According to certain studies, eating soup at the beginning of your meal allows you to consume 20% fewer calories while at the table. The following soup recipes help you limit your caloric intake further because each one of them packs less than 300 calories only. The choice of ingredients also makes sure that your body is getting enough nutrients.
Sweet-Smelling Fish Soup
The use of jasmine rice makes this particular soup so delightful to the nose. More importantly, a single serving of it yields only 239 calories.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup of jasmine rice
- 1 pound tilapia (fillets)
- 4 cups of vegetable broth or chicken broth
- 4 cups of arugula (cut into bite-sized pieces)
- 2 scallions (finely chopped)
- 2 cups of water
- 1 cup carrots (finely shredded)
- 1/4 cup of mint (fresh, thinly sliced)
- Juice and zest of 1 lemon
Procedure:
- In a medium-sized saucepan, combine jasmine rice and water. Cook over medium heat until all the water is absorbed. Stir in your lemon juice and zest once cooked.
- Using another saucepan, bring your vegetable or chicken broth to a boil over medium heat. Once already boiling, turn the heat to low just to keep the broth steaming.
- Place the tilapia filets in the broth and allow them cook for about 5 minutes. Once done, remove and break them into smaller pieces.
- Divide your jasmine rice into 4 small bowls. Top each one with the cooked tilapia, arugula, shredded carrots and scallions.
- Using a ladle, fill each bowl with broth. Serve.
Moroccan Soup with Vegetables
One look and it’s easy to tell that this particular soup with lots of vegetables and beef is so healthy and tastes phenomenal. Every serving of it has 260 calories.
Ingredients:
- 6 cups of beef broth
- 1 pound of beef stew meat (trimmed and sliced into 1/2-inch cubes)
- 2 ounces of angel hair pasta (broken into small pieces)
- 1 14-ounce can of diced tomatoes
- 1 onion (finely diced)
- 2 carrots (diced)
- 2 stalks of celery (thinly sliced, including the leaves)
- 2 small turnips (peeled and diced)
- 8 sprigs of cilantro (fresh)
- 12 sprigs of flat-leaf parsley
- 1 large zucchini (peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch cubes)
- 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons of ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 1/2 teaspoon of ground pepper
Procedure:
- In a large cooking pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add your turmeric and onions. Stir to coat onions with oil and turmeric.
- Add meat and stir occasionally for 4 to 5 minutes or until the onions are already tender.
- Add your beef broth, tomatoes, carrots, turnips and celery.
- In the meantime, use a kitchen string to tie your cilantro and parsley sprigs together. Throw it into the pot.
- Cook until the beef is already tender.
- Stir in your zucchini and cook for 8 to 10 minutes.
- Add pasta and allow it to cook further for another 4 to 10 minutes, or until soft.
- Remove the sprigs and season with salt. Serve.
Ginger Chicken Stew
It’s hard to forget this ginger-flavored soup with chunk of chicken and leafy veggies once you get to enjoy it. The best part is every serving has 201 calories only.
Ingredients:
- 1 pound of chicken tenders (sliced into 1-inch chunks)
- 1 bunch mustard greens (stemmed and chopped)
- 1 2-inch piece of ginger (peeled and minced)
- 4 cloves of garlic (sliced thinly)
- 1 teaspoon of Asian red chili sauce
- 2 tablespoons of soy sauce
- 1 1/2 cups of water
- 1 14-ounce can of chicken broth
- 1/2 cup of dry sherry
- 1 tablespoon of sesame oil
Procedure:
- In a large cooking pot, add sesame oil and place over medium heat. Put in your chicken chunks. Stir occasionally. Transfer to a plate after 6 minutes or once lightly cooked.
- Place both garlic and ginger in the same pot. After 10 seconds, add in your sherry and cook until evaporated.
- Scrape up the brown bits at the bottom of the pot. Add water and broth. Turn heat to high and bring to a boil.
- Mix in your soy sauce, chili sauce and mustard greens. Cook for about 3 minutes.
- Place the chicken back into the pot. Cook for another 2 minutes. Serve.
