What a clever idea -- making a soup that tastes creamy and rich yet contains not an ounce of cream and very little fat.
The secret?
In Artichoke-Leek Soup, the "creamy" trick is a little rice and a large potato. They're cooked and pureed along with the artichokes, leeks, broth, garlic, thyme, cayenne, lemon juice and other seasonings.
Garbanzo beans, pureed with canned tomatoes, broth and seasonings, provide the "cream" in "Creamy" Tomato Soup. Pureed pearl barley, mushrooms, onions and carrots perform that job in Hungarian Mushroom Soup.
You can adapt the pureeing technique to many soups to add creamy texture without cream. Well-cooked dried beans, potatoes, rice or barley, pureed in a blender or food processor, all add smoothness.
Sometimes pureeing just part of a soup batch -- a cup or so of all the cooked ingredients -- then returning the pureed portion to the main pot adds just the right amount of "creaminess."
The soups in the following recipes bring warmth and good taste to the winter table -- and all with the stamp of healthy cooking.
Artichoke-Leek SoupMakes 4 servings
3 medium leeks
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 medium cloves garlic, peeled and minced
2 tablespoons white rice
1 large baking potato, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 (14-ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and halved
4 cups chicken broth
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme, crumbled
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley or minced chives
croutons for garnish
Cut all but 2 inches of the dark green from the tops of the leeks. Split leeks down the center and wash well under cold running water to remove the grit. Slice thinly.
In a medium pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the leeks and garlic; saute 5 minutes. Stir in the rice and saute 3 minutes.
Add the potato, artichokes, broth, cumin, thyme and cayenne. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer 30 minutes.
Let the soup cool a few minutes before pureeing in several batches in a food processor or blender. Pour back into the pan and season with several grindings black pepper, lemon juice, parsley or chives. Heat through.
Per serving: 165 calories; 6 grams protein; 4 grams fat; 29 grams carbohydrate; 1250 milligrams sodium; 1 gram saturated fat; 3 grams monounsaturated fat; 0 polyunsaturated fat; 0 cholesterol
Creamy Winter Tomato Soup
Makes 4 servings
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, peeled and finely chopped
3 medium cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 (28-ounce) can peeled and diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (8 3/4 -ounce) can garbanzo beans, undrained
1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
1 teaspoon dried basil, crushed
2 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1 small piece Parmesan cheese rind (optional)
3 plum tomatoes, peeled, seeded and coarsely chopped
freshly ground black pepper to taste
In a medium-sized pan, heat olive oil over medium heat until hot. Add onion and garlic; saute 5 minutes.
Stir in undrained tomatoes and garbanzo beans, chicken broth, rosemary, oregano, basil, sugar and Parmesan rind. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer 30 minutes.
Remove cheese rind. With a slotted spoon put the vegetables in small batches into food processor or blender; puree until very smooth. Stir the puree back into liquid with the plum tomatoes. Heat through on medium-low heat. Adjust seasonings with freshly ground black pepper.
Per serving: 185 calories; 6 grams protein; 5 grams fat; 32 grams carbohydrate; 542 milligrams sodium; 1 gram saturated fat; 3 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 0 cholesterol
Hungarian Mushroom Soup
Makes 4 servings
1 pound button mushrooms, or a combination of button and shiitake or cremini, wiped clean
3 teaspoons olive oil, divided
1 cup finely chopped onions
1 medium carrot, peeled and finely diced
2 medium cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 (14 1/2 -ounce) can chicken broth plus enough water to equal 3 1/2 cups
1/3 cup pearl barley
1/2 teaspoon dried dillweed
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon tomato paste
1/2 cup dry sherry, divided
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
FTC Thinly slice about a quarter of the mushrooms and set aside. Coarsely chop the remaining mushrooms.
In a large pan, heat 2 teaspoons of oil over medium heat. Add onions,carrot and garlic; saute 5 minutes. Add 1/4 cup of broth-water combination, barley, dillweed, paprika and tomato paste. Cover; simmer 10 minutes. Add the chopped mushrooms, remaining broth and 1/4 cup sherry. Bring to a boil, cover and
reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook 40 minutes.
With a slotted spoon transfer 1 cup of the cooked vegetables and barley to a food processor or blender. Puree until very smooth. Stir back into the soup.
In a nonstick skillet heat the remaining 1 teaspoon olive oil over medium-high heat. Add reserved sliced mushrooms and saute 4 minutes. Add 1/4 cup sherry and cook until liquid has been reduced to a couple of tablespoons.
Stir mushrooms into soup. Add lemon juice, parsley, fresh dill and pepper. Heat through and serve.
Per serving: 167 calories; 6 grams protein; 4 grams fat; 27 grams carbohydrate; 497 milligrams sodium; 1 gram saturated fat; 3 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 0 cholesterol
(Idea from "The Wellness Lowfat Cookbook" by the University of California at Berkeley.)