The Diet Detective: Healthy Soups for Fall

Soup's on! It's the fall and there are some wonderful soups that make great snacks, appetizers or even meals. We asked a few popular foodies to share some of their healthy soup recipes. Here they are:

Creamy Carrot Soup

Healthy soup from Chris Kendall, R.H.N., 101 Frickin' Rawsome Recipes, Raw Advantage Press, 2009
 
(Makes 3¼ cups or 3 servings)

Ingredients:

• 6 medium carrots
• 6 stalks celery
• 1 thumb-size piece fresh ginger, peeled
• 1/2 Hass avocado
• 1/2 clove garlic
• 1 green onion

Preparation:

1. Juice the carrots, celery and ginger, or blend them well and squeeze the pulp in a nut milk or juicing bag to remove the juice.

2. Blend the remaining "broth" with the avocado, garlic and the bulb portion of the green onion.

3. If you desire a thicker soup, blend back in 1/4 of the carrot/celery pulp. Finely chop the remaining green part of the green onion and add to the soup.

4. If desired, slightly warm the soup, constantly stirring, to lukewarm.

Nutritional Information:

(Serving size approximately 1 cup) 154.5 calories; 4.5g fat; 28g carbs; 4.5g fiber; 3.56g protein.

Squash, Carrot and Lentil Soup

Healthy soup from Beth Bader and Ali Benjamin, The Cleaner Plate Club (Storey Publishing, 2011)

(Makes 12-14 servings)

Ingredients:

• 1 small (about 5 pounds) Hubbard or other winter squash, halved and seeded
• 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 ½ teaspoons fresh thyme, or 3/4 teaspoon dried
• 1 ½ teaspoons chopped fresh sage, or ¾ teaspoon dried
• 8 cups vegetable stock
• 1 ½ cups grated carrots (about 6 medium)
• 1 cup green lentils, rinsed and drained
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Rub the squash halves with the 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil. Place them, cut side down, on a baking sheet sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.

3. Roast in the oven for about 40 minutes, or until the flesh is fork-tender. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Scoop out the flesh into a bowl.

4. Heat the 1 tablespoon olive oil in a Dutch oven. Add the onion and garlic and cook just until translucent but not browned.

5. Add the thyme, sage and 4 cups of the stock. Add half the grated carrots and all the squash.

6. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for about 30 minutes.

7. Meanwhile, in a smaller saucepan, bring the lentils and 2 cups of the stock to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for about 30 minutes, or until the lentils are al dente.

8. Using an immersion blender (or slowly, in batches in a food processor) carefully blend the soup in the Dutch oven until it is smooth.

9. Add the remaining 2 cups of broth and the rest of the carrots. Simmer for about 20 minutes, until the carrots are tender.

10. Add the lentils and any remaining liquid and heat to a simmer again.

11. Add the sugar. Season with salt and pepper to taste, if desired.

Nutritional Information:

(Serving Size, 1 cup) 61 calories; 1g fat; 9g carbs; 1.2g fiber; 3g protein.