So filling, so homey – this one comes out a bit wetter than a stew, but is not quite in the realm of a soup. It’s a great cold weather meal that really sticks with you.
Chicken and Barley Stew
4 servings
356 calories
1 c uncooked quick cooking barley
42 oz. fat-free chicken broth
1 T oil
1 3/4 c chopped onion
10 oz. frozen mixed vegetables
1 c chopped cooked chicken (Perdue Shortcuts work great here !)
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 t thyme flakes
Place barley and broth in a large pan and bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes. Heat oil in a skillet and add onion. Saute for 5 minutes then add mixed veggies and sauté another 2 minutes. Add veggies to barley mix along with chicken and spices and simmer 5 minutes.
What’s not to like in a dinner or chicken, mushrooms, shallots and herbs?! This is a great meal and if you have leftovers, cut up the chicken and place in broth with the mushrooms and shallots – you end up with a great soup !
Mushroom Herb Chicken
4 servings
226 calories per serving
4 6 ounce boneless skinless chicken breasts (if not very thin cutlets, pound them down)
1/4 t salt
1/4 t pepper
Pam
3 large shallots, thinly sliced
8 oz. sliced mushrooms
1/3 c dry sherry or chicken broth
1 t marjoram flakes
Salt and pepper to taste
Pam
Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Heat a skillet and spray with Pam. Cook chicken 6-7 minutes per side or until browned. Remove chicken and spray with Pam again. Add shallots and cook 3 minutes adding a tablespoon full of hot water if they start to dry out. Add mushrooms, sherry and marjoram, then add back chicken and cook until chicken is fully cooked.
The colors are so vibrant that you can taste this dish with your eyes ! And the flavor was just tremendous !!! I served it with a little brown rice right in the broth and it was a meal that we are still talking about. You definitely have to try this one.
Poached Fish in Asian Broth
4 servings
203 calories per serving
Broth:
3 c chicken broth
2 T sherry or white wine
2 T soy sauce
2 slices lemon
3 thin slices peeled ginger root
¼ t cayenne
Fish:
1 lb. orange roughy or other thick mild fish fillets
Extra water if necessary
6 green onions (green part only) in thin slices
1 medium red bell pepper in thin slices
1 rib celery cut in ¼ inch pieces
½ t sesame oil
1 carrot, grated
Fresh pepper to taste
In a large non aluminum skillet bring broth ingredients to a boil over high heat. Rinse and dry fish. Reduce heat and place fish in broth. Add water if needed to cover the fish all the way. Simmer for 10 minutes per inch of fish thickness or until fish is done. Remove fish with slotted spoon and place into 4 soup bowls. Boil liquid and add green onions, peppers and celery and cook 3 minutes. Remove and discard lemon and ginger. Take vegetables and place over fish. Stir oil into broth and then pour into bowls. Sprinkle carrot over bowls and season with pepper.
1 small onion, chopped
1/4 c fat free Zesty Italian Dressing
8 oz. mushrooms, sliced
14.5 oz. vegetable broth
1 c frozen peas
2 c instant white rice, uncooked
4 oz. low fat cream cheese, at room temperature
1 t grated lemon zest
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 c parmesan cheese
Heat a skillet and add dressing – heat 30 seconds. Then add onions and cook 5 minutes or until tender. Then add mushrooms and cook another 4 minutes or until tender. Add broth and peas and bring to a boil then stir in rice and cream cheese and cover. Remove from heat and let stand for 8 minutes then stir in zest, salt and pepper and parmesan.
By adding pesto to the broth, you end up with a soup that is so tasty and delicious ! It really makes an ordinary chicken broth something very special.
Chicken and Pesto Soup
5 servings
235 calories per serving
2 teaspoons oil
1/2 cup carrot , julienned or shredded
8 oz. leftover cooked chicken
1 large clove garlic, minced
5 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 t oregano flakes
4 oz. baby spinach, coarsely chopped
15 oz. can chick peas, rinsed and drained
Salt and pepper to taste
2 T prepared pesto (available in the refrigerator section of your market)
Heat oil in soup pan and add carrot and chicken and heat for 2 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute. Add broth, oregano, salt and pepper and heat 2 minutes. Add spinach and chick peas and cook 3 minutes. Add the pesto sauce and cook 5 minutes so all flavors blend.
You can taste the pepperoni in each and every bite and it makes this soup just a bit different from the usual minestrone. It’s a welcome change. All the veggies add up to a nice low cal soup that leaves plenty of calorie room open for adding a nice spoon of parmesan cheese 🙂
Very Veggie Minestrone
6 servings
206 calories per serving
1 T oil
1/2 c green bell peppers, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
5 c beef broth
3 c water
1 1/2 t oregano flakes
1 t thyme flakes
1/2 t garlic powder
1/2 t onion powder
2/3 c small pasta
1 lb. frozen mixed soup vegetables (including corn, peas, carrots, celery, onion), thawed and chopped
1 c frozen baby lima beans, thawed
15 oz. can diced tomatoes
1/2 c diced turkey pepperoni
3 c lightly packed escarole, rinsed and roughly chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 c chopped basil
Grated Parmesan cheese for garnish (not in calorie count above)
Heat oil in a soup pot. Saute peppers 3 minutes. Add garlic and saute another 30 seconds. Add broth, water and spices and bring to a boil then add pasta and cook according to package instructions minus 3 minutes. Mix veggies and beans and add to soup and bring back to a boil and cook 3 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, pepperoni, basil and escarole and simmer 3 minutes to wilt escarole. Garnish with cheese.
This turns out a creamy, delicious side dish that goes great with beef, chicken, pork or fish. The ranch dressing gives it a nice tang and an unexpected flavor.
Broccoli and Rice
8 servings
113 calories per serving
1 c Minute brown rice, uncooked
1 c fat free chicken broth
1 ½ c frozen chopped broccoli, thawed and drained (or you can use fresh)
2/3 c shredded part skim mozzarella cheese
1/4 c light ranch dressing
½ c egg beaters
Pam
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Fix rice according to package instructions but use broth instead of water. Cool rice a bit and add in the rest of the ingredients. Spoon the mix into a casserole dish sprayed with Pam and bake 25 minutes or until browned.
Do you LOVE artichokes? Then this is for you !! This is a great hearty dish with lots of flavor. Serve next to some broiled chicken sausage for a great healthy meal.
Artichoke Stew
4 servings
152 calories per serving
2 t oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 large carrots, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
2 oz. ham, thinly sliced
2 9 oz. packages frozen artichoke hearts (or canned in water, drained well)
½ c white wine or chicken broth
2/3 c chicken broth
½ t basil or thyme flakes
Salt and pepper to taste
¼ c chopped parsley
2 t buttery spread
Heat the oil in a skillet on medium heat and sauté the onion and garlic for 7 minutes. If they start to dry up, add a T or so of hot water. Add the carrots and ham and cook another 4 minutes. Stir in the artichokes and cook another 3 minutes then add the wine and bring to a boil and cook 4 minutes or until the liquid is reduced by half. Then add the broth, thyme, pepper and salt and return to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer and cook 10 minutes or until the artichokes are tender. Add the parsley and butter at the end just before serving.
Cece Beans is just the Italian name for Chick Peas or what the Spanish call Garbanzo Beans – all the same thing 🙂 They are a great source of fiber, healthy and a great addition to many meals. This dish is somewhere between a soup and a pasta tossed with veggies – I guess it is like a gruel, though that has a negative connotation and there is NOTHING negative about this dish. It’s healthy, filling, has super flavor and is one of the best dishes I’ve made in a while !
Pasta and Cece Beans
6 servings
316 calories per serving
1 T olive oil
1 c chopped onion
2 c sliced leek
1 t rosemary flakes
2 cloves garlic, minced
28 oz. can diced tomatoes, undrained
2 c water
4 c vegetable broth
Salt and pepper to taste
1 t garlic powder
¼ – 1 t red pepper flakes (depending on how spicy you like it)
14 oz. cece beans, undrained
1 c diced zucchini
1/2 c frozen petite green peas
1/2 c frozen baby lima beans
1/2 c frozen green beans
2/3 c uncooked orzo
2 T chopped parsley
1/4 t pepper
2 T pesto (available in the refrigerated section of your market)
2 T grated Parmesan cheese
Heat oil in a Dutch oven and cook onion, leak, rosemary and garlic 10 minutes. Add tomato, water, broth, spices, salt and pepper and ceces and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat and simmer ½ hour then add zucchini, peas and beans. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. Bring back to a boil then stir in pasta and parsley and cook 8 minutes at a low boil. Spoon into bowls and top with 1 t pesto and 1 t parmesan.
I love lentils in soup. This recipe uses them in a super savory stew with enormous flavor. Try serving as a lunch or as a side to a fish or chicken dinner.
Lentil Stew with Carmamelized Onions
4 servings
229 calories per serving
1 T oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
2 15 oz. cans lentils, rinsed and drained
2 ¼ c chicken broth
Salt and pepper to taste
½ t garlic powder
½ t garlic flakes
¼ c plain low fat yogurt
1 T chopped parsley
½ T chopped chives
1 T chopped cilantro
Heat oil and add onion. Cook 15 minutes or until soft and golden. Add some very hot water a tablespoon at a time if the onions start to dry out. Add broth and lentils, season with garlic powder, garlic flakes, salt and pepper, and bring to a boil. Then reduce to a simmer and cook ten minutes. Half way through, smash some lentils against the side of the pan with a wooden spoon to make the broth thicker. Serve with fresh herbs and yogurt on top.
