Looking for something healthy — and hearty — to nosh on for your big game festivities? Soup makes a great choice for a centerpiece. Here are three soups that you can try for the big game that won’t make you feel guilty the next day:
Mexican Chicken Soup
This simple Mexican chicken soup recipe is a spicy twist on an old classic.
Ingredients
- 1 14.5 oz canned no-salt-added or low-sodium kernel corn (drained, rinsed)
- 1 15.5 oz no-salt-added or low-sodium kidney beans (drained, rinsed)
- 2 tsp canola oil or extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium bell pepper (red or green), chopped
- 1 large onion (chopped)
- 1 medium diced, seeded jalapeño (remove seeds to reduce spice/heat)
- 2 cloves garlic (minced) or 1 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 5 cups fat-free, low-sodium chicken broth
- 1½ lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts (all visible fat discarded, cut into 1-inch cubes)
- 1 large tomato (diced)
- ½ cup chopped cilantro
Directions
- Drain beans and corn in colander, rinse, set aside.
- Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add bell pepper, onion and jalapeno; cook 5-7 minutes, stirring often until vegetables are tender. Stir in garlic and cumin and cook another minute.
- Add broth to saucepan, increase heat to high and bring to rapid simmer. Add chicken and cook until no longer pink, about 5 min. Stir in beans, corn, tomato and cilantro, cover and cook on medium heat for 10 minutes, top with extra cilantro leaves (optional) and serve hot.
6 Servings – Nutritional information per serving: 281 calories; 1 g saturated fat; 204 mg sodium
Recipe copyright © 2016 American Heart Association. This recipe is brought to you by the American Heart Association’s Simple Cooking with Heart ® Program.
Tuscan White Bean Soup
This traditional, light soup goes great with a bread for dipping.
Ingredients
- 1 cup dried navy beans
- Cold water, enough to cover beans
- 1 leek, white part only, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 3/4 cup coarsely chopped onion
- ½ cup chopped carrot, in 3/4-inch pieces
- ½ cup chopped celery, in 3/4-inch pieces
- ¼ cup flat-leaf parsley leaves, loosely packed
- 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 4 cups reduced-sodium vegetable or chicken broth
- 2 cups water
- 1 tsp finely chopped fresh rosemary
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
Directions
- Place beans in deep pot and cover with cold water to 1-inch above beans. Bring water to boil and simmer, uncovered, for 1 minute. Off heat, cover and let beans sit for 1 hour. Drain beans.
- In same pot, cover beans with cold water to 2 inches above beans. Over medium-high heat, bring just to gentle boil. Cover pot partway so it does not boil over, and simmer beans until soft and creamy, 45-60 minutes. Set beans aside in cooking liquid until ready to use. Or, if not using within 4 hours, drain cooled beans and refrigerate, tightly covered, for up to 4 days.
- In food processor, pulse leek, onion, carrot, celery and parsley until finely chopped and moist. In medium Dutch oven or small soup pot, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add chopped vegetables and cook, stirring, until they soften, 5 minutes. Cover tightly, reduce heat and gently cook vegetables until they let their juices, 10 minutes. Increase heat and cook vegetables until golden, 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add broth, 2 cups water and rosemary. Simmer, covered, until vegetables are very soft, 20 minutes. Off heat, use immersion blender to whirl soup until partly pureed, with some vegetables bits remaining.
- Add 2 cups drained cooked beans to soup. Return pot to heat and cook until beans are heated through. Season soup to taste with salt and pepper. Divide soup among 6 deep soup bowls. If desired garnish with Fried Leek. Or pass grated Parmesan cheese on the side.
6 servings (1¼ cup) – Nutritional information per serving: 172 calories; 3 g total fat (<1 g saturated fat); 27 g carbohydrate; 11 g protein; 10 g dietary fiber; 393 mg sodium
Recipe courtesy American Institute for Cancer Research
Creamy Squash Soup with Shredded Apples
This quick-to-fix soup is bursting with warm-you-up-flavor — serve with a crisp green salad and crusty whole-wheat bread.
Ingredients
- 2 boxes (16 oz each) of frozen pureed winter (butternut) squash
- 2 medium apples (try golden delicious or gala)
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- ½ tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 2 cans (12 oz) fat-free evaporated milk
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp ground black pepper
Directions
- Place the frozen squash in a microwave-safe dish. Cover loosely. Defrost in the microwave on medium power for 5-10 minutes, until mostly thawed.
- Meanwhile, peel then shred the apples using a grater or food processor, or peel and finely chop apples into thin strips. Set aside ¼ cup.
- Warm oil in a 4-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add all but ¼ cup of the apples. Cook and stir until apples soften, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in thawed squash and pumpkin pie spice. Add the evaporated milk about ½ cup at a time, stirring after each addition. Season with salt and pepper. Cook and stir over high heat just until soup is about to boil.
- Ladle into individual soup bowls. Top each with a tablespoon of the unused apples. Sprinkle with additional pumpkin pie spice if desired, and serve.
- Tip: For chunkier soup, try two bags (14 oz each) frozen diced butternut squash. Or, cut a fresh butternut into small chunks, and place in a microwave-safe dish covered with 1 inch of water. Microwave on high for 5-10 minutes, or until squash is tender and can be easily pierced with a fork. Remove skin. Place squash in blender until desired consistency.
4 servings – Nutritional Information per serving: 334 calories; 4 g total fat (1 g saturated fat); 7 mg cholesterol; 370 mg sodium; 5 g fiber; 18 g protein; 62 g carbohydrates; 1,142 mg potassium
Recipe courtesy National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute
