How to Cook Light Soups and Stews

Vegetables, meats and starches are flavorfully combined for a balanced and filling meal in many soups and stews. Although stews are made most often during the colder months, some soups are meant to be served cold---a refreshing, potentially light appetizer or lunch option when things heat up outside. Cream-based soups add a dairy element but also fat and calories. To keep your soups and stews light, avoid creamier soup and stew recipes or follow the substitution suggestions below.

Things You'll Need

• Soup recipes Stew recipes Low-fat sour cream Low-fat yogurt Olive oil Turkey sausage Beans

Instructions

1. Find soup and stew recipes that use multiple vegetables to increase the number of vitamins. For example, homemade gazpacho offers vitamins A, B6, C and K, as well as an antioxidant, lycopene.

2. Replace pork sausage with turkey sausage or rely on beans to provide the protein. Add cayenne pepper or chili powder to mimic the spiciness of the pork sausage. If using beans, add diced peppers such as poblano, jalapeno, serrano or cayenne---this will add both flavor and (especially if you use the seeds of the peppers) spicy heat.

3. Substitute low-fat yogurt or low-fat sour cream in recipes calling for heavy cream. Consider making the recipe without the heavy cream and serving the soup or stew with low-fat yogurt/sour cream available at the table to add later. Soy substitutes can be used as well.

4. Use an immersion blender (or pour the soup a bit at a time into a food processor) to thicken a vegetable soup without having to add a dairy product. This works especially well with potatoes and carrots. Blend only half of the soup if you want whole chunks of vegetables to remain.

5. Substitute olive oil for some, if not all, of the butter called for in soup and stew recipes. You may need to add a little more salt.

6. Make Chinese soups, many of which are very light and may have some surprising health benefits, including increasing immunity; lowering cholesterol; and promoting weight loss, strong bones and detoxification.

References

• Homemade Chinese Soups---Healthy Soup Recipes
• Bikini Body Diet

Resources

• Tomato Cucumber Gazpacho
• Homemade Chinese Soups
• Cold Beet and Celery Soup