Leek, Spinach & Mushroom Soup

Keep these basic ingredients on hand and whip up a soul satisfying elegant soup on a minute's notice! Yet another "freezes wonderfully" dish. Make a double batch, freeze in portion containers and enjoy at your leisure.

Ingredients (makes 4 generous servings)

• 3 14-oz cans chicken broth
• 8 oz water
  
• 3 cups fresh baby spinach or 1/2 cup frozen, chopped
• .5 leek, white part thinly sliced
  
• 1.5 cups brown button mushrooms, sliced
• 2 oz white wine (optional)
• 1 wedge feta cheese, crumbled
• 2 tbsp fresh chives, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
  
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp sun dried tomatoes, minced (optional)
• .5 tsp dried thyme
  
• 1 tsp white pepper & salt
  

In nonstick saute pan heat olive oil on medium. Add leek and garlic, saute until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook over medium until mushrooms give off their liquid and are lightly browned.

Add chicken broth, water, wine, thyme, feta cheese, pepper and salt. Heat through until cheese melts. Taste and adjust seasonings. Whip with an immersion blender if a smoother consistency is desired.

Ladle into warm bowls. Garnish with reserved feta, sun dried tomato & chives. Enjoy!

Nutrition Info (per serving)

• Calories: 88
• Protein: 8 gm
• Carbs: 5 gm
• Fat: 4 gm

We did a nutritional analysis of this Kimkins friendly recipe. The nutrition numbers are impressive! One serving has 40% more potassium than a banana!

Percentage of RDA (per serving)

• Vit A: 19%
• Vit C: 16%
• Vit B6: 14%
• Vit B12: 15%
• Riboflavin: 26%
• Niacin: 24%
• Calcium: 11%
• Iron: 11%
• Phosphorus: 19%
• Potassium: 519 mg (banana has only 361 mg)

Kimkins Egg Drop Soup

Ingredients (serves 1)

• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 11-oz can chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon lite soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon minced green onion
• 1 tablespoon minced veggies (optional)
• Dash garlic powder, pepper & salt

Heat chicken broth & veggies in a small saucepan. Let simmer 2 minutes. Stir broth in a circle and slowly add beaten egg (see threads form!) Add spices to taste and garnish with green onion. Serve!

Note: This low carb version is thinner than restaurant recipes because we omit high carb cornstarch.

Nutritional Info:
Calories: 89
Protein: 10 grams
Carbs: 2 grams
Fat: 5 grams

Kimkins Mushroom Soup

Recent research at Johns Hopkins University shows that when lunches were served with portions of mushrooms the participants ate 42% less calories on average!

Ounce for ounce mushrooms have far fewer calories than meat but are just as filling. So load up!

Or, click here to grow your own mushroom crop?

Kimkins Mushroom Soup

Ingredients (serves 8)

• 1 cup dried porcini mushrooms
• 2 cups hot water (to soak dried mushrooms)
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 4 cups water
• 1 lbs button mushrooms, sliced
• 1 15-oz can chopped tomatoes
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons light butter or diet margarine
• 2 celery ribs, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp fresh dill, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
• salt & pepper to taste

Soak the porcini mushrooms in hot water for 15 minutes. Cook onion in butter until golden brown. Add celery and garlic, cook 5 minutes more. Transfer porcini with a slotted spoon. Strain soaking liquid if desired to add flavor. Add button mushrooms, tomatoes, water and chicken broth, simmer for 10 minutes. Check for seasoning, then add fresh herbs. Serve!

Indian Curry Soup

Kimkins member, Singing Lass, was kind enough to share one of her favorite low carb Indian soup recipes. The heat from the curry and the hint of sweetness from the lite coconut milk and sweetener make a perfect combo!

Ingredients

• chopped chicken, turkey, beef or shrimp
  

Add spices according to personal preference

• white pepper
• curry powder (read label for carb count)
  
• ground cumin
• ground cinnamon
• minced garlic
• splash lite coconut milk

Add veggies according to your carb preference

• chopped baby spinach
• sliced mushrooms
• sliced red pepper
• sliced yellow squash
• sliced green onion

This is a casual recipe, so start with a can of chicken broth and mix/match the curry powder, cumin, cinnamon and white pepper. Let simmer, taste and adjust spices if needed.

Add 1-2 oz of lite coconut milk, veggies and chicken or turkey. Simmer an additional 10-15 minutes or until tender. Serve and enjoy!

Singing Lass (105+ pounds lost!)

Read her original post with more variations here:

Sure! I have to warn, I am not an " exact" cook...it kind of is a cooking _style_ that runs in my family. I vary things a lot, add a bit of this and that...kind of like I have a palette of my low carb " green light" foods and spices and I go with what I have on hand. I also typically cook in 1-2 serving portions because I am single.

The curry soup is really easy, here are different ways to make it and various ingredients you can add in.

*Chicken broth---a can will work, or I often will use like half a carton of the organic free-range kind that I think has a bit more flavor.

* curry----this can be a curry powder, or paste. Make sure to read carb contents--powders are *usually* safe, pastes have a bit more carbs...there are all kinds of curries out there, yellow, red, green etc....what I keep on hand is a standard yellow curry powder, and a jar of red curry paste that is pretty low in carb.

* lite coconut milk---you can buy this canned, make sure to get the light kind, and read the labels because carb counts vary between brands. ( " A taste of Thai" brand in my cupboard says 2 carbs per 1/3 cup--and I think another brand is even lower but was not at the store I last bought this at).

* garlic
* Asian seasoning or Chinese 5 spice
* cumin
* cinnamon
* Splenda
* optional veggies -- green onion, celery, spinach, yellow squash etc ...
* meat---can add pre-cooked chicken, steak etc....as well.

Now, the basic broth is just the chicken broth, and a couple spoons worth of curry. I think this is the kind of soup the individual has to make a bit according to their taste and degree of "spice" I personally like it a bit spicy sweet, not too hot. You then can add other spices in what combo you like...I add in garlic, Chinese 5 spice, a little cumin and cinnamon for the touch of sweet to compliment the curry. I also add 1-2 spoons worth of Splenda for this reason as well. Coconut milk, I tend to add about 1/4 of a cup to it, which gives a touch of creaminess to the broth as well.

The broth alone can be a tasty snack or drink on it's own, and tastes much like the soup served in an Indian restaurant here I love ....BUT, if you want to make it a meal, you can simmer various veggies in it ( see list above). I sometimes will throw like two chicken tenders in a pan and cook up with similar seasonings...garlic, a little curry etc...and then break up and put it into the soup and let it simmer in it for a while.

For those on k/e [Kimmer Experiment] ...you can make the broth and just add a meat, or maybe a little green onion and celery just for a little flavor and texture. The restaurant that makes this typically just has onion, carrot slices and celery in it.

So, it really is easy to make, typically I only spend like 5 minutes prep on it, and about 15 minutes on the stove. A little more if I add meat---you can also toss in left-over meat too though. Typically it makes two servings I find.

oh! I also sometimes add shirataki noodles as well. I par boil them separately for a little while, then add them into the curry mix to simmer for 5-10 minutes to absorb the flavor.

Hope this was not too confusing---there just is not only one way to make it, and everyone has different 'spice" preferences when it comes to curry.

Carmelized French Onion Soup

Here's a Kimkins friendly and absolutely yummy Caramelized French Onion Soup to boost your antioxidant intake. Super simple, chock full of onions and delicious reheated the next day!

Ingredients (makes 4 servings)

4 cups onion, sliced thin
4 cups beef broth
2 oz grated parmesan cheese
2 oz grated Swiss or Gruyere cheese
2 Tbsp garlic, minced
1/4 cup red wine (optional)
1/4 cup green onion or chives, chopped
1 Tbsp fresh thyme (or 1 tsp dried)
1 Tbsp Worchestershire sauce
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp butter

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In heavy stockpot melt butter and oil, add sliced onions. Cook on low until caramelized (about 30 minutes), stirring often. Add garlic and cook 5 additional minutes.

Add beef broth, wine, Worchestershire sauce and thyme. Heat through, check for seasonings. Ladle into oven safe soup bowls, place on baking sheet. Sprinkle soup with parmesan cheese and top with Gruyere cheese.

Bake for 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly. Garnish with green onion or chives and enjoy!

Gingered Carrot Soup

Grab a beta carotene boost with this vibrant and delicious soup!

Ingredients (makes 8 servings)

• 1 lb carrots diced
• 2 cup celery diced, strings removed
• 1/2 cup onions chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh ginger minced
• 2 tbsp light cream
• 32 oz chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
  
• 1 tsp white pepper
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tbsp chives or green onion minced
  

In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and ginger. Cook until the onions become translucent. Add the diced carrots and celery, then add enough chicken stock to cover them. Simmer for for 15-20 minutes or until the carrots are very soft.

Place the carrots, cream, celery and chicken stock into a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. Season with pepper & salt, garnish with chives and serve.

Kimkins Light Cream of Broccoli Soup

Light, refreshing and a perfect way to take advantage of the late spring broccoli harvest. Quick and easy to make after work (or double and freeze an extra batch!)

Ingredients (serves 2)

• 1 cup vegetable broth
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 2 cups raw broccoli florets
• 2 Tbsp light cream
• 1 Tbsp chives, minced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 tsp grated ginger root
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp light sesame oil
• 1 tsp each onion powder & white pepper
  

Bring broths to boil in a large saucepan, add broccoli and garlic. Reduce to low and simmer until broccoli is tender, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool for 5 minutes.

Puree in a food processor or with an immersion blender. Return to saucepan and add soy sauce, sesame oil, cream and pepper. Taste and add salt if desired.

Serve sprinkled with chives or broccoli florets and enjoy!

Nutritional Info (per serving)
Calories: 106
Protein: 7 grams
Carbs: 8 grams (broccoli is higher in carbs)
Fat: 6 grams

Kimkins Chop Suey Soup

A delicious instant vegetable soup you can make in a snap! No chopping or prep work! This basic recipe was created by a clever Kimkins member!

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 2 10.5 oz cans chicken or beef broth
• 1 14 oz can La Choy chop suey vegetables, drained
• 1 cup cooked chicken, beef, shrimp (optional)
• 1 Tbsp lite soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp white pepper
  

Mix in a medium saucepan until veggies are warmed. I prefer them still crispy. I also add a splash of soy sauce & vinegar for a "hot & sour" taste. Feel free to add other leftover veggies.

Using white pepper instead of black gives a special boost. Excellent way to use up leftover meat/chicken/shrimp, too!

Creamy Spinach Soup

It would be impossible for a soup to be chock full of more antioxidants than this stellar Kimkins star!

Save yourself time (and money) with good quality frozen spinach like Birds Eye or Green Giant. Otherwise you'd have to buy 5-6 fresh bunches to equal just one 10 oz frozen bag.

Ingredients (6 servings)

• 40 oz chicken stock, double strength
• 2 cups cooked spinach
• 1/4 cup onion, minced
• 1/4 cup light sour cream
• 2 tbsp light cream
• 2 garlic cloves, minced or paste
• salt & white pepper to taste
• sun dried tomato & fresh thyme (garnish, optional)

Add 2 cans chicken stock, spinach, onion and garlic in a blender, whirl on high until fully blended (about 1 minute). Pour soup into saucepan, add the remaining can of chicken broth and cook over medium heat until until simmering.

Stir in sour cream and light cream. Check for seasoning, add salt and pepper as desired. Garnish with fresh herbs and sun dried tomato, serve hot! For a light lunch meal, add canned crab or salmon.

Nutrition Info (per serving)
Calories: 58
Carbs: 5 gram
Protein: 5 gram
Fat: 2 gram