The long, tender white stems of leeks are protected while growing by pulling the soil up around the plant to shield it from harsh sunlight in a process known as blanching. As a result of this, dirt and sand tend to get deep between the broad, flat green leaves, so rinsing well before using is necessary.
| 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts |
| 8 cups water |
| 2 large leeks, white and light green stems |
| 1/2 cup diced carrot |
| 1/2 cup quick-cook or pearl barley |
| 1/2 teaspoon salt |
| 1/4 teaspoon black pepper |
| 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves |
| 2 whole bay leaves (do not crumble) |
Rinse chicken; combine with water in a 5-quart pot over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium. Skim foam from the top with a metal spoon. Cover, with the lid slightly vented, and cook chicken 20 minutes, or until fully cooked. Thoroughly clean the leeks, running water between the leaves. Discard the tough green feathered leaves found at the bottom of the leeks. Slice leeks into 1/4-inch rounds; set aside. After the chicken is cooked, remove from water, trim any fat, then cube chicken and return to broth. Increase to high heat. Add the carrot, barley, salt, pepper, cloves, and bay leaves to the soup. Stir in the leeks. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low, cover with lid slightly vented, and cook 20 minutes. Remove bay leaves before serving.
Serves 6
Calories per serving 177
Fat per serving 2g
Wild rice is an aquatic grain with a distinctive nutty flavor. This natural product is often referred to as the “caviar of grains.” While most of the wild rice we eat today is cultivated using machinery, there are still many growers who hand-gather wild rice. Due to the density of wild rice, it must be cooked longer than true rice to become soft.
| 1 boneless, skinless chicken breast |
| 4 cups water |
| 1 extra large vegetable bouillon cube (or enough granules to make 2 cups of broth) |
| 1/2 cup chopped onion |
| 1/4 teaspoon dried basil |
| 1 (4-ounce) box wild rice |
| 1 (10-ounce) package frozen peas |
Rinse chicken; combine with water in a 3-quart saucepan over high heat. Add bouillon and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Skim off foam with a metal spoon. Cover, with lid slightly vented, and cook 20 minutes, or until chicken is fully cooked. Remove from the pan, leaving the broth in the pot over low heat. Cut away any fat from chicken and discard. Chop chicken into bite-size pieces and return to the broth. Add onion, basil, and wild rice to the soup. Cover with lid and continue to cook over low heat 45 minutes. Add the peas. Cover with lid and cook 10 minutes more. Stir and serve.
Serves 4
Calories per serving 238
Fat per serving 2g
Okra is a member of the mallow family, which also houses cotton, hibiscus, and hollyhock, and is a 3- to 10-inch green tapering seed pod with ribs down its length. Releasing a sticky juice when cut, okra has the unique ability to act as a thickening agent in soups.
| 1 boneless, skinless chicken breast |
| 4 cups water |
| 1/2 cup diced celery |
| 1/2 cup chopped onion |
| 1/4 teaspoon salt |
| Dash of black pepper |
| Dash of ground thyme |
| 1/8 teaspoon dried basil |
| 1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper |
| 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes, with juice |
| 1 cup frozen cut okra |
Rinse chicken; combine with water in a 3-quart saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Skim off foam with a metal spoon. Cover, with lid slightly vented, and cook 20 minutes, or until chicken is fully cooked.
Remove chicken from broth. Measure out 2 cups broth, discarding the remainder. Pour the reserved broth back into the pan over medium heat. Remove any fat from the chicken, cube, and place back into the broth. Add celery, onion, salt, pepper, thyme, basil, cayenne pepper, and tomatoes with juice to broth. Bring to a low boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to low and add okra. Cover with lid and cook 15 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir and serve.
Serves 4
Calories per serving 123
Fat per serving 1g
Soup is the perfect solution to post-holiday turkey. Plan ahead and chop the turkey into bite-size pieces and freeze in 2-cup increments. Chicken and turkey provide similar taste and can be swapped in this or other recipes.
| 1 tablespoon butter or margarine |
| 1/2 cup diced onion |
| 8 cups water |
| 2 chicken bouillon cubes |
| 1/8 teaspoon salt |
| 1/4 teaspoon ground sage |
| 2 cups chopped cooked turkey |
| 1/2 cup quick-cook or pearl barley |
| 1 cup frozen broccoli florets |
Melt butter or margarine in a 3-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until tender. Add water, bouillon, salt, sage, turkey, and barley to the water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover with lid slightly vented, and cook 40 minutes. Add broccoli to the soup. Cover with lid and cook 5 minutes more. Remove from heat. Stir and serve.
Serves 6
Calories per serving 173
Fat per serving 4g
Dumplings can be made with a complex list of ingredients and fillers or can be as simple as mixing flour and water. This recipe uses traditional drop dumplings.
| 4 cups water |
| 1 boneless, skinless chicken breast |
| 1/2 cup chopped onion |
| 1 small clove garlic, pressed |
| 1 teaspoon salt, divided |
| Dash of black pepper |
| 1 cup grated carrots |
| 2/3 cup frozen peas |
| 1-1/4 cups flour |
| 2-1/2 teaspoons baking powder |
| 1/2 teaspoon dried basil |
| 2 tablespoons vegetable oil |
| 2/3 cup milk |
Combine water and chicken in a 3-quart stockpot over high heat. Add onion, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Skim foam with a metal spoon. Cover and cook 20 minutes, or until chicken is cooked. Remove chicken, chop into small chunks, and return to broth. Add carrots and peas.
In a small bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, remaining salt, and basil. Mix well. Add the oil and milk, and stir until smooth.
Bring soup to a low boil over high heat (reduce heat early if boil is too aggressive). Scoop out balls of dough with two teaspoons and drop into the stew. Reduce heat to low, cover tightly with lid, and cook 10 minutes. Do not lift lid while steaming dumplings.
Serves 4
Calories per serving 330
Fat per serving 10g
Walking in from a cold, snowy day to a steamy kitchen where a pot of homemade chicken noodle soup bubbles on the stove and fills the air with anticipation can make a fond memory.
| 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts |
| 8 cups water |
| 1/2 cup chopped onion |
| 1 cup chopped celery pieces |
| 1 cup carrot slices |
| 1/2 teaspoon salt |
| 1/8 teaspoon black pepper |
| 1/4 teaspoon dried basil |
| 2 cups broken (1-inch) spaghetti noodles |
Combine chicken and water in a 5-quart saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium. Cover, with lid slightly vented, and cook 20 minutes, or until chicken is fully cooked. Skim foam from the top with a metal spoon. Remove the chicken from broth when cooked, shred into bite-size strips, and return to broth.
Add onion, celery, carrots, salt, pepper, and basil to the broth. Add spaghetti to the soup. Bring to a gentle boil; reduce heat to low. Cover, with lid slightly vented, and cook 10 minutes more.
Serves 6
Calories per serving 252
Fat per serving 2g
One of the most practical and affordable kitchen gadgets is the garlic press. It guarantees that crushing a firm clove of garlic will be a simple task.
| 1 boneless, skinless chicken breast |
| 9 cups water, divided |
| 3 chicken bouillon cubes |
| 1 clove garlic, pressed |
| Dash of black pepper |
| 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg |
| 1 cup milk |
| 1 tablespoon flour |
| 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese |
| 1 cup broken fettuccine noodles (1-inch pieces) |
| 1 teaspoon dried parsley |
Rinse chicken; combine with 6 cups water in a 3-quart saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Skim off foam with a metal spoon. Cover, with lid slightly vented, and cook 20 minutes, or until chicken is fully cooked. Remove chicken from pan and cube. Discard cooking water, rinse pan, and pour 3 cups fresh water into the pan over medium-high heat. Add cooked chicken, bouillon, garlic, pepper, and nutmeg. Pour milk into a tall glass, add flour, and stir rapidly with a fork until smooth. Pour milk into soup and bring to a light boil. Add cheese slowly while continuously stirring. Drop heat to low and stir in noodles. Cover, with lid slightly vented, stirring every 2–3 minutes to keep noodles from sticking, and cook for 10 minutes. Garnish with dried parsley.
Serves 4
Calories per serving 309
Fat per serving 13g
A member of the cabbage family, bok choy has long white stalks that resemble celery without the stringiness. Topped by dark green curly leaves, bok choy has a light sweet flavor and a crisp texture.
| 1 boneless, skinless chicken breast |
| 4 cups water |
| 2 cups chopped bok choy pieces |
| 1/4 cup diced green onions |
| 1 cup fine egg noodles |
| 1 tablespoon soy sauce |
| 1/4 teaspoon salt |
| Dash of black pepper |
| Dash of ground ginger |
Combine chicken and water in a 3-quart saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil; then reduce heat to medium. Skim foam from top with a metal spoon. Cover, with lid slightly vented, and cook 20 minutes, or until chicken is fully cooked. Remoive chicken, cube, and return to broth. Add bok choy, green onions, and noodles. Stir in soy sauce, salt, pepper, and ginger. Press vegetables down into the broth with a spoon. Reduce heat to low. Cover, with lid slightly vented, and cook 10 minutes more. Be careful not to overcook. You want vegetables to maintain a firm texture. Remove from heat and serve.
Serves 4
Calories per serving 140
Fat per serving 2g
Put the tortilla chips and cheese into colorful self-serve side dishes to keep them from getting too mushy in the soup. To make sure the soup is still hot enough to melt the cheese, ladle it into bowls just before you are ready to begin the meal. If you would like to spice the soup up a bit, use canned tomatoes with chiles instead.
| 1 boneless, skinless chicken breast |
| 10 cups water, divided |
| 4 chicken bouillon cubes |
| 1/4 cup chopped onion |
| 1 small clove garlic |
| 1/4 teaspoon salt |
| Dash of black pepper |
| 1/4 teaspoon cumin |
| 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained |
| 1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained |
| 2 cups corn tortilla chip pieces |
| 1/2 cup grated mild cheddar cheese |
Combine chicken and 6 cups water in a 3-quart saucepan over high heat; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium. Cover, with lid slightly vented, and cook 20 minutes, or until chicken is fully cooked.
Remove chicken from pan and cube. Discard cooking water, rinse pan, and pour 4 cups fresh water into the pan over medium-high heat. Add cooked chicken, bouillon, onion, garlic, salt, pepper, and cumin. Cook 5 minutes, allowing flavors to mingle. Add black beans and tomatoes. Bring to a low boil, then reduce heat to medium. Cover, with lid slightly vented, and cook 10 minutes. Ladle soup into serving dishes. Evenly distribute tortilla chip pieces on top of the soup, and then sprinkle with the cheddar cheese.
Serves 4
Calories per serving 582
Fat per serving 11g
There are many varieties of stir-fry vegetable mixes available. The colorful combination used for this recipe includes broccoli, carrots, onions, red peppers, water chestnuts, mushrooms, and celery. You can substitute other arrangements of vegetables in this recipe, keeping note of the taste, texture, and color to provide the most pleasing presentation.
| 1 boneless, skinless chicken breast |
| 8 cups water, divided |
| 4 chicken bouillon cubes |
| 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger |
| 1/4 teaspoon celery seed |
| 2 tablespoons light soy sauce |
| 1/4 teaspoon sesame seed oil |
| 1 (1-pound) package frozen stir-fry vegetables |
| 1/2 cup quick-cook rice |
Combine chicken and 4 cups water in a 3-quart saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium. Cover, with lid slightly vented, and cook 20 minutes, or until chicken is fully cooked. Remove chicken from pan and discard cooking water. Rinse pan. Chop chicken into bite-size pieces. Combine 4 cups fresh water and chicken in pan over medium-high heat. Add bouillon, ginger, celery seed, soy sauce, sesame seed oil, and vegetables. Bring to a boil, then stir rice into boiling water. Remove immediately from heat. Cover with lid and let stand 5 minutes. Stir and serve.
Serves 4
Calories per serving 239
Fat per serving 2g