Almost Raw Asparagus Soup
Easiest Watermelon Gazpacho
Butternut Squash Chili
White Bean and Roasted Pepper Soup
Creamy Cauliflower “Baked Potato” Soup
Miso-Wonton Soup
Lentil Soup with Turkey Sausage and Chard
Tuscan Ribollita with Kale and Cannellini Beans
Pork and Rice Noodle Pho
Chicken-Chile Pozole
I have the dream of being that mom on the block who just happens to have a kettle of brothy soup simmering on the stove, on the off chance that the neighborhood kids playing kickball in the street want to come in from the cold for a steamy mug of goodness. Word would spread, and perhaps some neighbors would drop by, lured by the savory smells wafting out of our always-open front door. I’d smile warmly (I’m certain I wouldn’t be on a work deadline of any sort), and I’d hand them a bowlful of liquid heaven, along with a hunk of crusty bread for dipping.
Turns out, though, that my four girls don’t play kickball, and I don’t allow them in the street anyway. Also, when the weather turns crisp and cold in the winter, I’m often wearing shorts and a T-shirt because I live in San Diego. Balmy “winters” aside, soup is a year-round affair, even here in Southern California. It makes us feel comforted and cozy, and it is an incredibly healthy and delicious way to get lots of veggies and fiber. Plus, it’s often cheap to make! What’s not to love?
Almost Raw Asparagus Soup
ALMOST RAW ASPARAGUS SOUP
SERVES 4 PREPARATION TIME 10 MINUTES COOKING TIME 15 MINUTES
This incredibly quick and simple soup is a wonderful way to highlight asparagus. The asparagus is roasted in the oven just long enough to bring out its sweetness, and then it is puréed until smooth. Lemon zest and mint just seem so right with the asparagus. I like the crunch that toasted almonds add, but of course they can be eliminated for a nut-free version.
1½ pounds asparagus, tough ends snapped off
2 teaspoons olive oil
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
¼ cup sliced almonds
1½ cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
Zest of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh mint leaves
¼ cup plain nonfat or reduced-fat yogurt
1Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place the asparagus in a baking dish or on a baking sheet and drizzle with 1 teaspoon of the olive oil, the salt, and pepper and roast the asparagus until it is just al dente, about 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.
2While the asparagus cools, place the almonds on a clean rimmed baking sheet and toast until lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer the almonds to a plate and set aside.
3Add the asparagus to a blender along with the chicken broth and 1 cup water and purée until it is very smooth, about 2 minutes. Return the puréed asparagus to a medium saucepan (strain through a fine-mesh sieve if you want an even smoother texture) and stir in the remaining 1 teaspoon olive oil, the lemon zest, and mint. Warm the soup over medium heat.
4Divide the soup among 4 bowls. Top each with 1 tablespoon of the yogurt and serve sprinkled with the toasted almonds.
PER SERVING: Calories 90 / Protein 5g / Dietary Fiber 3g / Sugars 3g / Total Fat 6g
ENTERTAINING STRATEGY
Soup, for Starters
Beyond in a bowl, here are two ways I like to serve soup. Use small shot glasses or espresso cups to turn soup into an appetizer (most recipes will yield about a dozen portions). Or, serve creamy soups in a pretty teapot, allowing guests to pour their own. Plus, the teapot will keep the soup warm until your guests are ready for it!
EASIEST WATERMELON GAZPACHO
SERVES 4 PREPARATION TIME 10 MINUTES COOKING TIME NONE
I’m a huge fan of chilled soups, especially in the summer. They are refreshing and couldn’t be easier to make (which means they are perfect for company!). This gazpacho takes advantage of the sweet bounty of watermelon that’s available in the summer and combines it with just a bit of smokiness from chipotle chiles in adobo sauce. It has a well-rounded and not-too-sweet foundation of tomato juice; choose a spicy version if you like your gazpacho with more kick. And, instead, if you can get ripe, juicy tomatoes, they are amazing too!
1½ cups low-sodium tomato-based vegetable juice
2 shallots, roughly chopped
2 cups watermelon cubes
1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded, and roughly chopped
1 to 2 teaspoons finely chopped chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
¼ cup plain reduced-fat Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill
4 lime wedges
1To a blender or food processor add the vegetable juice, shallots, watermelon, cucumber, chiles, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Process the mixture until it is well combined but not entirely smooth.
2Divide the gazpacho among soup bowls and finish each with a dollop of yogurt, a drizzle of olive oil, and some fresh dill. Serve with a lime wedge.
PER SERVING: Calories 97 / Protein 2g / Dietary Fiber 2g / Sugars 11g / Total Fat 4g
SUPERMARKET STRATEGY
Any Fruit Gazpacho
Replace the watermelon with nearly any juicy, in-season fruit—peaches, nectarines, cantaloupe, or honeydew—for a twist on the watermelon gazpacho. It goes without saying that ripe tomatoes are always welcome for a classic version as well! Change the fresh herb to any tender one that you have on hand or is plentiful in your garden or market; basil and tarragon are both lovely in gazpacho.
Butternut Squash Chili
BUTTERNUT SQUASH CHILI
SERVES 4 PREPARATION TIME 20 MINUTES COOKING TIME 1 HOUR
In the wintertime I crave hearty, “stick to your ribs” food. This chili not only comforts with its warmth but also nourishes with its high nutrient content. Top a bowl of it with some tangy low-fat Greek yogurt and silky cubes of avocado for a bit of satisfying healthy fat. If you’d like to make this chili with lean ground beef, chicken, pork, or turkey, add it in step 2, after the garlic and before the wine. Brown the meat nicely before deglazing the pot.
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 red bell pepper, halved, seeded, and finely chopped
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
½ cup dry red wine
3 cups butternut squash cubes, in 1-inch pieces
1½ cups cooked white beans (homemade; or canned, rinsed), such as Great Northern
1 14-ounce can whole tomatoes with juice, chopped into ½-inch pieces
½ cup store-bought salsa
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
Kosher salt, if needed
Plain reduced-fat Greek yogurt
1 avocado, halved, pitted, and cut into ½-inch cubes
1Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat for 1 minute. Add the bell pepper and onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft, about 5 minutes.
2Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute more. Pour in the wine, and let the wine bubble for 1 minute, stirring and scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
3Add the squash, beans, tomatoes and juice, salsa, 1 cup water, the chili powder, cumin, cocoa, cinnamon, and cayenne, if using. Bring the chili to a simmer, then reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the squash is tender and the chili begins to thicken, about 45 minutes. (If the soup looks too thick while cooking, just add a little water.) Taste and add salt if needed.
4Serve with a dollop of Greek yogurt and some avocado cubes.
PER SERVING: Calories 345 / Protein 11g / Dietary Fiber 18g / Sugars 11g / Total Fat 11g
KITCHEN STRATEGY
Crisper Drawer Soup
At the end of the week (or as a new Sunday night ritual), open your crisper drawer and plan an odds-and-ends soup. Soup recipes are so forgiving, easily adjusted to whatever ingredients are in the fridge—even if the vegetables are just a shade past their crispest prime.
WHITE BEAN AND ROASTED PEPPER SOUP
SERVES 4 PREPARATION TIME 15 MINUTES COOKING TIME 20 MINUTES
When I have last-minute guests in my kitchen, this is the kind of quick meal I often turn to. It’s based on pantry standards like onion, garlic, cooked beans (either canned or cooked and frozen for instructions), and jarred roasted red peppers. I often take advantage of the end-of-day baker’s rack markdowns on fresh baguettes, and I cut them into halves, then freeze them—they come in so handy for a slapdash, delicious meal. Pop a few sections of bread into a warm oven, and in just about 15 minutes you have fresh bread to serve on the side.
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, coarsely chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
1½ cups coarsely chopped roasted red peppers
1 dried bay leaf
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper, plus more to finish
4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
2 cups cooked navy beans (homemade; or canned, rinsed)
½ cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large soup pot. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft and translucent, about 8 minutes.
2Stir in the roasted red peppers, bay leaf, salt, black pepper, and cayenne and cook, stirring often, for 2 minutes. Pour in the broth, add the beans, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer the soup for 10 minutes.
3Remove and discard the bay leaf. Ladle the soup into a blender and purée in batches until smooth. Return the soup to a clean soup pot and heat until warmed.
4In a small bowl, combine the yogurt and lemon juice. Ladle the soup into bowls, dollop with the yogurt, and serve sprinkled with a pinch of cayenne.
PER SERVING: Calories 235 / Protein 12g / Dietary Fiber 8g / Sugars 8g / Total Fat 3g
Creamy Cauliflower “Baked Potato” Soup
CREAMY CAULIFLOWER “BAKED POTATO” SOUP
SERVES 4 PREPARATION TIME 20 MINUTES COOKING TIME 30 MINUTES
There are few soups more decadent than a classic baked potato soup, loaded with cream, Cheddar cheese, and smoky bacon. I make a lighter version by leaving out the cream, subbing cauliflower for most of the potato (using one potato locks in the flavor), and adding a dollop of reduced-fat cream cheese to deliver the creaminess and cheesiness. A stealth addition of one carrot adds a subtle color that makes the soup seem cheesier than it is, since the only Cheddar here is what sits on top of the soup!
2 slices center-cut bacon, finely chopped
1 sweet onion (Maui or Vidalia), finely chopped
1 small head of cauliflower (about 1¼ pounds), cored, trimmed, and divided into small florets
1 medium russet potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 small carrot, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, very finely chopped or pressed through a garlic press
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
¼ cup reduced-fat cream cheese (Neufchâtel)
½ cup plain reduced-fat Greek yogurt
½ cup grated Cheddar cheese
2 scallions (white and light green parts only), finely chopped
1Add the bacon to a large soup pot set over medium heat and cook until the bacon is crisp, about 7 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the bacon to a paper towel–lined plate and set aside.
2Stir the onion into the bacon fat and cook, stirring often, until it is translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the cauliflower, potato, carrot, garlic, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes.
3Raise the heat to medium-high, add the broth and 1 cup water, and bring the liquid to a boil. Simmer the mixture until the vegetables are very soft, about 13 minutes. Turn off the heat and use a ladle to transfer half the vegetables and liquid to a blender. Add the cream cheese and blend until smooth.
4Pour the puréed soup into a large bowl or clean saucepan. Blend the second half of the soup until it is smooth and add it to the first batch. Heat the soup over medium heat until it is warmed through. Divide among soup bowls and serve topped with a dollop of yogurt and some of the grated cheese, bacon, and scallion.
PER SERVING: Calories 180 / Protein 10g / Dietary Fiber 3g / Sugars 6g / Total Fat 9g
KITCHEN STRATEGY
Efficiently Freezing Soup
Freeze large batches of soup for a healthy in-a-pinch meal. Put the soups in gallon-size resealable freezer bags (or use quart-size bags for individual servings). Try to get as much air out of the bag as possible and then seal. Freeze flat on a baking sheet or plate and then, once they are completely frozen, stack one on top of another (don’t forget to use a permanent marker to label the soup).
Miso-Wonton Soup
MISO-WONTON SOUP
SERVES 6 PREPARATION TIME 1 HOUR COOKING TIME 30 MINUTES
If you’re a lover of wonton soup, then you absolutely have to try making your own. For this wonton filling, boneless chicken breasts (or ground—see the Kitchen Strategy), sesame oil, chives, garlic, and ginger are pulsed together in a food processor in less than 10 seconds. The soup comes together in minutes, too. The real “work” is in filling the wontons, but the investment in time really pays off. For an extra flavor dimension, add ground pork or even pulse some raw shrimp into the filling. The wontons are also superchic when served without the soup, accompanied by a quick pantry dipping sauce made from soy sauce, a splash of rice vinegar, and a drop of toasted sesame oil.
FOR THE WONTONS
8 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breast, chopped into 1-inch pieces
1 small bunch baby bok choy, or 3 or 4 large ribs of bok choy
¼ cup finely chopped fresh chives (or scallion tops)
3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1 ½-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1 teaspoon cornstarch
40 wonton wrappers (about ¾ of a 12-ounce package)
FOR THE MISO SOUP
8 cups low-sodium store-bought or homemade chicken broth
2 to 4 tablespoons miso paste (preferably white)
¼ cup fresh cilantro leaves
1To make the wontons: Line a medium plate with plastic wrap and place the chicken pieces on top. Set the chicken in the freezer to chill for 20 to 30 minutes.
2Meanwhile, place the bok choy on a cutting board and separate the leafy tops from the white stalks. Slice the stalks on the bias into ¼-inch-thin pieces and set aside. Roughly chop the green tops and set aside.
3Use a food processor to pulse the chilled chicken into a rough chop. Add the bok choy greens, chives, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, sesame oil, and cornstarch. Continue to pulse until the mixture is well combined and still somewhat rough, about eight 1-second pulses.
4Fill a small bowl with cold water and line a baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper. Place 8 wonton wrappers on a work surface and put about 1 heaping teaspoon of the chicken mixture in the center of each wrapper. Use your finger to moisten two adjoining edges of the wonton wrapper with the water. Fold the top over to meet the bottom and press the edges to seal. Wet one corner of the triangle with water, then gently fold the other corner around and press to create the wonton. Repeat with the remaining wonton wrappers, placing the wontons on the prepared baking sheet as they are filled. Continue to fill and shape the wontons, 8 at a time (so the wrappers don’t dry out) until they are all filled, using a sheet of parchment paper to separate the layers of wontons, if needed.
5To make the soup: Add the chicken broth to a large saucepan and bring it to a simmer. Whisk in 2 tablespoons of the miso and taste; for a stronger miso flavor, add up to 2 more tablespoons of the miso. Reduce the heat to low and add the bok choy stalks.
6Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Add 6 to 8 wontons (don’t overcrowd the pot or they will stick together) and cook until the wrappers are transparent and the filling feels firm, about 3 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cooked wontons to a bowl. Repeat with the remaining wontons, adding about 6 to each bowl.
7Divide the broth among the bowls of wontons, sprinkle with cilantro leaves, and serve.
PER SERVING: Calories 254 / Protein 18g / Dietary Fiber 1g / Sugars 2g / Total Fat 3g
KITCHEN STRATEGY
DIY Ground Chicken
Boneless, skinless chicken breasts are a staple in my fridge and freezer, while ground chicken is not. That’s why when I make chicken meatballs or chicken-filled wontons, I just pulse the raw, semi-frozen chicken in the food processor (pulsing keeps it from getting gummy in the processor) instead of making a special trip to the store. That said, of course you can use ground chicken rather than do it yourself. If that’s the case, combine the ingredients for whatever you’re making in a large bowl rather than in the food processor.
LENTIL SOUP WITH TURKEY SAUSAGE AND CHARD
SERVES 6 PREPARATION TIME 15 MINUTES COOKING TIME 55 MINUTES
Lentils are affordable, shelf stable, delicious, relatively quick cooking (especially when compared with dried beans), and require no pre-soaking. Their most winning trait, however, is their nutritional value: they offer generous amounts of fiber and protein, with hardly a trace of fat. I love this steaming soup on a cold afternoon. Or, if I have just a little left over, I ladle it over small pasta for a lentil version of chili-mac.
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 turkey sausage links (brown-and-serve style, not raw sausage), sliced into bite-size pieces
1 medium red onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, very finely chopped or pressed through a garlic press
1½ teaspoons ground cumin
¾ teaspoon dried oregano
¾ teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon dried sage
2½ teaspoons kosher salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
1½ cups brown lentils, well rinsed
1 bunch Swiss chard, ribs removed and leaves cut into thin ribbons
1 lemon, halved
1Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large pot. Add the sausage and cook, stirring often, until it browns, 4 to 5 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the sausage to a medium bowl and set aside.
2Add the onion to the pot and cook until softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic, cumin, oregano, thyme, sage, ½ teaspoon of the salt, and the pepper and continue to cook until the garlic is fragrant, about 30 seconds.
3Stir in the lentils, then add 8 cups water. Raise the heat to high and bring the water to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, and place the cover on the pot so it sits slightly askew. Cook the lentils, stirring occasionally, until they are just shy of being tender and are still a little hard in the center, 25 to 30 minutes.
4Return the sausage to the pot along with any accumulated juices. Stir in the remaining 2 teaspoons salt, then stir in the chard ribbons. Continue to cook until the lentils and the chard are tender, about 10 minutes longer. Squeeze the juice from the lemon halves into the soup and serve.
PER SERVING: Calories 252 / Protein 17g / Dietary Fiber 17g / Sugars 5g / Total Fat 7g
TUSCAN RIBOLLITA WITH KALE AND CANNELLINI BEANS
SERVES 8 PREPARATION TIME 20 MINUTES COOKING TIME 1 HOUR, 10 MINUTES
This hearty, wintry meal offers protein, vitamins, and fiber in one tidy vegetarian package (leave out the Parmesan cheese to make it vegan). The combination of kale and cannellini beans is traditional, but you can also use Swiss chard, spinach, or escarole in combination with any of your favorite beans.
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium carrots, finely chopped
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
½ fennel bulb, cored and finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, very finely chopped or pressed through a garlic press
3 fresh thyme sprigs
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 15-ounce can low-sodium crushed tomatoes
8 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 cups cooked cannellini beans (homemade; or canned, rinsed)
1 bunch Lacinato kale, stems removed and leaves coarsely chopped
¼ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
4 cups bite-size pieces whole wheat bread
½ lemon, cut into wedges
1Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium heat in a large soup pot. Add the carrots, celery, onion, fennel, and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft and the onion is translucent, 15 to 20 minutes.
2Add the thyme sprigs and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring often, for 1 minute, then stir in the tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Pour in the broth and add the salt and pepper. Stir in the beans and kale, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and gently simmer until the kale is tender, 15 to 20 minutes.
3Stir the bread into the soup and continue to simmer, stirring occasionally, until the soup thickens and the bread is mostly broken down, 20 to 25 minutes. Ladle the soup into bowls and serve warm with a drizzle of the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, some of the grated Parmesan cheese, and a lemon wedge.
PER SERVING: Calories 274 / Protein 12g / Dietary Fiber 10g / Sugars 9g / Total Fat 7g
KITCHEN STRATEGY
Turn Leftover Soup into Ribollita
Any soup can become ribollita in a snap: simply add some broth to bulk it out if need be, mix in stale or day-old bread, and add some cooked beans.
MAKE AHEAD AND FREEZE BEANS
A 1-pound bag of dried beans yields the same quantity after cooking as four to five cans of beans—and costs only a buck! Cooking dried beans is a cinch, too. Here’s how to do it on the stovetop or in a slow cooker:
1. Soak the beans overnight (if using a slow cooker, soaking isn’t necessary, but it’s a step I prefer so the beans are easier to digest).
2. Simmer the beans gently (don’t boil) until they are just tender, 1 to 1½ hours (if using a slow cooker, aim for 4 to 5 hours on high or 8 to 10 hours on low).
3. Taste 4 to 5 beans to make sure they are all tender and cooked through. Different varieties of beans can take longer or less time to cook; additionally, older beans can take 1 to 2 hours longer than fresher ones, so timing can vary quite a bit.
4. Once the beans are cool, divide them into quart-size freezer bags (some people like to freeze cooked beans in the liquid, but I always drain mine before freezing). Usually, packages of 1½ to 2 cups of beans is a good measure (that’s about how much is in a can of beans). Then label the bags and freeze.
5. When needed, remove the bag from the freezer and add the frozen beans to a soup or stew, or thaw them first if they aren’t going to be heated (such as if you’re using them to make hummus or in a salad).
Pork and Rice Noodle Pho
PORK AND RICE NOODLE PHO
SERVES 4 PREPARATION TIME 25 MINUTES COOKING TIME 1 HOUR, 30 MINUTES
A giant, steaming bowl of Vietnamese pho is a soup that keeps on giving: there is the deep rich broth, the springy noodles, the tender pork, the bite of fresh herbs, and the sharpness of spicy chiles. In my version, I create a rich stock using pork or beef bones (ask the butcher at your supermarket’s meat counter for the bones—they should be pretty cheap to buy) and half a pork tenderloin. The rest of the pork tenderloin is added with the noodles and cooks up in just 10 minutes.
1 pork tenderloin (about 1 pound)
1 pound pork or beef bones (optional)
2 teaspoons canola oil
3 garlic cloves, smashed
2 medium carrots, roughly chopped
2 celery stalks, roughly chopped
1 medium yellow onion, peeled and roughly chopped
1 2-inch piece of fresh ginger, sliced into ¼-inch-thick pieces
1 bunch fresh cilantro, stems and leaves separated
1½ teaspoons kosher salt
1 dried bay leaf
¼ teaspoon coriander seeds
1 star anise
8 ounces dried rice vermicelli noodles
2 limes, quartered
½ cup bean sprouts
1 fresh red chile (such as Fresno or red jalapeño), thinly sliced
1Thinly slice half the pork tenderloin and coarsely chop the rest. Add the pork bones (if using) to a large soup pot set over medium-high heat, and brown them, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the bones from the pot and set aside.
2Add the canola oil to the pot and heat until shimmering, about 30 seconds, then stir in the smashed garlic and cook until golden and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the carrots, celery, onion, and ginger and cook, stirring occasionally, until they begin to brown, about 5 minutes.
3Stir in the chopped pork and cilantro stems, 1 teaspoon of the salt, the bay leaf, coriander seeds, and star anise. Pour in 10 cups of water, return the bones to the pot, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 1 hour.
4Strain the broth through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean large pot. Return it to a boil, then add the thinly sliced pork and the rice vermicelli. Cook until the pork is tender and the noodles are cooked through, about 10 minutes.
5Season the soup with the remaining ½ teaspoon salt. Ladle into bowls and serve with the lime quarters, bean sprouts, cilantro leaves, and chile.
PER SERVING: Calories 306 / Protein 16g / Dietary Fiber 1g / Sugars 1g / Total Fat 4g
KITCHEN STRATEGY
Making Soup Kid-Friendly
Start with a soup recipe that incorporates their favorite vegetable or fun noodle shape. Try offering soup mix-ins, like herbs, seasoned yogurts, and pesto, or serve different kinds of crackers with the soup to make the meal more customizable (kids love to mix and match). Once they like soup in general, try new varieties such as a Vietnamese noodle soup or Creamy Cauliflower “Baked Potato” Soup. Don’t forget that leftovers make great Thermos lunches!
Chicken-Chile Pozole
CHICKEN-CHILE POZOLE
SERVES 4 PREPARATION TIME 10 MINUTES (plus 30 minutes to soak chiles)
COOKING TIME 25 MINUTES
My family got turned on to pozole thanks to a friend of one of my daughter’s who always brings pozole for school potlucks. This brothy Mexican soup is chock-full of hominy, mild dried chiles, and shredded chicken or pork. Philippe and our girls (well, at least two of the four!) go crazy for it. Shredded chicken (either left over from an earlier dinner or off of a rotisserie chicken) and mild New Mexico dried red chiles make this soup weeknight and kid-friendly. If you want a spicier version, try adding a dried chipotle chile (or two) to the mix.
2 dried New Mexico red chiles (or Guajillo chiles, for more heat), stems discarded
1½ cups boiling water
2 garlic cloves, peeled
½ medium white onion, coarsely chopped
2 teaspoons fresh oregano leaves
Juice of 1 lime, plus 1 lime cut into wedges
1 teaspoon kosher salt
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 15-ounce cans white hominy, rinsed and drained
1½ pounds cooked white meat chicken or pork, shredded
½ avocado, pitted and diced
3 radishes, thinly sliced
1 cup fresh cilantro leaves
1Place the dried chiles in a medium bowl and cover with the boiling water. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set the chiles aside to soak for 30 minutes, turning them occasionally to make sure they are completely submerged.
2Transfer the chiles and their soaking liquid to a blender. Add the garlic, onion, oregano, lime juice, and ½ teaspoon of the salt, and purée.
3Pour the chile mixture into a large soup pot and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thick, 15 to 20 minutes.
4Stir in the broth and return the mixture to a simmer. Stir in the hominy and the chicken. Season with the remaining ½ teaspoon salt and continue to cook until the chicken and hominy are warmed through, 7 to 10 minutes.
5Divide the pozole among 4 soup bowls and sprinkle with the avocado, radish slices, and cilantro. Serve with a lime wedge.
PER SERVING: Calories 463 / Protein 57g / Dietary Fiber 9g / Sugars 1g / Total Fat 11g