Eating soups cooked from scratch can be an "acquired taste" for some especially if you're coming off of a diet where you enjoyed cream of mushroom soup.

The only thing I can think of is to recommend that you try eating a recipe such as you've described at least at three separate meals and see if it doesn't get better for you. And sometimes soups such as you have described are better the next day. Also, try to stay away from packaged foods if you have a goal of losing weight. They can "spoil" your palate and make it difficult for you to enjoy the more simple stuff IMO.

Doesn't sound like you're a terrible cook. The recipes you have mentioned are almost impossible to do wrong. That is one of the reasons I like to cook this way because besides being inexpensive (if you leave out the ham), I can change the spices and ingredients a little every time I make them and they turn out a little different.

Marys1000 -- I thhink if you typically love Campbells cream soups, you might want to try making a healthier version of one of those to start. Instead, it looks like you've tried three different bean soups, and maybe you're just not a huge bean soup fan. Your split pea recipe looks reasonable... I personally love lentil and regular bean soup, but have never liked split pea.

You might want to look on the Cooking Light website to see soups that are more along the lines of what you're used to... Heres a link to a Cooking Light broccoli and cheddar soup that I've made... I usually use less cheese and use low fat cheddar, and it is quite tasty...

Here is a link that might be useful: Broccoli and Cheddar Soup

And here's a link to a mushroom soup recipe that uses some potatoes to thicken it, and then 1% milk rather than cream...

Here is a link that might be useful: Creamy Potato-Mushroom Soup

Marys, I've never made split pea soup so I can't answer your question about that but I wanted to tell you that I could live on soup, yet do not like lentil soup or many others. You just have to keep on trying different ones. You can usually tell what kind you will like if you like the main ingredients that goes in it. I don't like black beans or most black bean soup. I did find one black bean soup that I really like. Let me know if you want me to post the recipe. It calls for cilantro at the end which really makes the soup IMO, so if you don't like cilantro you might not like it.

You might try some potato soups and soups with sausage in them if you like those things. It's perfectly normal not to like some soups.

Congratulations on trying to eat healthier. Leave the Campbells soups off and you have made a teriffic start. Also don't use smoked ham hocks. They have far too much salt.

Update - I let it cool a minute and hit with an immersion blender (love that!) and tasted it. I think it tastes like its supposed to (a teeny tiny taste I'm such a scardy cat)......can't say I love it but its edible. Very silky but with just a touch of carrot bits showing. We'll see how it goes tomorrow.
I did make a white bean soup that was ok. Have had better but I worked really hard on it and used smoked neck bones. So white beans are ok. Like Campbells Ham and Bean.
One of my subgoals is to eat healthier and/or lighter without resorting too much to fat free stuff because that stuff just has a lot of weird gums and stuff in it. Rather use ideas like that potatoe thickening idea, or stronger tasting cheese but less of it.
At work they have processed foods in the tiny cafeteria - I like the mushroom barely and sometimes the tomatoe based ones. So next I think I'm going to try a Riboletta (a minestrone with beans instead of pasta) and maybe a mushroom barley with whatever that green stuff is.
THanks for the link.

Campbells are so loaded with salt that any other soups will taste bland. You can add more salt, or you can retrain your palate. Most home cooks tend to undersalt as they cook, and then make up for it at the table (my husband's a chef, and he's far for lavish with the salt during cooking than I am.)

Don't skim off the fat as you cook. Wait, chill the soup, and then skim off most of it--but some fat adds flavor.

You can retrain your taste buds, but it's not a quick process. I grew up eating canned junk, and for a while everything did taste a little bland, but I persevered, and I'm glad I did. I can't eat Campbell's now. I will eat Progresso, which I think are no less sodium-packed, but have better flavor.

Mary, when it's cold and I just want something tasty and warm, I made the following soup. It is healthy and good! I do understand your problem with the soups you have tried. This might be a good direction for you.

BEEF BARLEY AND VEGETABLE SOUP (serves 8)

2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1 pound beef stew meat
1 pound meaty beef bones (i.e., shanks)
3 celery stalks, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
cup pearl barley
4 cups water
2 14-1/2 oz. cans beef broth
1 14-1/2 oz. can tomatoes in juice
14-1/2 oz. bottled tomato juice
1 10-oz pkg frozen corn kernels
2 large carrots, diced
2 small bay leaves
2 cloves garlic, diced fine
1 ½ cups frozen peas
1 cup fresh green beans
1 lb. small white onions, peeled

Heat oil in large pot over medium-high heat. Add stew meat and bones; sauté until beef is dark brown, about 8 minutes. Transfer beef and bones to a plate. Add celery, onion, and barley to pot. Sauté until onion is golden, about 10 minutes. Add 4 cups water, broth, tomatoes and juices, corn, carrots, bay leaves, and garlic. Return beef and bones to the pot and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered until beef is almost tender, about 1 hour.

Add peas, beans, onions and 1 ½ teaspoons hot pepper sauce to soup. Cover and simmer until vegetables are tender, about an additional 45 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, and more hot pepper sauce if desired.

I agree with Fearlessem about starting with different soups if you're used to highly-salted, canned cream soups. (And, hey, I'm not judging because I ate more than my share of cream of chicken in my youth.) Since you like cream of mushroom, maybe start with a mushroom soup in a light chicken broth?

If you're looking for recipes for lighter soups, Cookin Light and Weight Watchers recipes are actually very good (Except their desserts...whcih if you think about it, is probably a good thing. LOL!)

Personally, I love lentil and black bean soups now, but the first time I had them, I didn't like them at all. And I have never liked split pea soup.

I only like bean soups with garnishes: mainly sour cream (fat free), green onion, cheddar, diced tomato, etc.

If you are accustomed to eating a lot of prepkg'ed or low-grade commercial food, you need to retrain your palate. I second all the suggestions to take it slow and learn to make healthier versions of the foods you DO like.

To jump into making recipes when you have never been inclined to even try the canned versions, is setting yourself up for failure. It's like deciding you need to start exercising for the New Year by signing yourself up for a 25K marathon when you haven't even started jogging yet.

It takes time to retrain your taste buds off the excessive salt, fat and sugar of bad commercial foodstuffs. And I do mean time - it took months, almost two years, before I could get my DH off the pkg'ed crap his family normally eats.

It's better to learn to cook healthily, modifying the recipes you do enjoy and love to eat, than to force yourself to eat something you might never have liked to begin with.

marys1000, I add some sherry (real, not cooking) to split pea soup and add a dollop of sour cream (you can use low fat) when serving.

Mary, I have to disagree with the majority on this thread about retraining your taste buds because all my favorite soups are homemade! They just have 'zip' as in flavor. Beans in my opinion have little flavor and have to have a lot of additives - not necessarily salt. And I've never understood the rage over the black beans. They are practically flavorless.

Now Beachlily's recipe for beef barley and vegetable soup is more in line with the kinds I make. I do a lot of tomato based for one because I love tomatoes. And from what I understand, you can't get much healthier than tomatoes or barley!

I do recommend experimenting with different bases and doing just half batches so you don't feel like you've wasted a lot if you don't like them.

Just to give you an idea of how one ingredient can make or break a dish.. I've been making a vegetable soup, with or without beef, for years. It's got a beef stock and tomatoe sauce base. Here recently I made a batch and couldn't eat it - I had used a vidalia onion in it instead of regular old yellow and the vidalia had made it too sweet and yucky tasting. I ended up throwing the whole thing out. Who woulda thought!!

Bottom line, you don't have to give up flavor! Keep trying and good luck.
Beth

Herbs can be the difference between a bland edible but not lovable soup and one that tastes great. Get some thyme, oregano, etc for your soup making. Also, adding a bit of citrus juice at the end or a bit of vinegar can perk up the flavor for some soups.

Also, some people don't like the texture of bean soups. The minestrone is a good direction to try - something with a bit of beans to add some protein and fiber but with more broth and vegetables to go with a bean or two per spoonful.

We really liked the kale and black-eyed pea soup I made for New Year's with a recipe from my CSA's website. It produces a flavorful soup that has peas and vegetables in broth.

Another one that we really liked was Zuppa Di Cece which I got from a website that seems to have disappeared. While it is a bean/pea soup, the chickpeas provide a more nutty, less earthy flavor than split peas. And the herbs and tomatoes make this a very flavorful soup. This soup made me realize that I should try using sage more often.

Zuppa Di Ceci (Chickpea soup)
225 gm (about a half pound) of chick peas soaked overnight
3 tbs olive oil
1 celery stalk with leaves finely chopped
small sprig fresh rosemary finely chopped (if you don't have fresh, I think about a half tsp of dried would do)
7 fresh sage leaves finely chopped (try a tsp dried)
4 cloves garlic peeled and crushed
200 gm (about a cup) of diced tomatoes
juice of half a lemon
salt and pepper

For serving
4 small slices of bread (like a crusty French or Italian bread) toasted and rubbed with a garlic clove

Boil the chickpeas in water until tender (the recipe said about an hour and a half but I don't think it took that long).
Drain reserving the liquid

Puree 2 cups of the cooked chickpeas with 2 cups of the reserved liquid.

Saute the celery, rosemary and sage for about a minute, add the garlic. When that becomes fragrant, add the tomatoes and saute for a few minutes. Add the rest of the chickpeas and stir to coat in the sauce for a few minutes.

Add about a cup of the liquid and some salt and pepper.
Cover and simmer 20 minutes.

Add the pureed chickpeas and simmer 15 more minutes stirring often to prevent sticking.

Add the lemon juice and, if you think it is too thick, a bit of hot water.

Serve in a bowl over a slice of bread.

If beans never get soft, they may have been old. Old beans can be hard to get to the tender stage.

I meant to add that I find some of the prepared vegetable stocks to be too strong and over-powering. When I use it, I often use half stock and half water. When the soup ingredients are quite flavorful, I often just use water for the base.

It really is going to take a period of time (cant define how long) to retrain your tastebuds to appreciate the home made stuff. I did it several years ago and now I cannot tolerate any form of canned soup - it tastes toxic to me!

Start with you favorites, if it is a cream of _______ soup - make it from scratch using real cream and extra salt. Eventaully, you will be able to wean yourself off the salt and cut back on the cream, etc. Be sure to make the soups you like, don't go all ninja trying to change everything at once.

Good luck - it is soooo worth it in the long run!

Alexa

I've never found a commercial vegetable stock that I liked. I make my pea soup with chicken stock.

Home made soups are wonderful foods, and I am a soup fiend. They are economical, versatile, and mostly freeze very well in small portion sizes so that quick meals are always within reach.

Legumes that taste "dirty" or don't cook up well may simply be old. They do dry out and go "bad" over time, though they store better than most nuts and grains.

Also, many cultures that make heavy use of legumes pair them with something that has a sour, acidic flavor, like citrus, vinegar or tamarind. This tends to cut the earthy flavor a bit. For example, in India, legume dishes are often garnished with chopped cilantro or include tamarind in their cooking liquid. In Greece, lentils are drizzled with a bit of olive oil and red wine vinegar just before serving, in the Middle East, lemon juice, diced fresh or preserved lemons are often used. Black bean soup just wouldn't be the same for me, without either a dollop of sour cream (or yogurt, when I'm behaving myself) or a squeeze of lemon.

I also love "cream of" soups. To cut down on the calories and fat content cream and roux add, there are a few tricks.

As Fearlessem mentioned, potato can be used to help thicken soup. I generally grate one or two into my "cream of" soups and let them cook thoroughly before pureeing them thoroughly in with my stick blender. Other starches can be used in the same way...if you've some leftover rice, pasta or bread hanging about, they work too. I also tend to use much more of whatever the veggie is than the recipe calls for and puree a good part of it as well. It helps to thicken, and intensifies the vegetable flavor.

Here are a couple of my favorite healthy soups:

Spicy Tomato-Vegetable Soup with Quinoa

2 T extra virgin olive oil
One large onion
3 Celery stalks
1 Medium carrot
1 1/2 C Cabbage
2-4 Garlic cloves
1 14.5 oz can tomatoes, with juice
1 lb. fresh tomatoes
5 14.5 oz cans chicken stock OR the equivalent amount of home made chicken stock or chicken stock made from store bought chicken base, not bouillon.
1 can water
1 serrano pepper, sliced in half the long way
2 t dried leaf oregano
1/4 dried leaf thyme
1 T dried leaf basil
1/4 t black pepper
1/2 C Quinoa*
Thinly sliced green onions for garnish.

Dice all vegetables into 1/4 inch pieces...if you use pre-diced canned tomatoes, they will likely need to be cut smaller as well. Heat a heavy-bottomed, 6 Qt saucepan over a medium-high heat. Add the olive oil, and when it becomes fragrant, add the onions, celery and carrot. Saute until the onion becomes translucent, then add the rest of the ingredients except for the Cabbage and Quinoa. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Bring 2 quarts of water to boil in another pan, and add the Quinoa. Return to a boil, then reduce the heat just enough to prevent it boiling over. Boil the Quinoa for 10 minutes, then drain and rinse in a fine mesh sieve. Add the Quinoa to the soup and simmer another 15 minutes. Add cabbage, bring soup to a slow boil for 5 minutes and turn off heat. At this point, the soup can be served, but the flavor will improve greatly if the soup is allowed to sit at least until it is cool before reheating to serve, and if it sits for several hours or overnight, all the better! Remove the serrano chili halves before serving and sprinkle soup with sliced green onions for garnish.

Yield: Appx. 14, one-cup servings

*If you cannot find Quinoa at the grocery store, it can often be purchased in health food stores. Cooked rice may be substituted, but the flavor and texture will be different.

Rachels Tortilla Soup

1 small yellow onion (about 1 1/3 c diced)
1 c diced celery
1 small carrot, diced (1/3 cup)
12 oz jar roasted red bell peppers, drained and choppedor about 1 ½ average sized red bell peppers, freshly roasted, peeled, de-seeded and chopped.
4 large cloves garlic, smashed
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
1 t dry oregano
1 t dry basil
1/4 t dry thyme
3/4 t ground black pepper + cayenne to taste (optional)
2 c chicken stock
2 c beef stock
3 corn tortillasthe smaller ones, about 5-6 inch round, chopped.
3 more corn tortillas, sliced in 1/8" X 2" strips and deep fried until crispy.

Saute the onion, celery and carrot in about 2 T fatbacon fat, veg. Oil, olive oil, chicken fat, whatever floats your boat.
When the veggies are limp, and the onion is just starting to brown a bit, add the herbs and garlic and saute for a few more minutes until the herbs and garlic release their fragrance. Then add the rest of the ingredients, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until the vegetables are all tender.
Puree the soup with a stick blender, or regular blender. Simmer on low for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Adjust for seasoning, adding a bit of water if the soup has boiled down too much and serve with the deep fried tortilla strips as a generous garnish.
This is a thick soup, thicker than most cream soups but without the calories cream adds. You can even bake your tortilla strips if you are trying to be very good, and dry saute your vegetables over a low fire, though it takes longer.

I agree, start with your favorites. I prefer half and half over cream, just an fyi. Even if you use cream and butter, home made is better for you than store bought. No preservatives, food colorings, etc. Then you can try to lighten them up later.

I think you just hate beans and peas, lol. Everyone has different taste buds. I happen to love red lentils but I don't expect others to do the same. I also absolutely HATE beets. Those things taste like dirt to me. While others just adore them.

Your not alone trsinc...I love gardening, have tasted dirt, by accident-on my gloves, on my hands, ets., and beets taste the same!!
Marys1000-I used a ham bone and made some very good Navy Bean soup with white beans, some chicken stock and a bit of seasoning. I don't do a lot of salt, so I was good. But you can add onion and veggies to your liking, leave out half the beans or whatever. The white beans take on the taste of what you are cooking with it, very mild.

I agree with the others. If you have had nothing but canned soups all these years, it will take a while for you to get used to fresh, homemade soup. I have tons of soup recipes, here are a couple that are fairly healthy and very tasty.

If you're trying to incorporate beans in your diet, this one might fill the bill:

Hearty Harvest Soup
Makes: 6 servings (1-1/2 cups each)

Ingredients

8 ounces Fresh Italian Sausage, casings removed
1 medium onion, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
2 cans (14.5 ounce each) Chicken Broth (I use homemade)
1 can (14.5 ounce)Diced Tomatoes with Roasted Garlic, undrained
1 can (15 ounces) cannellini beans, drained, rinsed
1 bag (9 ounces) baby spinach leaves

Directions

1. Brown sausage with onions in large saucepan over
   medium-high heat, stirring frequently to crumble
   sausage; drain.
   2. Add broth, tomatoes with their liquid and the
   beans; mix well. Cook 5 minutes, stirring
   occasionally.
   3. Stir in spinach; cover saucepan with lid. Cook 5
   minutes, or just until spinach is wilted, stirring
   occasionally.

Not sure if you like squash, but if you do this one is very good.

Butternut Squash Bisque

1T vegetable oil
1T butter
1/2c diced onion
3/4c diced carrot
4c peeled and cubed butternut squash
3c chicken broth
Salt & pepper to taste
1/2c heavy cream
Dash nutmeg

Heat oil and butter in large pot over medium heat, add onion and cook until tender.

Add carrots and squash to pot, pour in broth, add salt, pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are tender.

Transfer to food processor and puree until smooth. Return to pot and stir in cream. Heat through but do not boil. Serve warm with dash of nutmeg.

That tomatoe soup got my attention! Thanks, Linda!

Add me on the list of beet haters. I WANT to like them; Something that pretty SHOULD taste good. I've tried them every way that they can be prepared, and I gag every time. Beets and okra. I keep pulling the Seven Year Rule on them, and I keep not liking them.

Lars? Are you out there? I know you had a wonderful cream of mushroom soup, but I can't find it. I remember it had thyme and shallots in it.

Split pea soup is just plain nasty. I made some today as we had a ham yesterday and my mom always used to make it. I didn't try it when I was younger because it looked bad. I made it today and it is bad. My MIL is here and said "it was good". May be an acquired taste? I love soups too. Play around and you will find some you love. I have a really good black bean one which I love and is one of my favourite tastes out there. Let me know if you like tex mex as it has a tex mex flavour.

I am one of those that loves Split Pea soup, but only the way I make it.

Usually only after I have had a ham & then I use the ham bone.

Put it in a large pot & just barely cover with water. Bring to a boil & simmer for several hours. Add a diced onion sometime during the simmering.

When what ever meat may have been left on the bone has come off, remove the bone and any pieces of fat or gristle that may be in there. Leave whatever bits of meat there may be. Add dried split peas that have been picked over to make sure there are not any bits of rock or dirt in them. One or two bags, depending on how much ham broth you now have.

Add some coarsely grated carrot (more for color than for flavor).

Simmer gently for several hours, stirring often, until split peas are done. This should by now have turned into a smooth, silky, slightly thick, creamy soup.

We don't care for anything other than the pure flavors of the ham & split peas, with the small amount of onion. No garlic, no herbs, no celery, no vegetable broth. Just the pure unadulterated flavors of basic split pea soup.

Rusty

I was always happy with Campbell's tomato soup (we added milk and made it "cream of") and many of the Progresso soups. Just me and my husband - I never invested time in making soup just for the 2 of us.

Then we moved to Holland for 2 years. I wasn't able to buy the canned soups we were used to. And I didn't like the canned soups the Dutch ate. I ran into a Dutch woman who worked for KLM and who had moved to Miami with her kids for a few years and she said they had the reverse problem. That American canned soups (and other foods) were too sweet, basically, for their tastes. Too sweet and too salty.

About half way through our stay in the Netherlands, we had access to an American Army base and bought lots of stuff we couldn't get in Dutch grocery stores. Couldn't wait to have cream of tomato soup. Couldn't eat it when we did. We looked at each other after the first bite and said "yuk" I can't believe how sweet it is.

Now that we're back in the States, I cannot find any canned soups that are palatable.

We didn't go on any self-imposed diet but our taste buds surely were re-educated.

seagrass

I've seldom met a bean I didn't like. I love split pea soup and lentils and black beans and beets. I think white beans like navy beans and cannellini are about the "mildest" bean as far as beans go, if you are trying to add more beans to your diet.

I grew up on homemade soup and have never cared for the canned stuff, so I'm no help on any recipes that might taste like canned soup. My favorite soup when growing up, though, was cream of potato, closely followed by corn chowder and cream of vegetable. We used whole milk, fresh cream, butter.

Suddenly my cholesterol and my waistline reminded me that I needed to cut the fat and calories in my soups (and my other cooking too). I found that skim milk makes an OK "cream of whatever" soup, and that a potato mashed up will thicken a pot of soup if it's too thin.

Since you like white beans and would try that "green stuff", I like this soup:

White Bean and Kale Soup

2 cups kale, finely chopped
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 large cloves garlic
3 cups cooked cannelloni beans
2 1/2 cups stock
1 tablespoon tomato paste
4 fresh sage leaves
1 teaspoon sea salt
black pepper, freshly ground
1-2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
pecorino cheese, freshly grated

Wash kale, remove stems from leaves. Roll up leaves and cut in thin ribbons. Set aside. In a soup pot, heat olive oil and briefly sauté garlic. Add about half the cooked beans and part of the stock. Purée remainder of beans and stock in blender, along with tomato paste and sage. Stir puréed beans into soup. Add salt and pepper to taste. Mix kale into soup and simmer until kale has wilted (10 to 15 minutes). Add lemon juice and enough water to give soup the desired consistency. Season to taste. Serve topped with grated pecorino cheese.
Preparation: 30 minutes

Makes 3-4 servings

Note: 3 cups canned or previously cooked beans can be used instead. This will cut total preparation time to 30 minutes.

Annie

All sounds overly complicated. I eat lots of homemade soup with most of it made up as I go. Ten bucks for a ham bone?! It should have a ham wrapped around it for that.

Go for white bean if you don't like lentils. Lentils do have an earthy taste that some don't care for. I have white bean soup on the stove right now. Water, beans, a drip of liquid hickory smoke, and a couple shakes of gram marsala. If you don't have gram marsala then black pepper and some salt will do. Liquid hickory smoke is cheap but be very careful... one drop at a time. All my bean, pea, and lentil soups have a drop or two. Often I'll throw in a hot pepper like a jalapeno, cayenne, or habenera (pea soup makes a "green" chili when some cumin is added). I probably could have added an onion or garlic... both will sweeten it. I've been making my own soup for 30 some years so it all just seems natural.

When I do add ham it is only a small amount... at least two pots to a small ham w/bone. An 8 pound boneless ham will make 5 batches of 9 quarts each (12 quart pot 3/4 full). A person can use more ham but I'm old and fat so I don't need the calories.

Another ham based soup I often make is ham, cabbage, onions, and a couple hot peppers. A pot half full of water and in goes the stuff. Then boil it for a couple hours.

A chicken "soup" I make is with boiled chicken breasts. Most of the chicken I keep for sandwich meat. So I have water/broth from boiling the chicken. Add a bag of frozen veggies and some of the chicken back. That is it. Not the best but a quick easy soup.

The best soups have a bone of some kind boiled in. Bones should be large enough you don't accidentally eat one. I use lots of boneless ham because it is cheap... grandma gave me a 9 pounder for christmas. Work gives me a nice ham with the bone in every christmas. That leave one person with lots of ham to do something with.

If you like store bought soups you might try adding sugar and salt to your soup. Most packaged foods have sugar and salt so that might bring it more to your taste. My grandmother likes a squirt of catsup in the soup pot which adds some processed flavor. Lots and lots of local folks put a dash of white vinegar on top their bowl of bean soup... good but not my favorite (and I love vinegar).

Loosen up... don't be hard on yourself. The great thing about cooking your own soup is when you do figure it out it will be just the way you like it.

: )
lyra

I don't think you have to retrain your tastebuds, nor do I think you don't like beans, just certain beans. Here are some of my favorite soups. When I left my parents house and went from Campbells soups to my own soups I thought I was in heaven. It just takes learning which soups you like.

Mexican Chicken Corn Chowder (From Woodie)
1 -1/2 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 Cup chopped onion
1 to 2 garlic cloves minced
3 Tbl butter
1 Cup Good Chicken Broth
1 Tsp ground cumin
2 Cup half-and-half cream
2 Cup (8 oz.) shredded Monterey Jack or Cheddar cheese
1 Can (16 oz.) cream-style corn
1 Can (16 oz.) regular corn
1 Can (4 oz.) chopped green chilies undrained
1 Tsp hot pepper sauce (I use more)
2 medium tomatoes chopped
Fresh cilantro or parsley optional
Cut chicken into small, bite-sized pieces.
In a Dutch oven, brown chicken, onion and garlic in butter until chicken is no longer pink.Add to pan along with cumin; bring to a boil.
Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 5 minutes.Add next 5 ingredients. Cook and stir over low heat until cheese is melted. Stir in tomato.Serve immediately; garnish with cilantro if desired.~
NOTE: original recipe called for 2 bouillon cubes disolved in 1 cup hot water

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Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana

½ lb. Hot Italian lean turkey sausage (2 lg links)
3 cups fat-free chicken broth
3 cups fat-free chicken broth
3 cups fat-free milk
2 Tbsp minced onion
1 Tbsp Hormel Real Bacon Pieces
¼ tsp. Salt
dash of crushed red pepper flakes
1 medium russet potato
2 cups chopped kale
Parmesan Cheese, shredded

Saute the sausage until cooked. Combine the chicken broth, milk, onion, bacon pieces, salt, and pepper flakes and pour over the cooked sausage, over medium high heat. Quarter the potato lengthwise, then cut into ¼ inch slices. Add to the saucepan. When mixture begins to boil, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
Add Kale to the soup and simmer for an additional 10-15 minutes.
Add parmesan cheese to soup when serving.

Serves 3

Posted by Marie26

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In the soup below I omit the garbonzo's and kidney beans because I don't like them and also do not use the cream. In place of the omitted beans I add navy beans.

Best Darn Minestrone Around Allrecipes

8 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cups chopped onions
4 (14 ounce) cans chicken broth
4 (15 ounce) cans mixed vegetables, with liquid
2 (16 ounce) cans kidney beans, with liquid
2 (14.5 ounce) cans whole peeled tomatoes, with liquid
1 (16 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach
2 tablespoons tomato paste
4 1/4 teaspoons garlic powder
4 teaspoons dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 cup uncooked elbow macaroni
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup canned garbanzo beans, drained
4 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese for topping
Directions
1.In a large stock pot over medium heat, stir and cook onions in butter until soft. Add broth, mixed vegetables, kidney beans, tomatoes, spinach, and tomato paste; simmer gently for 1 1/2 hours.
2.Using a slotted spoon, remove about half of the vegetables to a blender or food processor, reserving liquid in stock pot. Puree the vegetables until smooth and return them to stock pot.
3.Stir in garlic powder, parsley, salt, pepper, basil, macaroni, 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese, garbanzo beans, and heavy cream; cook for 1/2 hour, stirring frequently. Pour into bowls and sprinkle with additional Parmesan cheese.
Nutritional Information
Amount Per Serving Calories: 558 : Total Fat: 38.7g : Cholesterol: 132mg

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Ginger Won-ton Soup

4 oz lean ground pork
½ cup reduced fat ricotta cheese
½ tablespoon minced fresh cilantro
½ teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon Chinese 5-spice powder
20 Wonton wrappers
1 teaspoon oil
2/3 cup chopped red bell pepper
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
4 cans fat free chicken broth (or homemade is best)
4 teaspoons soy sauce
4 oz fresh sugar snap peas (optional)
1 or 2 cans baby corn (rinsed and drained) (optional)
4 green onions sliced

Cook pork over medium high heat until no longer pink, cool slightly; stir in ricotta, cilantro, black pepper and 5 spice powder. Place 1 teaspoon in the center of each wonton wrapper. Fold and seal edges with water. Drop into slightly simmering water and cook until they come to the top; about 3 to 5 minutes. Drain and keep warm.

Heat oil in large saucepan. Add bell pepper and ginger, cook 1 minute. Add chicken broth and soy sauce. Bring to a boil and add peas and corn. Simmer 4 or 5 minutes and add warm wontons. Pour into soup bowls and sprinkle with onions. Serves 4

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Malaysian Noodle Soup with Chicken

4 oz uncooked wide rice stick noodles
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs cut in ¼ inch strips
2 tablespoons grated peeled fresh ginger
1 teaspoon ground cumin
¾ teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 star anise1-1/2 cups thinly sliced shiitake mushroom caps
1 tablespoon Thai fish sauce
2 14 oz cans fat free, low sodium chicken broth
¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
¼ cup chopped green onions

1. Cook noodles according to package directions omitting salt and fat. Do not overcook because they will become mushy.
2. Heat oil in a large dutch oven over medium high heat. Add chicken and stirring constantly cook eight minutes or until browned. Remove ginger from the pan. Add ginger, cumin, fennel, cinnamon, garlic and star anise; cook 30 seconds stirring constantly. Stir in chicken, mushrooms, fish sauce, and broth, bring to a boil. Reduce heat, simmer 12 minutes. Discard star anise. Stir in pepper. Place ¾ cup noodles into each of 4 bowls. Ladle 1 cup of soup into each bowl. Sprinkle each bowl with 1 tablespoon onions. Yield: 4 servings
Cooking Light Magazine

Poblano Chicken Chowder
12 servings

1/4 cup olive oil
1 large carrot, finely minced
2 large onions, finely minced
1/2 cup chopped celery
6 cloves minced garlic
3 small poblano peppers, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch dice
salt to taste
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
2 teaspoons ground cumin
3/4 teaspoon fresh thyme
2 tablespoons chicken bouillon granules
3 quarts chicken broth
1/2 bunch fresh cilantro leaves, minced
3 cups diced shredded or chopped chicken
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup heavy cream
Heat the oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add the carrots, onions, celery, garlic, poblano peppers, salt, white pepper, cumin, and thyme. Saute and sweat until the vegetables soften. Stir in the chicken bouillon. Add the chicken broth and cook for 1 or 2 minutes, or until the carrots are tender. Stir in the chicken and cook, stirring frequently, until the chowder is thick and the chicken is heated through. Shortly before the chowder is done, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the flour and stir to combine. Cook, stirring frequently, for 3 to 4 minutes to cook the flour. Do not allow the mixture to brown! Ladle 1 cup of the hot liquid from the stockpot into the skillet, whisking constantly.
When the first cup of liquid is incorporated, add another 2 cups of liquid, 1 at a time. Pour the mixture in the skillet into the stockpot, whisking to blend. Cook, stirring frequently, for 3 to 5 minutes longer, or until the mixture begins to thicken. Remove the pot from the heat. Stir in the cream, then the cilantro and serve.

Thank so much for all your suggestions, comments and support. Many good ones here. And thanks for the time it takes to post recipes - definately some I will try. I imagine I will continue to have failures. I just hope to break my streak here soon. I haven't tried the cream soups yet both because of the health thing but also they don't freeze well right? I'm single and even a halved recipe makes more than a meal or two and besides, that's part of the plan - make it easier to eat something healthy. I'm getting tired of a messy kitchen every night. And its just to easy to fall back on old bad habits (stovetop mac and cheese but with ramen, so easy, so good, so bad) One reason for the split pea and black bean is I have gotten the impression the more color something has the more health benefits.

Update on the split pea. Came home and ate some tonight. Not much because I don't think its ever going to be a favorite. But I made homemade croutons from a small baguette I had bought for hummus spreading and put a bunch of those in (first time I did that d*** they were good!) with some (quite a bit actually) balsamic and some shaved parm cheese and some added back in bits of ham that I had taken off the bone before cooking. So really......the soup was more like a......dressing or sauce:) and I didn't really taste it LOL.
My worry is if I freeze some it will be that thing I always pass over when perusing the freezer for dinner because I don't love it. I'm going to give some away. My apt neighbors are probably going to start wondering about me:)

Have to weigh in here....if you are trying to"eat healthy"....powdered stock bases added to canned broth with a ham bone in is not the way to go...
I love split pea soup....and I like it cooked very simply...
Just wash a pound of dry peas and put in to a pot with enough water to cover by about 2 inches...add some chopped onion ( about 1/2 an onion) a small carrot chopped or grated, and a clove of smashed garlic.....simmer with a lid for about an hour or a little more until it starts getting mushy. Add about 1/2 or less of liquid smoke...NOT smoke flavor.
Set it simmer a few more minutes and add salt to taste.
Healthy....no fat at all and I really think it's good, especially with home made croutons.
Rule of thumb for making soup?
Start with some meaty bones, a ham bone, the carcass and skin of a supermarket rotisserary chicken, maybe a rack of beef spare ribs, maybe some chicken wings and backs.
Add an onion halved, don't bother to peel it, a carrot just washed and chunked up, the leafy ends of a stalk of celery... maybe a bay leaf or 2, perhaps a handfull of parsley....a few whole pepper corns, couple of cloves of garlic.....and simmer it at the lowest that your stove will cook for as long as you have patience...5 hours is good 8 is better....
Cool enough so you don't scald yourself,s train the veggies and bones out...pick out some of the meat if you wish....or not.
And refrigerate the broth until the fat rises and you can remove it from the top.
Then put that broth back into the pot and start adding start adding stuff.
Keep the broth at a simmer and add what ever turns you on....tomatoes, red peppers, cans of cooked beans, sliced carrots, onions ,celery, wild rice, roasted red pepper, mushrooms, fresh or dried or canned, wild or tame...
Chili peppers, okra....bags of frozen veggies...
Salt and pepper to taste....and think of what you will do different next time.
You don't need a "recipe" just add good tasting things, stay away from fake powdered "bases" ( that puts you right back into the canned soup position)....sip your soup.....think about how it might be better, add something different next time and you are on your way.
Think about your great great grand mother and the delicious soups she undoubtedly made....and most likely she just cooked up some meaty bones and some veggies she had lots of.
Linda C

Mary, you are right about cream soups not freezing well but there is a way around that for many soups. I make my soup sans cream, freeze in idividual serving containers. I thaw, heat and then add the cream. I usually get away with adding much less cream than is called for. Lately I've been making potato soup by cutting up potatoes, adding some onion, salt, pepper and butter, nuke in the microwave about thirty minute. Mash with a potato masher, add about one teaspoon of cream per bowl - wal-lah, quick, easy and healthy potato soup.

Actually, Mary, you're partly right about the color of food having a corelation to nutrition. That's where the "eat a rainbow" slogan generated -- of course they are talking about produce and not M&M's like my nephew justifies! :D

Sometimes it's baby steps toward the goal. Maybe the first step is improving the overall quality and nutritional value of the dish, then, once you have a handle on that, working on the calorie count, etc.

What about vegetable soup? Sharon posted some yummy ones right around Thanksgiving. Maybe someone has the link to those?

Here's one I really like, and if you add the rice per serving, it freezes well. (And you can always sub the rice for some kind of bean or pasta or leave it out altogether.) I think I got this from The Splendid Table.

Costa Rican Vegetable Beef Soup with Yellow Rice

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients:
2 pounds lean boneless beef chuck, cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 cup celery, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
1 large red bell pepper, seeded and cut into thin, bite-size strips
1 1/2 cups water
2 cans (14 1/2 ounces each) beef broth
1 large ear corn, cut into 3/4 inch thick slices
4 cups coarsely shredded cabbage
1/3 cup lightly packed cilantro leaves
salt and pepper
Yellow Rice (recipe follows)
Preparation:

To make the soup, arrange beef cubes slightly apart in a single layer in a shallow baking pan. Bake in a 500 degree oven for 10 minutes or until well browned.

Meanwhile, in a 3 1/2 quart or larger crockpot, combine onion, celery, garlic, bay leaf and bell pepper. Transfer browned beef to crockpot. Pour a little of the water into baking pan, stirring to dissolve drippings and pour into crockpot. Add broth and remaining water. Cover and cook on low about 8 hours.

About 15 minutes before beef is done, prepare the Yellow Rice.

While rice is cooking, increase cooker setting to high and add corn. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Add cabbage, cover and cook until cabbage is bright green, 8 to 10 more minutes. Stir in cilantro and season with salt and pepper.

Ladle soup into wide, shallow bowls; add a scoop of rice to each.

Yellow Rice

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon salad oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 cup long-grain white rice
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 3/4 cups water
Preparation:

Heat oil in 2-quart pan over medium heat. Add the onion; cook, stirring until onion is soft but not browned, (3 to 5 minutes). Stir in the rice and turmeric; cook, stirring occasionally, for about 1 minute. Pour in the water and reduce heat to low and cook until rice is tender, about 20 minutes.

Beans from a can or boiled plainly, will, like any other bean, be as unfulfilling as a long, Sunday morning sermon. This is where sagacity and creativity comes into play.

I think it was dirtgirl who mentioned black beans were flavorless. I agree. Most beans are flavorless, unless they're cooked properly.

One example, Cuban Style Black Beans, made with its traditional "Sofrito" base (garlic, onions, bell pepper, cumin, cider vinegar, scotch bonnet pepper) plus oregano, parsley and chicken stock, could hardly be considered flavorless.

I hope this hasn't been mentioned already, but if you're watching your weight, you don't need to add heavy cream to enrich most soups. You can purée some of the vegetables used in the soup, to thicken and add texture. You can do this with beans, corn, root vegetables, etc.

Sol

I like lentil soup with curry seasoning... or cumin and lemon...

But my absolute favorite soup is a simple Chicken Noodle...

I take left over roast chicken and boil it with onion and celery stalk (cut, including leaves), Salt and Pepper to make chicken stock.
Drain, saving the stock liquid, and pick the meat off the bones.
Put meat, chopped onion, chopped celery and noodles into the stock and boil until noodles are done.

I'm odd, as I also like it when the noodles have been in the soup for a while and start to thicken the soup.

I Love it, but my husband still prefers Campbell's so it might not be your thing, either...

Last weekend I asked DH to buy a roast chicken at the grocery so I could make some, and he brought home a BBQ roast chicken by mistake... so I made Chicken/White Bean Chili with it.

I sauteed in a LeCrueset some chopped carrots, onion, celery, red pepper and a can of corn until the onion started to soften. I added Vegetable Stock (Swanson's) and two cans of drained a rinsed Cannelini beans, and some Chili powder. (this time I used 1/2 an envelope of Chili Seasoning I had for some reason). I let that simmer for an hour or so, then I added shredded chicken from the BBQ bird.

I separately made stock from the bones and skin of the BBQ chicken. I may need to make more chili with it, since the BBQ seasonings are too strong for my favorite Chicken Noodle... but I haven't decided for sure, yet.

I also used to make a roasted red pepper soup. It's been ages since I've done that. It's good warm or cold. Let me know if you want that recipe, I'll have to hunt it down.

I used to make a cold Curried Pea Soup - a creamy soup made from frozen peas. Not anything my husband would eat, so it's been years since I made it. I can hunt that one down if you're interested as well.

Some of the soups above look AWESOME... I'm looking forward to spending more time with the recipes...

You might think about finding Nancy Silverton's cooking from cans cook book at the library. Some of the ingredients are a little hard to find, but some are dead easy and simple.

When I was a kid I loved Campbell's bean and bacon soup. Just recently I saved this recipe posted on For the Love of Cooking's blog and intend on trying it.

Recipe and photos by For the Love of Cooking.net
Adapted from Real Simple

· 4 strips of lean bacon
· 3 large carrot, chopped
· 2 stalks celery, chopped
· 1 small onion, chopped
· 4 cloves garlic, minced
· Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
· 1 bay leaf
· 3 15 1/2-ounce cans white beans, drained
· 4 cups chicken broth
· 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

In a large Dutch oven, fry the bacon until crisp. Remove and drain on paper towels. Let cool, chop, and set aside.

Over medium heat, add the carrot, celery and onion to the pan drippings in the Dutch oven and sauté for 7 minutes; add the garlic and sauté for an additional 60 seconds, stirring constantly. Season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste.

Add 2 cans of beans, bay leaf and chicken broth. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to low. Let simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until the carrots and celery are soft.
Uncover and remove the bay leaf. Using a potato masher or an immersion blender, partially mash the bean mixture until it thickens slightly. Stir in the last can of beans, parsley and bacon. Taste and re-season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, if needed. Enjoy.

(This may be where's Lyra's squirt of ketchup comes in as it seems like more flavor is going to be needed when I read the recipe..)
Beth