Chicken, Spinach & Cheese Ravioli Soup

Chicken, Spinach & Cheese Ravioli Soup

Have some leftover roast chicken from Sunday dinner? This delicious soup is the perfect way to use it up! Serve with a salad and crusty bread.

Ingredients
2 tsp olive oil
1 cup diced onions
4 cloves of garlic, minced
6 cups of chicken broth (fat free, reduced sodium)
2 T salt free chicken seasoning (Mrs. Dash Chicken)
1/2 T black pepper
2 cups chicken, chopped/shredded
1 pound fresh baby spinach, lightly chopped
1 cup canned diced tomatoes
1/2 pound mini cheese ravioli
6 T of parmesan cheese, grated.
1 1/2 cups fresh mushrooms (optional)

Method
Heat a large stockpot over medium heat. Add olive oil and onions.  Saute until onions are soft and translucent. This will take about 5 minutes.  Add garlic and saute for another 2-3 minutes.

Add chicken broth, salt free chicken seasoning, and pepper. Bring broth to a boil. Reduce heat and add the ravioli. Simmer for about 10 minutes, or until the pasta is cooked through.

Stir in the cooked chicken, spinach, mushrooms, and tomatoes.  Cook the soup an additional 5 minutes, stiring gently until the spinach is wilted, but is still green.

Pour into bowls. Garnish each serving with 1 T of parmesan cheese.

Serves 6


Other Information

Soup + 1 T of parmesan cheese is 6 WWpt+

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Recipe based off of Chicken spinach tortellini soup

Onion Surprise Soup

Onion Surprise Soup

This is really just french onion soup with a twist.  The surprise comes in the topping! Most french onion soups come covered with a thick, gooey layer of bread and cheese.  Applebee's version of french onion soup packs a whopping 21 grams of fat, and 2317 mg of sodium (livestrong.com).

Instead of bread, this recipe uses cheese & mashed cauliflower. This recipe is based on a recipe found on Health-Bent.com--a website devoted to Paleo friendly meals. I am not following the Paleo diet, but I found this recipe interesting....and of course, I had to put my own twist on it!

This soup is perfect to warm you up, or if you just want french onion soup.  Check out the cute little dish. My friend gave it to me last week, and I had to find something to make with it ASAP!!

Ingredients

for the soup:

3-4 sprigs of fresh thyme

5 large onions (Mix it up! I used vidalia & yellow)

2 T olive oil

1 quart fat free, low sodium beef broth

3 teaspoons oregano, dried

2 teaspoons sodium free garlic herb seasoning (I used Mrs. Dash)

salt & pepper, if desired

for the topping:

1 cup frozen cauliflower, mashed

1 egg

1 cup Swiss cheese, shredded/cubed

1 teaspoon of garlic powder

salt & pepper, if desired

Method

In a large pot, heat up the olive oil over medium-low heat. 

Add in onions (be sure to separate them), thyme, oregano, and place the lid slightly ajar. Stir and let the onions "melt" for 10 minutes.

After 10 minutes, stir again. 

Set timer for another 10 minutes. Keep lid ajar, to let steam. You should repeat the process until the onions shrink by half, and are a caramel color (about 25 minutes total). 

Add beef broth, bring to a boil.  Once boiling, reduce to a simmer, making sure to get up any "onion flavor bits" from bottom of pan with spoon.  Add in garlic herb seasoning.  Stir and simmer for 10-15 minutes.  Remove thyme sprigs. 

Meanwhile.....

Preheat oven to 400.

In a small sauce pan, cook cauliflower until soft.  Mash.

Mix in egg and shredded/cubed cheese.  Add in garlic powder, and s&p if using.

Divide soup into 4 bowls.  Even divide cheese mixture, and spread evenly over each bowl. 

Place in oven for 10 minutes, or until hot and bubbly. Turn on broiler for a few minutes for additional color/browning.

Enjoy!! Pairs nicely with a salad.

Serves 4

Other information

 WW 5pt+ per serving

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Health-Bent's Onion Soup with Cheesy Cauliflower

Spicy Pumpkin Soup w/ Coconut Lime Cream

The weather has been rather helter skelter lately, and it has been unseasonably warm for February.  However, it is still winter in my book, and that means it is still pumpkin time. Here's my favorite way to incorporate pumpkin into my life.

Just like spinach, pumpkin is another "super food."  Why is it so great?  It is a anti-oxidant power house, in that pumpkins are an excellent of beta-carotene. Studies have shown that people who eat foods rich in beta-carotene are less likely to develop certain cancers in comparison to individuals who do not incorporate it into their diets.

So don't think a pumpkin is just for making a scary Jack-O-Lantern. Make this tasty soup! My family loves it, and requests it often during fall/winter.

Spicy Pumpkin Soup w/ Coconut Lime Cream

Ingredients:
3 T light butter
15 oz solid pack pumpkin
1 t of crushed red pepper flakes (more if you like it really spicy like my family)
3 c finely chopped onions
1 c skim milk
2 1/2 c chicken broth

Method:
In a large pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add onions and saute until translucent

Stir in pumpkin, milk, and red pepper flakes. 

Remove mixture from pot and pour mix into a blender/food processor and puree.  Return mixture to pot and add chicken broth.  **you can use an immersion blender if you have one!**

Simmer for 20 minutes, or until hot.  Add salt & pepper if you wish. Pour into bowls & top with Coconut lime cream.

Serves 4 big servings
WW: 4p+

Coconut Lime Cream

Ingredients:
1/4 c coconut cream, canned (like coco lopez)
1/4 c reduced fat sour cream
1/2 lime, juiced
1 t lime zest

Method:
Wisk sour cream, coconut cream, lime juice & zest together in a bowl. Chill for 2 hours before serving with Spicy Pumpkin Soup.

Serves 5 or so
WW:  2p+

You don't have to get fancy when serving it...I just thought it would be fun to do my initials :)