Soups are a fabulous way to fill up during your first days of the VLCD. Not to mention that here in Wisconsin soup is a MUST in the winter months.
Most of these soups/chili's below are meat less. You can make them in bulk, divide them into serving portions, and freeze them in 1 quart freezer baggies flat or in those freezable glad containers. When it is time for a meal you can add the protein of choice to the soup. For the plain veggie soups you can eat SEVERAL cups throughout the day if you are hungry. Add the protein only at meal times.
Celery Soup
1 bundle of celery
8-12 cups water or less if you want it more celery than broth
Sea Salt
Spices of your choice: creole, Italian, garlic, chili powder, whatever sounds good to you.
1. Wash & Dice celery.
2. In a pot add celery and about 1 cup of water with salt. Saute for a little while until it starts to get soft. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, add spices and simmer for 30 minutes.
3. At meal time add your cooked, cut up serving of protein.
Remember celery is VERY low calorie, 1 calorie per ounce, so chances are you can eat several cups of this soup in a day. It is a great soup to put together in the morning and eat off of throughout the day during the first few days of VLCD. Have a steaming cup any time you are hungry. Be sure to stop eating it 2-3 hours before you'd eat a different veggie for your evening meal. Or just make the day a celery day and eat soup ALL day long.
Cabbage Soup
1 head of cabbage (I prefer green, I made purple once and it was weird to eat purplish black soup)
Sea salt
12-16 cups water
Spices of your choice: creole, Italian, garlic, chili powder, whatever sounds good to you.
1. Wash and slice thinly the cabbage.
2. Put in a large pot with water and spices. Add more water if your cabbage is very large. Bring to a boil, then turn it down to a simmer for about 1 hour.
3. At meal time add your cooked, cut up serving of protein.
Cabbage is another very low calorie soup. Weigh your cabbage before cooking it, it is 7 calories per ounce. You will most likely be able to eat many cups in a day and it will count as only one vegetable. Be sure to stop eating it 2-3 hours before you'd eat a different veggie for your evening meal. Or just make the day a cabbage day and eat soup ALL day long.
Chili
1 16 oz. can tomato sauce (no sugar or starch added)
1 16 oz can diced tomatoes (no sugar or starch added)
4 cans of water
Chili powder to taste
Sea salt to taste
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
dash of hot pepper (or more if you like it hot)
1. Dump all ingredients in a pot. Simmer for 30 minutes.
2. Freeze in 1 quart freezer baggies in serving sizes of your choice. 2 cup portions would be about 58 calories, 1 1/2 cup portions would be about 45 calories.
3. When ready to eat, add 100 grams 95% lean ground beef or 100 grams chicken. Cook the meat then add it to the soup to warm. Enjoy!
Taco Soup
1 16 oz. can tomato sauce (no sugar or starch added)
1 16 oz can diced tomatoes (no sugar or starch added)
4 cans of water
2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp chili powder
1-2 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp crushed dried red pepper
1/4 tsp oregano
1. Dump all ingredients in a pot. Simmer for 30 minutes.
2. Freeze in 1 quart freezer baggies in serving sizes of your choice. 2 cup portions would be about 58 calories, 1 1/2 cup portions would be about 45 calories.
3. When ready to eat, add 100 grams 95% lean ground beef or 100 grams chicken. Cook the meat then add it to the soup to warm. Enjoy!
French Onion Soup
100 grams 95% lean ground beef or round steak chopped fine
1 onion coarsely chopped or green onions use as many as you are allowed for your calorie intake for the day.
water
Sea Salt & pepper to taste
1. But beef in a small pot with 1/2 cup water. Brown until almost cooked through.
2. Add onion and saute until translucent, add more water to keep it from burning.
3. Add 1-2 cups more water and season. Simmer for 30 minutes.
To make this recipe in bulk. Make 8 100 gr burger patties or however many will fit into your pot in a single layer on the bottom. Add about 1-2 cups water and cook these burgers until they are almost done. Add the amount of onions that would equal the servings of burgers. I usually use 8 small/medium onions if I'm doing 8 burgers. Remember onions are 12 calories an ounce, green onions are only 9 calories per ounce and could be used in this recipe. Cover with 2 cups of water per patty. So if you have 8 burgers use about 16 cups of water. Simmer for a minimum of 30 minutes. Take the patties out and place each one in a quart freezer baggie. Add 2 cups of onions broth to each baggie. If there is a bit extra divide it up between the baggies. Freeze flat. You may want to allow them to cool in the fridge so you don't over work your freezer.
