The FastDay Forum

Even though it's hot here, I still make myself a thick comforting soup for lunch, a few days a week. It's low cal, uses any leftover veg and ensures I get my 'five a day'.

But I've become a bit bored of late with thick chunky soup and would like to make some clear veg one.

Any ideas folks?

In return, here's my recipe for tomato soup:

Half a large onion (40g) 17 cals
three large tomatoes (300g) 54 cals
Ginger root, about 10g 4 cals
2 cloves of garlic 9 cals
handful fresh basil leaves
oxo (or equivalent) veg cube 14 cals
water to desired consistency
seasoning
teaspoon Splenda, according to taste

Chop tomatoes (skin them first if desired) and fry in a squirt of spray oil with onion, ginger and garlic. After a few minutes add the water, seasonings and oxo. let cook out for a few more minutes then add the basil Place in a blender until smooth.
Check seasonings again (can you tell I cook for a living?) and add a little splenda to bring out the 'tomato'. You can add a few more shredded basil leaves as garnish.

Total: 100 cals

How about gazpacho? Lots of ice so great for this weather and a bonus is you can use up ripe tomatoes, and it tastes great. I don't make a fast day version of it as inho it really needs the bread and olive oil to give it taste and body.
It is not very heavy on the calories in any case.
1kg very ripe toms
2 large slices stale bread soaked in cold water for at least 10 minutes
1 green pepper
1 red pepper
1 medium cucumber
2-3 cloves garlic
150 mls good olive oil
2-3 tablespoons sherry vinegar or similar (NOT malt)
garnish with chopped olives, diced peppers, hardboiled eggs, parsley ,mint or basil

Squeeze water out of bread and place all ingredients except for garnish into blender and whizz until smooth.salt to taste. Flavour develops more if left in fridge for at least an hour or so, Add ice just before serving.
Top with preferred garnishes and enjoy.

This makes enough for 6 good servings and total cals 1800.

I posted 2 really good soup recipes in the recipe area, Spinach soup, and Cauliflower soup, check them out.

Question for you,Penny, can you make your tomato soup with canned tomatoes. I have several cans in my pantry and would love to find something to use them for, instead of buying something new, and having them just sit there.

Thanks

dianehelen, I would think you could - why not try it and report back? You might need to adjust the sweetness, as I find canned can sometimes be acidic.

I do a throw it all in veg soup that I make up as I go along.
But the basic premis is onions sauted in either butter or olive oil (there is a reason for the difference, bear with me).
Then add two tins of tomatoes and the same volume of water plus a vegetable stock cube. Bring to the boil then simmer for 10 minutes. Add suagr a half teaspoon at a time to counter the acidity and season to tatse.

Now to the variations. To the basic dish with the butter add a swirl of cream. To the basic olive oil base add basil and garlic for a more mediterranean soup.

Tomorrow we are having a Chilli Beef and Tomato soup because I'm feeling cold. A small piece of beef steak, (finely shredded) braising is fine as long as you cook it long enough. An onion sauted with the beef, add a tin of chopped tomatoes (or fresh skinned) a beef stock cube and chilli to taste bring to the boil and simmer till the beef is tender. Thicken if it needs it with cornflour, and season.

Chinese Chicken soup. Saute 4 spring onions (green onions), add 2 chicken breasts finely diced, a good pinch of ginger (or a slice of fresh, crushed), a small pinch of chilli, one or two chicken stock cubes in 1& 1/2 pints water. Adjust everything to your taste, season and thicken slightly with arrowroot if you have it, cornflour if you don't.

Then there is always

Brocolli and stilton (or any blue cheese), not for a fast day.

Carrot and corriander.

French onion soup.

Minestrone (it doesn't have to have the bacon)

Or check out this page for vegetarian soups. http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/coll ... arian-soup

Oh my, I forgot mushroom soups, and they are coming into season. Slurp!

Oops, I forgot in my suggestions about blitzing them in the blender where needed. Sometimes chunky soups are great too.

I love, love, love soup. My favorite by far is Taco Soup. We have this at least once a week on a fast day. It is low carb and has veggies, ground turkey, salsa, and jalepeño cheese wedges (25 cal from Aldi.) The whole bowl works out to about 150 cal. My hubby has requested pizza soup again this week, too. We regularly have chili, cheeseburger soup and veggie beef. Also, occasionally potato soup or chicken "noodles" made with whole grain/smart fiber rotini on nonfast days.

Oh, I almost forgot..I make bone broth nearly every week and keep some in the freezer. It is the base for many of the soups I make. Today's fast day dinner of rotisserie chicken and green beans will become bone broth later tonight.

Miso soup: almost 7 g of protein for 90 calories! and you can easily add extra vegetables as you like.
http://vegetarian.about.com/od/soupssal ... soSoup.htm