Soup's On

It's been the perfect weather lately for soup. Cold, brisk, fall days that warrant a hot bowl of soup. I make three of four different kinds regularly, but I tried a new one today. I didn't have a whole lot of time before I needed to run to a meeting, so I threw together the ingredients and set the crock pot to High. In five hours, I had a delicious bowl of soup for lunch.

Knowing myself well, there is hardly a time where I don't cook without tomatoes. Today was no exception. The base for this soup is actually a can of diced tomatoes. Big shocker! The recipe comes from Weight Watchers, which I have been relying on heavily lately. I have been cooking very healthy for the past few weeks and the payoff is starting to show. I am wearing a pair of jeans today that are a size smaller than I usually wear. So, yay me!

Serve this soup by itself as a starter, or alongside a sandwich for those cold nights. I had a wrap sandwich and a piece of fruit, and that was the perfect lunch. There are tons of things that you could add to this soup if you would like some protein. A can of beans (kidney or cannelini to go along with the Italian theme would be good), some cubed chicken breast, or even tofu if you happen to eat it. I used organic chicken broth in this recipe, rather than the vegetable. Chicken, I find, is more flavorful, and it's a lot cheaper for some reason.

Enjoy this soup, and enjoy the fall weather if you happen to live in a colder state!

Slow Cooker Soup
from: Weight Watchers

10 oz spinach, baby leaves
2 medium carrots, chopped
2 medium celery stalks, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1 medium garlic clove, minced
4 cups vegetable broth
28 oz canned diced tomatoes
2 pieces bay leaf
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, crushed



Place all ingredients in a slow cooker; cover and cook on high for 5 hours. Remove bay leaves, stir and serve.