11 Healthy Soups to Eat This Winter

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Happy New Year!  

Are you off to a good start this year!  I've been trying to get out of the holiday goody mode myself.  We've been eating a lot of good food with all the treats thrown in as well.  Time to cut back and start back on a healthy eating track.

One way to do that is to eat healthy soups.  Winter time is the perfect time for soups.  They are comforting and warm and just soothe your soul.  Don't you crave a bowl of hot soup in the winter?

We just love hearty filling soups in our house.  We eat soup and salad for lunch or dinner quite a bit throughout the week.  
Today I've brought you 11 Healthy Soups you can eat all winter long.  Some are made on the stove, and some in the slow cooker, but all are hearty, healthy, delicious, and easy to make.

Enjoy a steaming hot bowl of soup!







Greek Style Lemony Chicken and Orzo Soup




Slow Cooker Turkey Tortilla Soup




Italian Style Roasted Chicken and Orzo Soup



Slow Cooker: Mexican Vegetable and Quinoa Soup



Chicken and Wild Rice Soup



Tuscan White Bean Soup 





Quick Taco Soup




Chicken Enchilada Soup




Romanian Lentil Soup




Easy Tomato Soup with Grilled Cheese Croutons 




Italian Chicken and Bean Soup

Fall/Winter Picnic: Wraps, Salad Two Ways, and Ginger Lemonade

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A series of wonderful vegetarian dishes pair perfectly together for a Fall/Winter Picnic, indoors or out!

So all week long I've been bringing you recipes that are simple in nature, vegetarian, and oh so tasty! 

If you've missed my posts for Orzo Black Bean Salad, Feta Chopped Salad, or Pesto Cucumber Wraps take a moment to check them out.  They are all wonderfully light and delicious vegetarian dishes that I found in a new cookbook I got called,  "Forest Feast Gatherings: Simple Vegetarian Menus for Hosting Friends & Family", by Erin Gleeson.  What a fabulous book!

So let pull all these dishes together and go on a picnic.  I want to show you how easy it is to pull a picnic together if the weather is nice enough to go to a park and eat outdoors.  If it isn't cooperating this would be perfect as an indoor picnic in your living room on the floor with a blanket and a bunch of pillow.  

So grab your plaid throw and let's create a picnic.

The perfect thing about this is that both the salads can be made ahead of time and stored until time to serve.  The Pesto Cucumber Wraps are what I call the main entree, while the salads compliment them as side dishes.  

Don't be fooled by the fourth of July plates, this was held on a blustery day in the park.  I just happened to grab what paper plates we had on hand.  To pull this off I grabbed a navy blue plaid throw to use as the base for the food.  Put both the Feta Chopped Salad, and the Orzo Black Bean Salad in bowls that have lids and transfer well.

To round off the food I made a wonderful Ginger Lemonade (recipe is below) and packed it in a nice jar.  Some fruit such as pears and grapes along store bought cookies for dessert finish off this menu.  

Make sure to take along some entertainment.  MGG likes to fly his drone, while I like to read a good book on my kindle while we rest in the afternoon.

Having a picnic, inside or outside really allows you to do something a little different.  It breaks up the routine, makes the meal special, plus it's fun!

Enjoy some picnic time this season!




Ginger Lemonade

1 liter Store bought lemonade
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh ginger
1/2 fresh mint leaves

Mix all ingredients in a blender, then strain into a jar.  Can be made the day before and kept in the refrigerator.  Serve chilled or over ice if possible. Shake or stir prior to serving.

This post contains affiliate links to items you can purchase, in which I get a small amount of compensation for at no cost to you. I bring you items that I actually use that are of great quality that I can pass along suggestions to you.

Pesto Cucumber Wraps

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A flavorful vegetarian wrap that's simple to make and fun to eat!

Here's the 3rd item in the series of vegetarian dishes I've brought to you this week.

Please check out my previous 2 items, Orzo Black Bean Salad, and the Feta Chopped Salad.  Both are amazing and go together so well.  

The dishes are all vegetarian and they are all from a new book I got called, "Forest Feast Gatherings: Simple Vegetarian Menus for Hosting Friends & Family", by Erin Gleeson.  What a fabulous book!

She has colorful illustrations throughout the book accompanied by simple vegetarian recipes that anyone can make.  I truly love the layout of this book.  Her recipes are simple and easy to follow and the food is fabulous.  

You don't have to be a vegetarian to eat these dishes.  They are wonderful, filling, and will be enjoyed by all!

Today's dish ties the other two together.  It's a wonderful wrap!

PESTO CUCUMBER WRAPS

Crisp, cooling cucumber spears are wrapped in a pesto, cream cheese dressed spinach wrap.  Oh man is this good!  It's a veggie sandwich that's light, yet filling and it goes perfectly with the two salads.  

What fun is it to eat a wrap!  Kids love them, and you will too. They are the perfect lunch, dinner, or treat.  This can be made slightly ahead of time and wrapped up, kept in the refrigerator until served.  

These are super easy to pull together.  No special equipment is necessary.  Just make, grab and go!  Don't forget the two salads up above that go perfectly and make an entire meal.

I hope you enjoyed these vegetarian dishes, and decide to make them yourself.  

Enjoy!

Pesto Cucumber Wraps

6 spinach tortillas
8 oz cream cheese, (room temp)
2 cucumbers, cut into ling spears. no need to peel
3/4 c pesto

Spread cream cheese & pesto on each tortilla, then add 3 long cucumber spears and roll up like a burrito. Wrap a piece of parchment around the middle and tie with twine. Can be made several hours in advance.

This post contains affiliate links to items you can purchase, in which I get a small amount of compensation for at no cost to you. I bring you items that I actually use that are of great quality that I can pass along suggestions to you.

Feta Chopped Salad

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A light and fresh vegetarian salad that's the perfect side dish!

This is a continuation of my post from Monday where I shared with you a wonderful vegetarian salad from a new cookbook.  You can view that post for Orzo Black Bean Salad here.

Today I want to continue on that journey.  I found a fabulous book you guys!  It is vegetarian, but not only for those who eat that type of diet.  The dishes in this dish are for everyone!  The food is simple, fresh, and seasonal.  The illustrations are so beautiful!  Plus, the recipes are straight forward and easy to make.  This book is a winner.  From the cookbook, "The Forest Feast Gatherings" by Erin Gleeson I want to share another vegetarian salad with you.

FETA CHOPPED SALAD

A wonderful Mediterranean inspired salad bursting with fresh cucumbers and tomatoes and a soft mild feta cheese and dressed lightly with lemon and olive oil.  Delish!!!  This is a bright and fresh salad that gets a little zip from fresh mint as well.  What a great flavor punch.  You are sure to love this salad as much as we did.  In fact, I've made it several time since and let me tell you, it doesn't last long!

This salad is very easy to make.  The most effort is in chopping all the vegetables.  Once that is done you just toss is all together and lightly dress it.  Voila!  You'll have the perfect salad.  It can be made ahead as well, just don't add the cheese or dress it until you serve the salad.

Enjoy!




Feta Chopped Salad

1 cucumber, cubed
2 large tomatoes, cubed
1/2 small red onion, cubed
leaves from 2 sprigs of mint, sliced
3/4 cup crumbled feta

Toss all ingredients in a bowl with lemon juice, olive oil, & salt.

Vegetables can be chopped several hours in advance & refrigerated (onion & cucumber can be done the day before).  Add feta and dressing just before packing for a picnic or before serving.

This post contains affiliate links to items you can purchase, in which I get a small amount of compensation for at no cost to you. I bring you items that I actually use that are of great quality that I can pass along suggestions to you.

Orzo Black Bean Salad

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A wonderful vegetarian recipe that's full of flavor and simple to make!

I have a treat for you today!

I found some really great recipes that I'm going to share with you in a series this week.  They are all vegetarian and they are all from a new book I got called, "Forest Feast Gatherings: Simple Vegetarian Menus for Hosting Friends & Family", by Erin Gleeson.  What a fabulous book!

She has colorful illustrations throughout the book accompanied by simple vegetarian recipes that anyone can make.  I truly love the layout of this book.  Her recipes are simple and easy to follow and the food is fabulous.  

Each recipe I'm bringing to you this week are from this book and go together beautifully.  First up is a wonderful salad.

ORZO BLACK BEAN SALAD

Imagine tender, earthy black beans tossed with al dente orzo pasta and fresh vegetables and then doused with a fresh spicy lime dressing!  Heaven!  The southwestern flair of this salad really shines.  It was really easy to throw together, with a few items to chop while your pasta is cooking.  

Can I make this ahead? Yes, this salad can be made several hours ahead, even the day before, of your mealtime.  Serve at room temperature or chilled.  

What do I need to make this?  Simple everyday items like a good mixing bowls, 3 quart saucepan, colander, and wooden spoons, plus a good kitchen knife are all you need.

This salad is a great compliment to chicken, fish, or beef.  We chose to make this as a side salad for lunch and it was perfect!  Stay tuned for more recipes from my new cookbook that go along with this salad.

Enjoy!




Orzo Black Bean Salad

1 1/2 cups orzo
1/4 red onion, diced
1 cup black beans, drained & rinsed
1 red bell pepper, seeded & diced
1 cup corn, fresh or frozen
1/4 bunch cilantro, chopped

Dressing:
3 T olive oil
juice from 1 lime
1/8 tsp salt
1 tsp chili powder

Cook the orzo in salted water, according to package directions (about 9 min) and then rinse and drain under cold water.  If making ahead stir in 2 tsp of olive oil to avoid sticking.

Mix in onion, beans, bell pepper, corn, and cilantro.  In a small bowl mix together dressing ingredients.  Whisk well to combine.  Pour over salad and stir until well coated.

This salad may be made a day ahead but stir in the cilantro and dressing no more than 1 hour before serving.  Serve at room temperature of refrigerated.

This post contains affiliate links to items you can purchase, in which I get a small amount of compensation for at no cost to you. I bring you items that I actually use that are of great quality that I can pass along suggestions to you.

Greek Style Stuffed Tomatoes

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Late summer tomatoes are still everywhere you look this time of year. If you grown your own you may have such an abundance, you might run out of ways to use them into your menus. Some of my favorite ways are stuffed, roasted, grilled, or pureed into wonderful recipes.

Have you ever stuffed a tomato?  The cute little goat cheese stuffed cherry tomatoes are perfect appetizers for a holiday party.  Today's Greek Style Stuffed Tomatoes are anything but boring.  These beauties are big, seasonal freshness with a new spin on the prep of a tomato.  These are just brimming with fresh ingredients and are loaded with bright flavors from Greece.  

I prepare tomatoes in so many ways like my Tomato Tabbouleh Salad or I'll freeze them as in my Big Batch Marinara Sauce.  Search tomatoes in the search bar to the right to see all my great recipes using this staple.

Greek Style Stuffed Tomatoes - A perfect side dish

Some associate tomatoes with summer, and don't get me wrong, this dish is a great light and fresh summer side dish.  However, tomatoes are still in season even though it is October.  This side dish is perfect along a nice grilled chicken or served along a chicken pita pocket for lunch.  It goes with so many dishes that you will love it's versatility.  You could even make these in cherry tomatoes as appetizers.  The burst of fresh lemon and herbs will have your guests talking about these for days.

Enjoy!






Greek Style Stuffed Tomatoes

Makes 6 servings


6 large beefsteak or vine tomatoes
Salt and black pepper to taste
Minced zest of 1 lemon
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
2 tsp. honey
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, minced
2 cups stemmed and coarsely chopped fresh baby spinach
1 cup cooked white rice, cooled
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/4 cup diced red onion
1/4 cup minced fresh mint
Lemon wedges

Slice the tops off of the tomatoes.  Scrape out the pulp from the insides using a small spoon or melon baller.  Discard pulp.  Season the inside of tomatoes with salt and pepper.

In a small bowl whisk together zest, lemon juice, oil, honey, Dijon, and garlic. Season vinaigrette with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Toss spinach, rice, feta, onion, and mint with vinaigrette, then divide and stuff into tomatoes; serve with lemon wedges.

source:  Issue 118 Cuisine at Home Magazine