Changing the clocks yesterday solidified it....the winter months are upon us.  I can't think of a better thing at the end of a brisk, cool day than a bowl of soup! The tradition of making soups can been seen in almost every culture, often for medicinal reasons.  Even on a basic level I'm sure we can all think of a time when someone gave us chicken soup to feel better. 

Soups are a great option when watching your weight.  They can be full of vegetables, low in calories as well as voluminous, making them very filling.  Be careful of cream based soups and ones that contain high fat meats, those can rack up calories very quickly. 

Most people purchase soups rather than making them from scratch.  Canned soups can be ok in a pinch but they are generally very high in sodium and often have many chemicals and additives.  Making soup from home is much easier than you think, almost anything tastes great in a soup!  If you do make soup from home, make sure to start with a low sodium broth.  Look for ones in the store with less than 300mg of sodium per serving. 

Remember that soup freezes easily.  Cook up a pot, leave half in your refrigerator and freeze the other half for when you don't want to cook later on down the road.  You could start a tradition of cooking a pot of soup on the weekend while you are watching your favorite sports game or TV show.

Yield: 7 Servings

1 lbs ~ Ground Turkey
1 tbsp ~ Olive Oil
1 each ~ Onion, diced
1 pound ~ Mushrooms, sliced
2 each ~ Carrots, peeled and diced
1 can (16 oz) ~ Diced Tomatoes
4 cups ~ Low Sodium Chicken Broth
4 cups ~ Water
2 cups ~ Lentils, rinsed and drained
2 tsp ~ Thyme, dried 
1 tbsp ~ Garlic Powder, dried
1 bunch ~ Kale, washed drained and cut into 1" pieces

1.  Brown ground turkey in a large flat bottom pan over medium heat.  Remove turkey and discard any excess fat.

2.  Add olive oil and onion to pan, cover and let saute for about 5 minutes or until onion has softened.  Add in sliced mushrooms, and continue to cook until mushrooms begin to release moisture.

3.  Add cooked turkey and remaining ingredients, except the kale, simmer for 30 minutes.  Add kale and simmer additional 10-20 minutes or until cooked to your preferred texture.

Nutritional Information per serving:
per serving: 260 calories , 9 fat , 24g carbohydrates , 8.5g fiber, 22g protein

All Recipes adapted by EVOLUTION Pilates & Nutrition Registered Dietitians from public-domain or copyright-free recipes.