Cheddar Veggie Soup vs. Italian Sausage Tomato Soup

Cheddar Veggie Soup

4 tbsp butter, 2 stalks celery, 2 carrots

1/2 chopped onion, parsley, basil

2 potatoes, flour

3 cups chicken broth

1 cup chopped broccoli, cheese, 1 cup milk

-Recipe-

Saute carrots, celery, onion, parsley and basil in butter until soft

Add chicken broth, broccoli and potatoes and bring to a boil

Turn to simmer and cook for about 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender

While potatoes are cooking,  melt butter over medium heat

Add flour and stir continuously for about 1 minute

Add milk and bring to boil

Turn heat down to medium and cook for about 5 minutes until it thickens

Add cheese and stir until it melts

Add cheese sauce to vegetables and broth

Stir to combine

*Calcium, Vegetables, Carbohydrates*

Healthy Alterations: #fixthedish

• Use unsalted cream butter to cut back on sodium and use a natural cream instead of eating "fake" butter which is made in a laboratory out of chemicals.
• Use vegetables broth because it is very low in calories and cholesterol
• Use a creamy almond/cashew milk or skim milk to cut down on calories but maintain a creamy texture
• Use organic or natural vegetables oven canned vegetables because they contain more nutrients

Italian Sausage Tomato Soup

On the lighter side:

1 pound ground Italian Sausage

4 cups petite diced tomatoes

3 cups chicken broth

8 tbsp tomato paste

1 chopped red onion

4 garlic cloves minced

6 shredded basil leaves

Red Pepper flakes, black pepper, seasoning salt

Cilantro, Oregano, Sweet Basil

- Recipe -

Wash and chop all the vegetables

In a large pot, saute Italian Sausage with chopped onions

After meat is cooked, add garlic and basil leaves

Add broth and tomatoes

Bring soup to a boil

Add tomato paste to soup, mix thoroughly

Add all seasonings except for cilantro

Lower heat, and bring to a low simmer for half an hour

Serve soup and top with cheese and cilantro

*Protein, fruit, vegetables*

3 Good Choices:

• Loading a dish with a tons of tomatoes is a good option because it contains servings of fruit, which a lot of people are lacking in their meals today. It is important to expose yourself to all the food groups because they each contain different sources of nutrients and vitamins.
•  I enjoy all of the spices used in this dish that contain flavor because it allows me to avoid unhealthy toppings like bacon and cheese. I actually didn't add any cheese to my serving and it tasted so flavorful, I was quite proud of the dish.
• Even though the Italian sausage is beef, I decided to use a chicken broth due to the small amount of calories that it contains and the fact that it is a mostly unsaturated fat, where as beef broth contains 1/2 saturated fat. Just a simple switch as easy as that makes the dish so much healthier.

Now that fall is in season, I was excited to embrace this year's upcoming cold chilly nights with a few warm soup recipes. Next time my little sister is sick, I know I will have some good soup recipes up my sleeve to soothe her throat. Last night, I served my family the Italian Sausage Tomato soup and I was quite proud of it actually. Everyone in my family was joyed to eat a classic comfort dish, but with the fun twist of the sausage and blend of spices I added. I made a recipe of my own, and I want to share it with all of you, so that you can share them with your family and enjoy this year's fall season. 

Please let us know in the comments or on social media if you try our dish! We will like and share! And vote which of the two you would prefer near the top right of our page!

#recipiespree #fixthedish

For more Soup Recipes, check out these links
Potato Soup vs. French Onion Soup

 For more Italian Sausage Recipes, check out these links
Italian Sausage Pizzas
Lasagna Roll-ups
Italian Sausage Pasta Bake