Slim down with soup: our 7-day meal plan, featuring recipes for delicious homemade soup, will help you lose weight without going hungry

Natural Health, Jan-Feb, 2002 by Victoria Abbott Riccardi

Garlicky Tomato Soup Base

MAKES 16 CUPS

This chunky tomato soup base makes
enough for the three variations that
follow, plus 4 extra cups to have on
hand in case you have company.

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 large onions, chopped (about
  4 cups)
2 medium carrots, peeled and
  chopped (about 1 cup)
2 medium ribs celery, chopped
  (about 3/4 cup)
8 cups clear vegetable broth
8 medium garlic cloves, minced
2 28-ounce cans diced tomatoes
  (packed in juice) with basil
  Salt and ground black pepper
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

Heat oil in stockpot over medium-high
heat. Add onions, carrots, and
celery and saute until vegetables turn
soft and brown, about 12 minutes. Stir
in broth, garlic, and diced tomatoes and
their juices, and season with salt and
pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, and then
reduce heat to low. Simmer, uncovered,
for 30 minutes. Stir in parsley and season
with additional salt and pepper to
taste.

PER CUP: 65 CALORIES, 2 G PROTEIN, 1 G FAT,
<1 G SATURATED FAT, 12 G CARBOHYDRATES,
2 G FIBER, 63 MG SODIUM, 2% CALCIUM
Southwestern TomatoChickpea
Soup with
Crushed Corn Chips

SERVES 4

4 cups Garlicky Tomato
  Soup Base
1 15-ounce can chickpeas,
  drained and rinsed
1 cup frozen corn
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
24 low-fat corn chips,
  lightly crushed

Pour soup base into large saucepan.
Add chickpeas, corn, and cumin and
bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and
simmer 5 minutes. Stir in cilantro. Ladle
soup into bowls and garnish each bowl
with crushed corn chips. Serve immediately.

PER 1 1/2-CUP SERVING: 213 CALORIES,
9 G PROTEIN, 3 G FAT, <1 G SATURATED FAT,
40 G CARBOHYDRATES, 8 G FIBER, 94 MG SODIUM,
8% CALCIUM
Tuscan Tomato, Swiss Chard,
and Pasta Soup

SERVES 4

4 cups Garlicky Tomato
  Soup Base
2 cups packed chopped fresh
  Swiss chard (about 5 ounces)
1 cup cooked white beans
  (about half a 15-ounce can,
  drained and rinsed)
1/2 cup whole-wheat elbow pasta
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

1. Pour soup base into large
saucepan, Add Swiss chard and white
beans and bring to a boil. Reduce heat
to low and simmer soup until chard is
tender, about 6 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, bring about 1 quart
of water to a boil in a medium
saucepan for cooking pasta. Add
elbows and cook until al dente, about
8 minutes. Drain.

3. Add pasta to tomato soup mixture
and stir in basil until it is slightly
wilted. Ladle soup into bowls and serve
immediately.

PER 1 1/2-CUP SERVING: 181 CALORIES,
8 G PROTEIN, 1 G FAT, <1 G SATURATED FAT,
34 G CARBOHYDRATES, 6 G FIBER, 105 MG
SODIUM, 8% CALCIUM
Hungarian Tomato-Cabbage
Soup with Butter Beans

SERVES 4

4 cups Garlicky Tomato Soup
  Base
1/2 teaspoon olive oil
3 cups chopped green cabbage
  (about 10 ounces)
1 teaspoon hot paprika
1 15-ounce can butter or navy
  beans, drained and rinsed

1. Pour soup base into large
saucepan.

2. Heat oil in medium nonstick
skillet over high heat. Add cabbage and
paprika and saute until cabbage is
slightly softened, about 5 minutes. Add
3/4 cup water to skillet, cover, and continue
cooking until cabbage is tender,
about 5 minutes.

3. Add cabbage mixture and butter
or navy beans to soup base and bring
to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer
for 2 minutes. Ladle soup into
bowls and serve immediately.

PER 1 1/2-CUP SERVING: 174 CALORIES,9 G PROTEIN, 2 G FAT, <1
G SATURATED FAT,
32 G CARBOHYDRATES, 9 G FIBER, 85 MG
SODIUM, 11% CALCIUM
Japanese Mushroom Soup
with Tofu and Soba

SERVES 4

4 cups Mushroom-Leek
  Soup Base (page 98)
1/2 pound firm tofu, drained
  and diced
2 tablespoons minced
  fresh ginger
1/4 pound soba noodles,
  snapped in half
2 cups chopped fresh
  watercress (about
  5 ounces)
4 medium scallions, white
  and light green parts only,
  sliced thin (about 1/4 cup)

1. Pour soup base into large
saucepan. Add tofu and ginger and
bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low
and simmer for 6 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, bring 2 quarts of
water to a boil in medium saucepan
for cooking pasta. Add soba noodles
and cook until al dente, about 10 minutes.
Drain.

3. Add soba to soup and stir in
watercress until it is slightly wilted.
Ladle soup into bowls and sprinkle
each serving with 1 tablespoon scallions.
Serve immediately.

PER 1 1/2-CUP SERVING: 250 CALORIES,13 G PROTEIN, 3
G FAT, <1 G SATURATED FAT,
40 G CARBOHYDRATES, 5 G FIBER, 108 MG
SODIUM, 11% CALCIUM
Mushroom-Leek Soup Base

MAKES 16 CUPS

Use this base for the recipe on page 61 as
well as the two recipes that follow.

4 teaspoons olive oil, divided
6 medium leeks, white and light
  green parts only, chopped (about
  4 cups)
3 medium stalks celery, chopped
  (about 1 cup)
4 sprigs fresh tarragon
  Salt and ground black pepper
4 pounds mixed mushrooms, sliced
2 cups dry white wine or water
10 cups mushroom broth
6 medium garlic cloves, minced

1. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in stockpot over
medium-high heat. Add leeks, celery, and
tarragon and saute until vegetables soften,
about 12 minutes. Season with salt and pepper
to taste.

2. Working in two batches, heat 1 teaspoon
oil in large nonstick skillet over
medium-high heat. Add half of mushrooms
and saute until browned, about 12 minutes.
Stir in half of wine to "clean" skillet. Using
rubber spatula, scrape mixture into stockpot.
Repeat process with remaining oil,
mushrooms, and wine.

3. Add broth and garlic to stockpot and
bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to low
and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes.
Remove and discard tarragon sprigs. Season
with additional salt and pepper to taste.

PER CUP: 118 CALORIES, 4 G PROTEIN, 2 G FAT,
<1 G SATURATED FAT, 19 G CARBOHYDRATES,
3 G FIBER, 44 MG SODIUM, 5% CALCIUM
Creamy Mushroom Soup
with Spinach

SERVES 4

4 cups Mushroom-Leek Soup Base
4 cups packed chopped fresh
  spinach (about 10 ounces)
1 cup reduced-fat plain soymilk
3 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1. Pour soup base into large saucepan.
Stir in spinach and warm over low heat.

2. Meanwhile, whisk together soymilk,
flour, and nutmeg in small saucepan. Place
over low heat and whisk until mixture has
thickened, about 6 minutes. Stir cream
sauce into mushroom soup and continue
cooking, stirring often, until blended and
hot, about 1 minute.

3. Ladle soup into bowls; serve at once.

PER 1 1/2-CUP SERVING: 178 CALORIES, 8 G PROTEIN,
2 G FAT, <1 G SATURATED FAT, 31 G CARBOHYDRATES,
5 G FIBER, 103 MG SODIUM, 21% CALCIUM
Curried Mushroom Soup with
Couscous and Peas

SERVES 4

4 cups Mushroom-Leek Soup Base
2 cups chopped fresh mustard
  greens (about 5 ounces)
1 cup frozen peas
2 teaspoons curry powder
1 3/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 cup whole-wheat couscous

1. Pour soup base into large saucepan.
Add mustard greens, peas, curry powder,
and cayenne and bring to a boil. Reduce
heat to low and simmer until greens are
tender, about 8 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, bring 1 cup water to a boil
in small saucepan for cooking couscous.
Stir in couscous, remove pan from heat, and
cover. Let rest 4 minutes. Fluff couscous
with fork and add to soup mixture. Ladle
soup into bowls and serve immediately.

PER 1 1/2-CUP SERVING: 265 CALORIES, 11 G PROTEIN,
3 G FAT, <1 G SATURATED FAT, 49 G CARBOHYDRATES,
10 G FIBER, 86 MG SODIUM, 11% CALCIUM