Despite all the cookie activity around here lately, the Soup Lady is on a diet. Nay - a food plan! The Soup Lady has come to the regrettable conclusion that carbohydrates are her enemy, and to that end, she is now Somersizing.
Oh yes - it is the food plan touted by Suzanne Somers. It is a low carb, high-protein diet similar to the Atkins plan but just a little more girlyfied, which is so much more sutiable for a high-class Soup Lady like your gracious hostess.
And what could be better to fill the empty places where carbohydrates used to be but soup? The following recipes are delightful concoctions that are completely within the plan. If I didn't tell you that, you'd never know that this was weight-loss food. Do not be alarmed at the cheese, sour cream, butter and heavy cream in these recipes - they are perfectly fine and signal your body with early satiety. It's the carbohydrates that one must limit.
Creamy Tomato Soup
Melt 3 tablespooons of unsalted butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Ad 1/2 cup of chopped onion and saute for two minutes. Add 1 28-oz. can of diced tomatoes, 1 cup of chicken stock, and 1 cup of heavy cream to the onions. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes. Puree with a blender or hand-held mixer until smooth. Pour into soup bowls and garnish with a dollop of sour cream if desired.
Cauliflower and Red Bell Pepper Soup
Place 1 pound of frozen caulifower florets in a microwave-safe bowl with 1/2 cup of water and a pinch of salt. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave on high for 9 minutes. Drain. Place cauliflower on work bowl of a food procesor with 1/2 cup of shredded swiss cheese, 2 tablespoons of butter and 2 cups of chicken stock. Proces until smooth. Add 1/3 cup of heavy cream and pulse until it is incorporated. Season with salt and pepper. Pour into microwave-safe bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Set aside.
Place 12 oz. of roasted red peppers from a jar in a micro-wave safe bowl with 2 cups of chicken broth and 1/2 cup of chopped onions. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave on high for 5 minutes. Place peppers, onions and stock in bowl of a food processor and process until smooth. Add 1/2 cup of heavy cream and 2 tablespoons of butter. Pulse to blend. Pour into microwave-safe bowl and cover with plastic wrap.
To serve, heat the soups in a microwave until hot, about 2 minutes each. Using two 1-cup measuring cups, each filled 3/4 with soups, pour both soups into soup bolw simultaneously. Swirl soups together with a toothpick. Serve hot.
Sausage and Spinch Soup
Remove 1 pound of sweet sausage meat from casing and form into 1 inch balls. Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons of butter and 1 1/2 tablespoons of oil in a large heavy pot over medium high heat. Brown sausage in butter and oil, about 7 minutes. Add 6 cups of chicken stock to the pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until sausage is cooked through, about 12 minutes. Add 1 10-oz. package of frozen spinach and simmer for one minute. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with parmesean cheese for garnish.
recipes from Suzanne Somers' Fast & Easy
Darlings, this is a food plan that the Soup Lady can live with!
The tomato soup sounds terrific - and you can make it dramatically different by adding basil or dill or garlic. I heart tomato soup. :)
Posted by: E | September 24, 2003 at 09:58 AM
Thanks for these recipes! I just had the tomato soup - it's to die for. I used fire-roasted diced tomatoes with green pepper and it gave the soup a lot of extra ooomph. God knows I like my ooomph.
Posted by: Rengirl | September 25, 2003 at 01:31 AM
That is an odd side effect of the Somersize plan - a craving for ooomph. The Soup Lady must now buy her hot sauce in Sam's Club in a 1/2 gallon size otherwise we run out too soon.
Posted by: The Soup Lady | September 25, 2003 at 05:42 AM
weight loss??.....cabbage soup
Posted by: rockinronie | September 29, 2003 at 11:22 PM
Great recipe! If you're interested there's great low fat pumpkin soup recipe at http://www.joannehudson.com
very seasonal! either way, keep the great recipes coming!
Posted by: anne satterfield | October 22, 2003 at 01:13 PM
I really wanted to lose weight very fast, Help me...
Posted by: marthe | October 29, 2003 at 05:24 AM
Please sign me up
Posted by: Herb | October 29, 2003 at 09:34 AM
I really wanted to lose weight because my BMI is over 26. I'll try these soups.
Posted by: ha le | October 29, 2003 at 09:57 AM
Great soups! Loved it! Is there an alternative for heavy creams n' butter? Thanks a mil'for soups!!! Devon
Posted by: devon | October 29, 2003 at 12:44 PM
i sure hope these soups work!!! i will let you know
Posted by: linn | October 29, 2003 at 12:48 PM
attached
Posted by: ak | November 01, 2003 at 12:37 PM
The link for Suzanne Somer's Fast & Easy is not working!
Posted by: Nikki Perry | November 02, 2003 at 08:35 AM
I did not know Suzanne Somers was also jumping on the Adkins bandwagon. Cool. The more recipes we can get the better. I'm going to try the soups and see how they work. After years of yo-yo dieting, I finally found something I can stay with, lose weight and KEEP IT OFF. I have lost 68 pounds in the past year. I could lose more but I'm doing this very slowly so I'll stay both on the diet and on the weight loss. I'm 53 now and would like to be well.
Thank you and Dr. Adkins for the help.
Posted by: Kathy | November 03, 2003 at 07:43 AM
I need most useful information
Posted by: jie | November 03, 2003 at 07:24 PM
i just made the creamy tomato soup, and it was wonderful! i am also somersizing and its making me feel a billion times better! thanks for the recipe!!!
Posted by: Lauren | November 14, 2003 at 09:30 PM
Plastic and the Microwave
It is amazing what a curious student can learn... As a seventh grade student, Claire Nelson learned that di(ethylhexyl)adepateDEHA), considered a carcinogen, is found in plastic wrap. She also learned that the FDA had never studied the effect of microwave cooking on plastic-wrapped food. Claire began to wonder: "Can cancer-causing particles seep into food covered with household plastic wrap while it is being microwaved?"
Three years later, with encouragement from her high school science teacher, Claire had an idea for studying the effect of microwave radiation on plastic-wrapped food, but she did not have the equipment.
Eventually, Jon Wilkes at the National Center for Toxicological Research in Jefferson, Arkansas, agreed to help her. The research center, which is affiliated with the FDA, let her use its facilities to
perform her experiments, which involved microwaving plastic wrap in virgin olive oil.
Claire tested four different plastic wraps and "found not just the carcinogens but also xenoestrogen was migrating [into the oil]...." Xenoestrogens are linked to low sperm counts in men and to breast cancer in women.
Throughout her junior and senior years, Claire made a couple of trips each week to the research center, which was 25 miles from her home, to work on her experiment.
An article in Options reported that "her analysis found that DEHA was migrating into the oil at between 200 parts and 500 parts per million. The FDA standard is 0.05 parts per billion."
Her summarized results have been published in science journals. Claire Nelson received the American Chemical Society's top science prize for students during her junior year and fourth place at the International Science and Engineering Fair (Fort Worth, Texas) as a senior.
Carcinogens-At 10,000,000 Times FDA Limits" Options May 2000.
Published by People Against Cancer, 515-972-4444 On Channel 2 (Huntsville, AL) this morning they had a Dr. Edward Fujimoto from Castle Hospital on the program. He is the manager of the Wellness Program at the hospital. He was talking about dioxins and how bad they are for us.
He said that we should not be heating our food in the Microwave using plastic containers This applies to foods that contain fat. He said that the combination of fat, high heat and plastics releases dioxins into the food and ultimately into the cells of the body. Dioxins are carcinogens
and highly toxic to the cells of our bodies.
Instead, he recommends using glass, Corning Ware, or ceramic containers for heating food. You get the same results without the dioxins. So such things as TV dinners, instant raimin and soups, etc., should be removed from the container and heated in something else. Paper isn't bad but you don't know what is in the paper Just safer to use tempered glass, Corning Ware,etc.
He said we might remember when some of the fast food restaurants moved away from the foam containers to paper. The dioxin problem is one of the reasons.
To add to this: Saran wrap placed over foods as they are nuked, with the high heat, actually drips poisonous toxins into the food!
Use a paper towel!!
You might want to pass this on to your friends...I just did!!
Posted by: Larry M. | November 19, 2003 at 05:19 AM
fun website...!! but the SOUP LADY may want to consider using "spellcheck"...
:)
Posted by: Jennifer | November 19, 2003 at 12:46 PM
Sausage and Spinach Soup sound good, can't wait to try it. But question...in your recipes could you please notate the carb and fat count? I am a diabetic and need to know these two for my food plans. Thank you.
Posted by: Peggy | November 21, 2003 at 05:05 AM
what doihave for breakast and how quick will i lose the weight
Posted by: jules | January 24, 2004 at 07:58 PM
another very good low cal soup is grated carrot, zuccini, and celery. add some season salt and diced tomatoes for flavor. very good
Posted by: soup guy2004 | February 03, 2004 at 09:12 AM