Souped Up

I've always been cold this time of year. But this year more than usual because I have less insulation. Combined with the fact that my taste palette has broadened considerably, I've opened my eyes and stomach to soups this year. A good, substantive soup does wonders to warm me up and keep me full. Here are some that I've been using.

1) Cashew Carrot Ginger soup by Pacific Natural. I just opened my first box of this today, and it's got an interesting kick to it. I didn't know how ginger and carrot would blend, but it turns out it does so quite well. It's only 3 points per cup. I had it with a spinach salad for lunch and it held me over surprisingly well.

2) I mentioned a bit ago the black bean soup from Trader Joe's. Here is a repeat plug. I had the Latin style, for what it's worth. That one is particularly filling...must  be the fiber and protein in the beans? Two points per serving.

3) Then there's that corn and lentil soup that I made in November. Yum. Two points per serving.

4) A friend invited a group of people over for dinner this past weekend, and she made a spicy soup that was delicious. It contains lentils, which are high in protein and therefore good at sticking to your ribs. We added a bit of Greek yogurt for creaminess and as an alternative to sour cream. I don't know the points value, but it can't be high. The ingredients are all healthy. The recipe follows:

Red Lentil Soup with Lemon
Adapted slightly from In the Kitchen with a Good Appetite, by Melissa Clark

4 Tbsp. olive oil, plus additional good oil for drizzling
2 large yellow onions, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
2 tsp. ground cumin
½ tsp. kosher salt, or more to taste
A few grinds of freshly ground black pepper
Pinch of cayenne or Aleppo pepper, or more to taste
2 quarts chicken or vegetable broth
2 cups red lentils, picked through for stones and debris
2 large carrots, peeled and diced
Juice of 1 lemon, or more to taste
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

In a large pot, warm the oil over medium-high heat until hot and shimmering. Add the onions and garlic and cook until golden, about 4 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste, cumin, salt, pepper, and cayenne, and cook for 2 minutes longer. Add the broth, 2 cups water, the lentils, and the carrots. Bring to a simmer, then partially cover the pot and reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Continue to cook until the lentils are soft, about 30 minutes. Taste, and add more salt if necessary. Using an immersion or regular blender, puree about half of the soup. It should still be somewhat chunky, not completely smooth. Reheat if necessary, then stir in the lemon juice and cilantro. Serve the soup drizzled with good olive oil and dusted very lightly with cayenne, if desired.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

5) I'm totally craving chili right now, so I am going to make some as soon as I'm home for a night and not painting...soon, I hope. There was a great recipe tonight on WW, and it looks like a winner. Again with the lentils! But given that I'm trying to reduce my meat consumption, I'm all for it!

So there you go. Soups: getting me through a long, cold, nasty winter. Now I have to go to bed for tomorrow is an early start. Yuck.