Athome... Yes you could use quick cooking oats in the soup as the flakes are fine and are impossible to detect as an ingredient. Large flake or old-fashioned oats are normally used in these low GI recipes for those who are dieting as they take longer to digest and therefore rate lower on the GI scale than quick-cooking oats. However I've tried using both and I prefer the smaller flake of the quick-cooking oats in a soup, so that it doesn't resemble a bowl of porridge LOL. If you're interested, I have another recipe that uses oats in the sauce. Here's how I posted it on the Cooking Forum in June of last year: *************************************************** Serves 4 2 TBS olive oil 2 chopped onions 1 clove garlic chopped finely 4 cups (125 grams) chopped spinach leaves 1 TBS chopped fresh leaves of mint 1/4 teasp herbes de Provençe 1/2 teasp sea salt 1/2 teasp freshly ground black pepper 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts 4 oz (125 grams) each 2 oz (50 grams) light Boursin cheese 1 TBS freshly grated parmesan 1 red pepper, seeded, quartered and roasted 1/2 cup (4 oz or 120 ml) white wine 1/2 cup (4 oz or 120 ml) chicken stock 2 x 15 ounce tins of chopped tomatoes 1/4 teasp crumbled strands of saffron 1/2 cup large-flake slow cooking porridge oats 1. Prepare red peppers and put into toaster oven or grill to roast. Chop spinach and set aside. 2. Heat 1 TBS of the oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat and cook half the onion and all the minced garlic for about 5 minutes. Add the spinach and cook a further 2 minutes or until wilted. Stir in the mint, herbes de Provençe and 1/4 teasp each of the salt and pepper. Remove from pan and put all into a bowl to cool. 3. Place the chicken breasts on a cutting board between two sheets of cling film and beat with a mallet or rolling pin until they have spread and are about 1/4 inch (5 mm) thick. (Here I trimmed the edges of each one to make more of a tidy rectangle and put the cut bits into a ziplock in the freezer.) 4. With a fork, mix the two cheeses into the spinach mixture to combine. Spread the filling mixture over the chicken breasts, nearly to the edges. Cut the red pepper into strips and lay them across the filling. 5. Starting at the short end, carefully roll up the breasts and place them seam-side down on a large platter or cutting board. Sprinkle them with the rest of the salt and pepper. 6. Heat the remaining 1 TBS olive oil in a large nonstick frying pan over a medium heat. Cook the remaining onion about 5 minutes, then add the wine, chicken stock, tomatoes,saffron and a little more seasoning. Simmer on low heat, covered for about 8 minutes, then add the oats and stir. 7. Place the rolled chicken breasts on top of the sauce in the pan and continue to simmer, covered, for 20 - 25 minutes or until the chicken is completely cooked through. 8. To serve - place the chicken on a plate and spoon sauce around and over the top. Serve whole if rolls are small, or even better - slice them thickly with a sharp knife to display the colourful filling. - sliced and ready to serve. Source: Adapted from Rick Gallop's GI Diet Green-Light Cookbook My Note: I halved the recipe, with the exception of the cooking oil and the red pepper, using two large breasts for the two portions. SharonCb

Maggie, just want to let you know that yesterday I made my regular pea soup, the one posted above. I made it without the ham broth, just with the plain chicken broth and when I pureed it I added 1/2 cup torn, fresh mint leaves. OMG! It is awesome! As I mentioned I like the mint in asparagus soup but I love it in the pea soup. It's such a beautiful green anyway but then with the fresh mint it has these tiny specks of darker green making it just beautiful...I love green! I would take another picture but I don't think I can top the picture above:) Marilyn

Here is one I found that doesn't have beans, but it doesn't have rice, either! LOL Easy enough to toss some in! Quick Taco Soup Soup Ingredients: 1/2 pound extra lean ground beef 2 medium (1 cup) onions, chopped 1 large (1 cup) green bell pepper, chopped 1 (1.25-ounce) package taco seasoning mix 1 (46-ounce) bottle vegetable tomato juice 1 (16-ounce) jar thick and chunky salsa or picante sauce Toppings Ingredients: Fat Free Sour Cream, if desired Shredded lettuce, if desired Sliced green onions, if desired Chopped tomato, if desired Reduced Fat Cheddar Cheese, shredded, if desired Cook ground beef, onions and green pepper in 4-quart saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until beef is no longer pink (6 to 10 minutes). Drain off fat. Stir in seasoning mix; continue cooking 1 minute. Stir in tomato juice and salsa. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until heated through (3 to 5 minutes). To serve, ladle soup into individual bowls; dollop with sour cream, if desired. Top with shredded lettuce, sliced green onions, chopped tomato or cheese, if desired. Nutritional Facts: 1 serving Calories 110 Fat 2.5 g Cholesterol 15 mg Sodium 1000 mg Carbohydrate 15 g Dietary Fiber 3 g Protein 8 g Linda

I was just watching the Travel Channel's Thanksgiving Show and Apple Parsnip Soup was mentioned and it sounded so good. I did find a recipe that appealed to me, printed below, but I was wondering if anyone had a Tried and True Apple Parsnip Soup Recipe? "APPLE PARSNIP SOUP" Recipe from Arnold D. Kruck, Executive Chef Ingredients: Make approximately 2 qts.  ½ lb. of Butter  1 White Onion, diced  15 Parsnips, peeled and large dice  5 Apples, peeled and large diced  1 Can Apple Juice, 46 oz.  1 Pint Heavy Cream  6 oz. Honey  Chicken Stock - about 1 qt., you need enough to cover vegetables  Kosher Salt  Ground white pepper Over medium flame, melt butter in heavy sauce pan, about 4 qt pot. Sauté onions until translucent. Add apple juice and reduce until half. Add parsnips and chicken stock and cover. cook until parsnips are fully cooked and then add apples. Cook for 2 minutes and then puree soup until smooth. Reduce on low heat. Stir occasionally as not to burn soup. When finished, add heavy cream and honey. season with salt and pepper. should coat the back of a wooden spoon.