Category: Soup
Healthy Loaded Baked Potato Soup
Hello chilly temps, chunky sweaters and delicious comfort food!
I just love a creamy potato soup at this time of the year, but I don’t love that there’s not much nutritional value in a potato soup. They are usually made with lots of potato (duh) which means lots of starch which turns to glucose/carbs and doesn’t include much of anything else that’s nourishing to your body. Potatoes themselves are not unhealthy, but we tend to eat so much potato as it is (fries, pot roasts, hash browns etc). So one of my missions this fall was to create a comforting potato soup – adding nutritional value while keeping the yum factor 🙂
Soups are a great way to sneak in some extra ingredients that you may not notice but add protein and/or more veggies. Unless you’re eating veggies as snacks every day, it can be hard to get all your veggies in for the day.
So how did I do it? I still used potato of course, but instead of using all potato, I substituted some for leeks, cauliflower and broccoli. I also love adding plain, tasteless collagen powder to my soups for the added health benefits. You can learn more about the benefits of collagen powder and where to get it here.
Instead of using cream or milk, I used non-fat plain greek yogurt to make it creamier, thicker and add more protein. This ingredient is so versatile and can add lots of low fat protein to your meals. One serving of non-fat plain greek yogurt has 22 grams of protein!
- 2 potatoes, peeled and diced
- 3 cups leeks chopped (about 2 medium leeks)
- ½ cup chopped yellow onion
- 1½ cups riced cauliflower
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 Tablespoon butter
- 1 cup non-fat plain greek yogurt
- Olive oil or avocado oil for cooking
- 4 cups chicken, vegetable or bone broth
- S&P; to taste
- Optional: 4 scoops collagen powder – where to get
- Toppings:
- Bacon
- Fresh chives
- Steamed broccoli
- Shredded cheddar cheese
- STOVE TOP
- Heat a dutch oven or large pot over medium / high heat and add 6 slices of bacon, if using as a topping. Turn every couple minutes until cooked.
- Remove bacon from pan and set aside. Keep the bacon grease in the pan over medium / high heat and add chopped onion and leeks. Cook for 3-5 minutes. Add garlic and cook another minute.
- Add the potatoes, riced cauliflower (can be frozen), broth and salt and pepper (keep in mind that the broth, bacon and cheese all add saltiness).
- Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Check the potatoes to makes sure they are soft. Turn off the burner and take the top off the pot. Add butter and mix it in. Let the soup cool a little for at least 5 minutes.
- Using a ladle, remove one big scoop of the “chunky stuff” (potato, leeks etc without much broth) and set aside.
- Put the rest of the soup into a food processor and add greek yogurt and collagen powder if using. Blend for one minute or so (you can also use an immersion blender but I find the food processor works better).
- Return the soup to the pot and add the scoop of chunks you set aside
- Serve topped with broccoli, crumbled bacon, chives and shredded cheese.
- SLOW COOKER / CROCK POT
- Add all ingredients except for greek yogurt, butter and toppings to the slow cooker.
- Set the crock pot according to its settings and the desired cook time (4, 8 hours etc)
- Once cooked and potatoes are soft, take off the top, mix in butter and let cool a little while you cook the bacon in a pan and set aside.
- Remove one ladle of the “chunky stuff” (potatoes leeks etc without much both) and set aside.
- Add the rest of the soup to a food processor along with the greek yogurt and collagen powder if using. Blend at least 1 minute (you can also use an immersion blender but I find the food processor works better).
- Return to the pot with the scoop of chunks you set aside earlier.
- Serve warm topped with bacon crumbles, steamed broccoli, chives and shredded cheese.
Low Carb / Whole 30 Zuppa Toscana Soup
This soup!!!
I can devour a pot of this in 24 hours. And you know what? It’s okay because it’s low carb and whole 30 approved! (Thank God). There’s nothing better than a creamy, hearty, warm and satisfying winter meal that is actually healthy. I am legit making this on repeat this winter. I can’t get enough!
So how is this soup creamy, low carb and whole 30 approved? I know. I can barely believe it myself and you’ll doubt me when you taste it. But I promise. It’s awesome AND good for you.
New to whole 30? Read about it here.
I modified the traditional zuppa toscana recipes by replacing potatoes with turnips. Why? They’re lower in carbs/starch and have more nutritional value. Potatoes are allowed on whole 30, but are starchy and higher in carbs.
What is a turnip you ask? I had been confusing a parsnip and a turnip for years until I actually went to buy a turnip for this recipe! Turnips are a white root vegetable shaped like an onion. They have an almost waxy outside which I peel off and cut into chunks like a potato. Turnips are rich in calcium, potassium and phosphorus. Plus they are high in fiber and low in calories. Honestly, I can’t even tell the difference between a turnip and potato in this soup.
Another modification I made to the recipe (for a whole 30 option) is to use coconut milk in place of cream. Buy the canned kind and use the thick part of it in the soup. Coconut is high in saturated fat but is a plant based fat making it WAY healthier than animal fat (plus multiple other health benefits, besides being non dairy). If you’re not doing whole 30, go ahead and use the cream! A little cream never hurt anyone. Everything in moderation, right?
The last couple things I did to make this soup healthier is use bone broth in place of regular broth. I’ve talked about this before and I do it in all of my soups. To learn more about the benefits of bone broth read this post or this one. The last modification I made is to use turkey sausage in place of regular sausage for a leaner option without sacrificing flavor.
Note: everything in this recipe is whole 30 approved except for the cream. If you’re doing whole 30, that’s the only modification you’ll need to make.
To go along with the soup I made almond flour cheddar biscuits (grain-free and low carb, although not whole 30) and oh. em. gee! They are SO GOOD! I got the recipe here. You’re welcome 🙂
- 1 lb sweet or hot italian turkey sausage
- 6 cups chicken bone broth or regular broth – where to get
- 1 large turnip, peeled and diced
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 1 bunch tuscan kale, washed and chopped
- 1 cup heavy cream or coconut milk (get the full fat kind) for whole 30 version – where to get
- 2 Tbsp tapioca flour or arrowroot powder/starch (to thicken) – where to get
- 1 Tbsp nutritional yeast – where to get
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Crushed red pepper to taste if you like a little spice
- STOVE TOP DIRECTIONS (about 1 hour)
- In a large pot brown the turkey sausage in olive oil. Add garlic and onion and cook another 5 minutes.
- Add broth and diced turnip and simmer covered for about 20 minutes.
- In a bowl mix cream/coconut milk and starch with a whisk. Stir mixture into soup and add kale. Also add nutritional yeast and seasonings.
- Cook another 20 minutes on medium/high heat.
- SLOW COOKER DIRECTIONS
- Add turkey sausage to the bottom of the crock pot and add the rest of the ingredients except for milk, kale and tapioca flour. Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours.
- In a bowl mix cream/coconut milk and tapioca flour with a whisk. Stir mixture into soup and add kale. Cook another 20 min on high. Enjoy!
Instant Pot/Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili with Bone Broth
Chili!
Yes it’s chili season here in Minnesota. We love a traditional chili over here, but let me tell you this white chicken chili is SO GOOD! This recipe is Travis’ all-time favorite recipe of mine. So good we make it all year round. The soup is pretty simple. It can be made in the instant pot, crock pot or stove top. Besides being super delicious and a warm comfort food for fall and winter, it’s got some added health benefits! I’m always looking for ways to add ingredients that make my recipes healthier.
Why Use Bone Broth in Your Chili & Soups
If you’re not familiar with bone broth, you can read about it’s benefits in my post about cauliflower broccoli soup. Basically, bone broth has more protein, collagen and other nutrients that are great for your joints and also helps boost the immune system (which we can all use in the winter!) We buy our bone broth from Costco (photo below), but I’ve linked a similar one here. If you’re ambitious enough to make your own, check out my friend Kate’s post all about making your own bone broth.
*Note: sometimes I post links to products for which I get a small commission if you purchase through me, at no extra cost to you. Sometimes I share a product just because I really love it and want others to enjoy it too. Either way, I only promote products I have tried and truly value. Thank you for your support!
A couple other ways I make this soup healthier is by adding plenty of garlic, which also boosts the immune system (and tastes delicious!) I also use non-fat plain greek yogurt in place of sour cream. Greek yogurt has WAY more protein than sour cream, it’s non-fat and I promise you can’t tell the difference in your chili!
A note about the Instant Pot
If you have not purchased an instant pot yet, you need to! I have replaced my crock-pot with this fabulous kitchen tool that can be used for SO many things. The instant pot can slow cook, pressure cook, saute, cook rice, yogurt, oatmeal and more! I have taken chicken right out of the freezer and cooked it 15 minutes with this thing! It is well worth the investment. I got a great deal on mine here.
I’ve included all the ways you can make this chili in the recipe box below: instant pot, slow cooker and stove top directions.
Tip: for a more convenient option, grab a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store and shred. Then skip the first instructions on cooking the chicken and jump ahead.
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast (can also use a rotisserie chicken)
- 4 cups chicken bone broth or regular chicken/vegetable broth – where to get
- 2 cans white northern beans, drained
- 2 cups (8 oz) shredded monterey jack cheese
- 5 + cloves of fresh minced garlic (don’t be shy!)
- 1 white onion, chopped
- ¼ cup nonfat plain greek yogurt for topping
- ½ avocado for topping
- Fresh cilantro for garnish
- Salt and pepper
- Instant Pot – where to get
- INSTANT POT
- Add chicken breasts to the instant pot with ½ cup water and season with salt. Hit the “poultry” button and adjust to 12 minutes (if you’re cooking the chicken right out of the freezer add 3-5 minutes). Prepare everything else while the chicken is cooking. When the instant pot beeps complete, let the pressure valve drop naturally or turn the valve to “vent” to release pressure quicker.
- Drain the excess water and shred the chicken with 2 forks.
- Add bone broth, beans, garlic, onion, salt and pepper to the instant pot with the shredded chicken. Season with salt and pepper, but keep in mind the salt that comes from the cans of beans, broth and cheese that you’ll be adding.
- Press “manual” on the instant pot and adjust time to 20 min.
- Stir in shredded cheese until melted. Serve topped with sliced avocado, a dollop of greek yogurt and fresh cilantro.
- SLOW COOKER
- Add all ingredients except greek yogurt, avocado, cheese and cilantro to the slow cooker.
- Set to 8 hours.
- Once cooked, shred the chicken with two forks.
- Add the cheese and stir in until melted.
- Serve topped with avocado, dollop of greek yogurt and fresh cilantro.
- STOVE TOP
- Add broth to large pot over high heat and bring to a boil.
- Add chicken, turn down heat to medium/high and cook covered for about 10-15 minutes.
- Add onion, garlic, beans and salt and pepper and simmer for another 20 minutes.
- Stir in the cheese until melted.
- Serve topped with sliced avocado, a dollop of greek yogurt and fresh cilantro.
Mushroom & Butternut Squash Soup with Bacon
It was a no-brainer to make a warm comforting soup on this arctic, winter day. And even better that it’s a comfort-food AND it’s healthy!
Trav and I went to Costco this week and we got a ginormous thing of mushrooms and so began my inspiration for this healthy recipe. We LOVE mushrooms so we loaded up this soup with plenty of them. You only need about 16 oz, but we used almost the entire container, which was 24 oz!
This soup recipe is:
-Full of veggies
-Low calorie
-Flavorful
-Comforting
-Can be made vegetarian and vegan by eliminating the bacon / milk
*Note: sometimes I post links to products for which I get a small commission if you purchase through me, at no extra cost to you. Sometimes I share a product just because I really love it and want others to enjoy it too. Either way, I only promote products I have tried and truly value. Thank you for your support!
Consider using bone broth in place of regular broth to add some extra protein and health benefits. For similar benefits I sometimes add collagen powder. It’s flavorless and odorless so I can sneak it into soups, coffee, tea etc. This is the collagen powder I use –> Where to get collagen powder
- 16 oz baby bella mushrooms, chopped
- 6 strips nitrate-free bacon
- 1 cup chopped and washed leeks
- 1 butternut squash
- ½ cup chopped celery
- 3-4 garlic cloves, minced
- 4 cups bone broth – where to get OR vegetable broth with collagen powder
- ½ cup milk (I used 2%)
- S&P;
- 1 tsp dried or fresh thyme
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Cut the butternut squash in half and roast for 40 minutes.
- Heat a large soup pot over medium/high heat. Add the bacon and fry, turning a few times until crispy. Remove the bacon and get rid of half of the bacon grease.
- Return to the stove and saute celery and garlic in the bacon grease
- Add the chopped mushrooms and continue to saute. Add ¾ of the bone broth and bring to a simmer.
- When the squash is done, dice into cubes and add to a separate pan with olive oil over medium/high heat.
- Add the leeks to the butternut squash. Add the last bit of chicken broth and simmer until squash and leeks are soft, 6-8 minutes.
- Use an immersion blender to puree the squash and leeks in the pan and then add to the big pot with the mushrooms and celery.
- Season with thyme and S&P; to taste. I can never get too much garlic so I usually add some garlic powder too 🙂
- Add the milk a few minutes before you’re ready to serve.
- Coarsely chop the bacon and add to the bowl as a topping when serving.
20 min Healthy Broccoli Cheese Cauliflower Soup + Bone Broth
Healthy dinner in 20 minutes? Yes please! Can we agree that broccoli cheese soup is da bomb? Good. You know what else is da bomb? Sneaking veggies and protein without tons of calories into your meal.
Let’s talk about my new favorite sneaky protein for a sec: bone broth.
What is Bone Broth?
Bone broth is made by boiling and then slow cooking the bones of healthy animals with veggies and herbs. This is different from regular chicken broth or bone broth. The slow-cooking process extracts super healthy minerals and collagen from the bone of the animal. It’s also really flavorful.
Note: This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase a product through one of the links on my page, I’ll earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I appreciate your support!
Health Benefits of Bone Broth
Supports joints
Boosts the immune system
Improves digestion and gut health
Bonus: improves hair, skin and nails!
You can make your own bone broth easily in a crock pot with bones from your local butcher and whatever veggies and herbs you have on hand. You can also buy it here.
My favorite alternative to buying or making bone broth is Collagen Powder. It’s a flavorless, odorless white powder that can be added to any liquid. One scoop has 10 grams of protein and those healthy minerals that give you all the same benefits of bone broth. I LOVE it because I can sneak it into my coffee, tea, soups or even water without changing the flavor.
I love being sneaky 🙂
In this recipe, you can use either bone broth or regular broth with collagen powder added for that extra protein and health benefits.
→ Where to find collagen powder ←
This broccoli cheese soup will satisfy your craving for a creamy comfort food and keep you on track to your goals. I add bone broth or collagen powder as a way to add more protein and health benefits. I didn’t add meat because I like the simplicity of the recipe, but I do think chicken would be a good addition.
- 16 oz cauliflower florets or cauli “rice”
- 2 cups broccoli, steamed
- 1 Tbsp butter or ghee
- 1 ½ cups bone broth OR vegetable/chicken broth with collagen powder
- ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
- S + P
- Add cauliflower florets or pieces to a pot with 1 cup water. Bring to a boil and then down to a simmer for 10-12 minutes (depending on how big your cauli pieces are).
- If there’s a significant amount of water in the bottom of the pan, drain it. Let it cool for a few minutes.
- Add to a food processor or blender with about half of the bone broth, butter and S + P. Blend until smooth and creamy. (If using collagen powder, add right to the blender at this point).
- Add the rest of the broth and blend.
- Throw a cup of broccoli into each bowl of soup and garnish with cheddar cheese.
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