Traditional Vegetable Soup Recipe With Versatile Food

Traditional Soup Recipe Ingredients:

1 leek (only white parts), sliced thinly
7 ounce tomatoes, un-drained, stewed
½ medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into ½ inch cubes
1 ½ medium carrot, sliced thinly
1 cup red cabbage, shredded
2 stalk celery, sliced
½ cup green beans
¼ cup parsley
2 teaspoon bouillon, vegetable
½ medium apple, cored and chopped coarsely
1 tablespoon lemon juice, freshly extracted
¾ teaspoon garlic, minced
½ teaspoon olive oil
4 cups water
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Method:

1. Heat olive oil in a medium size Dutch oven. Cook garlic along with leeks in the hot oil for about 2 to 3minutes or until the leeks are tender, yet firm.
2. Add water in this mixture (add water carefully as the oil in the oven is very hot and the steam can burn your skin). Stir in un-drained tomatoes, sweet potato, carrots, celery, bouillon cubes or granules and apples.
3. Bring the contents to a boil over medium heat. After a boil reduce the heat and cover the container. Simmer the vegetables on low heat, covered for about 15 minutes.
4. Uncover the container and add red shredded cabbage and green beans. Season with salt and freshly grounded black pepper as per taste.
5. Return the contents to a boil; reduce heat after a boil and cover the container. Simmer on low flame for about 10 minutes or till the vegetables are tender.
6. As the vegetables are done add freshly extracted lemon juice and parsley. Serve hot. This recipe makes 4 servings.
7. Little edition in versatile vegetable soup recipe can change the recipe to Tex-Mex chicken vegetable soup recipe. For this add ½ teaspoon cumin seeds along with garlic in the first step while you sauté leeks. Also add ½ cup cooked bite size boneless chicken, ½ cup loose pack frozen corn kernel, 1 ½ teaspoon fresh snipped cilantro, and 2 ounce can chopped green Chile peppers along with lemon juice and heat through. Before serving garnish the Tex-Mex chicken vegetable soup with fresh cilantro sprig and a lemon wedge.

Health Tip:

• This is a low calorie, diabetes friendly, healthy recipe which provides about 138 calories, 8 gm proteins and 3 gm total fat per serving.
• Versatile vegetable soup provides about 790 mg sodium per serving. So if you are on sodium restricted diet then balance your sodium intake in other foods accordingly.