Thick, hearty soup makes a great winter dinner. I used to love coming home from school to a kitchen filled with the smell of a large pot of soup that had been simmering for hours.
Thick, hearty soup makes a great winter dinner. I used to love coming home from school to a kitchen filled with the smell of a large pot of soup that had been simmering for hours.
I still love a really good bowl of soup, but don’t have hours to make it. This short-cut version takes only 25 minutes. It’s a whole meal in a bowl. The soup freezes well; if you have time, make double and you will have another meal ready.
Helpful hints:
• Low-fat chicken sausage can be used instead of turkey sausage.
• Keep the sausage in the refrigerator until ready to slice. It’s easier to cut when cold.
Shopping list
Here are the ingredients you’ll need for tonight’s dinner.
To buy: 1 package low-fat turkey sausage (6 ounces needed), 1 package sliced carrots, 1 parsnip, 1 can red kidney beans, 1 can chickpeas, 1 package frozen baby lima beans, 2 cans low-sodium peeled whole tomatoes, 1 container fat-free, low-sodium chicken broth, 1 bottle ground cumin, 1 bottle chili powder
Staples: Olive oil, onion, salt and black peppercorns.
Sausage and three bean soup
6 ounces low-fat turkey sausage
3 teaspoons olive oil
1 cup sliced onion
1/2 cup sliced carrots
1/2 cup sliced parsnips
1 cup rinsed and drained canned red kidney beans
1 cup rinsed and drained canned chickpeas
1 cup frozen baby lima beans
4 cups canned low-sodium, peeled whole tomatoes including liquid
1 cup fat-free, low-sodium chicken broth
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons chili powder
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Cut sausage into 1/2-inch slices. Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add sausage slices, onion, carrots and parsnips. Saute 3 minutes. Add kidney beans, chickpeas, lima beans, tomatoes, chicken broth, cumin and chili powder. Break up tomatoes with a spoon or knife and bring to a simmer. Simmer 15 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Makes 2 servings.
Nutrition information per serving: 576 calories (26 percent from fat), 16.5 g fat (3.2 g saturated, 7.6 g monounsaturated), 63 mg cholesterol, 37.6 g protein, 75.8 g carbohydrates, 20.5 g fiber, 897 mg sodium.