Amazing Vegetable Soup (South Beach Diet)

Halcyon Eve's Note:

This was posted by a fellow SBDer, Mamacita, in the 3 Fat Chicks on a Diet boards. It's a wonderfully delicious, simple, vegetable soup. It originally called for zucchini, but I leave it out as I dislike summer squash. Feel free to add some in if you like, though. I sometimes add in a can of navy beans, rinsed and drained, with the tomatoes. For South Beach Diet, make sure your tomatoes have no added sugar. It makes quite a bit, but it reheats fairly well--or you can cool and freeze it. Don't be afraid of the garlic--it mellows out a lot during cooking.

• Total Time: 1 hrs 20 mins
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 1 hrs

Ingredients:

Servings: 10

• 2 quarts chicken broth or 2 quarts vegetable broth
• 1 small head green cabbage, shredded (I use angel hair shredded cabbage) or 1 (10 ounce) bag shredded cabbage for coleslaw (I use angel hair shredded cabbage)
• 1 head celery , washed and sliced
• 1 leek , rinsed, trimmed, and sliced thinly
• 5 garlic cloves , peeled and minced
• 1 cup fresh green beans , cut into 2-inch lengths
• 1 medium zucchini , cut into 1/4 inch rounds (I leave out)
• 1 medium summer squash , cut into 1/4 inch rounds (I leave out)
• 1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes , drained
• 1 (14 ½ ounce) can navy beans , rinsed and drained (optional)
• shredded parmesan cheese , optional garnish (optional)
• basil pesto , optional garnish (optional)

Directions:

1. Combine broth, cabbage, celery, leek, garlic, and green beans in an 8-quart soup pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until green beans are just tender.
2. Add tomatoes, zucchini, and squash (and navy beans, if using) and cook an additional 45 minutes.
3. Serve hot, sprinkled with Parmesan cheese or with a spoonful of pesto stirred in, as desired.

Reviews

[Boomette]

I used reduced-fat, reduced-sodium chicken broth, and later added some vegetable broth after cooking some asparagus. I used half a green cabbage, that I chopped finely. Not a whole head of celery. I omitted the leek. I added maybe 2 tablespoon of pesto. It's healthy and great. Thanks Halcyon Eve. Made for Holiday tag.

[Dreamer in Ontario]

This soup is really good. It makes a huge pot and I've been having it for lunch all week. I didn't have any pesto but I would recommend it's use for the additional flavour boost. Summer squash was omitted, the chicken broth option was taken and chickpeas were used in place of the navy bean. Other than that the recipe was prepared as written. Made for Holiday Tag.