RECIPE: ASIAN NOODLE SOUP WITH SHIITAKES

Real Simple photo.

This is another Real Simple gem. It is indeed simple, fast, and tasty. My son gave it a 9 (on a 1-10 scale) and so did my husband. An easy crowd-pleaser featuring heart-healthy mushrooms . . . that's a win-win.

The original recipe called for ground pork, which I'm sure would taste sensational, but I substituted ground turkey and we all loved it. So, save yourself some fat and calories and I promise you won't miss a thing.

RECIPE: PUMPKIN CHILE VICHYSSOISE

Adapted from Allrecipes.com

Serves 6

1 medium pumpkin – roasted and pureed

6 dried red chile peppers - washed, with stems and seeds removed

5 cups chicken broth

1 teaspoon butter or margarine (guess what I used?)

1 large onion, chopped

2 pounds leeks, chopped

1 cup buttermilk

1 teaspoon cumin

1 bay leaf

salt and ground black pepper to taste

Combine the peppers and 2 cups of the chicken broth in a saucepan over medium-low heat; simmer 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large stockpot over medium heat. Cook the onions in the butter until they caramelize, about 45 minutes. Remove caramelized onions and cook the leeks in the pot for 10 to 15 minutes. Add the broth and pepper mixture, caramelized onions, 3 more cups chicken broth, bay leaf, and cumin to the leeks. Season with salt and pepper and simmer 10-20 minutes, or until the leeks are very soft. Remove the bay leaf.

Remove from heat, add the pumpkin and puree the soup until very smooth. Let cool slightly then add the buttermilk. Heat through and serve. May be served either hot or chilled.

One serving is just 66 calories! 1.7 grams total fat, only 0.5 of that saturated. It provides 3 grams of protein, 17% of your Vitamin A, 10% of your vitamin C, and 5% of iron.

RECIPE: MUSHROOM SOUP WITH BARLEY AND KALE

If you love mushrooms or barley and the feeling of nutritional superiority that comes from eating kale, this soup is for you.

Serves 6-8
Original recipe from the New York Times

1/2 ounce dried porcini mushrooms

2 cups boiling water

1 to 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, as needed

1 large onion, chopped

8 oz. fresh cremini, shitake or mixture of mushrooms, cleaned, trimmed and sliced

2 large garlic cloves, minced

Salt, preferably kosher salt, to taste

3/4 cup whole or pearl barley

2 quarts chicken stock, vegetable stock, or water (I used chicken stock)

A bouquet garni made with a few sprigs each thyme and parsley, and a bay leaf and a Parmesan rind

8 to 10 ounces dark green kale, stemmed and cut into ribbons

Black pepper to taste

 

Place the dried porcini mushrooms in a bowl or a Pyrex measuring cup, and pour on two cups boiling water. Let sit for 30 minutes. Set a strainer over a bowl, and line it with cheesecloth. Lift the mushrooms from the water and squeeze over the strainer, then rinse. Squeeze out the water and set aside. Strain the soaking water through the cheesecloth-lined strainer. Add water as necessary to make two cups. Set aside.

Heat the oil in a large, heavy soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, and add the onion. Cook, stirring often, until just about tender, about five minutes, and add the sliced fresh mushrooms. Cook, stirring, until the mushrooms are beginning to soften, about three minutes, and add the garlic and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Continue to cook for about five minutes, until the mixture is juicy and fragrant.

Add the reconstituted dried mushrooms, the barley, the mushroom soaking liquid, and the stock or water. Salt to taste. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer 45 minutes. Meanwhile, stack the kale leaves in bunches and cut crosswise into slivers. Simmer the bouquet garni during the 45 minute simmering, then pull it out when the soup is done.

Add the kale to the simmering soup, and continue to simmer for another until the kale is tender, 10-20 minutes. Remove the bouquet garni, taste and adjust salt, add a generous amount of freshly ground pepper and serve.

If there are any leftovers, the barley will swell and absorb liquid, so you will have to add more when you reheat it. Top with a little bit of parmesan or aged gouda for a whole new level of yummy.

RECIPE: ROASTED RED PEPPER AND TOMATO SOUP

This is my sister, Anna Mayer's, recipe

Makes 8 bowls of soup (how many that serves is up to you!)

The way your house smells when the veggies are roasting is the best part of this soup, but it tastes only slightly less amazing. Super easy and super healthy -- did you know tomatoes are a heart-health super food? If you use fat-free Greek yogurt you're looking at about 2 grams of fat per serving, 0 saturated.

1 red bell pepper, quartered
2 or 2.5 pounds tomatoes, quartered (I used 40 ounces of canned whole tomatoes because I didn't want skins in my soup)
1 red onion, quartered and separated
Three cloves of garlic, smashed
1-2 red hot peppers, quarted and seeded (or leave seeds in if you like it really hot)
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp brown sugar
1 cup vegetable or chicken stock (or more, depending on how thick you want your soup)

Put all your veggies and garlic in a shallow baking dish (like an 8x8 baking pan; you want the veggies close together so they don't burn), and drizzle oil over all. Sprinkle with brown sugar and roast at 350 for two hours. Let cool a little, then add stock and blend til smooth. (I used my immersion blender; if using a regular blender follow advice to remove center of the blender top so it doesn't explode.) Serve with a dollop of Greek yogurt and some chopped fresh parsley.