I’m really excited to share this new soup recipe with you guys – it’s just one of those classic, feel-good, comfort food recipes, ya know?  This recipe tastes straight-up like something you’d find simmering away for hours on your grandma’s stove but, guess what?!  It’s actually a quick recipe to make!  The ingredients are simple and it makes a ton of food.  Leftovers are delicious too!  My Tomato, Beef, and Macaroni soup recipe will keep you cozy all season long.  It makes 8 hearty servings at 275 calories each and 6 WW SmartPoints on both the blue and green WW plans.

To make the soup we start off by browning up some lean ground beef.  Once it’s cooked we add in our tomatoes, broth, and some seasonings and bring the mixture to a boil.  The final step is tossing in the cooked pasta and simmering until the noodles are done.  That’s literally it, you guys.  EASY. SO SO EASY.

WW Points & Calorie Info:

If you love old-school, classic dishes this one will take you back home.  My Tomato, Beef, & Macaroni Soup makes 8 hearty servings at 6 WW SmartPoints on both the Blue and Green WW plans + 275 calories each.  Enjoy!

Tomato, Beef, and Macaroni Soup

 

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Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

30 mins

Total time

35 mins

 

Author: Rachel's Healthy Plate

Serves: 8 servings

Ingredients

• 2 (28oz) cans San Marzano Style Tomatoes (you can substitute regular diced tomatoes but I like the rich flavor from the San Marzano Style)
• 1 lb 90/10 ground beef
• 4 oz tomato paste
• 6 c. low sodium beef broth
• 3 cloves minced garlic
• 2 tsp onion powder
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 c. uncooked elbow macaroni noodles
• salt/pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. In a large, heavy soup pot brown the ground beef. Season with a little salt and pepper. When beef is about halfway cooked, add minced garlic and onion powder. Once brown, remove from pot and drain on a plate lined with paper towels.
2. Add the tomatoes to the pot. Use a spatula to easily break tomatoes apart into bite-sized pieces (unless they are already pre-diced).
3. Return beef to the pot and add all remaining ingredients except for noodles. Cover and bring mixture to a boil.
4. Once boiling add the uncooked pasta and simmer until pasta is cooked, about 10-15 minutes. Soup is ready once noodles have finished cooking.
5. Remove bay leaf and adjust salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!

Notes

Makes 8 servings, ~ 1.5 cups per serving, at 6 WW SmartPoints each for both the Blue & Green WW plans.

A Tip About Soup Servings

While a recipe will give the number of servings, it is very difficult to determine the exact volume of the soup per serving. This is due to many factors. The quantities of ingredients that you use may vary slightly. For example, if a recipe calls for 1 small onion, 1 small pepper, etc., the size of your produce may be different than what I used. The largest factor that causes variance is how much the soup reduces while cooking which will depend on each stove and how long it simmers, etc.

For the most accurate way to measure soup servings: place your storage container on a digital scale and zero out the weight. Add the entire pot of soup and determine the total weight in grams. Divide the total weight by the number of servings - this is the exact weight per serving or your soup. Easy and accurate!

Nutritional information is calculated with MyFitnessPal and may vary based on brands used. Smart Points information is calculated with the Weight Watchers app and may also vary based on brands used.

Nutrition Information

Serving size: ⅛ of the soup, ~1.5 cups | Calories: 275 Fat: 6 Saturated fat: 2.3 Carbohydrates: 34.5 Sugar: 10 Fiber: 5 Protein: 20

3.5.3251

I am so excited you are making one of my recipes and I would love to see how it turns out! Make sure to share it on Instagram and tag me @rachelshealthyplate and use #rachelshealthyplate so I can see your creation!

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I have been on a quest for the last two years… a quest to make the perfect butternut squash soup.  Guess what?!  I finally did it!  I think a perfect butternut soup is both savory and a little sweet, and it has just the right amount of warm spices.  If you’ve ever had Panera’s Autumn Squash Soup (my fav!) then you know what I’m talking about.  This version is very reminiscent of it, and that makes me one happy camper.  My version has a lot less calories, points, and ingredients too – win win! My Butternut Squash Soup makes 8 generous servings at 3 WW SmartPoints on both the Blue and Green WW plans or 180 calories each.

Let’s talk about the good stuff inside of the soup, shall we?!  The ingredients are easy and it comes together surprisingly quick!  The hardest part of the soup is chopping the butternut squash – talk about a workout!  Butternut squash is literally one of my least favorite veggies to chop but hey, it’s 100% worth it!  If you’re running short on time you can always opt to buy the pre-cut stuff which is super convenient.  The base of the soup is butternut squash and a few apples – they add the perfect amount of sweetness without the need to add additional sweeteners like brown sugar or honey that many recipes call for.

I like to add just the right amount of warm spices with the squash – for this one we a use a little sage, nutmeg, and some cinnamon.  Delicious combo!  The veggies and spices are cooked together with some vegetable broth and then blended until nice and smooth.  The last step is stirring in a little cream cheese for the perfect amount of rich creaminess.  Seriously, ya’ll.  This one is a keeper!

The soup is nice and hearty on it’s own and it’s a points bargain at just 3 WW SmartPoints.  I usually serve it with with a little something on the side – half of a sandwich or a few crackers and cheese. (A DIY You-Pick-Two!)  My favorite sandwich for this soup is a Turkey, Apple, Swiss sandwich made with turkey lunch meat, a wedge of Laughing Cow light Swiss cheese, a few slices of apple, and some mixed greens.  Seriously, guys, it’s a winning combo that you’ve got to try for yourself!

My Butternut Squash Soup makes 8 servings at 3 WW SmartPoints on all three WW plans or 180 calories each. Enjoy!

Butternut Squash Soup

 

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Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

30 mins

Total time

45 mins

 

Author: Rachel's Healthy Plate

Serves: 8 servings

Ingredients

• 3 lbs butternut squash - peeled, seeds removed, and diced
• 3 fuji apples - peeled and diced
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 4 oz ⅓ less fat cream cheese
• 1 c. diced sweet onion
• 4 c. vegetable broth
• 1.5 tsp cinnamon
• ¼ tsp nutmeg
• 1 tsp ground sage
• 1¼ tsp salt
• ½ tsp pepper
• a few pepitas to garnish, if desired

Instructions

1. Heat oil over medium heat in a large, heavy soup pot or dutch oven. Add onion and saute until onion starts to soften, about 2 minutes.
2. Add squash and apple. Stir well and cook until a few pieces of the squash start to turn golden brown, about 5 minutes, stirring often.
3. Add a splash of broth to de-glaze the bottom of the pan, scraping up any brown bits. Add the remaining broth and all of the spices. Cover and simmer until squash is nice and tender, about 15 minutes.
4. Add the cream cheese to the soup. Using an immersion blender, carefully blend the soup until it's nice and smooth and the cream cheese has melted. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!

Notes

Makes 8 servings of Butternut Squash Soup, (~ 1⅓ cup each) at 3 WW SmartPoints on all three WW plans.

Nutritional information is calculated with MyFitnessPal and may vary based on brands used. Smart Points information is calculated with the Weight Watchers app and may also vary based on brands used.

Nutrition Information

Serving size: ⅛ of the soup, ~ 1⅓ cup | Calories: 180 Fat: 6 Saturated fat: 2 Carbohydrates: 32 Sugar: 12.5 Fiber: 6 Protein: 3

3.5.3251

I am so excited you are making one of my recipes and I would love to see how it turns out! Make sure to share it on Instagram and tag me @rachelshealthyplate and use #rachelshealthyplate so I can see your creation!

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If you like black bean soup you are going to LOVE this one! It’s super hearty thanks to lots of veggies, smokey and rich from flavorful sausage, and just one of those stick-to-your-ribs soups.  It makes a great weeknight dish too, thanks to a little secret ingredient shortcut!  Everything goes in one pot and it’s ready in about 30 minutes.   My Black Bean & Sausage Soup makes 4 hearty servings at 4 Blue WW SmartPoints and 8 Green WW SmartPoints or 369 calories each.

This soup has SO MUCH FLAVOR, y’all The sauteed veggies add that great homemade soup flavor and the sausage gives the beans a delicious, rich meatiness.  To make the soup we simply saute our diced veggies in some olive oil until nice and soft.  Next we add in several cloves of garlic and our diced sausage – they need to cook for just a few minutes with the veggies before we add everything else.  The last step is stirring in some broth, spices, black beans, and a can of refried black beans.  Did you catch that?!  That’s our secret ingredient!  The refried beans make our soup nice and thick without needing to puree anything.  YUM!

For the sausage I chose to use Gilbert’s Craft Sausages Andouille Chicken Sausage.  These guys are loaded with delicious spices.  You can check their store locator to see if you can find them near you.  If not, feel free to substitute a similar precooked sausage or you can use smoked turkey sausage or even kielbasa.

This soup is a meal in itself but it would also be wonderful served with a scoop of rice, some Quick Air Fryer Tortilla Chips for dipping, or a gooey grilled cheese.  I like to top mine with a little Greek yogurt and avocado too!

My Black Bean & Sausage Soup makes 4 hearty servings at 4 Blue WW SmartPoints and 8 Green WW SmartPoints or 369 calories each.  Enjoy!

If you’re looking to save points you may like my Zesty Black Bean Soup which is 0 WW SmartPoints per serving. 

Black Bean & Sausage Soup

 

Print

Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

30 mins

Total time

35 mins

 

Author: Rachel's Healthy Plate

Serves: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 small onion, diced small
• 1 red bell pepper, diced small
• 1 carrot, diced small
• 1 stalk celery, diced small
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 Gilbert's Craft Sausages Chicken Andouille Sausage links*, diced into ½ inch pieces
• 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can refried black beans
• 1 can beef broth (low sodium)
• 1 tsp chili powder
• ½ tsp cumin
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp pepper

Instructions

1. Heat olive oil in a large, heavy soup pot over medium heat. Add the diced onion, pepper, celery, carrot, salt, and pepper. Saute until veggies are soft, 6-8 minutes.
2. Add the minced garlic and diced sausage and saute until garlic is fragrant and sausage is starting to brown, about 3 minutes.
3. Add the beef broth, refried beans, chili powder, and cumin. Stir until well combined. Lastly, add in the black beans.
4. Bring soup to a boil and then reduce heat to low and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Adjust seasoning to taste. Enjoy!

Notes

Makes 4 Servings of Black Bean & Sausage Soup at 4 Blue WW SmartPoints and 8 Green WW SmartPoints each.

*If you can't locate this particular sausage you can find a similar precooked sausage or use smoked turkey sausage or kielbasa. Substituting may change the points value so recalculate if needed.

Nutritional information is calculated with MyFitnessPal and may vary based on brands used. Smart Points information is calculated with the Weight Watchers app and may also vary based on brands used.

Nutrition Information

Serving size: ¼ of the recipe | Calories: 369 Fat: 9 Saturated fat: 3 Sugar: 6 Fiber: 11 Protein: 26

3.5.3251

I am so excited you are making one of my recipes and I would love to see how it turns out! Make sure to share it on Instagram and tag me @rachelshealthyplate and use #rachelshealthyplate so I can see your creation!

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This is one of those great year-round soup recipes.  It’s hearty from lots of vegetables yet still light from the savory broth base.  It’s a quick soup too, great for weeknights!  My Kale, Sausage, & Sweet Potato soup has everything you need – flavorful sausage, smokey spices, sweetness from the sweet potato, creamy white beans, and that classic homemade soup flavor.  One hearty serving is 5 WW SmartPoints on both the Blue and Green WW plans or 217 calories.

This soup is simple to make – it starts with the classic combo of carrots, celery, and onions.  Once the veggies soften we add in some garlic, sweet potato, beans, sausage, spices, and chicken broth.  Everything simmers together until the potatoes are cooked through and then we finish the soup by wilting in our kale.  It seriously doesn’t get any easier than this, folks.

For the sausage I used Gilbert’s Craft Sausages Kale Chicken Sausage.  It’s precooked and full of delicious flavors that compliment our soup – kale, shallots, and white wine.  Each link is only 2 WW SmartPoints!  You can use their store locator to see if you can find these sausage near you but if not, no worries, you can substitute a similar precooked sausage or use smoked turkey sausage.

My veggie-packed Kale, Sausage, & Sweet Potato Soup is perfect to pack for weekday lunches and will leave you feeling good.  One recipe makes 5 hearty servings at 5 WW SmartPoints on both the Blue and Green WW plans and 217 calories each.  Enjoy!

Love soup as much as I do?  You May also enjoy these delicious recipes:

• Southwest Chicken Soup
• Chicken & Wild Rice Soup
• Tuscan Tortellini Soup
• Lasagna Soup
• Zesty Black Bean Soup
• Sausage, Pepper, & Rice Soup
• Potato & Smoked Sausage Soup
• Chicken & Sausage Creole Soup
• Quick & Easy Turkey Chili

Kale, Sausage, & Sweet Potato Soup

 

Print

Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

30 mins

Total time

40 mins

 

Author: Rachel's Healthy Plate

Serves: 5 servings

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 4 Gilbert's Craft Sausages Kale Chicken Sausages, cut into ¼ inch pieces*
• 2 carrots, diced
• 2 stalks of celery, diced
• 1 small onion, diced
• 2 medium sweet potatoes (12 oz), diced (~1/2 in cubes)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 15oz can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 6 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 small bunch of kale, stems removed, roughly chopped (4-6 cups)
• salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Heat oil in a heavy soup pot over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, and celery. Season with a little salt and pepper. Cook until veggies start to soften, about 5 minutes.
2. Add in the garlic, sweet potato, sausage, beans, paprika, and cumin. Cook for 3 minutes.
3. Stir in broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until the sweet potatoes are cooked through, about 15 minutes.
4. Stir in the kale and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Add additional salt and pepper to taste, if needed. Enjoy!

Notes

Makes 5 servings of Kale, Sausage, and Sweet Potato Soup at 5 WW SmartPoints on both the Blue and Green WW plans.

*If you are unable to find these sausage you can substitute a similar precooked sausage or use smoked turkey sausage. Substitutions may affect the points value.

Nutritional information is calculated with MyFitnessPal and may vary based on brands used. Smart Points information is calculated with the Weight Watchers app and may also vary based on brands used.

Nutrition Information

Serving size: ⅕ of the recipe | Calories: 217 Fat: 3 Saturated fat: 0 Carbohydrates: 39 Sugar: 9 Fiber: 11 Protein: 11

3.5.3251

  I am so excited you are making one of my recipes and I would love to see how it turns out! Make sure to share it on Instagram and tag me @rachelshealthyplate and use #rachelshealthyplate so I can see your creation!

The post Kale, Sausage, & Sweet Potato Soup appeared first on .

Leave it to me to come up with another soup recipe – I can’t help it, soups are eeeevverything this time of year!  There’s nothing better than a warm, hearty bowl of soup, especially when the recipe is quick and easy to make like this one.  My Tuscan Tortellini Soup is a new favorite and it has everything you need for a complete meal – meat, beans, veggies, and soft, plump cheese tortellini.  The whole dish comes together in just under 30 minutes, making it perfect for any night of the week!  My Tuscan Tortellini Soup is 290 calories or 6 Blue WW SmartPoints/7 Green WW SmartPoints per serving.

To make this soup we just need one pot and a few of simple ingredients: pre-made cheese tortellini, pre-cooked sausage, diced and crushed tomatoes, cannellini beans, chicken broth, olive oil, minced garlic, and spinach.

To start things off we heat a touch of olive oil in a heavy soup pot and then throw in our precooked sausages and let them saute until the edges are a slightly bit brown.  I like to use Gilbert’s Craft Sausages Caprese Chicken Sausages for this soup – the sausages are seasoned with sun-dried tomatoes and basil which pairs perfectly with our soup flavors.  You can check their store locator to see if you can find these near you but if not feel free to substitute a similar sausage.  The soup would also be delicious if you substitute some chicken or turkey Italian sausage- just make sure to go ahead and precook the sausage before starting the recipe.

Once the sausage has browned a bit it’s time to add in our minced garlic.  It just needs to cook for about 1 minute, until it’s fragrant.  Next, we simply add our canned ingredients – pour in the chicken broth, diced tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, and beans.  Once our pot starts to boil it’s time to add in the cheese tortellini.  The pasta needs to simmer until it’s cooked through and plump – about 10-15 minutes.  During the last couple of minutes we wilt in our fresh spinach and then it’s time to serve.  Told ya this one was easy!

I like to serve my soup with a little fresh basil and shredded Parmesan cheese.  It’s also nice with a piece of crusty bread or a big side salad.  Leftovers make great lunches for the rest of the week!

My Tuscan Tortellini Soup makes 6 hearty servings at 6 Blue WW SmartPoints/7 Green WW SmartPoints and 290 calories each. Enjoy!

Tuscan Tortellini Soup

 

Print

Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

25 mins

Total time

30 mins

 

Author: Rachel's Healthy Plate

Serves: 6 servings

Ingredients

• 9 oz store-bought cheese tortellini (frozen is fine)
• 4 links Gilbert's Craft Sausages Caprese Chicken Sausage, sliced into ¼ inch pieces*
• 32 oz (4 cups) low sodium chicken broth
• 1 15oz can Italian-style diced tomatoes (pre-seasoned with Italian spices)
• 1 15oz can crushed tomatoes
• 1 15oz can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 large handfuls of fresh baby spinach, roughly chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp olive oil
• pinch of crushed red pepper, optional
• salt and pepper, to taste, if needed

Instructions

1. Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large, heavy soup pot. Add chicken sausage and saute until the edges are slightly browned, about 3 minutes.
2. Add minced garlic and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute.
3. Pour in chicken broth, diced tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, and beans. Add a pinch of crushed red pepper, if desired. Bring to a boil.
4. Once boiling add in the tortellini and simmer until the pasta is cooked through and plump, about 10-15 minutes. During the last 3 minutes of cook time add in the chopped spinach and stir until wilted.
5. Season with salt and pepper to taste, if needed. Enjoy!

Notes

Makes 6 servings at 6 Blue WW SmartPoints and 7 Green WW SmartPoints each.

*If you can't find this brand of sausage you can substitute a similar precooked sausage. You could also substitute chicken or turkey Italian sausage (just make sure you precook the sausage before beginning the recipe). As with all substitutions, you might want to recalculate the WW points as the points may changed based on the brand. These particular sausages are 3 WW SmartPoints per link.

Serving Suggestions: Top with fresh basil and shredded Parmesan cheese. Serve with large salad or crusty bread.

Nutritional information is calculated with MyFitnessPal and may vary based on brands used. Smart Points information is calculated with the Weight Watchers app and may also vary based on brands used.

Nutrition Information

Serving size: ⅙ of the recipe | Calories: 290 Fat: 8 Saturated fat: 3 Carbohydrates: 35 Sugar: 6 Fiber: 7 Protein: 19

3.5.3251

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I went back and forth about what to call this recipe for a long time. It’s kind of like jambalaya meets stuffed pepper soup. The soup is deeeelicious and hearty – it’s got savory bell peppers, smokey sausage, tomatoes, and fluffy rice – basically every single you could want in one bowl!  It’s simple to make but tastes like it’s been cooking away all day.  One serving of my Sausage, Pepper, & Rice soup is 4 WW SmartPoints on both the Blue and Green WW plans or 224 calories.

Making this cozy dish is easy – we saute up a couple of bell peppers with some some garlic and onion (aka the way all good recipes should start!) Once things are soft we add in our sausage, broth, fire roasted tomatoes, tomato sauce, and a few seasonings.  So much flavor comes from the fire roasted tomatoes and smokey sausage!

I chose to use my favorite Gilbert’s Craft Sausages Andouille Chicken Sausage – it’s 2 WW SmartPoints per link and 100 calories.  It’s precooked and loaded with tons of flavor.  You can check their store locator to see if you can find them near you but if they aren’t available try to find a similar product or turkey smoked sausage to use instead.

Once our soup simmers for a while all that’s left to do is stir in some cooked rice and then it’s ready to serve! Told ya it was easy!  Cozy, hearty, stick-to-your-ribs comfort food all in one bowl – you’re going to love it!

My Sausage, Pepper, & Rice Soup makes 6 servings at 4 WW SmartPoints on both the Blue and Green WW plans or 224 calories each – enjoy! (See recipe notes for more points info).

Sausage, Pepper, & Rice Soup

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

30 mins

Total time

40 mins

 

Author: Rachel's Healthy Plate

Serves: 6 servings

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 green bell pepper, medium dice
• 1 yellow bell pepper, medium dice
• 1 small onion, small dice
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 cups low sodium beef broth
• 1 15oz can fire roasted diced tomatoes
• 1 8oz can tomato sauce
• 4 Links of Gilbert's Craft Sausages Andouille Chicken Sausage, sliced into ¼ inch thick pieces (or sub similar sausage or smoked turkey sausage if this isn't available in your area*)
• ½ tsp Italian seasoning
• 1 bay leaf
• ¼ tsp smoked paprika
• pinch of crushed red pepper, optional
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 2 cups of cooked white rice (feel free to use the precooked kind!)

Instructions

1. Heat oil in a large heavy soup pan over medium heat. Add peppers and onions plus some salt and pepper and saute for about 5 minutes until vegetables are fairly soft.
2. Add in the minced garlic and sausage and saute until garlic is fragrant and the edges of the sausage are starting to brown, about 2-3 minutes.
3. Add in the beef broth, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, Italian seasoning, bay leaf, smoked paprika, and crushed red pepper. Stir and bring to a boil.
4. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.
5. While the soup is simmering you can cook your rice or you can use a shortcut and buy precooked rice in a steam bag.
6. Stir in rice just before serving and adjust salt and pepper to taste- enjoy! (See note about leftovers)

Notes

Makes 6 servings of Sausage, Pepper, & Rice Soup at 4 WW SmartPoints on both the Blue and Green WW plans.

*The andouille sausage I use is 2 WW SmartPoints/link and 100 calories. If you substitue another brand you may want to double check the points calculations as they may change.

Additional serving sizes:
4 servings = 7 SmartPoints each
5 servings = 5 SmartPoints each
6 servings = 4 SmartPoints each
7 servings = 4 SmartPoints each
8 servings = 3 SmartPoints each

Note about leftovers: Leftovers will become thick because the rice will continue to absorb the soup liquid. I personally don't mind this! To prevent this from happening you can keep the soup and rice separate and combine just before serving.

The nutritional info calculated is for ⅙ of the recipe.

Nutritional information is calculated with MyFitnessPal and may vary based on brands used. Smart Points information is calculated with the Weight Watchers app and may also vary based on brands used.

Nutrition Information

Serving size: ⅙ of the soup | Calories: 224 Fat: 6 Saturated fat: 2 Carbohydrates: 30 Sugar: 6 Fiber: 3 Protein: 13

3.5.3251

I am so excited you are making one of my recipes and I would love to see how it turns out! Make sure to share it on Instagram and tag me @rachelshealtyplate and use #rachelshealthyplate so I can see your creation! 

The post Sausage, Pepper, & Rice Soup appeared first on .

Have you ever made lasagna soup?!  It’s one of my favorites! Spicy Italian flavors, soft noodles, and a delicious tomato-based soup, all topped off with creamy ricotta cheese.  It’s perfect.  I’ve made this soup for a lot of people over the last couple of years and every single person has raved about it and asked for the recipe.  It’s super hearty – a total comfort food and you’d never believe that it’s just 4 Blue WW SmartPoints/5 Green WW SmartPoints per serving! The secret to my version of Lasagna Soup?!  We make our own low point Italian sausage – so easy!

So about the homemade Italian sausage… the first time I did this was actually out of desperation.  I was making lasagna soup for my parents who live in a small, rural town.  Their grocery story didn’t have the Italian sausage I was looking for so I googled how to make your own and voila!  It turned out so good that I never looked back.  The sausage seasoning that I make is adapted from this recipe by Tastes of Lizzy T.   The WW FreeStyle plan wasn’t around when I first started making my own sausage but now that it is?! It’s even better since fat free ground turkey and chicken is zero points! #score (The sausage is only zero points on the BLUE WW plan.)

So first thing we do is get together our spices.  This is about as hard as it gets for the recipe, seriously.  We brown our meat with the spices and then start adding in the rest of our ingredients.  It’s so easy – the hardest part is waiting for it to finish cooking because you’ll be drooling over how good it smells.  The soup needs to come to a boil before we add in the pasta – it goes in uncooked and will cook right in the soup broth which makes the noodles extra flavorful.

Once the pasta is cooked we’re all done.  Sometimes I like to add in a few handfuls of chopped fresh spinach at the end to sneak in a little bit of greens.  Just serve up a big bowl and top with a scoop of ricotta cheese!  I also like to add fresh basil when I have some on hand.

My Lasagna Soup is perfect year round but especially on cold winter days- hearty, cozy, and a crowd pleaser.  I love serving it with an Italian side salad and leftovers are great for lunch.  Makes 8 servings at 4 Blue WW SmartPoints/5 Green WW SmartPoints each.  Enjoy!

Psssst – You can use the recipe for zero point Italian sausage in lots of recipes so don’t forget about it! Just add the spices to one pound of  fat free ground turkey or chicken and use as you wish. The spices are so flavorful you won’t even miss the higher point meat!

Lasagna Soup

 

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Author: Rachel's Healthy Plate

Serves: 8 servings

Ingredients

• 1 tsp dried parsley
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp paprika
• ½ tsp fennel seed
• 1 lb 99% fat free ground turkey or chicken (I prefer turkey)
• 2 cloves garlic. minced
• 4 c low sodium beef broth
• 1 15oz can Italian seasoned diced tomatoes
• 1 8oz can tomato sauce
• 3 c water
• 1 bay leaf
• 8 oz uncooked farfalle (bowtie) pasta
• 2-3 handfuls of roughly chopped fresh spinach (optional)
• 1 c (8oz) part skim ricotta cheese (2 tbsp per serving)
• basil to garnish, if desired

Instructions

1. In a small bowl mix together the parsley, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, paprika, and fennel seeds.
2. In a heavy soup pot over medium heat, spray with nonstick spray and add ground meat. Sprinkle evenly with the Italian seasoning blend and mix well with the meat while cooking and breaking apart, until meat is fully cooked and browned.
3. During the last minute or so of cook time add in the 2 cloves of garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
4. Add in the beef broth, water, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil.
5. Once soup is boiling add in the uncooked pasta and cook according to the package directions, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is cooked al dente, usually about 12-15 minutes. The pasta will absorb a lot of the cooking liquid.
6. If you'd like to add spinach add it during the last 3 minutes or so of cook time - it just needs a couple of minutes at the end.
7. Soup is done once pasta is cooked. Removed bay leaf. Serve topped with 2 tbsp of part skim ricotta cheese per bowl. Soup will continue to thicken as it cools, the pasta continues to absorb more of the liquid.

Notes

Lasagna Soup recipe makes 8 servings at 4 Blue WW SmartPoints/5 Green WW SmartPoints per serving.

Nutritional information is calculated for ⅛ of the recipe.

Nutritional information is calculated with MyFitnessPal and may vary based on brands used. Smart Points information is calculated with the Weight Watchers app and may also vary based on brands used.

*Italian sausage seasoning blend is adapted from Taste of Lizzy T.

Nutrition Information

Serving size: ⅛ of the soup + 2 tbsp ricotta | Calories: 243 Fat: 5 Saturated fat: 2 Carbohydrates: 28 Sugar: 4 Fiber: 2 Protein: 22

3.5.3251

I am so excited you are making one of my recipes and I would love to see how it turns out! Make sure to share it on Instagram and tag me @rachelshealtyplate and use #rachelshealthyplate so I can see your creation! 

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Something about this soup reminds of childhood – just good, hearty, homemade goodness, ya know!?  It taste like something a grandma would make (and I totally mean that in the BEST way possible!) Potato soup is one of those stick-to-your-ribs comfort foods but I decided to kick it up a notch by adding in some smokey sausage! If you’ve ever had a potato and ham soup it’s reminiscent of that….. but better! Creamy potato soup that’s filled flavorful smoked sausage is a perfect combo.  One hearty serving of my Potato and Smoked Sausage Soup is 7 WW SmartPoints on both the Blue and Green WW plans or 173 calories!

I don’t know why I don’t make potato soup more often – there’s really nothing to to it!  A few simple ingredients give you some amazing flavor and it doesn’t take long at all to whip up a pot.  It’s rich, and thick, and perfect for this time of year because it warms you from the inside out.

To make the soup you need 2 lbs of potatoes, an onion, a clove of garlic, a little oil, chicken broth, milk, and your sausage.  I am using Gilbert’s Craft Sausages Andouille Chicken Sausage which is one of my all time favorites!  Each link is packed with flavor and only 100 calories/2  WW SmartPoints.  You can check their store locator to see if you can find them in your area but if not you can sub something similar.  You can use some smoked turkey sausage or even some diced ham!

Give it a try and let me know what you think!  Makes 6 servings of Potato and Smoked Sausage Soup at 7 WW SmartPoints each on both the Blue and Green WW plans.  Enjoy!

Potato & Smoked Sausage Soup

 

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Author: Rachel's Healthy Plate

Serves: 6 servings

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, diced small
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp pepper
• 2 lbs white potatoes - washed, peeled, diced into ½ inch cubes (I used russet)
• 4 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 4 links of Gilbert's Craft Sausage Andouille Chicken Sausage, diced into ½ inch cubes *(Or sub similar pre-cooked sausage, such as smoked turkey sausage, or ham if you can't find this one)
• 1-2 cup 2% milk (see note)
• Green onion to garnish, if desired

Instructions

1. Heat oil in a large, heavy soup pot over medium heat. Add onion along with the salt and pepper and saute until soft, about 5 minutes.
2. Add garlic and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute.
3. Add chicken broth and diced potatoes and bring to a boil.
4. Reduce heat to a low boil and let cook until the potatoes are soft and cooked through, about 12-15 minutes (check doneness with a fork).
5. Using a wire whisk lightly mash some of the potatoes in the pot. (I mash about ⅓ of the potatoes because I like to have chunks and the potatoes will continue to break apart as you stir.)
6. Stir in diced sausage and cook on low for about 5 minutes.
7. Stir in milk, starting with 1 cup - based on your desired consistency you can add up to 1 more cup without altering the points value. Cook for another 5 minutes.
8. Taste and adjust salt and pepper, if needed. Enjoy!

Notes

Makes 6 servings at 7 WW SmartPoints each on both the Blue and Green WW plans.

*If you substitute the sausage for something different please check the points, as yours might be different. The Andouille sausage I use is 2 points per link. The 4 links in the recipe account for 10 total SmartPoints (#WWmath).

*If you add 2 cups of milk vs 1 cup the points remain the same - just decide how much you want to use based on your desired consistency. It's great both ways!

The nutritional info shown is for ⅙ of the recipe and using 1 cup of milk.

Nutritional information is calculated with MyFitnessPal and may vary based on brands used. Smart Points information is calculated with the Weight Watchers app and may also vary based on brands used.

Nutrition Information

Serving size: ⅙ of the recipe | Calories: 173 Fat: 3 Saturated fat: 1 Carbohydrates: 32 Sugar: 4 Fiber: 2 Protein: 5

3.5.3251

I am so excited you are making one of my recipes and I would love to see how it turns out! Make sure to share it on Instagram and tag me @rachelshealtyplate and use #rachelshealthyplate so I can see your creation! 

The post Potato & Smoked Sausage Soup appeared first on .

If you’ve never made any of my recipes before, start with this one.  This one is a keeper.  My Southwest Chicken Soup is a family favorite that’s been around for years.  In fact, this is one of the first recipes I shared on a cooking blog I had maaaany many years ago, maybe 8 or 9 years ago now?! Anyway, like I was saying – this recipe is one of my all time favorites.  It’s warm, hearty, and cooks in the crockpot while you’re away doing all the things.  I forgot to mention that it’s 0 (ZERO!!) WW SmartPoints on the Blue plan.  The Blue plan wasn’t around when I first came up with this soup so the zero points is just a major perk.

The best thing about this soup is that you literally just throw a bunch of stuff into a crockpot and come home to the most delicious homemade soup in the world.  My favorite thing to do is prep the crockpot at night before bed and leave it in the fridge overnight.  In the morning I just pull it out and set it to cook before walking out the door.

Since the soup is zero points you can really have fun with the toppings! I love to top it with avocado and Greek yogurt and serve something on the side for dipping.  Corn thins, tortilla chips, or cornbread are some of our favorites!  The recipe makes a huge pot of soup so you’ll have plenty to serve for easy meals throughout the week plus it freezes so well – I usually freeze half in single serve portions for easy lunches when I’m in a pinch.

My Crockpot Southwest Chicken Soup is 0 Blue WW SmartPoints regardless of how you divide it.  I usually divide mine into 8 hearty servings which is 5 WW SmartPoints on the Green plan.  Enjoy!

Southwest Chicken Soup

 

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Author: Rachel's Healthy Plate

Serves: 8-10 servings

Ingredients

• 4 chicken breasts (~ 2 lbs, no need to thaw if they are frozen)
• 28 oz can diced tomatoes
• 8 oz can tomato sauce
• 4 oz can diced green chilies
• 15 oz can low sodium chicken broth
• 15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 15 oz can red or pinto beans, rinsed and drained
• 15 oz can corn, drained
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• ½ tsp paprika
• ½ tsp onion powder
• ¼ tsp garlic powder
• ¼ tsp oregano
• pinch of crushed red pepper

Instructions

1. Put all ingredients except for chicken into a crock pot. Stir well.
2. Add chicken breast and cover with the mixture.
3. Cook on high heat for 4 hours or low heat for 6-8 hours, until the chicken shreds easily.
4. Remove chicken from crock pot, shred, and return to the soup.
5. Serve as desired - have fun with toppings!

Notes

Entire batch of my Crockpot Soutwest Chicken Soup is 0 WW Smart Points on the Blue plan- divide as you wish!

1/8 of the recipe is 5 WW SmartPoints on the Green plan.

Topping suggestions: avocado, greek yogurt or sour cream, shredded cheese, green onions, cilantro, corn bread, tortilla chips, corn thins.

The nutritional info shown is for ⅛ of the recipe.

Nutritional information is calculated with MyFitnessPal and may vary based on brands used. Smart Points information is calculated with the Weight Watchers app and may also vary based on brands used.

*Spice mixture is adapted from a homemade taco seasoning recipe on Allrecipes.com

Nutrition Information

Serving size: ⅛ of the recipe | Calories: 310 Fat: 5 Saturated fat: 0 Carbohydrates: 26 Sugar: 9 Fiber: 6 Protein: 36

3.5.3251

I am so excited you are making one of my recipes and I would love to see how it turns out! Make sure to share it on Instagram and tag me @rachelshealtyplate and use #rachelshealthyplate so I can see your creation! 

The post Southwest Chicken Soup appeared first on .

Welcome to #FriendFriday where each week I’ll be sharing a delicious recipe from one of my Instagram friends!  I find so much inspiration and friendship in the Instagram community so I’m looking forward to sharing some of that here with you.  I’m excited for you to get to know some of my friends, I know you will find them as motivational as I do!  Be sure to find them on Instagram so you can follow their journey and find more of their delicious meal ideas!

Today you are meeting Julie from @cookingwjulie who is a fabulous recipe developer for WW and several other companies! Julie shares healthy meals and gives lots of entertaining tips!  Be sure to follow her on Instagram and her website for a ton of yummy, WW-friendly ideas!

Hi, Julie, tell us about yourself!

Hi! I’m Julie Hartigan of Cooking w/ Julie’ a Professional Chef & WW Recipe Developer who loves helping people feel like rock stars in the kitchen (and have more fun hosting parties) with my easy recipes and cooking tips.  My cooking style can pretty much be summed up as “Happy meets Healthy” lots of colorful, super flavorful, lightened-up twists on comfort food and party favs.  I’ve been creating recipes for WW for about 9 years now and even helped them launch their WW Wellness Cruises… we just got back from our 4th one!  We serve 100’s of my recipes at the buffet and in full dining room menus and I do healthy cooking demos for all the members on board.  I consult with lots of other brands too like Bed Bath Beyond, Real Simple Magazine, and more creating recipes, filming videos, testing cooking gear, and writing about cooking. health, and entertaining.  I even get to do live TV cooking segments (which is such a blast!) and have two YouTube cooking shows coming out next year that I’m very excited about!  I live in Hoboken, NJ just outside NYC with my two teen daughters, my boyfriend, and our silly Bull Mastiff-Boxer puppy named Harvey.  I’m also a total beach bum a nd spend a lot of time at my beach place in Asbury Park where I shoot my cooking hack videos and test out new recipes on friends! You can find my recipes and tips on CookingwJulie.com, on FB/Instagram @cookingwjulie and check out my cooking and recipe videos on my YouTube Channel Julie Hartigan, Cooking w/ Julie.

What motivated you to change your lifestyle?

For over a decade I was a road-warrior engineer/tech consultant who secretly dreamed of a career that felt more like “me” involving food and fun! (Cooking was always my passion, as a little girl I wanted to try new things and even wrote my 1st recipe when I was 8 years old! (For my grandma’s Rhubarb Crunch.) When my 1st daughter was born I decided it was time for me to pursue a career I loved vs one my diploma said I should do! I worked at a culinary school in NYC to earn free tuition there to do their professional program, was a personal chef, taught cooking classes, and worked at Food Network and in a magazine test kitchen to learn the ropes.  I’m so glad I took the leap, it makes me so happy to get to do work I love that helps others lead a happier healthier lifestyle.

What are your favorite foods to cook?

Roasted veggies are a big fav of mine- I use them in soups, salads, frittatas, and on their own.  It’s such an easy, healthy, hands-off way to prepare them! I’m also a big fan of using ethnic spices and flavorful herbs to make even the simplest dish jump with flavor. I’m known as the 0 SP expert at WW and make lots of my own 0 sp soups and dips for m own family! Shakshoukas are another staple for me- you can pretty much saute any veggies you have on hand, add some salsa or tomato sauce, crack an egg on top to cook, and you have the easiest ever 0 sp meal for anytime of day!

What is one piece of advice you’d give someone just starting out on a health journey?

Prep healthy delicious dishes in batches at the beginning of the week to set yourself up for success.  And use lots of flavors, spices, and herbs in your cooking to keep things fun!

Tell us about the recipe you are sharing today!

My Turkey Tortilla Soup is a fun, flavorful, and unexpected way to use up allll that leftover turkey from Thanksgiving! It’s a great dish to make for a crowd too – just put out a mix of toppings like salsa, crushed tortilla chips, non-fat Greek yogurt, lime wedges, shredded cheese, and hot sauce so everyone can customize their own bowl.  It freezes really well and you can also use rotisserie or leftover chicken to make this when you don’t have turkey hanging around!!!

Julies Chicken Tortilla Soup is 0 Blue WW SmartPoints when divided into 3+ servings. It’s 3 Green WW SmartPoints for 1/10 of the recipe, approximately 1 cup.  Enjoy!  Be sure to continue following Julie for lots of delicious recipes!

Turkey Tortilla Soup

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

30 mins

 

Author: Julie, @CookingwJulie

Serves: 10 cups

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 ½ cups chopped onion
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 4 tsp minced garlic
• 1 jalapeno seeded and minced
• 1 tsp ancho chili powder
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 1 15 oz can fire roasted tomatoes drained
• 2 15 oz cans black beans rinsed, drained
• 4 cups shredded cooked turkey
• ⅓ cup fresh lime juice
• ½ cup chopped cilantro
• Optional Toppings: Shredded Cheddar or Mexican 4-Cheese, Sour Cream, Tortilla Chips, Lime Wedges

Instructions

1. Heat olive oil in a large soup pot set over medium heat. Add onion and salt and cook for 5-10 minutes or until onion is softened. Add garlic, jalapeno, and ancho chili powder and cook for 1 minute. Add broth, tomatoes, black beans, turkey and lime juice. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10-15 minutes for flavors to meld. Stir in cilantro and serve topped with optional garnishes.

Notes

When the recipe is divided into more than 3 servings it will be 0 WW SmartPoints per serving. Divided into 10 servings, about 1 cup of soup, each serving is 3 Green WW SmartPoints.

Nutritional info provided is for 1/10th of the recipe (1 cup of soup) and assuming the use of 14 oz turkey breast.

Nutritional information is calculated with MyFitnessPal and may vary based on brands used. Smart Points information is calculated with the Weight Watchers app and may also vary based on brands used.

Nutrition Information

Serving size: 1/10 of the recipe | 1 cup | Calories: 127 Fat: 3 Saturated fat: 0 Carbohydrates: 20 Sugar: 4 Fiber: 6 Protein: 13

3.5.3251

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