As promised…here is my “Weekday Fast Veggie Soup!”
While I am a huge fan of Intermittent Fasting, one of the challenges is coming up with easy, tasty, low calories meals for a Fast 5/2 day. This recipe is really simple, really healthy and very low-cal. Perfect for a cold or rainy Fast 5/2 day although I usually make it on Monday and we eat on it all week.
This soup is different every time I make it. Things that are always the same: Lots of veggies, low-sodium chicken broth, fire roasted diced tomatoes, onion, celery and carrot. Things that change: other veggies (whatever leftovers are in the frig go in), spices. I had some mushrooms and a couple Tupperware containers of leftover steamed vegetables from earlier in the week, and in they went. That wasn’t enough veggies, so I added a whole bag of frozen peas.
There is a lot to love about this soup. It’s delicious, healthy, filling, low-cal, ridiculously inexpensive, and easy to make. For under $10 of you are getting 4-6 delicious bowls of soup! Here’s a pic of most of the ingredients:
I ended up tossing in a bay leaf and some thyme (the picture shows Herbes de Provence, but since I found the thyme I went with it) Note the secret ingredient in the back there – Adam’s Reserve Prime Rib & Steak Rub. We bought it for our Christmas Eve prime rib and had some left over. I threw that in the soup on a whim once and have used it ever since. It gives it a rich, beefy flavor…with no meat. You could use Tony’s for a creole kick or taco seasoning if you want something with a Mexican flair – don’t be afraid to experiment.
Here we go: Chop an onion, a couple stalks of celery and a few peeled carrots. (Note: If you’re not into chopping veggies or in a hurry, HEB sells pre-chopped onions, celery & carrots in the vegetable section.)
Add two Tbsp of extra virgin olive oil to your pot and once it is hot, throw in the veggies. Season with salt & pepper as always. Let the onions get sweet and translucent, about 10 minutes. At this point, if you are a garlic fan, you could throw in a minced clove or two and stir for the last minute or so…but don’t burn that garlic!
Now add all the rest of your veggies and the can of fire roasted diced tomatoes; these give the soup a wonderful kick! Pour in the chicken broth – enough to cover the veggies.
Now it’s time for the first batch of seasonings. My rule of thumb is to add about half of what I’m planning on, and then half way through adjust my seasonings. I don’t measure exactly (as you can see from my handful of oregano there) but about I added about 2 tsp thyme, 1 tsp oregano, a capful of the prime rib seasoning, and a bay leaf.
Bring it to a boil, reduce for a simmer, and set your timer for 45 minutes. Adjust your seasonings and add as necessary, then simmer for another 45 minutes, or until the veggies are to your desired tenderness. Serve and enjoy! (I like everything spicy, so I add a dash of hot sauce.)
Here’s the best part…check out this nutritional info! I punched everything for the whole batch in to MyFitnessPal and as you can see, it’s only 750 calories for the entire pot. Depending on your appetite you should get 4-6 servings out of it. At 100-125 calories for lunch, that’s a very “Fast Day Friendly” meal!
If you make it, let me know! And if you tweak it, tell us how it goes!
Cheers,
Markus