The Holidays are here and following our four day Holiday weekend, I thought it may be a good idea to share some Healthy High Protein easy to make soups to help you keep your energy high and your calories low over the Holidays! Holidays are all about tradition and many of them are centered around the foods you love and only enjoy once a year, don’t deprive yourself of these tasty treats, just on the regular days enjoy these heart warming soups.

These are all fairly simple recipes, and I love a crock-pot and will adapt about any recipe to one if I can. Enjoy! And Happy December!!

Low Carb Chicken & Bok Choy Soup

(There is some beautiful Bok Choy at the Farmers Market, buy extra and freeze!)

Ingredients

• 1-2 pounds bok choy
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped, 2½ ounces
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 8 ounces fresh mushrooms
• 2 cups diced cooked chicken
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 8 cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth
• 2 to 4 eggs, beaten
• 3 ounces fresh spinach, shredded
• 6 green onions, chopped (optional)
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Chop the bok choy, keeping the stalks separate from the leaves. In a large soup pot, heat the oil and sauté the onion, garlic, bok choy stalks and mushrooms until almost tender. Add the bok choy leaves, chicken, soy sauce and broth.
2. Bring to a simmer. Slowly stir in the beaten eggs. Once the egg sets, stir in the spinach and green onions. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. (I served this over whole grain brown rice for a little extra nutrition).

Serves 6. Each serving contains Calories 174, Fat 8 g, Cholesterol 96 mg, Sodium 453 mg, Carbohydrates 6.4 g, Fiber 1.2 g, Protein 18.2 g.

Crock Pot Fajita Soup

Ingredients

• 1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
• 1 orange bell pepper, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• ½ jalapeño pepper, sliced
• 1 cup fresh salsa
• 2 cloves garlic
• Juice of 1 lime
• 4 cups low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth
• 1½ pound boneless skinless chicken thighs (chicken breasts work too)
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 Tablespoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon ground pepper

Directions

1. Put all ingredients into a slow cooker and cook for 3-4 hours on high or 6 hours on low. The chicken should be cooked through and will just fall apart. Once this happens turn the slow cooker to warm and enjoy whenever you’re ready.
2. To serve, top each bowl with avocado, jalapeño slices, cilantro and serve with tortilla chips and a slice of lime. Optional items for serving: avocado, jalapeño slices, cilantro, tortilla chips and/or a slice of lime.

Serves 4. Each serving contains Calories 322, Fat 14 g, Cholesterol 96 mg, Carbohydrates 20 g, Fiber 5 g, Protein 33 g.

Easy Chicken and Rice Soup

Ingredients

• ½ rotisserie chicken
• 1 tablespoon. extra virgin olive oil
• ½ cup finely diced onion
• ½ cup finely diced celery
• ½ cup finely diced carrot
• 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 3 cups low-sodium vegetable broth1 tsp. kosher salt
• 1 cup cooked brown rice
• ¼ cup chopped fresh herbs, (to your taste, I like extra pepper too)

Directions

1. Remove the skin from the chicken. Pick the meat, both white and dark, from the carcass and shred. Reserve half the meat for a future meal.
2. Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a 4-quart pot. Add the onion, celery, and carrot and cook until soft, about 5 minutes.
3. Add the chicken broth, vegetable broth, and salt to the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes more.
4. Add the chicken, rice, and fresh herbs and simmer for 5 minutes more. Serve hot.

Serves 4. Each serving contains: Calories 225, Fat 10 g, Carbohydrates 18 g, Fiber 15 g, Protein 15 g.

Crock Pot Broccoli and Cheese

Ingredients

• 5 cups chopped broccoli florets (about 16 ounces)
• 1 cup grated carrots (you can grate yourself or use bagged, pre-cut julienne carrots)
• 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 ounces reduced fat cream cheese (do not use fat free)
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 2½ cups reduced sodium chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 (12-ounce) can 2% evaporated milk
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 (8-ounce) block sharp cheddar cheese, grated, best to grate your own, white cheeses have less fat!

Directions

1. Place the broccoli, carrots, onion, and garlic in the bottom of 5-to-6-quart slow cooker. Top with the cream cheese, oregano, nutmeg, and chicken broth. Stir to evenly distribute the ingredients. Cover and cook on high for 2 hours or low for 4-6 hours, until the broccoli is tender.
2. Remove the lid and stir in the evaporated milk. With an immersion blender, puree about 3/4 of the soup, so that it is mostly smooth but still has a few chunks of broccoli remaining. Alternatively, you can puree the soup in 1 cup-sized batch in a food processor or blender. (Be careful—it’s hot and prone to splatter!)
3. Recover the soup and let cook on low for 10 minutes until warmed through. Stir the salt, pepper, and grated cheese. Taste and add additional salt and pepper as desired. Recover and cook on high until the cheese is fully melted and the soup is hot, about 5 additional minutes. Serve warm.

Serves 6. Each serving contains Calories 272, Fat 8 g, Cholesterol 59 mg, Sodium 806 mg, Carbohydrates 16 g, Fiber 1 g, Protein 18 g.

Black Bean and Pastrami

(Unusual combination, but tasty, you can all natural Pastrami at the Local Farmers Market)

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion, diced1 carrot, grated
• 1 red bell pepper1 Serrano pepper
• 2 cloves garlic, minced3 cups chicken stock
• 3 cups cooked black beans1 can diced tomatoes (15 oz.)
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 1 tablespoon fresh oregano, finely chopped
• Juice of one lime
• ½ lb. pastrami (one or two thick slices, cubed)
• 3/4 teaspoon shaved pastrami for garnish

Directions

1. Heat oil over medium heat in a large saucepan. Add onion, carrot, red bell pepper, and Serrano. Cook until onion is softened (about 5 minutes). Add garlic and cook for another minute or two.
2. Add 1½ cups of beans and ½ cup of chicken stock to a food processor. Blitz until the beans are smooth.
3. Add remaining chicken stock, blended beans, whole beans, tomatoes, and corn to the pot. Bring pot to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce to simmer and add oregano, limejuice, pastrami, and salt. Taste and adjust salt as necessary. Simmer for 15 minutes.
4. While soup is simmering, prepare garnish. Serve hot with garnish of crispy shaved pastrami.

Serves 6. Each serving contains Calories 439, Fat 15 g, Sodium 575 mg, Carbohydrates 51 g, Fiber 7.4 g, Protein 28.2 g, Sugar 28 g.