Kale & Tomato Soup

Besides smoothies, soups are my second favorite way to get in a lot of vegetables.

Just chop them up and throw them in.

I made this soup before Rick and I went to San Jose, which is exactly where we are at the moment (having a great time!). We really needed to find a way to use up our perishables which, in this case, were our vegetables. I found this recipe from AllRecipes.com but I altered it so much that I decided to type out the way I prepared it. Enjoy. ^_^

Kale & Tomato Soup
serves about three

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
3 cups kale, stems removed and leaves chopped
4 cups vegetable broth
2 diced Roma tomatoes
1 cup broccoli florets
1/2 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley
salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat the olive oil in a medium soup pot and cook the chopped onion and garlic until soft.
2. Toss in the chopped kale and cook until wilted, about two minutes. Stir frequently to avoid burning.
3. Stir in the vegetable broth, diced tomatoes, broccoli florets, Italian seasoning, and chopped parsley. Simmer on medium heat for 25 minutes so that the flavors combine. Adjust with salt and pepper as needed.

Nothing like the warmth of good-for-you soup.

This soup was a great choice for using up all the veggies I had. The cooked kale, broccoli, and tomatoes all adds tons of vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin K, and manganese as well as calcium, fiber, and iron. Tomatoes are also a great source of the antioxidant, lycopene. Eat up!

Nutrition Facts per Serving

Calories: 134
Fat: 5.5g
Carbs: 19.4g
Protein: 4.2g
Fiber: 4g

As you can see, this soup is very low in calories. If you wish, you can toss in some cooked beans to the soup to add more protein and fiber, or you can serve cooked brown rice on the side for more sustenance.

By the way, since Rick and I are in San Jose, we are more likely to stick with eating out more than cooking, especially since we aren't at home and visiting friends and family are our main priority right now. So I'm not sure what we're going to do for the Fourth of July. I'm predicting we're going to be treated to a home meal from Richard's lovely mother. Either way, I'm still planning to publish an update post after the holiday, like I mentioned last time. I think Rick wants snickerdoodles or our favorite brownies for his birthday this Thursday..!
Stay tuned!