Skinny Vegetable Soup

Good for you and good tasting!

The original recipe for this soup came from the website CleanFoodCrush.com but we liked the basic recipe so I've taken some time to adapt it for our dietary needs.

We really enjoyed the first batch and had a small serving every day. Honestly, it does stave off the hungries and fills you up. Supposedly, this soup is also called a detox soup. I don't know about that but it could be true. What I know for sure is that we both feel better after adding it to our diets. And the kicker is that a one-cup serving is about 75 calories.

The original recipe also called for saute-ing some of the vegetables. I did that the first time and it added about 15-20 minutes to the prep. Second batch went into the crock pot and there was no noticeable difference.

Let me know if you try this soup and how it works for you.

SKINNY VEGETABLE SOUP

Ingredients

¨ 1 large sweet onion, finely chopped

¨ 8-10 garlic cloves, minced or pressed

¨ 2-3 large carrots, peeled and sliced paper thin or shredded

¨ 1 fennel bulb, chopped into bite-sized pieces

¨ 2-3 yellow squash, sliced (zucchini works well too)

¨ 2 red bell peppers, diced (orange or yellow are fine too)

¨ ½ small cabbage, chopped or shredded (I used red cabbage)

¨ 2 cups of green beans (fresh or frozen), cut into bite sized pieces

¨ 6 large button mushrooms, quartered

¨ 2-3 Tablespoons olive oil or avocado oil

¨ 4 cups no sodium beef broth

¨ 4-6 cups of water

¨ 1 teaspoon thyme

¨ Fresh black pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Using a large (10 quart or larger) crock pot or slow cooker, cover the bottom of the pot with the olive oil.

2. Add all the veggies and stir to mix.

3. Add the thyme and the black pepper.

4. Finally, add the beef broth and the water. (If you like your broth rich, use only 4 cups water. To dilute it a bit, use 6 cups water.

5. Cover the crock pot.

6. Cook on low for about 6-7 hours.

TO SERVE:

Spoon into bowls. Top with grated Parmesan cheese and parsley.

CHEF’S NOTES:

It is easy to mix up the vegetables in this recipe. You could also add celery or parsnips or broccoli.

This recipe makes enough soup for 4 or 5 days (it keeps well in the fridge).

Makes a great lunch when served with a salad or a crusty slice of bread.

This soup is a great accompaniment to your evening meal or for a light pick-me-up.

A one cup serving equals about 75 calories.