Another Healthy One!

I have been tired lately of my vegetable soup. Don't get me wrong, it's really good. But, after about the fifteenth pot, you get tired of it. Soup is such a great thing to take to work for lunches, so I decided to find a new favorite soup recipe.

Cue trusty Weight Watchers. I found this recipe in Simply the Best, a Weight Watchers cookbook I received for a gift several years ago. Most of the soup recipes were too many calories. I like to keep my soup at about 100 calories per cup. After hunting, I found the recipe below. This one is only 109 calories for a serving, and from what I can tell, a serving is more than one cup.

The only alteration I would suggest is a little more spice. I would add Tabasco, or even some red pepper flakes. This would also be delicious with some dill or fresh herbs. I just planted a vegetable and herb garden, so the next time I make this, hopefully I will have something to add from my garden! The only other thing is that I couldn't find the instant chicken broth the recipe called for, so I just substituted chicken bouillion.

The pictures didn't turn out spectacular, but this soup was delicious! I gave the recipe to several people at work (they are internet-uneducated and don't go online) and told them they MUST make it.

As always, enjoy!

Hearty Chicken-Vegetable Soup

from: Simply the Best by Weight Watchers

1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, no salt added

3 packets low-sodium instant chicken broth and seasoning mix

2 carrots, diced

2 onions, coarsely chopped

2 celery stalks, diced

1 medium zucchini, diced

3/4 cup elbow macaroni

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 pound boneless chicken breast, cut into 1" pieces

1/4 cup minced parsley

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1. In a large nonstick saucepan or Dutch oven, bring the tomatoes, broth mix and 6 cups water to a boil. Add the carrots, onions, celery, zucchini, macaroni, and garlic; return to a boil, stirring as needed. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, strring as needed, until the vegetables and macaroni are tender, about 30 minutes.

2. Increase the heat and stir in the chicken, parsley, salt and pepper; return to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the chicken is cooked through, about 10 minutes.