It is not very often that I hear from someone who struggles with technical issues when eating soup after weight loss surgery. Soup doesn't get "stuck" going down and if we eat too much the discomfort is short-lived (compared to eating too much solid food that is poorly chewed and eaten quickly.) In fact, when post-WLS patients discover soup it often becomes their go-to comfort food. When animal protein is cooked into a soup it is moist and succulent making it easy to chew, swallow, and digest. Cooked vegetables are more readily tolerated by many WLSers compared to raw vegetables. And grains like pearl barley or quinoa are portion controlled and digestible when included as an ingredient in soup.

Today's Cooking with Kaye presents delicious soup recipes to keep your pot full and your pouch happy. There are also many great tips for getting the most enjoyment and nutrition from a meal of soup. I hope you enjoy these recipes and make them a part of your dietary rotation.

An Italian-inspired white bean soup is made from scratch with dried beans that are soaked overnight, then slowly simmered to tenderness with smoked turkey legs, veggies, and Italian seasonings. You can do this in a slow cooker, too.

Ingredients:
1 pound dry white beans
2 smoked turkey legs*
1/2 onion, diced
2 bay leaves
2 stalks celery, diced
4 large carrots, sliced
1 (14.5 ounce) can petite diced tomatoes, undrained
1/3 cup quick cooking pearl barley
2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
salt and ground black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese,
divided

Directions:
Place the beans into a large bowl, fill the bowl with water, and cover the bowl with a cloth. Allow to soak overnight. Drain and rinse the beans.

Place the soaked beans, turkey legs, onion, and bay leaves into a large soup pot, cover with water, then bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 3 hours. Remove bay leaves, and discard. Remove the turkey legs from the broth, separate the meat from the bones and tendons, and return the meat to the broth. Stir in celery, carrots, diced tomatoes, pearl barley,  Italian seasoning, and salt and pepper; simmer until the celery and carrots are tender, about 1 hour. Serve in bowls and sprinkle each serving with about 1 teaspoon of Parmesan cheese.

*If you cannot find smoked turkey legs use left-over cooked turkey and add a few drops of liquid smoke to the soup for deep smoky flavor.

Adding turkey kielbasa lends this hearty soup recipe a rich, slow-simmered flavor even though it takes just 25 minutes to make

Ingredients:
Cooking spray
1 cup baby carrots, halved
1 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
7 ounces turkey kielbasa, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
4 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 (15.8-ounce) cans Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed
1 (6-ounce) bag fresh baby spinach leaves

Directions:
Heat a large saucepan coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add carrots, onion, garlic, and kielbasa; sauté 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium; cook 5 minutes. Add the broth, Italian seasoning, pepper, and beans. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes.

Place 2 cups of the soup in a food processor or blender, and process until smooth. Return the pureed mixture to pan. Simmer an additional 5 minutes. Remove soup from heat. Add the spinach, stirring until spinach wilts.

This fragrant, Italian-flavored soup takes advantage of quick-cooking ingredients-boneless, skinless chicken breast, bagged baby spinach and canned beans. It features a simple homemade basil pesto swirled in at the end to add a fresh herb flavor. If you are very pressed for time, you can substitute 3 to 4 tablespoons of a store-bought basil pesto.

5 servings, about 1 1/2 cups each | Active Time: 30 minutes | Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:
2 teaspoons plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1/2 cup carrot or diced red bell pepper
1 large boneless, skinless chicken breast (about 8 ounces), cut into quarters
1 large clove garlic, minced
5 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 teaspoons dried marjoram
6 ounces baby spinach, coarsely chopped
1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans or great northern beans, rinsed
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup lightly packed fresh basil leaves
Freshly ground pepper to taste
3/4 cup plain or herbed multigrain croutons for garnish (optional)

Preparation:
Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add carrot (or bell pepper) and chicken; cook, turning the chicken and stirring frequently, until the chicken begins to brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute more. Stir in broth and marjoram; bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes.

With a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken pieces to a clean cutting board to cool. Add spinach and beans to the pot and bring to a gentle boil. Cook for 5 minutes to blend the flavors.

Combine the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, Parmesan and basil in a food processor (a mini processor works well). Process until a coarse paste forms, adding a little water and scraping down the sides as necessary.
Cut the chicken into bite-size pieces. Stir the chicken and pesto into the pot. Season with pepper. Heat until hot. Garnish with croutons, if desired.

Nutrition:

Neighborhood Community Kitchen

While soup does not appear to be a convenience food there are actually some great choices available for dining in or take-out from some of America's leading chain restaurants. According to Hope S. Warshaw, a registered dietician and noted author of multiple food and nutrition reference books, Americans average six meals a week eaten away from home. These are meals prepared in diners, restaurants and fast food joints. She concedes it is our lifestyle driving this trend. "In today's fast-paced and convenience-focused world, Americans frequently choose restaurant meals, eaten in or out of restaurants, to get the job of eating done. When we eat out we surrender to the establishment how the food is prepared, the quality and freshness of the food, and the portion size. But, according to Warshaw, when we are informed we are better able to make smart food choices that support our health and nutrition goals.

From her 800-page 2009 book "What to Eat When You're Eating Out-2nd Edition" I present three national restaurants offering soup selections that are healthy for the general public and support our "Protein First" weight loss surgery diet.


Low-Fat Vegetarian Black Bean Soup. A 1-cup serving (perfect pouch portion) provides 150 calories and 8 grams protein. That is a little low for protein requirements per meal but the soup also provides 6 grams of fiber while being low in fat and virtually trans fat free. The carbs, measuring 28g per serving, seem high at first glance. But black beans are low-glycemic (GI Value 30) complex carbohydrates. They are rich in folate, manganese, thiamin (B Vitamin) and potassium.

Also good: Turkey Chickpea Chili Soup. 1 (1-cup) serving provides 180 calories, 10g protein, 7g fiber, 22g carbohydrate and is low in fat.
See pages 506-507 of "What to Eat".


A small serving of Wendy's Chili (about 1 cup) provides 190 calories with 14g protein, 5g fiber, 19g carbohydrate (again - low glycemic), and is low in fat. The sodium comes in high at 830mg in the small serving size. That is 36% of the total sodium intake (2,300mg/day) the general population should have in a day as set by the USDA Food & Drug Administration in May 2010. Be mindful to select meals with lower sodium values on days that you enjoy the famous Wendy's chili.
See pages 254-255 of What to Eat.


Try Boston Market's Chicken Noodle Soup next time you visit. A 6-ounce serving provides 170 calories with 13 grams protein and 17g carbohydrate. Like most commercially prepared soups the sodium is high at 930mg per serving (38% of your DV- daily value). This is a broth based thinner soup so it is very important to remember your liquid restrictions and avoid drinking fluids for 30 minutes before and 30 minutes after eating. This will help your pouch stay full longer and give your body a better opportunity to absorb the nutrients from the chicken noodle soup. A cup of soup is less than $5 at most locations.
See pages 358-359 of What to Eat.

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Slow Cooker Brunswick Stew

Chicken & Carrot Stew

Mexican Meatball Soup

 

5 Day Pouch Test
Head Hunger Soups 

In Print:
5DPT Owner's Manual by Kaye Bailey

Day 6: Beyond 5 Day Pouch Test by Kaye Bailey

Neighborhood Cookbook:

Shop Books 

 .

Talk to any gastric bypass, gastric banding or gastric sleeve patient and they will tell you occasional stomach discomfort is part of life after weight loss surgery. After bariatric surgery patients secrete fewer digestive enzymes which means the stomach has greater difficulty digesting food that has been inadequately chewed or is high in fat or fibrous carbohydrate. Poorly tolerated foods quickly cause stomach or pouch discomfort. Many bariatric patients report finding relief in gentle homemade soup sipped slowly. Consider this recipe for spinach and ginger soup if you have experienced gastric pouch discomfort from eating poorly tolerated food.

This creamy green soup is delicately flavored with ginger and onion serves to soothe stomach discomfort and detoxify the body. The spinach is a natural immune system booster. The monounsaturated fat in the olive oil will help our bodies absorb the nutrients and minerals from the vegetables making this an ideal soup for pampering the gastric system.

Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 teaspoons fresh ginger, finely chopped
5-6 cups baby spinach leaves
4 cups vegetable stock
1 medium potato, diced
1 Tablespoon rice wine vinegar*
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 teaspoon sesame oil, optional

Directions:
Heat the oil in a large 8-quart stockpot. Add the onion, garlic, and ginger and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 3-4 minutes, or until vegetables are tender.

Set aside 4-6 small spinach leaves. Add the remaining leaves to the pan, stirring until the spinach is wilted. Add the stock and potatoes to the pan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, then cover the pan and let simmer for about 10 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat and set aside to cool slightly. Pour the soup into a blender or food processor and process until completely smooth. Return the the soup to the stockpot and add the rice wine vinegar. Adjust the seasoning to taste with salt and pepper. Heat until just about to boil.

Finely shred the reserved spinach leaves and sprinkle some over the top. Drizzle a few drops of sesame oil into the soup. Ladle into warmed soup bowls and sprinkle the remaining shredded spinach on each, then serve the soup at once.

Serves 4, 1-cup per serving. Per serving: 38 calories, 3 grams Protein; 2 grams Fat; 2 grams Carbohydrate.

*Rice Wine Vinegar: There are Japanese as well as Chinese rice vinegars, both made from fermented rice, and both slightly milder than most Western vinegars. Chinese rice vinegar comes in three types: white (clear or pale amber), used mainly in SWEET-AND-SOUR dishes; red, a popular accompaniment for boiled or steamed crab; and black, used mainly as a table CONDIMENT. The almost colorless Japanese rice vinegar is used in a variety of Japanese preparations, including SUSHI rice and SUNOMONO (vinegared salads). Rice vinegar can be found in Asian markets and some supermarkets..