Salmon-Wild Rice Soup

Wednesday evening is soup night around the Packed Table. One of the all-time favorites—especially with my husband—is this one. There's never any leftovers no matter how much I make! If he doesn't get to it first, one of the teenagers will leave him disappointed.

Unique and flavorful, this soup delivers a wonderful taste supported by fresh, healthy ingredients like celery and the earthy flavors of mushrooms and wild rice. The creamy stock and hearty chunks of salmon satisfy a hearty appetite.

This recipe calls for canned salmon, however on occasion I make it with cooked fresh salmon. Obviously, the fresh fish enhances the flavor, in a pinch however, canned salmon will do just fine.

This makes a complete meal with the addition of biscuits—we enjoy cheddar garlic biscuits, and perhaps a fruit or green salad.

Salmon-Wild Rice Soup

Adapted from Betty Crocker

• 4 slices bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 1 medium stalk celery, thickly sliced
• 4 ounces mushrooms, sliced
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary leaves
• 1 cup cooked wild rice (instructions below)
• 2 cans (14 ounce), chicken broth
• 1 cup half and half
• 1 can (15 1/2 ounces) salmon, drained and flaked, bones removed

Wild Rice

Rinse 1/2 cup wild rice under cold water. Heat rice and 1 1/4 cups water and 1/2 teaspoons salt, to boiling stirring once or twice; reduce heat. Cover; simmer until tender, 40 to 50 minutes.

Instructions for soup

Cook bacon in 3-quart saucepan until crisp; drain, reserving 1 tablespoon fat in saucepan. Cook and stir onion, clerey and mushrooms in bacon fat until celery is tender. Stir in flour, mustard and rosemary. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until bubbly; remove from heat. Stir in wild rice and broth.

Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer 10 minutes. Stir in bacon, half-and -half and salmon. Heat, stirring occasionally until hot.

Yield - 6 (1 cup each) servings; 280 calories per serving.

Slow-Cook Tuscan Sausage and Bean Soup

This is a recipe from one of my favorite blogs, Recipe Girl. I have been following her even before she had a blog. She has a great site full of wonderful recipes.

We eat a lot of soup in the winter. I am always on the prowl for great, healthy soup recipes. This one appealed to be because it looked healthy, easy and yummy. It really lived up to my expectations. This recipe originally came from a Weight Watchers cookbook, the points for a serving of this soup will be listed at the bottom.

I did not make this in my slow cooker. My day got away from me, as it is so prone to do. So, I threw it together on the stove top about an hour before we ate. I served it with the Whole Wheat Baguette that I still had on hand. The meal was hearty and perfect for a cold winter's night. You will want to make it too! It was delicious. The whole family loved it!

Slow-Cook Tuscan Sausage and Bean Soup

• One (12-ounce) link of turkey kielbasa sausage, cut into 1/4-inch-thick rounds
• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 small onion, chopped

• 1 large carrot, peeled and roughly chopped

• 1 large stalk celery, chopped

• 1/2 medium bunch kale, stems removed, & leaves chopped (about 4 cups)

• 3 cups fat-free low-sodium chicken broth

• One (15.5-ounce) can red kidney beans, rinsed & drained

• One (15.5-ounce) can great Northern beans, rinsed & drained

• One (14.5-ounce) can Italian seasoned diced tomatoes

• 1/2 cup dry red wine (or water)

• 1 tsp. dried basil

• shredded Parmesan cheese, optional

In a slow cooker, combine all ingredients except Parmesan. Stir to combine. Cover and cook on low until the vegetables are tender, 8-10 hours.

Yield: 6 servings (1 1/2 cups per serving)

Nutritional Information (without Parmesan): calories 241, fat 5g (sat 5g & trans fat 0g), cholesterol 37mg, sodium 1,258mg, carbohydrates 31g, fiber 8g, protein 19g, calcium 158mg

WW POINTS: Points Plus: 6 Old Points System: 4

Tips:
*If you are preparing this recipe as Dairy Free, skip the addition of Parmesan cheese.
*If you are preparing this recipe as Gluten-Free, make sure you add in sausage that is free of gluten.

Source: Adapted slightly from Weight Watchers New Complete Cookbook