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shalannaI thought that in honor of the cold weather sweeping the country, I'd share with you the soup we've been making lately. We keep a pot of it (with variations) on the stove most days so we won't have to stop decorating/cleaning/running to cook. It's pretty heavy on the carbs, though, so if you're a diabetic like us, be sure to have protein at your next meal to balance things.
Seven-Can Soup* for the Non-Cook
(Or however many you end up using)
1 container* Swanson chicken broth (the kind with no MSG)
(It's in a container such as soymilk on the shelf comes in--cardboard container, not a can--and has more in it than one can)
2 potatoes, peeled and chopped (just plain ol' bakers)
1 can diced tomatoes (we used Del Monte with basil and herbs)
1 can mixed vegetables (we used Veg-All No Salt Added)
1 can zucchini in tomato sauce (we used Del Monte)
1 can Ranch Style Beans (we used the plain--no jalapeno, etc.) or red beans (if you use "Red Beans" or "Pinto Beans" instead, *do* drain and rinse them well to get rid of the liquid they were in, for it causes much wind and gassiness)
1 can green beans (we used The Allens Kentucky Wonder, but you could use any variety)
1 cup out of a PictSweet bag of frozen sliced yellow squash (optional--this will turn to mush and really won't be squash any more after all the cooking we're going to do--it'll particle-ize and make a thicker soup)
Dump all of this into your stockpot or RevereWare 3-quart pot and bring to boiling. Then turn it down to a simmer.
(Don't drain the veggies. Just pour the entire contents of the can, including the liquid, into the pot. You're going to cook it down such that some of that liquid goes away. But what I'm telling you to put in will come nearly to the brim of that RevereWare large pot.) Stir frequently.
After a bit, add (if you like, and we do):
1 cup rotini pasta, plain or vegetable (dried pasta--we use Skinner or one of the gourmet brands)--uncooked
The pasta will absorb the boiling liquid. Trust us.
Season to taste using garlic powder, parsley flakes, a teaspoon or so of salt, and maybe a dash of Mrs. Dash original, along with a little chili powder and/or cumin, if you feel like making it kind of Tex-Mex. You don't want to add too much to this until you taste it after it simmers a spell, though; it'll have a kind of sweet taste and will be thickening as all that liquid cooks down. If you double an ingredient, make it the diced tomatoes and/or the mixed vegetables. Some cans of Veg-All are heavy on the potatoes and carrots; those are the ones we prefer (the ones that have a lot of green beans and corn make a different soup.) You could add a can of Niblets corn if you like corn that much--it's not very diabetic-friendly, though, so we don't. If you have fresh zucchini, you can matchstick-chop it and add it early, when you add the potatoes, but you'll need to make sure it's at least al dente before you eat the soup. We've also added canned/bottled mushrooms with success.
We usually cook it down for a bit and then leave it on "warm" on the stove and let the family come get a cup or a bowl full. Good over cornbread or with crackers.
Seven-Can Soup* for the Non-Cook
(Or however many you end up using)
1 container* Swanson chicken broth (the kind with no MSG)
(It's in a container such as soymilk on the shelf comes in--cardboard container, not a can--and has more in it than one can)
2 potatoes, peeled and chopped (just plain ol' bakers)
1 can diced tomatoes (we used Del Monte with basil and herbs)
1 can mixed vegetables (we used Veg-All No Salt Added)
1 can zucchini in tomato sauce (we used Del Monte)
1 can Ranch Style Beans (we used the plain--no jalapeno, etc.) or red beans (if you use "Red Beans" or "Pinto Beans" instead, *do* drain and rinse them well to get rid of the liquid they were in, for it causes much wind and gassiness)
1 can green beans (we used The Allens Kentucky Wonder, but you could use any variety)
1 cup out of a PictSweet bag of frozen sliced yellow squash (optional--this will turn to mush and really won't be squash any more after all the cooking we're going to do--it'll particle-ize and make a thicker soup)
Dump all of this into your stockpot or RevereWare 3-quart pot and bring to boiling. Then turn it down to a simmer.
(Don't drain the veggies. Just pour the entire contents of the can, including the liquid, into the pot. You're going to cook it down such that some of that liquid goes away. But what I'm telling you to put in will come nearly to the brim of that RevereWare large pot.) Stir frequently.
After a bit, add (if you like, and we do):
1 cup rotini pasta, plain or vegetable (dried pasta--we use Skinner or one of the gourmet brands)--uncooked
The pasta will absorb the boiling liquid. Trust us.
Season to taste using garlic powder, parsley flakes, a teaspoon or so of salt, and maybe a dash of Mrs. Dash original, along with a little chili powder and/or cumin, if you feel like making it kind of Tex-Mex. You don't want to add too much to this until you taste it after it simmers a spell, though; it'll have a kind of sweet taste and will be thickening as all that liquid cooks down. If you double an ingredient, make it the diced tomatoes and/or the mixed vegetables. Some cans of Veg-All are heavy on the potatoes and carrots; those are the ones we prefer (the ones that have a lot of green beans and corn make a different soup.) You could add a can of Niblets corn if you like corn that much--it's not very diabetic-friendly, though, so we don't. If you have fresh zucchini, you can matchstick-chop it and add it early, when you add the potatoes, but you'll need to make sure it's at least al dente before you eat the soup. We've also added canned/bottled mushrooms with success.
We usually cook it down for a bit and then leave it on "warm" on the stove and let the family come get a cup or a bowl full. Good over cornbread or with crackers.
