One-Pot Wednesdays: Vegetable Soup

on December 3, 2008 at 12:00 PM

The overeating marathon I so enthusiastically participated in this Thanksgiving weekend inspired me to get out my Fix-It and Forget-It Lightly: Healthy, Low-Fat Recipes for Your Slow Cooker cookbook.

Vegetable Soup seemed just the thing for a perfect healthy night in!

The best thing about this recipe is that you can substitute using whatever veggies you have in your fridge. For example, I didn't have mushrooms, so I used leftover butternut squash, a bit of cabbage, and a potato.

Vegetable Minestrone from Fix-It and Forget-It Lightly:

4 cups low-fat, low-sodium chicken broth

4 cups low-sodium tomato juice

1 tablespoon dried basil

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. dried oregano

1/4 tsp. black pepper

2 carrots, sliced

1 onion, chopped

2 ribs celery, chopped

2 cloves garlic, diced

1 cup fresh mushrooms, sliced

28 oz. can low-sodium diced tomatoes

1.5 cups uncooked rotini pasta (I used orzo)

Combine all ingredients except pasta in slow cooker. Cover. Cook on low 7-8 hours. Add pasta. Cover. Cook on high 15-20 minutes until pasta is cooked.

Don't forget to post your favorite one-pot meals here so I have something new to try this week!

About the author Kim Conte

has shoes that make people stop her on the street and ask "Where did you get those?" but it doesn't work for taxi cabs as she was hit by one ... and lived to tell the tale. She has more freckles than Lohan but way less attitude. And she's a fierce cook with tons of recipes to share -- and wishes she could share some with Bourdain.

Filed Under: dinner, family meals, food, healthy choices, kid-friendly, one-pot, one-pot, recipes

Comments (2)

maisah

on Dec 4, 2008 at 1:48 AM

Thank You I love your recipes beauty queen...>!

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mommamiaria

on Dec 4, 2008 at 5:37 AM

This is so easy and sooo good!

Speedy Black Bean Soup

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon olive oil
1 small chopped onion (you can use frozen)
2 - 15 oz cans black beans
1 - 14.5 oz can fat free chicken broth
1 - 15 1/4 oz can kernel corn, drained
1 - 14.5 oz can Mexican-style stewed tomatoes (I found this easily at Publix and I chop the tomatoes up a bit using a scissor)
3 Bay Leaves
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar (I use the white balsamic. It adds a great sweet flavor)
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

Heat oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Ade the onions and cook until slightly brown, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, pour 1 can of the black beans with the liquid into a bowl. Using the back of a large serving size spoon, mash the beans against the sides and bottom of the bowl until the beans are broken up and pasty.

Raise the heat to heat under the pot on the stove and add the chicken broth, mashed beans and the other can of black beans including the liquid. Stir well. Add the drained corn, stewed tomatoes with liquid, bay leaves, garlic, thyme, vinegar and cumin.

Cover the pot and bring the soup to a boil.Reduce the heat and simmer for 8 minutes or so to let the flavors blend together, stirring often to prevent any sticking. Remove from heat and serve. Makes about 6 servings.