Vegetable Soup (Lo Cal)

This soup is filling and very tasty and you can have it anytime you are hungry or when you just want something to eat without guilt. However, I did not find the original recipe to be spicy enough or filling enough for my taste and appetite. I have changed it somewhat by adding cabbage, celery, a bay leaf, and increasing the tomatoes from ½ cup to 3 cup. The original recipe had 68 calories per serving and this recipe has 99 calories per serving. The changes I made increased the fat from 1.2 grams to 1.5 grams, however, I have reduced the "calories from fat" 16% (Original Weight Watcher Recipe) to 13%. If you are on the Weight Watcher food program, each of these servings count as 2¾ Vegetable and 10 Optional Calories (not bad, huh). I personally like to add a few dashes of Tabasco and about ½ teaspoon of chopped red pepper to give the soup some character. You really should try it with the Tabasco and red pepper.

1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
¾ cup onion, diced
6 packets instant chicken broth and seasoning
6 cloves garlic, minced
1½ cups carrot, diced
3 cups zucchini, diced
1½ cups celery, diced
3 cups tomatoes, chopped
3 teaspoons fresh parsley, chopped
1½ teaspoons basil
¼ teaspoon thyme
2 bay leaf
½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
3 cups cabbage, shredded (like kraut)

In a soup pot combine the olive oil, onion, broth mix, and garlic.

Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent.
Add the remaining ingredients except the cabbage and stir to combine.
Cover and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes.
Add the cabbage and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to medium, cover, and cook until the vegetables are soft, about 20 minutes.
Using a slotted spoon, remove about 1 cup of the vegetables from saucepan and set aside.

In a blender container, take out 2-3 cups at a time and puree remaining soup.

Return pureed mixture to saucepan.
Add reserved vegetables, and heat.