Low Calorie Healthy Vegetable Clear Soup
One of the best comfort food is soup. Soups are light on the stomach, aromatic, delicious and very filling. They are also very healthy, loaded with nutrients – minerals and vitamins. It is a hearty, low-calorie meal that helps revive a poorly functioning body. By combining a medley of vegetables, the flavors and colors, it increases the nutritional value, decreases the risk of heart diseases, stroke, type 2 diabetes and certain types of cancer. Further it helps with weight loss.
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Servings: 6
Caloric Value: 67
Nutritional facts: Saturated fat – 3%; Cholesterol – 0%; Sodium – 34%; Potassium – 6%; Carbohydrates – 4%; Dietary Fibers – 3%; Proteins – 3.5%; Vitamin A – 2%; Vitamin C- 2%; Calcium – 2%; Iron – 6%.
Ingredients
- Medium sized onion – 1 (diced according to taste requirements – small, large or medium)
- Medium sized tomato – 1 (cut into small pieces)
- Spring Onions – a bunch (5 or 6 strands) chopped into small pieces – both leaves and onions
- Carrot – 1 big (diced or sliced long and thin or round)
- Mushrooms – 4 -5 (thinly sliced)
- Broccoli – a few florets (handful)
- Cauliflower – a few florets (handful)
- Cabbage white / red – 1 cup (thinly sliced long strands)
- Celery or Italian Parsley – 3 sticks of chopped celery or half a bunch of Italian parsley (diced)
- Oil – refined or Olive oil – 2 tablespoons
- Salt to taste
- Black Pepper a few sprinkles if desired
- Water – 1 litre
- Vegetable stock (non-vegetarians can use chicken stock) – 1 cup or as desired (accordingly reduce the quantity of water). If vegetable stock is not available, plain water will suffice
Preparation
- Place a large pot or vessel (of 2 litre capacity or more) on the stove, on low flame.
- Add the oil and allow to heat mildly.
- Add the diced onions and sauté until transparent or till the onion flavor starts to rise.
- Add the chopped spring onions and sauté for a few minutes.
- Next add the diced tomatoes and sauté till it all melts away.
- Add in all the vegetables in the following order – carrot, cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, mushroom and celery. Sauté for a few minutes.
- Add salt to taste.
- Add the vegetable stock and stir.
- Add in sufficient water
- Close the pot or vessel and allow the water / stock to boil and the vegetables to cook till they are tender.
- Switch off the stove after the soup is done.
Serve with a pinch of pepper and bread sticks or toast, grilled cheese sandwich or tomato sandwich.