This is a simple soup that makes a good light lunch or first course at under 90 calories per serving. Add another 70 calories for 3 grissini breadsticks.
Ideal if you have a glut of courgettes and it freezes well too.
A combination of ingredients that work surprisingly well together, to make a very low calorie, tasty and filling soup, less than 50 kcals a serving.
My husband didn’t have any idea what was in it and said he thought it was “very satisfying and kind of meaty”. Perfect for a 5:2 Fast Day.
Ok, this is a favourite to buy ready made, but it is easy to make yourself and you get to choose the carrots that go into it, so go for organically grown carrots for bags of flavour.
I had forgotten how great this soup tastes! Spicy, slightly sweet, sour, bitter, salty – it has that umami savoury satisfaction factor.
Especially with home made chicken stock… but you can use Marigold bouillon or even plain water and it is still yummy.
You may know it as Tom Yam Gung – Prawn, or Tom Yam Gai – chicken. The fish sauce is an essential part of the flavour combination, so this won’t work for strict vegetarians, but you could try using soy sauce and a little sugar instead and some cubes of tofu.
I buy lime leaves and lemongrass from time to time at an Asian store in Toulouse, and freeze them.
If you want to see my meal plans for the week, please go to Meal Plans – you’ll find my outline plan for the current week, and more detailed calorie counted plans for previous weeks.
I just recently noticed that the fish counter in a local supermarket had smoked haddock. Something of a treat for us here in South West France!
It makes a very satisfying evening meal on a fast day. We started with Simple Vegetable Soup then Smoked Haddock with Poached Egg and wilted Spinach, and finished up with Mocha Fromage Blanc. Total for dinner 385 ~woman or 465 ~man Calories (kcals). Very filling and tasty.
Here’s how:
I hope you enjoy something similar!
I just love the big bunches of watercress that you can buy in French markets. Watercress is rich in vitamins A and C, calcium, iron and folic acid. A bunch like this makes an easy and delicious soup in under 30 minutes. Just the thing to break your fast with.
Watercress Soup
Serves 4, only 60 kcals per serving
Discard any really coarse stalks from the watercress, as they can be too peppery.
Wash, drain and chop the remainder of the bunch, reserving a few tips for decoration.
Heat the butter in a large pan and gently sauté the onions, stirring from time to time, until softened but not coloured.
Add the chopped watercress, stock, nutmeg and the potato flakes, then simmer gently for about 10 minutes.
Blend until smooth.
Serve with a garnish of watercress leaves, or a swirl of crème fraîche.
Watercress is rich in vitamin C, calcium, iron and folic acid.
Simple Vegetable Soup
Simple Vegetable Soup
Per person:
Simmer 20 mins, blend a little if you like to vary the texture.
70 kcals per serving.
Rump Steak, Garlic Mushrooms, Light Coleslaw, Watercress and Blood Orange Salad
Rump Steak (100g) with garlic mushrooms, coleslaw and watercress salad
We don’t often eat red meat and I find even a small portion quite filling, so this seemed like it would be a good choice for a fast day, when it is helpful to eat protein, which the body cannot store – and it is especially needed if you are exercising.
I cooked the mushrooms (2 each, chopped) in a frying pan with the faintest hint of olive oil and a couple of tablespoons of water. The steak was dry-fried. The coleslaw was made with mayo and plain yogurt. With the watercress I added the segments from 1/2 a blood orange (between 2 people) and a few baby tomatoes (I know, not in season, but I like a bit of colour…) and dressed it with the orange juice.
210 kcals
5 Spice Cherry Compote with Fromage Frais
For dessert I got some stoned cherries out of the freezer and put 12 per person in a saucepan, with a pinch of 5 spice powder and about 100ml of water. Cook gently, shaking occasionally, until nicely warmed through. Serve with a little pot of plain 0% fat fromage frais. Note that no sugar was added, the cherries are quite sweet in themselves and the spice gives the whole dish a bit of a lift.
55 kcals
5 Spice Cherry Compote with Fromage Frais
Total for the day for me – 475 kcals. With a breakfast of Smoked Trout and Scrambled Eggs, this was a day with plenty of protein and hardly any carbs. I think we both felt like we could demolish several hot buttered crumpets and a slice of Christmas Cake somewhere in the middle of the afternoon, as we were feeling not only hungry, but cold as well – but honestly that soon passed with a cup of lime and ginger tea…..
I really feel as though I have had plenty to eat and will be happy to go to bed with just a cup of camomile tea!