Easy Cooking Recipes--Soup

I think I can safely say that most of us really like easy cooking recipes.  We want to get the best tasting and healthful food by spending as little time as possible on meals.  This is especially true with our very busy lives today.  I personally never serve leftovers—however I usually make enough of any recipe that I can  for two meals.  I often make up my own recipes so I know they are part of our healthy eating regime.  

I have created the perfect healthy lunch by making soup.  I only have to cook this once a week.  My fridge and freezer are generally filled with several containers of homemade soup.  When we are home for lunch I defrost a container (which is enough soup for two).  I warm up the soup and we have lunch.  Most of my soups contain many veggies and usually black or white beams or lentils.  The soup  enforces our healthy eating for the day in case we go out or have a splurge.  All of my soups are part of my easy cooking plan.  I always include veggies and spices that are high in vitamins, minerals and fiber.  I am a big proponent  of making sure we get a heavy dose of magnesium everyday.   When I go out for lunch and my husband is home I know he is eating a healthy meal.

My favorite soup and his too is whenI use up whatever veggies are left in the fridge.   I always have containers of cooked fresh beans in the freezer so the soup takes only about an hour to cook.  I defrost the beans so they are ready to use. My husband always seems happy to have a bowl of soup for lunch which is great for me.  The extra benefit of making soup is that is very inexpensive as well as being a healthy lunch.

Grab Bag Soup

1 gallon of water or mixture of chicken or beef broth

2 cups each of chopped onion, celery, carrots, spinach, zucchini 

 (also acceptable are left over radishes. green onions, broccoli, cauliflower and tomatoes)

3 cups of either black or white beans 

1/4 cup of cider vinegar (replaces adding a lot of salt)

4 tablespoons each  basil, oregano, thyme, garlic powder, lemon pepper spice, 

1/4 cup of olive oil or avocado oil

salt and pepper to your taste

Directions:

1. Put water and oil in a large soup pot
2. Add all vegetables and spices and cook on high temperature for 30 minutes
3. Add the beans and cook for another 30 minutes
4. Salt and pepper to taste

  

Allow the soup to cool and put in plastic or glass containers and freeze until you use the soup.

For more delicious soup recipes check out chapter 3 in my book  Feel Better Every Day.