One of the best features of winter (in my opinion) is being able to pull out the slow cooker and whip up a batch of piping hot soup.
Nothing makes me feel more like a domestic goddess than serving up something warming and healthy to my family on a cold evening. Soup is also a fantastic meal when trying to lose weight.
Low in calories but nutrient dense, a bowl of veggie soup makes the ideal filling lunch or dinner and is almost devoid of nasties like saturated fat, sugar and excess salt.
When we talk about ‘nutrient dense’ we mean meals that contain a whole heap of ‘great for your body’ ingredients. Soup is at the top of the list due to the sheer volume of goodies you can manage to get into a single batch. This slow cooker minestrone alone has SIX different veggies, all packed with beneficial vitamins and minerals, along with protein rich beans and wholemeal pasta for a hit of complex carb goodness.
Let’s have a closer look at what goes into your pot.
- Cannellini beans – These canned legumes are a fantastic source of protein and fibre and help bulk out dishes like soup and casserole without adding extra calories.
- Garlic – The ultimate winter flu fighter, garlic is not only packed full of flavour but also has high levels of antibacterial and antimicrobial properties helping to treat and prevent sickness.
- Tomatoes – Super high in the antioxidant lycopene, tinned tomatoes add plenty of flavour to your soup.
- Wholemeal pasta shapes – We all need complex carbs to help fuel our bodies and wholemeal pasta is both low in calories and high in fibre.
Remember when choosing your tomatoes, beans and stock (if you’re not making it from scratch) to look for the low sodium options. You may also like to compare a couple of these options to ensure you get a product with the lowest sodium levels.
Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 2 x 400g cans of cannellini beans
- 8 cups (2L) of low sodium stock (chicken or vegetable)
- 400g can of low sodium diced tomatoes
- 250g lean bacon, fat/rind removed
- 1 x clove of garlic, crushed
- 1 x brown onion, diced (I use frozen onion)
- 2 x celery stalks, diced
- 2 x carrots, diced
- 2 x cups of shredded greens (cabbage or spinach both work well)
- 1/2 cup wholemeal pasta
- 1 tbsp salt reduced tomato paste
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp dried herbs (oregano/basil work well)
- Grated cheese to sprinkle over the top before serving
Method
- Chop bacon up roughly and place in the bowl of the slow cooker
- Add beans, tinned tomatoes, garlic, diced and shredded veggies, tomato paste, pasta, herbs and salt
- Pour over stock and mix well
- Place lid on slow cooker and cook on low for 6-8 hours (or high for 4-5 hours)
- Serve topped with grated cheese and your favourite crusty bread
Makes 8 servings – Cal per serve – 165
Every month on the 28 Day Weight Loss Challenge, we run a BRAND NEW 28 Day Menu with a different theme so you NEVER get bored!
Next months theme is the SLOW COOKING AND ONE POT WINTER WONDERS! – Perfect for the chilly winter weather, SUPER easy to whip up and still just as healthy.
If you are curious about the 28 Day Challenge recipes then we have a 28 Day Challenge recipe pack for you to try HERE.
Find a delicious range of healthy recipes, packed full of energy boosting ingredients and nutrients together with easy to achieve exercise.
