Fresh Foodie Find: Soup so good I blogged about it

Garden Vegetable Soup

Well, I can hardly claim to have "found" it. I've been hearing about it for years: "Weight Watchers' Zero Point Soup". Seriously. It's practically legendary. I've tried Weight Watchers* several times in the past, and- even though I love soup- have always steered clear of this one. People would rave of it's deliciousness and I would turn my nose up at it after merely reading the recipe-I never was a fan of cabbage.

But in my new-found efforts to be a "Fresh Foodie"- and try to eat more of a variety of fruits and veggies- I started incorporating cabbage into my diet. First, I tried it raw, mixing it in with my romaine salad. Surprisingly delicious. Then, when that became a habit and my weight loss slowed down just in time for winter, I remembered the soup. I crave soup this time of year. since I have a new respect for cabbage and eating a healthy variety of foods, I figured: "why not try the recipe and see if it's worth the hype?"

Well, it is definitely worth the hype. Soup so filling and delicious, I was compelled to blog about it. I was even inspired to create a new series: "Fresh Foodie Finds". If ever I am overwhelmed by the awesomeness of a recipe or product I've tried, I will let you guys know all about it. As we've already established, I LOVE FOOD.

So here's the recipe for Weight Watchers' Garden Vegetable Soup as I made it last night. Of course, as we all do in our own kitchens, I tweaked it to my liking. Hopefully you'll like it this way too! I added the marinated chicken breasts, took out the green beans and doubled the zucchini instead and added the cilantro. (NOTE: Adding chicken to the soup is optional, but if you decide to do so, it is no longer zero POINTS. I'm not on Weight Watchers, so I don't count POINTS. If you are, please found out how the chicken affects the POINTS value so you can track accordingly.)

Weight Watchers Garden Vegetable Soup (a la Fresh Foodie)

2/3 c sliced carrot
1/2 c diced yellow onion
2 minced garlic cloves
1 large diced chicken breast (marinated in mojo criollo for an hour)
3-4 c fat-free beef broth
1 1/2 c diced green cabbage
1 T italian herb tomato paste
1/2 t dried basil
1/2 t dried oregano
1/4 t salt
1 c diced zucchini
pepper to taste
1/4 c chopped fresh cilantro leaves


Spray a large saucepan with olive oil spray.
Saute the carrot, onion and garlic over medium heat until softened, about 5 minutes.
Add chicken. Saute for 5 minutes more.
Add broth, cabbage, tomato paste, basil, oregano, salt and pepper.
Bring to a boil.
Reduce heat and simmer covered about 15-20 minutes.
Stir in the zucchini and heat for 3-4 more minutes.
Add cilantro and heat for 3-4 more minutes.
Serve hot. (I sprinkled mine with feta cheese, optional. Also adds to POINTS value.)


Serving size: 1 cup

Recipe makes 4 servings.

Enjoy!

* I am not affiliated with or endorsed by Weight Watchers in any way.