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- "SOMETHING
DIFFERENT"
- FEAST ON VEGETABLE
SOUP
BY DANA
JACOBI FOR THE
AMERICAN INSTITUTE FOR
CANCER RESEARCH
When the weather turns cold,
soup is a great chill-chaser. For busy folks, soup is also a
great time-saver. But no matter the weather or the time pressures,
soup is an easy and efficient way to slip in extra servings of
vegetables, whole grains, beans and lentils - the health-protective
foods many of us don’t eat often enough.
Although nothing surpasses
soup homemade from scratch, it doesn’t take much effort
to create a soup that doesn’t have the excess salt or the
thin, tinny taste of canned soups. Starting with a good quality
store-bought broth that is fat-free and low in sodium, the addition
of a handful of two or three frozen vegetables makes a standard
vegetable soup. Add canned beans and cooked pasta, and you have
minestrone or, with cooked lentils plus a little cinnamon and
dill, a Greek-inspired soup. Chopped cabbage, canned tomatoes,
frozen green beans, a carrot, a potato and a handful of old-fashioned
rolled oats (or the top-grade steel-cut version) produce a hearty
Irish meal that satisfies the soul and the stomach.
Soups are a great way to use
up vegetables past their prime, either cut into chunks or puréed
with broth in a blender. Leftover cooked foods - rice, chicken,
oven-roasted veggies - can make a soup robust enough to qualify
as a stew.
At a brunch in Manhattan, an
Indian chef-extraordinaire, Suvir Saran, introduced an extraordinary
soup. It was thick, smooth and creamy, deeply flavorful and a
gorgeous shade of pink-orange. The ingredients included 12 vegetables,
milk and a classic mix of Indian spices, garam masala. The recipe
called for roasting the vegetables, which greatly intensifies
their flavor. Milk, according to Saran, keeps the cauliflower
white and the color of the soup bright. The list of vegetables
is long, but he confessed he often uses the vegetables he has
on hand - four, seven, or whatever, although the more the better,
but always including a potato to help thicken the soup.
Creamy Vegetable Soup - Makes 8 servings.
- 3 garlic cloves, peeled and
halved
- 1 yellow bell pepper, seeded
and cut in cut in 1 1/2-inch pieces
- 1 large broccoli spear, florets
only (2 cups)
- 1/2 small cauliflower, cut
in 1 1/2-inch florets (2 to 3 cups)
- 1/2 small fennel bulb, cut
in 1-inch pieces
- 1 medium red-skin potato,
diced
- 2 large shallots, quartered
- 1 medium tomato, seeded and
cut in 6 wedges
- 1 small zucchini, cut in 1-inch
pieces
- 1 small acorn squash, peeled,
seeded and cut into cut in 1 1/2-inch pieces (about 3 cups)
- 1 medium carrot, cut in 1-inch
pieces
- 1 Tbsp. canola oil
- 1 tsp. garam masala or mixture
of 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon plus 1/8 tsp. each ground allspice,
coriander and black
pepper
- 2 cups reduced-fat (2%) milk
- Salt and freshly ground black
pepper
- 2 plum tomatoes, seeded and
finely chopped, for garnish (optional)
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees
F. Coat two baking sheets with cooking spray.
On one sheet, place the garlic,
bell pepper, broccoli, cauliflower, fennel, potato, shallots,
tomato and zucchini. Coat liberally with cooking spray, stir
and spray again. Place the acorn squash and carrots on the second
sheet and toss with the oil. Bake the vegetables 15 minutes.
Stir and bake 10 minutes longer, or until slightly soft and lightly
colored.
Transfer the vegetables to
a large, deep saucepan. Add the spice mixture and 3 cups cold
water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer until
the vegetables are very soft, about 20 minutes. Add the milk.
Transfer the mixture to a blender and purée until smooth.
Season with salt and pepper. Serve hot or chilled, garnished
with the chopped tomato (if using).
Per serving: 115 calories, 3 g. total fat (less than 1 g. saturated
fat), 19 g. carbohydrate, 5 g. protein, 4 g. dietary fiber, 57
mg. sodium.
_______________________________________
“Something Different”
is written for the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR)
by Dana Jacobi, author of The Joy of Soy and recipe creator for
AICR’s Stopping Cancer Before It Starts.
The American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) offers a Nutrition
Hotline online at www.aicr.org or via phone 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
ET, Monday-Friday, at 1-800-843-8114. This free service allows
you to ask questions about diet, nutrition and cancer. A registered
dietitian will respond to your email or call, usually within
3 business days. AICR is the only major cancer charity focusing
exclusively on how the risk of cancer is reduced by healthy food
and nutrition, physical activity and weight management. The Institute’s
education programs help millions of Americans lower their cancer
risk. AICR also supports innovative research in cancer prevention
and treatment at universities, hospitals and research centers
across the U.S. Over $73 million in funding has been provided.
AICR is a member of the World Cancer Research Fund International.
_______________________________________
RECIPE POSTED OCTOBER 17, 2005 |
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