Soup Up your Lunches with this Quick and Easy Soup

This time of year, it's becoming increasingly more difficult to find truly fresh ingredients for lunches. You might find yourself turning away from the salad bar and opting for a quick can of soup. Unfortunately, like my office-mate, Sarah Morrison pointed out to her husband recently, you simply "cannot find healthy soup in a can, so you better make your own." I love her spirit! You might be saying, hey, there are many health minded options with low sodium and lots of vegetables. However, if you look closely at the label, you'll find items like modified food starch (to increase viscosity and texture) monosodium glutamate (MSG anyone?), and autolyzed yeast extract...sounds delicious. All sarcasm aside, even vegetable based, low-sodium soups are less than healthful because of the added ingredients that add not to the nutrition but to the "flavor and texture" of the soup.   The additives yeast extract and MSG, concentrated flavor enhancers, are present because they are made up of almost all glutamate. Glutamate refers to a number of forms of glutamic acid (responsible for the umami or fifth taste of savory, meatiness in food), an amino acid found naturally in many foods like cheese, milk, peas, seaweed, mushrooms, miso and anchovies. However, MSG and autolyzed yeast extract are so powerful that just a few drops can change the flavor of a dish. Perhaps this is why they are found in most all canned soups? What would these canned concoctions taste like otherwise? My guess? Salt, the other big flavor enhancer. Let's avoid all of them and clean up our lunches (or dinner) with some healthful and easy weeknight soups. Make a large batch on a Sunday and "can" in little glass jars. Healthful, easy and inexpensive.

This recipe is so easy to prepare (as evidence, I made it when I was sick). I have complete faith you can make and enjoy this.  If you don't have all the exact ingredients on hand or would like to add more, go for it! Mushrooms, carrots, sweet potatoes, butter beans, green beans would all go really well with this basic soup. In the recipe below, the peas add to the umami flavor enhancement, no MSG needed.  Enjoy!  Chicken, Wild rice, Pea and Spinach Soup -1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast -1/3 cup wild rice -1 cup water -1 TBSP salt -1 small onion, chopped -1 TBSP. olive oil or butter -32 oz. unsalted chicken stock -3 cups water -1 cup frozen peas -3 cups baby spinach In a small stock pot, add wild rice, salt and 1 cup of water. Bring to a boil and turn heat to very low, cover and simmer for 45 minutes. Meanwhile, add whole chicken breast to a large pot of water. Boil for 15 to 20 minutes until completely cooked. Drain and using 2 forks, shred the chicken by pulling the meat in opposite directions. Add 1 TBSP oil and the onion to the large pot over medium low heat. Cook for five minutes, add the shredded chicken, stock, water and the wild rice. The rice might not be completely cooked but it will have time to finish in the large pot. Cook for another 15 minutes and right before you are ready to eat, add the peas and spinach. Turn the heat off and stir the greens into the soup. The heat of the soup will wilt the greens and warm the peas through without overcooking and leaking out the nutrients. Ladle into a bowl or a little glass jar for your lunch. Serving size is 1 cup.

Kelly Bowlin Administration Director & BAC Foodie :)  Bay Athletic Club 989.356.5600

Healthful: Dried Beans and a Better Way to Cook them

This week's recipe is showing some love for the dry beans resting in your pantry shelf. If you are anything like me, you buy them since they look great, are nutritious and truly inexpensive. However, when you think of cooking with them, you have to factor in the time to soak them overnight, rinse, sort and then cook them...way too much time for a weeknight meal. 

My solution? Cook a large batch on a weekend when you have a little more time AND forget the overnight soak. It's true! You can still have fully cooked and tender beans in as little as two hours. I know it's still not extremely quick, but if you want all of the following health benefits and delish flavor, you might want to give it a try:

1. Beans are high in antioxidants, fiber, protein, B vitamins, iron, magnesium, potassium, copper and zinc.

2. Eating beans regularly may decrease the risk of diabetes, heart disease, colorectal cancer, and helps with weight management.

3. How do they help with weight management? Beans are hearty, helping you feel full so you will tend to eat less. Not to mention a serving, ½ cup, of beans only has 100 calories. You'll feel so much more satisfied with 100 calories of beans versus three crackers, right? 

So, if you are ready to try the two hour bean cookery, rinse the dry beans (to remove any dirt and foreign particles), sort (to remove any larger debris like stones) and place in a large, heavy pot over the stove. Add enough water to cover the beans by three inches and turn the heat to high. Bring the beans to a boil and immediately cover, turn the heat down to very low and let them cook for the next 2 hours. Remove from the heat, rinse and set aside to be added to your next meal. Feel free to store in the fridge for up to 4 days.

What You Can Do With Beans   

• Hummus - for a quick dip, purée a  1 and ½ cups  of chick peas, ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt, 3 TBSP olive oil, minced garlic, lemon juice, parsley, salt and pepper to taste, and a dash of paprika. Serve with toasted whole wheat pita triangles and fresh vegetables for dipping.
• Add to soups, salads, stews and chili
• Add to pasta
• Serve as a side dish 

One of my favorite ways to work with beans is to create a hearty and healthful soup. This way I can make lunches for the week or a quick weeknight meal.  

Mixed Bean, Collard Green and Ham Soup

Ingredients:

-2 cups of mixed beans, cooked (I used cranberry beans, mung and black eyed peas)

-1 bunch of collard greens, stems and ribs removed, chopped roughly

-2 large carrots, peeled and sliced into half moons

-2 garlic cloves, minced

-1 TBSP olive oil

-1 TBSP fresh sage, chopped or 1 tsp. dried and ground sage

-1 cup of ham, chopped (substitute Canadian bacon or another lean protein if you don't have any on hand)

-32 oz. vegetable or chicken broth

-10 cups of water

-1 TBSP. sea salt

-1 TBSP. black pepper

-1 pinch cayenne pepper (optional)

Directions: 

In a large pot, add the olive oil and turn heat to medium. Once the temperature is up, add the garlic, ham, carrots, sage, salt and both kinds of pepper. Sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the liquids and scrape the bottom of the pan to release the flavor bits attached to the bottom of the pot. Stir in the beans and collards greens and bring the mixture to a boil. Once boiling, turn the heat down to medium for a nice simmer and continue to cook for 15 to 20 minutes. 

Ladle out 1 cup per serving and enjoy! This soup will also freeze nicely, so divide it up into individual servings and eat at will for up to 6 months.