Lemon Chicken Soup

Once upon a time I worked near a Greek restaurant. It served the best lemon soup ever. This easy recipe reminds me of that soup (although I'm not sure anything will ever come close to the original). I adapted this from a recipe I found and is great as a quick meal. I've used fresh chicken and let it cook in the broth. It's also easy to use leftover cooked chicken or from a rotisserie chicken.

Ingredients:
1 tsp olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
6 cups chicken broth
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup orzo
2 1/2 cups fresh or frozen green beans
3 cups chopped chicken
2 eggs
3-4 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

Directions:
1. Heat oil in large pot over medium heat. Add garlic and cook until light brown, about 1 minute. Add broth, pepper and salt and bring to a boil over high heat. Add orzo and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook until orzo is tender (aprox. 8 minutes).
2. Add green beans and chicken and simmer 2 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk together eggs and 3 tablespoons of the lemon juice in a medium bowl. Warm egg mixture by gently whisking in about 1 cup hot broth in a thin stream.
3. Whisk egg mixture into soup and warm briefly over low heat 2 minutes. Do not boil or eggs will curdle. Adjust seasoning as needed with more lemon juice, salt, or pepper and serve.

4 servings
(8)

Taco Soup

This soup is one that I make regularly when I'm trying to shed a few pounds. It's low fat, filling and full of fiber. But, it does make a really big batch so it's a good to make for a crowd or to freeze part for later. It's also good with Monterrey Jack cheese or with broken chips sprinkled on to.

1 large onion, chopped
1 package taco seasoning mix
2 cups corn (frozen or canned)
2 cans diced tomatoes
1 can white kidney beans, not drained
1 can black beans, not drained
1 can fat free refried beans
1 can chicken broth
(All cans are approx. 14-16 oz.)

Mix all ingredients together and simmer covered for 1 hour.

Makes 15 cups. May be frozen.
Serving size = 1 cup

Chipotle Chicken Chili

Although I generally avoid chili served from any restaurant, I do love chili. This chili recipe is so easy and the chipotle peppers make it such a distinct and delicious meal. If you've never used chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, you can find it on the international aisle (with the Mexican food) in the grocery store. Add more chipotle peppers if you like it really hot or decrease if you can't take the heat. Also, you could use ground turkey in the recipe but I think the peppers really compliment the chicken.

Ingredients:
1 lb. ground chicken
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 cup chopped onion
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons dried oregano leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cans (14 oz.) diced tomatoes (do not drain)
1 can black beans, drained
1 can dark red kidney beans, drained
2 tablespoons chopped canned chiptle peppers in adobo sauce

Directions
1. Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken, onion and garlic; cook until chicken is no longer pink. Stir frequently to break up the chicken into small crumbles.
2. Note: if your skillet is not large enough to hold aprox. 8 cups, move the chicken to a large saucepan. Add remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

WW: 4 points/aprox. 1 cup serving

Black Bean and Sausage Soup

This has become a favorite in our house. To make a meal out of it, serve pita chips and Spinach-Artichoke Dip as an appetizer and the soup as an entree with Rosemary Bread.

Ingredients
2 15-ounce cans of black beans
1 1/2 cups of chicken broth
1 large onion, chopped (I prefer white onions)
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 package turkey sausage (5 dinner sausages)

Cook turkey sausages as directed on the package. While turkey sausages cook, rinse and drain black beans. In a large pot, combine beans, broth, 2 cups of water, onion, corianer, salt, red pepper and garlic. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered about 15 minutes or until onion is tender. Once turkey sausages are cooked, cut into small pieces and stir in soup and heat through.

WW points: 5 points for approx 1 1/2 cups

Curry Pumpkin Soup

This is a tasty soup and great for winter. If you like the taste of Indian food, this is a sure hit!

Saute:
1 large onion
1 lb mushrooms, chopped small
1/2 cup butter

Add: 1/3 cup flour

Cook these a little.

Add & Boil for 20 minutes:
2 quarts chicken stock (broth)
2 cups canned pumpkin

Add when serving:
2 cups whipping cream
2 tsp honey
1-2 tsp curry
salt & pepper

Heat until warm, don't boil.