Potsticker Soup

My first try at inventing a successful recipe. I don't know how much inventing actually goes into a rather simple soup, but here it is. I looked at several different recipes and did a combination of what sounded the best, left out things that sounded kinda gross (vinegar? Bok Choy?) and came up with this simple and tasty (not to mention uber fast) asian style soup! Hope you like you it too!

Potsticker Soup

Serves 2

Total Time: 10 min

32oz Chicken Broth

1tbs Soy Sauce

1tbs Toasted Sesame Oil

1c Asian Style Veggies (frozen; Carrots, Green Beans, Mushrooms, Onions)

1 clove Garlic, minced

14 Potstickers (I love Trader Joe's Chicken)

1 Green Onion, chopped

Put it all in a pot (excluding green onion) and bring to boil, reduce heat and let simmer for 2-3 min. Garnish with green onions.

You can use any type of veggie and as much as you want. Pork potstickers are good too. Reduced sodium broth and soy sauce is always a better option.

Nutrition Info

Serving is 7 potstickers and half of the broth (little more than 2c)

329 Cals

13.5g Fat, 37.2g Carb, 12.6g Protein

Ham and Potato Soup

Ham and Potato Soup

INGREDIENTS:
3 1/2 cups peeled and diced
potatoes
1/3 cup diced celery
1/3 cup finely chopped onion
1 1/2 cups diced cooked ham
3 1/4 cups water
2 tablespoons chicken bouillon granules
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 teaspoon ground white or
black pepper, or to taste
5 tablespoons butter
5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups milk

DIRECTIONS:
1. Combine the potatoes, celery, onion, ham and water in a stockpot. Bring to a boil, then cook over medium heat until potatoes are tender, about 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in the chicken bouillon, salt and pepper.
2. In a separate saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Whisk in flour with a fork, and cook, stirring constantly until thick, about 1 minute. Slowly stir in milk as not to allow lumps to form until all of the milk has been added. Continue stirring over medium-low heat until thick, 4 to 5 minutes.
3. Stir the milk mixture into the stockpot, and cook soup until heated through. Serve immediately.

1860 cals for the whole pot
4 servings
465 cals each

Red Bean Stew

Ingredients:
2 tsp Canola Oil
1 cup chopped onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 14 ounce can veggie broth
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp snipped fresh oregano, or 1/4 tsp dried oregano, crushed
1 tsp adobo sauce from canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, or 1/2 tsp adobo seasoning
1 15-16 ounce can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 tbsp snipped fresh cilantro
2 cups hot cooked brown rice


1. In a large saucepan heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; cook and stir for 3 to 4 minutes, or until onion in tender. Add veggie broth, tomato paste, dried oregano (if using), and adobo sauce. Stir in kidney beans. Mash mixture slightly with a potato masher or a wooden spoon. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in cilantro and fresh oregano (if using).

2. Serve stew with rice. If desired, serve with lime wedges.

Makes four servings
Prep to finish: 25 minutes

Nutrition facts:
Calories: 246
Fat: 4g (0 sat. fat)
Cholesterol: 0mg
Protein: 11g
Carb: 48g
Fiber: 9g
Sodium: 641mg

Note: This was a great, filling soup! I was actually full the entire evening! My girls don't like things too spicy, so I left out the adobo sauce. I also used beef broth instead of Veggie broth. I only added fresh oregano. It was lacking spice for sure. It reminded me a lot of chili, I think chili seasoning would be delish in this! Overall, this was a great low calorie dinner, packed with fiber and protein! We will definitely be making it again in our house!

Super Simple Beef Stew

Prep: 30 minutes
Cook time: 8 to 9 hours (low) or 4 to 41/2 hours high;plus 30 minutes

Ingredients:
2 Pds boneless beef chuck roast
12 Oz tiny new potatoes, quartered
4 medium carrots, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 medium onion, cut into wedges
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 cup lower sodium beef broth
1 tsp dried marjoram or died thyme, crushed
2 cups loose pack frozen green beans (9 oz)

1. Trim the fat from beef; cut beef into 1 inch cubes. Coat an unheated large skillet with nonstick cooking spray. Preheat over medium-high heat. Add half of the beef cubes. Cood and stir until browned; remove from skillet. Add remaining beef cubes; cook and stir until browned. Drain fat off of beef.

2. Place beef in a 3 1/2 or 4 quart slow cooker. Add potatoes, carrots, onions, cream of mushroom soup, beef broth, and marjoram. Stir to combine. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 8 to 9 hours or on high heat setting for 4 to 4 1/2 hours.

3. If using low heat setting, turn to high heat setting. Stir in green beans. Cover and cook about 30 minutes more or just until green beans are tender. Makes about 6 (1 1/3 cup) servings.

Nutrition facts:
Calories - 317
Fat - 9g
Cholesterol - 92 mg
Protein - 35g
Carb. - 22g
fiber - 4g
Sodium - 396 mg

Note: I didn't have any beef broth and used 1 Cup of water instead. It was much more "watery" than I liked at the end of cooking, so when I added the green beans for the last half an hour, I also added a 2nd can of cream of mushroom soup. It made it a lot creamier. Also, I'm sure added a lot more calories! But 1 can of soup, spread out over 6 servings, isn't that bad. Anyway, next time I will be sure to have beef broth on hand! The entire family loved this!!!

Mushroom Barley Soup

I found this recipe years ago on Food Fit. I changed it and prefer my way. This is my all time favorite soup. It's fast to make, increadibly filling and low cal!

Heather’s Way

It’s faster and tastes the same! Let’s not make it harder than it is. Sometimes I add more veggies (like they really count for calories, and even if they did they’re VEGETABLES!!) Sometimes I add more broth, or less. I vary the amount of barley too depending on the day. I use what I have. The flavor never really changes. Sometimes I even throw in left over roast meat. That’s yummy too. Using the quick barley makes this ready in about 20 min. I prefer the beef broth because it is easier to find, and I like the beef flavor. At the end I sprinkle on fresh grated Parmesan Cheese (Grate it Fresh from Kraft) and eat it with really crusty grain bread or croutons. This freeze’s very nicely. My nutri info is a tad less (other than sodium) then stated below becaues I omit the oil (since the veggies are frozen) and I use far less mushrooms.

Ingredients:

1c “Recipe Starters” Frozen Chopped Onions, Celery & Carrot mix (Kroger)

Salt & Pepper (this is to your taste)
1 bay leaf and liberal sprinkle of Thyme & Parsley

1/2 cup quick cooking barley (it’s in a box, Quaker and by the rice)
A giant can (32oz) of beef broth (or two, if you want it soupier or for a snack)
1 or 2 containers of sliced fresh mushrooms (2 containers is a LOT of mushrooms)

Put the veggies, spices and broth in a pot, boil. Add Barley and boil per directions (like 15 minutes or something). In the last few minutes put in the mushroom slices. I break mine into smaller pieces for ease when eating.



The "Real Way"

Ingredients:
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1/3 cup finely chopped carrots
1/3 cup finely chopped celery
1 large onion, chopped
salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper
1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 cup pearl barley
6 cups low-sodium mushroom broth or vegetable broth
2 pounds mushrooms, sliced (I thought this was WAY too much!)
1/4 cup chopped parsley

1. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over low-medium heat. Add the carrots, celery and onion, season lightly with salt and pepper, and cook for 10 minutes. 2. Add the bay leaf, thyme, barley and stock and bring to a boil quickly over high heat. 3. Lower the heat and simmer until the barley is completely tender, about 30 to 40 minutes. 4. Add the mushrooms and simmer until tender, about 5 to 7 minutes. 5. Remove the bay leaf and adjust the salt and pepper. Serve the soup in bowls and garnish with parsley.

Serving Size: about 1 1/2 cups
Number of Servings: 6

Nutrition Info Per Serving :
Calories 122
Carbohydrate 23 g
Fiber 5 g
Fat 2 g
Saturated Fat 0 g
Protein 4 g
Sodium 367 mg

Prep Time:1 hour