Sunday, May 16, 2010

Nothing Satisfies Like Soup!

Soup is the best meal ~ I'm certain!

It's a very efficient way to cook ~ and also get a lot of nutrients at the same time. There's not much precision involved ~ so anyone can combine ingredients in a crock pot in the morning, and be rewarded at the end of the day when meal prep is the last thing they want to think about.

For example, an Italian White Bean Soup is one of my favorites ~ mainly a combo of sauteed onion, celery and minced garlic, a couple of cans of white kidney beans (always rinsed and drained!), a can of chicken broth, and a pinch of group black pepper and dried thyme. Stir in a bunch of spinach and heat until it's wilted, then top with some fresh-grated Parmesan cheese.

Serve it with a slice of multi-grain bread and some apple slices, and you've got a well-rounded meal. There's plenty of protein in beans, so you won't miss the meat!

Another favorite of mine is Minestrone.. Again, no need to be precise when you're combining sliced carrots, celery, onion, potatoes, zucchini, cabbage, garlic, diced tomatoes and some white beans, along with a couple cans of chicken broth and a cup of water. Because the veggies are dense, this one lends itself well to crock pot cooking, so it can simmer all day!

I'll offer some to sample tomorrow, May 20th, at Yoga West at noon here in Grand Junction. I'll be presenting a session on Mindful Eating ~ Changing our Relationship with Food!

1 comment:

Sheri said...

Paula -- I love it when you share recipes.

I cooked a crock-pot bean soup yesterday and it was DELICIOUS! Plus we got to smell it cooking all day and everyone could eat whenever they wanted to.

I love soup...especially in the crock-pot!