Q: Help! I need meal ideas that are easy, healthy, affordable and tasty. Where should I start? —Diane Miller, Portland, ME

A: I have one word for you: soup. This warm and yummy entrée is one of my favorite things to make. And here's why.

Soup fills you up—but doesn’t fill you out. Research has shown that eating soup helps with weight control because soup fills you up without as many calories as other foods.

Soup’s easy to make. To make a great pot of soup all you need is a cutting board, a knife and one large pot. There aren’t lots of pans and dishes to wash or any expensive equipment to buy. Plus, once you get all the ingredients simmering, you don’t need to be at the stove constantly.

Soup’s a complete meal. You can get vegetables, complex carbohydrates and protein in a single bowl.

Soups are great “make-ahead” meals. They freeze well, so you can cook once and enjoy them many times after.

Making soup is a great way to clean out the refrigerator. It’s 6 pm on a Wednesday night and all that’s lingering in your refrigerator are a couple of carrots, a few celery stalks, half an onion, half a bag of shredded cabbage and a few leftover broccoli florets. It doesn’t sound like much of a meal, but if you chop the veggies and throw them in a pot with some canned broth, canned tomatoes, canned beans and whole-grain pasta, you have a quick and satisfying meal.

With soup, the varieties are endless. If you keep your pantry stocked with the necessary staples (see Soup Staples), you could make a different soup every night of the week.

Experiment with different types of vegetables, grains, broths and beans and you’ll never get bored.

Soup is perfect any time of day. I especially like to have a cup of vegetable soup as a mid-afternoon snack; it keeps me going through the end of the workday.

Soup is soothing. I can’t think of anything I find more comforting on a cold night than a bowl of piping hot soup.

Slow-Cook Chicken Soup
From the Weight Watchers New Complete Cookbook (Wiley Publishing, 2006). Makes 8 servings.

Ingredients
2 medium parsnips, peeled and cut into ¼-inch pieces
2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into ¼-inch pieces
2 celery stalks, cut crosswise into ¼-inch pieces 1 onion, chopped
4 sprigs fresh parsley
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill, or 1 teaspoon dried
¾ teaspoon dried thyme
¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 pound skinless bone-in chicken breasts
1 pound skinless bone-in chicken thighs, trimmed of fat
7 cups fat-free low-sodium chicken broth

Directions
In a slow cooker, place the parsnips, carrots, celery, onion, parsley, dill, thyme and pepper. Place the chicken breasts and chicken thighs on top of the vegetables. Add the broth; cover and cook 8 to 10 hours on low.

About 1 hour before the cooking time is up, remove the chicken from the soup and let cool 5 minutes. Remove the chicken from the bones and cut into ½-inch cubes. Return the chicken to the slow cooker, cover and cook 50 minutes longer.

Per serving: 186 calories, 4 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 56 mg cholesterol, 468 mg sodium, 3 g fiber.


Keep your pantry and refrigerator stocked with the following ingredients and you’ll always have what you need to whip up a pot of delicious, healthy soup.

• Canned or boxed broth (chicken, vegetable, beef, fish)
• Dry or canned beans and legumes (red lentils, brown lentils, chickpeas, black beans, red kidney beans, navy beans, pinto beans, cannellini beans)
• Olive oil
• Canned tomatoes
• Whole-grain pasta (such as elbows or orzo)
• Wild rice Barley Fresh or dried mushrooms
• Onions
• Garlic
• Shallots
• Leeks
• Carrots
• Celery
• Bell peppers
• Jalapeno peppers
• Potatoes
• Parsnips
• Cabbage
• Frozen green beans
• Frozen broccoli florets
• Frozen shelled edamame
• Hard cheese for grating (parmesan or pecorino romano)

Curried Spinach-Potato Soup
From Vegetarian Times Fast and Easy (Wiley Publishing, 2008). Makes 4 servings.

Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup chopped leeks, white and light green parts
1 tablespoon curry powder, or to taste
2½ cups vegetable broth
2 small white potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch pieces (about 1½ cups)
1 teaspoon salt
4 packed cups fresh baby spinach leaves, rinsed and dried
2 cups low-fat milk
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Plain nonfat yogurt, for garnish (optional)

Directions
Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add leeks and 1 tablespoon water, and cook, stirring often, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add curry powder, and stir 30 seconds. Add broth, potatoes and salt, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook until potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in spinach, and cook until just wilted, about 1 minute. Cool slightly.

Transfer soup to blender, and blend until almost smooth; work in batches if necessary.

Return soup to saucepan. Add milk, and cook over medium-low heat. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Ladle soup into 4 bowls. Garnish with a swirl of yogurt, if using, and serve.

Per serving: 160 calories, 5 g fat, 1.5 g saturated fat, 5 mg cholesterol, 930 mg sodium, 3 g fiber.

Cuban Black Bean Soup
From the Betty Crocker Cookbook Heart Health Edition (Wiley Publishing, 2007). Makes 8 servings.

Ingredients
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped (1 cup)
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 2/3 cups dried black beans (1 lb), sorted and rinsed
1 cup finely chopped cooked ham
3 cups beef broth
3 cups water
¼ cup dark rum or apple cider
1½ teaspoons ground cumin
1½ teaspoons dried oregano
1 medium green bell pepper, chopped (1 cup)
1 large tomato, chopped (1 cup)

Directions
In a 4-quart Dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat. Cook 1 cup chopped onion and the garlic in oil for 4 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onion is tender.

Stir in remaining ingredients; heat to boiling. Boil 2 minutes; reduce heat. Cover and simmer about 2 hours or until beans are tender.

Garnish with chopped onions and chopped hard boiled eggs, if desired.

Per serving: 245 calories, 6 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 10 mg cholesterol, 610 mg sodium, 11 g fiber.


For a creamy soup that’s low in fat, use potatoes in place of cream. Simmer some chopped onions, chopped leeks, diced yellow potatoes and frozen broccoli florets in some chicken broth until tender. Puree the entire mixture using a handheld immersion blender or transfer to a stand blender and blend in batches. Return pureed soup to pot and season with salt and pepper. For extra creaminess add a little fat-free half & half after the soup is pureed.

Add variety with herbs and spices. You can make a basic vegetable soup and then flavor it in various ways. Use ground cumin and fresh cilantro to add a Mexican flavor. For an Indian twist, season with curry powder and fresh cilantro. To go Italian, use fresh basil and oregano and top with grated parmesan cheese. The French prefer fresh tarragon and thyme.

If you’re in a rush, use a slow cooker. Before leaving for work, place ingredients in slow cooker and cook according to the manufacturer’s directions. You’ll come home to the aroma of fresh soup.