantro
½ cup finely chopped green onions
½ cup crumbled queso fresco
6 lime wedges
Place all ingredients except brown sugar and toppings in 4-quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on HIGH for 5 hours or until meat is tender (or on LOW for 8 hours). Remove bay leaves and ham hock bone; discard. Stir in brown sugar. Makes about 6 (1¾-cups) servings.
Top each serving with cilantro, green onions and cheese. Include a lime wedge with each dish. Serve chile with homemade cornbread.
Nutrition information per serving: Calories 460; Carbohydrates 34g; Protein 37g; Fat 18g; Cholesterol 107 mg; Sodium 784 mg.
Tortellini, White Bean and Pesto Soup
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1 medium carrot, cut into thin julienne strips
½ cup chopped onion
½ cup chopped celery
6 cups water
2 tsps. vegetable or chicken bouillon granules
1 (19 ounce) can white kidney beans
1 (10 ounce) package dried cheese-filled tortellini (2½ cups)
2 Tbs. chopped fresh parsley
½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
Toppings6 Tbs. basil pesto
6 Tbs. shaved Parmesan cheese
In large saucepan, sauté garlic, carrot, onion, and celery in olive oil about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in water and bouillon granules. Heat to boiling; reduce heat.
Stir in beans and tortellini. Cover and simmer about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tortellini are al dente. Stir in parsley and pepper.
Top each serving with pesto and cheese. Serve piping hot with crusty bread. Makes 6 servings.
Nutrition information per serving: Calories 440; Carbohydrates 49g; Protein 19g; Fat 19g; Cholesterol 25 mg; Sodium 990 mg.
Vegetarian Moroccan Pumpkin Soup
3½ cups cubed peeled fresh pumpkin or butternut squash (about 1¼ pounds)
2 cups organic vegetable broth
1¾ cups diced yellow onion
1 cup water
¼ tsp. ground cumin
1/8 tsp. ground ginger
1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon
½ tsp. ground red chile
¼ tsp. ground allspice
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
½ tsp. ground coriander
1 tsp. kosher salt
½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 cup low-fat milk
1 Tb. butter
8 tsps. plain yogurt
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
Combine pumpkin or squash with broth, onion, water, and the 10 spices in a large saucepan; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
Use a hand blender or potato masher to blend until smooth. Place pureed mixture over very low heat. Add milk and butter; cook 3 minutes or until thoroughly heated.
Top each serving with a dollop of yogurt and fresh cilantro. Serve with crusty bread and a salad. Makes 4 (1? cups) servings. Nutrition information per serving: Calories 182; Carbohydrates 35 g; Protein 4 g; Fat 5 g; Cholesterol 12 mg; Sodium 839 mg
Sour Cream Cornbread
Cooking spray¼ cup butter or margarine, melted
¾ cup low-fat milk
½ cup sour cream or plain yogurt
1 large egg
1¼ cups plus 2 Tbs. white, yellow or blue cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2½ tsps. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
Preheat oven to 400°F. Spray the bottom and sides of an 8-inch square pan (or 9-inch round cake pan) with the cooking spray.
In a mixing bowl, beat the melted butter, milk, sour cream, and egg with a fork or wire whisk until well mixed. Add the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt all at once; stir just until the flour is moistened (batter will be lumpy). Do not over mix.
Pour batter into the pan; spread batter evenly in pan and smooth top of batter. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Serve warm. Makes 12 servings.
Nutrition information per serving: Calories 180; Carbohydrates 29g; Protein 4g; Fat 5g; Cholesterol 30 mg; Sodium 260 mg.