Tag Archives: vegetable soup

Warming Butternut Minestrone Soup

It’s a fluctuating Fall in Reno — one day is cold and the next is warm, but the nights are always chilly. It’s a great time for a tasty soup.

This is a recipe I found at Grateful Grazer and adapted for low carb. adding in chicken because I like having some meat with my meal. You can make it without the chicken and it is a great vegetarian soup. I also swapped out some of the higher carb’d vegetables, like corn and beans, for lower carb’d ones and eliminated the pasta in it.

Butternut Minestrone Soup

Adapted for low carb by Rene Averett

2 tablespoons Coconut Oil
2 teaspoons Garlic, minced
1 teaspoon Ginger paste
1/2 cup Onions, chopped
1/2 cup Carrots, chopped
3 stalks Celery, chopped
4 cups Vegetable Broth
2 cups crushed Tomatoes with Basil
2 teaspoons ground Oregano or to taste
1 teaspoon Dried Hot Red Pepper Flakes
1/2 teaspoon ground Sage
1/2 teaspoon ground Thyme
1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper
2 cups Butternut Squash,cubed
1 cup Green Beans
2 cups Cauliflower, cut into florets
8 ounces Chicken, cooked
1 cup Brussels Sprouts, cut in half (optional)

Cut all the vegetables up before you start so you’re ready to add them in as you come to them. It’s easiest to cook the butternut squash, either microwaving or roasting, until tender, then let cool and cut it out of the rind and cube it. You can use frozen vegetables for this.

In a large soup pot, add the coconut oil and heat, then add the minced garlic, cooking until it is fragrant. Add in the onions, ginger paste, carrots, and celery and cook for about 3 to 5 minutes. Add in the vegetable broth, crushed tomatoes, seasoning, and cooked chicken. Stir to mix it all in. Then add in the cauliflower and Brussels sprouts. Lower to simmer and cook for about 30 minutes or until the cauliflower is tender.

Serve in bowls with low carb bread or tortillas. Makes 8 servings.

Nutrition Information per serving:
Calories: 135 Fat: 4.5 g Net Carbs: 11.6 g Protein: 9.0 g

Veggie Cleanup – Put in All in Soup

Do you have a veggie bin full of veggies that are “on the verge”? Then it’s time for a Cove Soup – clean out veggies easily. Just round up the veggies, clean them up, chop them and throw them in a soup pot with some broth. It will make a great soup. Here’s the recipe I used for my latest version of this. I’ve listed many vegetable options under the ingredients and they will come out to about the same carb count.

Cove Soup

1 cup Bok Choy, Brussels sprouts or cabbage, chopped
1/2 cup Daikon Radish or Globe Radishes, peeled and diced
2 medium Turnips, Rutabagas or Parsnips, peeled and diced
1/2 cup Kohlrabi, Broccoli or Cauliflower , (including stalks) peeled and diced
1 lb. Ground Turkey or ground Beef or ground Pork
1 Egg
2 cups Turnip Greens, Mustard Greens, Kale, Spinach or any other greens
1 teaspoon Rosemary, dried and crushed
1/2 teaspoon Thyme, ground
1/2 teaspoon Oregano, ground
1/2 tablespoon Parsley, dried
3/4 cup Zucchini, Summer Squash, or any squash, sliced or cubed
1/3 cup Sweet Peppers (bell), chopped
1/2 Onion, chopped
1 cup Leeks or Green Onions
15 oz. can of chopped or whole Tomatoes (check the carb count for lowest)
1 carton (16 oz) Chicken Broth
1 tablespoon Butter
Salt and Pepper to taste

Combine egg with meat, add a little salt and pepper if you wish, and roll into nut sized meatballs. Chill in the refrigerator for at least one hour. (TIP: I used 4 pre-formed turkey patties that were still partially frozen, cut them into cubes and just put them in the soup without any cooking.)

In a large soup pot, add butter and onions and cook until onion is glazed. Add broth and canned tomatoes, herbs, then the vegetables, except the greens. Stir in six cups of water, then mix the ingredients well. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Add the meatballs or meat cubes, salt and pepper, and stir. Cover and cook for 1 hour. Check the broth and add additional seasoning if it is needed. Add the greens, stir in and cook for another 10 minutes.

Serve with a parmesan cheese haystack* or just sprinkle a little cheese on top.

To make haystacks, use freshly shredded Parmesan cheese (not the canned type). Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Put a sheet of aluminum foil on a baking sheet. Spray the foil with cooking spray. Put about a tablespoon of cheese on the sheet and spread into a circle. Repeat until you’ve made 8 Parmesan stacks. Put in the oven and bake a few minutes, checking often, until they are melted and just lightly toasted. Remove and let cool for a few minutes, then peel off the foil.

Makes about 8 one cup servings

Nutrition Info per serving:
Calories: 126.9 Fat: 4.2 g Net Carbs: 6.5 g Protein: 13.5 g

Posted on 1/14/2014