Soup
Cooking Time - 45 minutes
Servings - 8
I got this recipe from the website Budget Bytes. Not only is it cheap to make, but it is also super nutritious! I love how it is quick and easy - which makes it a great weeknight meal. I chop up my veggies the night before and throw it together quickly after I pick up the kids from daycare.
Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 Cloves Garlic
1 Medium Onion
½ pound (3-4) Carrots
3 Ribs Celery
1 (15 oz.) can Black Beans
1 cup Brown Lentils
1 teaspoon Cumin
1 teaspoon Oregano
½ teaspoon Smoked Paprika
¼ teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
Freshly Ground Black Pepper
2 cups Cherry Tomatoes, cut in half
1 cup Tomato Juice
4 cups Vegetable Broth or Beef Broth
½ teaspoon Salt
Instructions
Mince the garlic and dice the onion. Cook both in a large pot with olive oil over medium heat until tender. Meanwhile, slice the celery and peel and slice the carrots. Add the celery and carrots to the pot and continue to sauté for about 5 more minutes.
Drain the can of black beans and add it to the pot along with the dry lentils, cumin, oregano, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, and some freshly cracked pepper. Finally, add the diced tomatoes and tomato juice and vegetable or beef broth, and stir to combine.
Increase the heat to medium high and allow the pot to come up to a boil. Once it reaches a boil, turn the heat down to low, place a lid on top, and let it simmer for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, test the lentils to make sure they are tender. If not, continue to simmer until they are tender.
Taste the soup and add salt as needed (I added ½ tsp). Serve hot.
Cooking Time - 45 minutes
Servings - 8
This recipe came from Recipes&Me. This is another quick soup recipe that you can throw together on a weeknight.
Ingredients:
2 cups Cooked Quinoa, cook according to instructions on bag
1 Tablespoon Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
1 Large Onion, diced
4 Cloves Garlic, minced
4 cups Cherry Tomatoes, cut in half
2 cups Tomato Juice
1 (15 oz) can Tomato Sauce
1½ - 2 cups Vegetable or Chicken Broth
1 (7 oz) can Diced Green Chilies
2½ Tablespoons Chili PowderJ2 teaspoons Ground Cumin
2 teaspoons Cocoa Powder
1½ teaspoons Paprika
2 drops Liquid Stevia
½ teaspoon Ground Coriander
½ teaspoon Cayenne Pepper, optional
Salt and Pepper, to taste
2 (15 oz) cans Kidney Beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15 oz) can Black Beans, drained and rinsed
1½ cups Fresh or Frozen Corn
½ cup Cilantro, chopped (optional - some people don't like the taste of cilantro)
Juice of 1 lime
Instructions
Heat olive oil in a large, enameled cast iron pot over medium-high heat. Once oil is hot add onion and sauté until tender, about 4 minutes, adding in garlic during last 30 seconds of sauteing.
Add in diced tomatoes, tomato juice, tomato sauce, cooked quinoa, vegetable or chicken broth (start with 1 1/2 cups then add more later if desired), green chiles, chili powder, cumin, cocoa, paprika, sugar, coriander, cayenne pepper and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Bring mixture just to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer, cover pot and allow to simmer 30 minutes.
Add in all beans, corn, cilantro and lime and cook until heated through. Serve warm.
Cooking Time - 55 minutes
Servings - 10
This recipe came from TasteofLizzyt.
Ingredients:
2 pounds Hamburger
1 Red Onion, chopped
1 teaspoon Minced Garlic
1 can (29.5 oz) Tomato Sauce
2 cups Petite Diced Tomatoes with Juice
3 cups Beef Stock
1 cup Carrots, diced
5 cups Sweet Potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 Bay Leaves
½ teaspoon Thyme
2 teaspoons Salt
1½ teaspoons Black Pepper
½ cup Chili Powder
Dash of Oregano
Dash of Red Pepper Flakes
Instructions
In a large saucepan, brown hamburger, onion and garlic. Drain off the fat.
Add the remaining ingredients to the saucepan. Mix well, bring to a boil and simmer, covered, for about 30-40 minutes or until the sweet potatoes and carrots are cooked through.
Remove and discard the bay leaves. Then serve!
Slow Cooker Option: Instead of simmering it on the stove, you can brown the ground beef, drain off the fat and place it into the slow cooker. Add the other ingredients and let simmer all day on low (6-8 hours on low or 4-5 hours on high).
Cooking Time - 3 hours 15 minutes
Servings - 8
This clean eating taco soup recipe is full of flavor and my children love it! I love how it's really healthy and easy to make in the crock pot and the leftovers are even better than the first day. This recipe came from mynaturalfamily.com.
Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 pound Ground Beef
1 Onion, diced
1 Red Bell Pepper, diced
1 Green Bell Pepper, diced
SEASONINGS:
½ Tablespoon Real Salt
½ teaspoon Black Pepper
¼ teaspoon Dried Oregano
1 teaspoon Dried Parsley
1 teaspoon Dried Chives
½ Tablespoon Chili Powder
1½ teaspoon Garlic Powder
1 teaspoon Onion Powder
½ teaspoon Cumin
½ teaspoon Paprika
ALTERNATIVE SEASONINGS:
1 Taco Seasoning Packet
1 Ranch Seasoning Packet (optional)
ADD TO SLOW COOKER:
15 ounce can Tomato Sauce
28 ounce can Diced Tomatoes
15 ounce can Kidney Beans
15 ounce can Corn Kernels
2 cups Water
TO GARNISH:
Plain Greek Yogurt (leave off for dairy-free or use a dairy-free substitute)
Shredded Cheddar Cheese (leave off for dairy-free or use a dairy-free substitute)
Clean Eating Tortilla Chips
Instructions
Place the olive oil in a large sauté pan and heat on medium/high. Add the ground beef to the pan. Break the beef into small pieces as it cooks, using a wooden spoon. When the beef is cooked through, add the onion, both types of bell pepper and all the seasonings and herbs. Stir together and sauté for another 5 minutes or until onion is translucent.
Transfer the beef mixture into the container of a crock pot. Add the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, kidney beans, corn and water to the crock pot. Stir to combine.
Cover the crockpot with the lid and cook on high for 2-3 hours or low 5-6 hours.
Serve topped with sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese and tortilla chips.
Chicken & Kale Soup
Bursting with chunks of kale, veggies, and chicken, this soup will warm you from your head to your toes. If you're out of kale, feel free to swap in spinach.
Ingredients:
4 Chicken Breasts, bone-in and skin-on
2 Onions, cut into chunks
6 Carrots, trimmed, peeled, and sliced crosswise into 1/4" rounds
6 Celery Stalks, trimmed and sliced crosswise into 1/4"-thick slices
8 cups Water
2 Cloves Garlic, sliced
1 Bunch of Kale
1½ teaspoons Himalayan Salt
½ teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
Instructions
In a large stock pot, add water, chicken breasts, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce to a summer, and cook until chicken is cooked through, and veggies are tender, about 15 minutes more.
Remove chicken from pot and let cool until easy to handle, about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, remove kale from stems and cut into bite-size pieces, add to the chicken soup broth. Stir until wilted. When adding spinach and/or kale, just toss into pot and stir until mixed in with other veggies. Turn off heat.
Remove chicken from bone and skin and shred. Add chicken back to pot, stir to combine.
After adding chicken back in, if you would like some more broth, you may add 2 more cups of water. Serve warm or refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Freeze for up to 1 month.
Cooking Time - 30 minutes
Servings - 4
This healthy Instant Pot Broccoli Cheese Soup is healthy, kid-friendly comfort food at its finest! The recipe is found on thefoodieandthefix.com.
Ingredients:
2 teaspoons Butter
1 Medium Onion, chopped
1 cup Carrots (about 2 medium), chopped
4 cups Low-Sodium Chicken Broth or Vegetable Broth
4 cups Broccoli, roughly chopped (about 1/2 pound)
2 cups Cauliflower, roughly chopped (about 1/2 pound)
½ teaspoon Salt and Pepper, to taste
2 cups broccoli, chopped into small pieces (about 1/4 pound)
1⅓ cups Shredded Sharp or Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese
Instructions
Instant Pot:
Turn on the sauté function, melt the butter in your pot and cook the onions and carrots in butter until they start to soften (no need to cook all the way, the IP will do the rest.)
Next, add the roughly chopped broccoli (DO NOT add the broccoli that you chopped into small pieces yet!), the cauliflower, 1/2 tsp salt and the broth. On top of this mixture, place a steamer basket and then put the small-chopped broccoli into the steamer. Put the lid on and set on manual for 2 minutes, quick release when it's finished.
Remove the steamer basket with the broccoli and set aside. You can either use an immersion blender to blend everything right in the pot, or blend in batches in a regular blender.
Add the finely chopped broccoli and stir in the cheese until melted, add pepper to taste and serve!
Stove Top Directions:
In a large pot, melt the butter over medium heat, then add the onions and carrots. Cook, stirring occasionally until they start to soften (they will finish cooking later, so don't worry about making them super soft.)
Next, add the roughly chopped broccoli (DO NOT add the broccoli you chopped into small pieces yet!), the cauliflower, 1/2 tsp salt and the broth. Cover and simmer until all the veggies are VERY soft. You should be able to mash them against the side of the pot with the back of a spoon.
Meanwhile, cook the broccoli that has been chopped into small pieces in the microwave. I put them in a glass casserole dish with a lid and a couple tablespoons of water, then cooked them until very soft. It took about 5 minutes or so, but all microwaves are different so keep an eye on yours the first time you make this.
Once the veggies from the pot (with the chicken broth) are soft, puree the mixture in a blender in batches until the contents of the pot are pureed. Return to pot.
Heat pot on low heat. Stir in the shredded cheddar cheese and the cooked finely chopped broccoli until all the cheese is melted. Add pepper to taste. Serve!
Cooking Time - 30 minutes
Servings - 6
Ingredients:
1 Tablespoon Butter
1 Medium Onion, diced
2 Garlic Cloves, minced
2 Medium Carrots, thinly sliced
3 Medium Russet Potatoes, peeled & diced into ½-inch cubes
3 cups Beef Broth
1-pound Leftover Pot Roast Beef, sliced into bite size strips or shredded
1 (13.5 ounce) can Tomato Sauce
½ teaspoon Italian Seasoning
½ teaspoon Salt
½ teaspoon Black Pepper
2 Tablespoons Fresh Parsley, finely chopped (optional)
Instructions
Heat butter in a 5.5-quart Dutch oven or large pot over medium-high heat until sizzling hot, about 1 minute.
Add onion, garlic, and carrots. Sauté until tender, about 3-4 minutes.
Add potatoes and broth. Mix well and bring soup to a boil.
Add leftover beef and tomato sauce. Cover with a lid and simmer over low heat until the potatoes are fork tender and the beef is warmed through, about 10 minutes.
Season the soup with Italian seasoning, salt and pepper.
Garnish with fresh parsley and serve immediately.
Turn into a slow cooker meal:
Sauté carrots, onion and garlic as directed and then transfer all the ingredients to a slow cooker and cook on low for 6-8 hours until the vegetables are tender.