Italian Turkey Soup

This week, due to health issues with my husband I have needed to make low fat meals. Not that I usually cook horribly fatty things; I mostly just make things that sound good to me- some very healthy, some a little higher in fat. We always include vegetables and fruits, of course. So, in searching for healthy foods, I turned to my new favorite food blog, Our Best Bites.

I found and made this soup, Italian Turkey Soup, and the breadsticks I posted about before when talking about Our Best Bites. We all enjoyed it. (I did throw into the girls' bowls some cooked noodles I had in the refrigerator to make it a little more enticing to them.) They mostly loved the breadsticks, but ate all their soup as well. We really enjoyed it and it is very low in fat. Lately, I have been noticing that we don't like the huge chunks of diced tomatoes in soups that I make. So, tonight I drained the tomato juice into the soup pot and then dumped the diced tomatoes from the can on a cutting board and hacked at them a little. So much more pleasant to me and the girls!

I'll copy and paste the recipe here. Enjoy!

If you want to see a picture, here it is. I don't think you want to see a picture of mine; I don't have a good camera and also didn't have the fresh parmesan, which also makes it look beautiful.

Italian Turkey Soup (from Our Best Bites)

Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 lb ground turkey
1 small onion (about 3/4 C)
diced4-5 garlic cloves, minced
1 T Dry Italian seasoning
Salt
Pepper
1 can (15oz) canned diced tomatoes
1 can (15oz) white beans (Cannelini, Great Northern, etc) drained and rinsed
32 oz chicken broth(that's one box, or just use 2 cans which is just a few ounces less) (I used boullion)
1t dry oregano
1/4 t dry basil
1 T dried parsley (or about 1/4 C fresh)
4-6 C fresh spinach (you could use frozen too) (I used frozen)
fresh Parmesan cheese

Pour a couple swigs of extra virgin olive oil (1-2 T) into a large stock pot. Turn burner to med-high heat.

When oil is nice and hot, add diced onions, minced garlic, and ground turkey. Stir to combine and add the 1T dry Italian seasoning, along with about 1/2 t salt and several turns of black pepper. Cook until turkey is completely cooked through. When you're browning ground beef or turkey for soup it's important to cook it all the way through before adding the liquid or it will end up mushy.

(If you want to cook this via slow-cooker, place the turkey mixture in the crock pot now and continue. Although, you may want to hold off adding your beans until about 15 minutes before you're ready to eat or they might turn to mush in there.)

Add in canned tomatoes (including all the juice), the drained beans, and the chicken broth. Add oregano and basil and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and simmer for at least 10 minutes, and up to 20.

While soup is simmering chop spinach. I chop it up really small so my kiddo doesn't notice it's something healthy. Add in spinach and parsley and stir until wilted. Also, additional salt and pepper to taste. Ladle into bowls and top with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Butternut Bisque

The first time I had Butternut Bisque was in the chilly Fall in Potsdam, NY. When I tasted it, I thought it was divine and could have drunk a whole gallon! No wonder! It was made from butternut squash, cream, butter (two of my most favorite things in the world!!) and. . .maybe a little salt and pepper. So, when I recently came across this version I was very pleased that it was a little healthier and still quite tasty. I have changed it slightly from how it was presented to me; namely, it called for cayenne pepper and I would definitely leave that out (maybe my girls would have eaten it without). I felt like it marred the deliciousness. But, for you hot and spicy fans, feel free to try it with! I reccommend roasting the squash in the morning and then it's ready for the final preparations later.

Butternut Bisque

3 Tbp. butter
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
2 garlic cloves, sliced
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
salt to taste
1 large butternut squash (about 4 lbs.)
1 can (14.5 oz.) reduced-sodium chicken broth (I used boullion to make the amount needed)
1 c. half and half ( or cream if that is what you have in the house! Yum!)
1 Tbp. fresh lemon juice
sour cream, for serving

1. Cut squash in half longways and place it cut sides down in a large jelly roll pan with 1/2 inch of water. Bake for about an hour at 350. (It should be soft when poked with a fork) When cool enough, you can scoop the flesh right out of the skin (or peel the skin off, whatever seems easier).
2. In a large saucepan, heat butter over medium. Add onions, garlic, thyme, cinnamon. Season with salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, 5 to 7 minutes.
3. Add squash, broth, half and half, and 3 cups water. Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer, and cook about 20 minutes.
4. Working in batches, puree in a blender until smooth. (You'll need a big bowl for that) Dump all the pureed soup back in the pot. Stir in lemon juice; season with salt. Serve bisque with sour cream, garnished with paprika, if desired.