The Everyday DASH Diet Cookbook (7 page)

Stir in the brown rice and cook until heated through, about 5 minutes. Discard the bay leaf. Ladle into bowls and serve hot.

NUTRITIONAL ANALYSIS

(1 serving: 1¼ cups) 208 calories, 20 g protein, 18 g carbohydrates, 6 g fat, 2 g fiber, 71 mg cholesterol, 540 mg sodium, 475 mg potassium. Food groups: 1 whole grain, 3 ounces meat, ½ vegetable.

Chicken and Spring Vegetable Soup

Asparagus, peas, and leeks are the vegetables that give this chicken soup a lighter profile than other versions. Finish off each serving with a dollop of sour cream—just a tablespoon will do a lot to enrich the soup.

MAKES 8 SERVINGS

1 tablespoon olive oil

1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, excess fat trimmed, cut into bite-sized pieces

1 large leek, white and pale green parts only, chopped (1 cup)

1 quart Homemade Chicken Broth (
here
) or canned low-sodium chicken broth

1 quart water

2 large red-skinned potatoes, scrubbed but unpeeled, cut into ½-inch pieces

1 teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 pound asparagus, woody stems discarded, cut into 1-inch lengths

1 cup thawed frozen peas

8 tablespoons light sour cream, for serving

Heat the oil in a pot over medium-high heat. In two batches, add the chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 6 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

Add the leek to the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the broth and stir, loosening the browned bits in the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon. Return the chicken to the pot, then stir in the water, potatoes, salt, and pepper and bring to a boil over high heat, skimming off any foam that rises to the surface.

Reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer until the chicken is tender and opaque when pierced with the tip of a sharp knife, about 40 minutes. During the last 5 minutes, stir in the asparagus and peas.

Ladle into soup bowls, top each serving with 1 tablespoon of sour cream, and serve hot.

NUTRITIONAL ANALYSIS

(1 serving: 1¼ cups) 222 calories, 23 g protein, 17 g carbohydrates, 7 g fat, 3 g fiber, 75 mg cholesterol, 400 mg sodium, 725 mg potassium. Food groups: 3 ounces meat, 1 starchy vegetable, ½ vegetable.

Mexican Chicken Tortilla Soup

Every country has its own version of chicken soup. Here is the Mexican rendition, chunky with vegetables and chicken and topped with crunchy baked tortilla strips.

MAKES 8 SERVINGS

Baked Tortilla Strips

Olive oil in a pump sprayer

3 (6-inch) corn tortillas, cut into strips about ½ inch wide and 1 inch long

Soup

1 tablespoon olive oil

1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, excess fat trimmed, cut into bite-sized pieces

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

1 medium red bell pepper, cored and cut into ½-inch dice

1 large zucchini, trimmed and cut into ½-inch dice

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped

3 cups Homemade Chicken Broth (
here
) or canned low-sodium chicken broth

3 cups water

1 (14.5-ounce) can no-salt-added diced tomatoes with juice, undrained

1 cup fresh or thawed frozen corn kernels

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for serving

Lime wedges, for serving

To make the tortilla strips: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Spray a rimmed baking sheet with oil. Spread the tortilla strips on the baking sheet and spray with oil. Bake, stirring occasionally, until crisp and golden brown, 7 to 10 minutes. Let cool.

To make the soup: Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. In two batches, add the chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 6 minutes. Add the onion, red pepper, zucchini, garlic, and jalapeño and reduce the heat to medium. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion softens, about 5 minutes.

Stir in the broth, scraping up the browned bits in the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon. Stir in the water and tomatoes with their juice and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer until the chicken is opaque in the center when pierced with the tip of a sharp knife, about 35 minutes. During the last 5 minutes, stir in the corn and the 2 tablespoons cilantro.

Ladle into soup bowls and sprinkle each serving with about 1 tablespoon of tortilla chips and additional cilantro. Serve hot with the lime wedges for squeezing into the soup as desired.

NUTRITIONAL ANALYSIS

(1 serving: 1¼ cups) 194 calories, 19 g protein, 16 g carbohydrates, 10 g fat, 3 g fiber, 66 mg cholesterol, 387 mg sodium, 297 mg potassium. Food groups: 1 whole grain, 3 ounces meat, ½ vegetable.

Hearty Beef and Vegetable Soup

When you are in the mood for a rib-sticking soup but are short on time, this is the one to make. Ground sirloin gives up its beefy flavor quickly, and a host of vegetables fills your bowl. It is quite low in sodium but loaded with potassium. If you wish, add 2 cups cooked macaroni during the last 5 minutes of simmering.

MAKES 8 SERVINGS

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 large yellow onion, chopped (2 cups)

2 medium carrots, cut into ½-inch dice

2 large celery ribs, cut into ½-inch dice

2 medium parsnips, cut into ½-inch dice

1½ pounds ground sirloin

1 quart Homemade Beef Stock (
here
) or canned low-sodium beef broth

2 cups water

1 (14.5-ounce) can no-salt-added canned diced tomatoes in juice, undrained

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1 teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

½ teaspoon dried thyme

1 bay leaf

2 cups cooked macaroni (optional)

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery, and parsnips and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened, about 5 minutes. Push the vegetables to one side of the pot. Put the beef in the empty side of the pot and cook, occasionally stirring and breaking up the meat with the side of a spoon, until the beef loses its raw look, about 5 minutes. Mix the beef and vegetables.

Stir in the broth, water, tomatoes with their juice, parsley, salt, pepper, thyme, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes. Discard the bay leaf. Ladle into bowls and serve hot.

NUTRITIONAL ANALYSIS

(1 serving without macaroni: 1¼ cups) 217 calories, 22 g protein, 17 g carbohydrates, 7 g fat, 4 g fiber, 53 mg cholesterol, 395 mg sodium, 712 mg potassium. Food groups: 3 ounces meat, 3 vegetables.

(1 serving with macaroni: 1½ cups) 272 calories, 24 g protein, 28 g carbohydrates, 7 g fat, 5 g fiber, 53 mg cholesterol, 395 mg sodium, 728 mg potassium. Food groups: 1 grain, 3 ounces meat, 3 vegetables.

Lentil and Sausage Soup

Lentil and sausage soup is an Italian classic that everyone should know how to make. This is another wonderful soup that you will be glad you made as a big batch. Don’t add the tomatoes until the lentils are half-done, as the acid in the tomatoes will keep the lentils from softening.

MAKES 15 SERVINGS

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 large yellow onion, chopped (2 cups)

2 medium carrots, chopped

2 medium celery ribs, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 pound sweet or hot turkey sausage, casings removed

1 pound lentils, sorted, rinsed, and drained

1 quart Homemade Chicken Broth (
here
) or canned low-sodium chicken broth

1 quart water, plus more as needed

½ teaspoon dried rosemary

1 teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon crushed hot red pepper

1 (14.5-ounce) can no-salt-added diced tomatoes in juice, undrained

2 cups whole-wheat rotini or other tubular pasta

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery, and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the turkey sausage and cook, stirring occasionally and breaking up the meat with the side of a wooden spoon, until the sausage loses its raw look, about 6 minutes.

Stir in the lentils, broth, water, rosemary, salt, and hot pepper and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are softened, about 45 minutes. Add the tomatoes and their juice and simmer until the lentils are tender, adding more hot water as needed to barely cover the lentils, about an additional 45 minutes.

Add enough hot water to cover the lentils by ½ inch and bring to a simmer. Stir in the pasta and cook until the pasta is very tender, about 15 minutes. Ladle into soup bowls and serve hot.

NUTRITIONAL ANALYSIS

(1 serving: 1 cup) 271 calories, 19 g protein, 34 g carbohydrates, 7 g fat, 9 g fiber, 38 mg cholesterol, 618 mg sodium, 369 mg potassium. Food groups: 2 whole grains, 3 ounces meat, 1 vegetable.

Sausage Minestrone with Kale and Beans

This Italian classic gets its name from
minestra
, which means “big soup” in colloquial Italian. The best minestrone is packed with vegetables, which fits in perfectly with DASH guidelines. Black kale (
cavolo nero
, also called dinosaur kale) is the authentic green of choice, but any kale or chard will do. The beans add a lot of soluble fiber to this soup, which is great for helping to lower cholesterol.

MAKES 8 SERVINGS

1 tablespoon olive oil

1¼ pounds sweet turkey sausage, casings removed

1 large yellow onion, chopped

2 medium carrots, cut into ½-inch dice

2 medium celery ribs, cut into ½-inch dice

2 medium zucchini, trimmed and cut into ½-inch dice

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 quart Homemade Chicken Broth (
here
)

2 cups water

1 (14.5-ounce) can no-salt-added diced tomatoes in juice, undrained

1 teaspoon dried oregano

½ teaspoon crushed hot red pepper

1 bay leaf

4 packed cups thinly sliced black kale (wash well and remove tough stems before slicing)

1 (15-ounce) can no-salt-added cannellini beans, drained and rinsed