Cooking Light Soups & Stew

By Cooking Light

Something about a piping hot soup or stew ladled into a bowl signifies total comfort. Maybe it's the aroma of a rich stew simmering on the stovetop or the pleasure of spooning into a velvety cream soup. With these Cooking Light recipes, comfort doesn't mean excessive calories or fat—only simple satisfaction.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Cooking Light
• Release date: Oct 4, 2019
• ISBN: 9780848701376

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01. SMOOTH & CREAMY

LEARN THE SECRETS OF MAKING A LUSCIOUS, VELVETY CREAM SOUP WITH LESS FAT AND FEWER CALORIES.

Creamy Turmeric Cauliflower Soup

HANDS-ON 30 MIN.

TOTAL 45 MIN.

Briefly cooking the pumpkin seeds and cumin in hot oil—a process known as blooming—draws out the aroma of the seeds and spice and deepens their flavor. Turmeric pairs fantastically with winter produce like cauliflower or root veggies, where its brightness, astringency, and tartness balance the earthy sweetness of the plants. Use plain Greek yogurt in place of sour cream, if you prefer.

¼ cup raw hulled pumpkin seeds (pepitas)

1 tsp. ground cumin

2 Tbsp. olive oil, divided

2 cups vertically sliced yellow onion

1 Tbsp. chopped fresh thyme

6 garlic cloves, chopped

1 Tbsp. ground turmeric

1 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

2½ cups unsalted chicken stock, divided

½ tsp. kosher salt

1 small head cauliflower, cut into florets

2 tsp. rice vinegar

2 tsp. light brown sugar

½ tsp. black pepper

¼ cup light sour cream

2 Tbsp. chopped fresh chives

1. Combine pumpkin seeds, cumin, and 1½ teaspoons oil in a bowl; toss to coat. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high. Add pumpkin seed mixture to skillet, and toast, stirring often, until lightly browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Set aside.

2. Heat remaining 1½ tablespoons oil in a large saucepan over medium-high. Add onion, thyme, and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 5 to 6 minutes. Add turmeric, and cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Remove from heat.

3. Whisk together flour and ½ cup stock in a small bowl until smooth. Add flour mixture, salt, cauliflower florets, and remaining 2 cups stock to onion mixture in saucepan. Increase heat to high, and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer, covered, until cauliflower is very tender, about 15 minutes.

4. In batches, place soup in a blender. Remove center piece of blender lid (to allow steam to escape); secure lid on blender. Place a clean towel over opening in lid. Process on high until smooth. Return soup to pot. Stir in vinegar, brown sugar, and pepper. Serve in bowls; top evenly with pumpkin seeds, sour cream, and chives.

SERVES 6 (serving size: ¾ cup soup, 2 tsp. pumpkin seeds, 2 tsp. sour cream, and 1 tsp. chives) CALORIES 149; FAT 8g (sat 2g, unsat 4g); PROTEIN 6g; CARB 14g; FIBER 3g; SUGARS 6g (added sugars 1g); SODIUM 279mg; CALC 6% DV; POTASSIUM 10% DV

Creamy Artichoke Soup

HANDS-ON 25 MIN.

TOTAL 30 MIN.

This smooth soup gets a creamy boost from silken tofu and a dash of half-and-half, plus a veggie bonus from the addition of sweet peas. If frozen artichokes aren’t available, use three (14-ounce) cans artichoke hearts, drained and rinsed.

2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided

½ cup chopped shallots

3 garlic cloves, crushed

3 cups unsalted chicken stock

1 (12-oz.) pkg. frozen artichoke hearts

1 (16-oz.) pkg. silken tofu, drained

1 cup frozen sweet peas

¼ cup half-and-half

¾ tsp. kosher salt

½ tsp. black pepper

¼ cup crème fraîche

2 Tbsp. coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large saucepan over medium-high. Add shallots and garlic to pan; cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Add stock and artichokes; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, and simmer until artichokes are very tender, about 5 minutes.

2. Combine artichoke mixture, tofu, and peas in a blender. Remove center piece of blender lid (to allow steam to escape); secure lid on blender and place a clean towel over opening in lid. Process until smooth, about 45 seconds. Return mixture to saucepan; stir in half-and-half, salt, and pepper. Heat over medium until warmed through.

3. Divide soup among 4 bowls. Top each with 1 tablespoon crème fraîche. Drizzle with remaining 1 tablespoon oil, and top with parsley.

SERVES 4 (serving size: about 1½ cups) CALORIES 285; FAT 17g (sat 5g, unsat 11g); PROTEIN 13g; CARB 19g; FIBER 8g; SUGARS 5g (added sugars 0g); SODIUM 574mg; CALC 16% DV; POTASSIUM 4% DV

Kitchen Confidential

Silken tofu has a softer consistency than regular tofu and will fall apart if not handled carefully. Silken and regular tofu are not interchangeable in recipes.

Pumpkin Soup with Almonds and Sage

HANDS-ON 20 MIN.

TOTAL 20 MIN.

Canned pumpkin is a great choice when you’re making a creamy pumpkin soup and saves you lots of time and effort.

2 Tbsp. unsalted butter

3 fresh sage leaves

1 (8-oz.) pkg. prechopped onion

¾ cup unsalted, roasted blanched almonds, divided

1 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

3 cups unsalted chicken stock, divided

1 (15-oz.) can pumpkin puree

¾ tsp. kosher salt

⅛ tsp. ground red pepper

2 Tbsp. chopped fresh chives

1. Place butter, sage, and onion in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-high. Cover and cook 7 to 8 minutes or until onion is lightly browned, stirring occasionally.

2. Coarsely chop ¼ cup almonds; set aside. Whisk together flour and ¼ cup stock. Add remaining ½ cup almonds, flour mixture, remaining 2¾ cups stock, pumpkin, salt, and pepper to onion mixture. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to keep pumpkin mixture from sticking to bottom of pan.

3. Place pumpkin mixture in a blender. Remove center piece of blender lid (to allow steam to escape); secure lid on blender and place a clean towel over opening in lid. Process until smooth. Ladle soup into bowls; sprinkle with reserved ¼ cup chopped almonds and chives.

SERVES 4 (serving size: about 1⅔ cups soup, 1 Tbsp. almonds, and 1½ tsp. chives) CALORIES 288; FAT 19.8g (sat 4.9g, unsat 14g); PROTEIN 11g; CARB 22g; FIBER 7g; SUGARS 8g (added sugars 0g); SODIUM 467mg; CALC 12% DV; POTASSIUM 11% DV

Curried Butternut Squash and Apple Soup

HANDS-ON 20 MIN.

TOTAL 25 MIN.

Winter squash is high in vitamin A, which is important for vision and bone health. Frozen, precooked squash saves time here. You can also roast a 2-pound peeled, diced butternut squash instead—do this a day ahead so the soup is quick to prepare the next night.

1 Tbsp. unsalted butter

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1 medium leek, chopped (about 1 cup)

1 cup peeled, chopped Golden Delicious apple

1 Tbsp. Madras curry powder

½ cup dry white wine

3 (10-oz.) pkgs. frozen cooked butternut squash, thawed

4 cups unsalted chicken stock

2 Tbsp. pure maple syrup

1½ Tbsp. apple cider vinegar

¾ tsp. kosher salt

½ tsp. black pepper

¾ cup plain 2% reduced-fat Greek yogurt

2 Tbsp. water

½ cup julienne-cut Golden Delicious apple

1. Heat butter and oil in a large Dutch oven over medium until butter melts. Add leek and chopped apple; cook 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in curry powder; cook 1 minute. Increase heat to medium-high. Add wine; cook 2 minutes or until liquid is reduced and slightly syrupy, stirring to scrape up browned bits. Add squash and stock to pan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and simmer 8 minutes or until apple and squash are very tender.

2. Place half of squash mixture in a blender. Remove center piece of blender lid (to allow steam to escape); secure lid on blender and place a clean towel over opening in lid. Process until smooth. Repeat procedure with remaining half of squash mixture. Return soup to pan; stir in maple syrup, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Combine yogurt and 2 tablespoons water in a bowl. Divide soup among 4 bowls; top with yogurt mixture and julienne-cut apple.

SERVES 4 (serving size: 2 cups soup, 3 Tbsp. yogurt, and 2 Tbsp. apple) CALORIES 322; FAT 8g (sat 3g, unsat 4g); PROTEIN 13g; CARB 51g; FIBER 5g; SUGARS 20g (added sugars 6g); SODIUM 519mg; CALC 14% DV; POTASSIUM 17% DV

Beer Cheese Soup

HANDS-ON 25 MIN.

Total 1 hr. 30 min.

Butternut squash complements the rich, savory notes of beer and two types of mustard, while ribbons of melty cheddar add a silky finish. A pale ale–style beer, such as Bass, is ideal in this dish. Avoid using dark beer, which could make the soup too bitter.

1 (2-lb.) butternut squash

Cooking spray

1 Tbsp. canola oil

1 cup chopped white onion

¾ cup chopped carrots

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

3 Tbsp. nutritional yeast

Nutritional yeast is deactivated yeast and sold powdered or in flakes. It contains B vitamins and protein and has only 20 calories per spoonful.

1 tsp. dry mustard

¾ tsp. kosher salt

¼ tsp. black pepper

2 tsp. Dijon mustard

1 (12-oz.) bottle pale ale–style