"Hearty Soup for the Soul"

"Hearty Soup for the Soul"

At my house we make a lot of soups and stews especially in the winter months.  One of our favorites is Beef Soup.  This Chunky Vegetable-Beef Soup is packed with an abundance of ingredients that make this seem more like a Stew then a Soup because of it's heartiness.  Best part about this one is that it is from the Weight Watcher Cookbook and that means great on flavor and great for your waistline too!

Chunky Vegetable-Beef Soup

Hands on Prep time: 20 minutes - Cook: 1 Hour 10 minutes - Serves: 6

Ingredients:

• 1 pound beef top round steak, cut into 1-inch chunks
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 carrots, chopped
  
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 slice thick-cut bacon, chopped
• 3 (14 1/2-ounce) cans reduced-sodium beef broth
• 1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 1/2 cup long-grain white rice
• 3 cups small broccoli florets
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Instructions:

1. Spray a large nonstick pot or Dutch oven with nonstick spray and set over medium-high heat.  Add the beef and cook, stirring frequently, until browned on all sides, about 10 minutes.  Transfer the beef to a medium bowl; set aside.  Add the onion, carrots, garlic, and bacon to the pot.  Reduce the heat to medium.  Cook, stirring frequently, until the bacon is lightly browned and the vegetables are softened, about 10 minutes.
2. Add enough water to the broth to equal 6 cups.  Return the beef to the pot.  Add the broth and tomatoes; bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the beef is just tender, about 30 minutes.  Stir in the rice and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the rice is tender and the beef is fork-tender, about 15 minutes longer.  Add the broccoli and pepper; return to a boil.  Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the broccoli is tender, about 6 minutes.

Per serving (scant 2 cups):  225 Cal, 3 g Fat, 1 g Sat Fat, 0g Trans Fat, 41 mg Chol, 563 mg Sod, 25 g Carb, 4 g Fib, 23 g Prot, 53 mg Calc.  Points value: 4

Good idea

Serving this hearty soup with toasted thinly sliced Italian or French bread adds tempting crunch (3 thin slices of bread toasts will increase the per-serving  Points value by 3

"You never get a second chance...  to make a Great First Impression!"

Linda D. Pufford, ASPM, IAHSP

Accredited Staging Professional MASTER

707.217.0817

lpufford@withdivinestyle.com

www.withdivinestyle.com

Serving the Greater San Francisco Bay Area