Okay, seriously people. It has been COLD. Polar vortex is right. For eight of the past eleven days, Calgary has woken up to -20C (-4F) or colder, and the others weren’t much warmer. Saskatchewanites may be rolling their eyes right now, but bear with us, Calgarians need our Chinooks. The forecast for Monday says +2C, and I feel like the people in this Rick Mercer video.
Meanwhile, I’ve been sharing some of my favourite healthy and delicious (sweet spot!) soup recipes with clients and thought I’d pass them to you on through the blog as well.
- African Peanut Stew (Budget Bytes) – My cookbook club tried Budget Bytes last month and we liked it! Browse her website if you’re looking for more affordable healthy meal ideas. This hearty vegan peanut stew (pictured above) was my favourite of the night, and I’ve made it once since.
- Bart’s Black Bean Soup (Taste of Home) – You’ll have this on the table in 15 minutes or less. Top with lime juice and shredded cheddar as the recipe says – it really boosts the flavour. And use regular cheddar if you like. Reduced-fat cheddar doesn’t do much for you, healthwise. But beans, now that’s something few people get enough of.
- Turkey Chili with Barley (Julie Van Rosendaal) – I really can’t stretch and call this a soup, but it’s delicious, so I’m throwing it in there. My husband loves grabbing one of the containers of frozen leftovers for lunch at work, like a homemade Lean Cuisine. Much less expensive and time-consuming than fast food, and fills him up until suppertime.
Turkey chili with barley. Now that’s a meal.
- Slow Cooker Quinoa Chicken Chili (Queen Bee Coupons) – It’s called chili, but if you read the post, she says it could be called Quinoa Taco Soup, so there you go, let’s call it a soup. (I do not, however, agree with her suggestion to put frozen chicken in the slow cooker. Food safety no-no. But with non-frozen chicken, this one is a winner.)
- Hamburger Lentil Soup (Alberta Pulse Growers) – I call this the Alberta special, thanks to the beef, barley, and lentils. Personally, I make it with ground turkey, but once I tried beef, and that was good too. Either way, despite the name, it’s really dominated by the health-promoting plant foods in it: Pulses (lentils), whole grains (lentils), and tomatoes. The recipe doesn’t call for carrots, but they’re in the picture, so I add them too.
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We’re pretty informal about labelling this. It’ll be gone soon.
Spiced Red Lentil, Tomato, and Kale Soup (Oh She Glows) – I’ve just had this once, at October’s cookbook club, but I clipped the recipe because it was so flavourful. Definitely on my to-make-soon list.
If you’re getting tired of eating cookies and chocolates, make a big batch of one of these and freeze the leftovers in single-serving containers. You’ll appreciate having something warm and wholesome in-between the potlucks and parties.
Have you tried any of these recipes? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Feel free to share your cold weather favourites too.