soup — Blog — Fit Foodie Le

i told Sonny to get me outta bed when my alarm went off this morning no matter what. he didn't, haha, but i got on up anyway and hit it early so i could use the rest of the day cooking for Thanksgiving! speaking of, we have a Thanksgiving Damage Control Challenge going on right now by the way for 1 buck!! check out the details and sign up to keep yourself in check for the big day tomorrow. i did a little arc trainer for my cardio and then one of our 6 Pack USA upper body workouts which targeted chest, biceps, triceps, and a little back. then i went into the group fitness studio for core and stretching and did a few of these:

[wpvideo 1CFeeUoN]

i admit- i love this Beyoncé video and song. i just do! not a Yonce stan, but definitely a fan.

then i got home and got the boys up and fed before i got cracking on this soup again. yesterday went terribly wrong. bad pics, bad soup color cause i burned the sausage...it was just...wrong. sometimes i want to post anyway and get it off my chest but something kept telling me to WAIT and be still. today turned out loads better. loads.

while i was cooking away, the doorbell rang. i immediately heard a truck engine start which means it was UPS and i had a package, haha! they never wait. ever.

knock, knock...

IT'S BACON!!!!!!

not just any bacon though. uncured, Applegate Good Morning Bacon.

skinny bacon! what? yes please! when it comes to natural and organic meats, Applegate is top-notch. you get what you pay for, guaranteed. Chiso looooved the hot dogs from our welcome-home-from-the-hospital lunch a few months ago! and if you're a dear reader of mine then you know how picky that guy is. we cracked the bacon open right away for breakfast. it's:

applewood smoked
60% less fat than regular bacon
uncured
antibiotic, gluten, casein, hormone, and nitrate-FREE
heaven-sent

it's no coincidence the soup calls for *drum roll* bacooooon. i told ya, perfect timing. His timing! anyway, it tastes just like pork belly bacon without all the excess grease and/or oil. let's give it up for Applegate!

*round of applause*

without further adieu, i present to you, healthified, dairy-free, Zuppa Toscana soup! it's 2nd place to Olive Garden's chicken & gnocchi soup in my book. maybe i'll healthify that one next ;) . the longer you let it sit, the creamier it will become, fyi. i hurriedly took these pics a few minutes after i finished cooking while i still had some good natural light left and it was still a tad thin. a few hours have passed since and the flavors have made their presence known and the texture is just right.

Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana Soup - Healthified

the stuff:

1 lb sausage of your choice (see mine below), sliced
2 medium red potatoes
1/4 cup Applegate uncured Good Morning Bacon, roughly chopped
1 can light OR full-fat coconut milk
1 large yellow onion, minced
1 medium shallot, diced
32 oz low sodium chicken broth
2 big handfuls of raw, fresh kale
sea salt and black pepper to taste

couple things: i used light coconut milk. full fat would yield an even thicker, creamier soup of course! i also used spinach & garlic chicken sausage that i found at HEB, but you can use whatever you fancy.

do this:

coat a very large pot with no-stick cooking spray and set it to med-high heat
brown sliced sausage in pot (3-4 minutes)
add onion, shallot, potatoes to pot and stir
add chicken broth ensuring the water cover the top of the veggies/meat
cook on medium heat until the potatoes are done (about 10-12 minutes...watch it closely)
add bacon
add salt & pepper and let simmer for 10 min; taste
season again if needed then turn heat to low
add coconut milk and kale (make sure you push the kale into and under the liquid) and stir until well combined
serve warm and top it with more bacon!

using the My Fitness Pal recipe nutrition calculator i estimate 4 big bowls of soup from this pot. for one 12 oz serving:

285 cals, 10g fat, 28g carbs, 4g sugar and 1299mg sodium

(high sodium because of my sausage choice but that can be altered.)

pure YUMMINESS! make this and tag me! @fitfoodiele

omg. i'm running a 10k tomorrow morning. it's not like i don't know how to train for a run, i just don't want to. lol. and the temperature has dipped early this year at that! man. this time last year i was preggo and complaining about the cold. only difference is i still want to workout (indoors) and no first trimester woes. welp, if you're out there getting your trot on in Houston, holla at meeeeee! for now...

back to cooking my mom's famous cornbread dressing! happy TG eve!

i had a cooking date with my sister-friend, Ogechi recently.

she's heeeeeere! i snapped this right after she rang the doorbell- i was so excited to spend some girl time together hanging out, cooking, and EATING.

Ogechi brought me some of this insanely good sweet potato black bean soup while i was in the hospital having Chiso, and again once we got home and adjusted to being a 3 member family. so this recipe is AAAALLLL her! she gets 100% credit and nothing but 100% gratitude from me.

it was a no-brainer as to what we'd be making for our cooking date.

'just be natural, Ogechi!' lol.

Sonny better be glad he wasn't home cause he knows he woulda been our photographer for the evening.

she brought the bulk of the ingredients with her and even some gifts for me:

SEASONINGS!!!!!!! :shock: smoky chipotle...it smelled magical.

and some sweet smoked paprika. will that not be BOMBTASTIC on some fresh salmon!?

this girl loooooooooves the spice aisle @ Marshalls and hooked me up big time. she also brought me some hickory smoked salt. i have been convinced to go look around for more spice aisle goodies at Marshalls / Home Goods / T. J. Maxx for sure.

we broke out all the ingredients on the island, and yaaaaay, she brought the Bragg's liquid aminos!!! then, Ogechi whipped out her kitchen knife.

yes, she brought her own knife! i completely understand... i'm the same way with my own kitchen utensils and pots and pans. she was slicing and dicing away on the onions, garlic and sweet potatoes with her impressive knife skills, my goodness. i was in awe cause ummmm.... i put the rough in rough chop :lol:

'i just love the sound of sizzling vegetables.'

me too Ogechi, me too.

medjool dates- sweet and chewy. Ogechi brought these with her, but i had some fake medjools (they were cheaper *shrugs*) i bought in bulk from HEB last week. they have been sitting on my counter staring at me since then. i've seen them used in pie crusts for vegan recipes and i plan on making some key lime pie soon, just in time for turkey day next month!

my kitchen

smelled

AMAZING.

p.s. remove the bay leaves after the soup is done; they get bitter if left in too long.

time to taste! a few pinches of salt and some fresh cilantro made it perfect.

Chi enjoyed his dinner and the show.

sweet potato black bean soup

the stuff:

2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can red beans, drained and rinsed
1 large sweet potato
1 can diced tomatoes (may use fresh as well)
1 cup frozen sweet corn (may use canned)
1/4 cup salsa
1 medium onion
3 cloves fresh garlic
3 medjool dates chopped
1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
2 tbsp smoky paprika chipotle seasoning- (can use regular paprika, no worries)
1 tsp cumin
*1 tsp smokey sweet paprika.....(add this more for color but it gives a nice smokey taste too) optional!
1/2 cube low sodium veggie bouillon
1 tbsp Bragg's liquid aminos
salt & pepper to taste (or chili powder)
1-2 bay leaves
1-2tbsp olive oil (may use vegetable oil)
3 cups broth or stock
3 cups water

do this:

chop the onions, garlic & cut sweet potatoes into bite sizes.
heat oil in sauce pan on medium heat, add onions, garlic and sweet potatoes. saute for 3-5mins.
while veggies are sautéing, rinse beans very well (this helps keep the soup color pretty & not muddy brown & washing off extra salt too).
after 3-5mins of sautéing, add the stock to the pot.
throw everything else in.....the beans, tomatoes, salsa, dates, corn, bouillon cube (melt this with a lil warm water first) ginger, all seasonings and top off with water.
add enough liquid to make it soup. remember, the size of the soup will reduce a bit as it simmers.
cover and let simmer for about 30mins.
taste and adjust seasoning (some salt or even an extra dash of Braggs ) as needed, then top with cilantro, cheese avocado, lime, sriracha, etc.