Three Bean Soup with Cucumber and Jicama Salad. Linda Gassenheimer/TNS
Thick, hearty soup and a salad make a warm and welcoming vegetarian dinner. This soup freezes well. If you have time, make double and you will have another meal ready.
Jicama is a root vegetable with a thin brown skin and crunchy white flesh. It can be eaten raw or cooked. The nutty flavor and crisp texture are refreshing with the thick soup.
Helpful Hints:
• If jicama is unavailable, any crunchy vegetable such as broccoli can be used.
• Diced onion is used in both recipes. Dice it all at one time and divide accordingly.
• Any type of oil and vinegar dressing can be used for the salad.
Countdown:
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees to warm bread.
• Make soup.
• While soup cooks, make salad.
Shopping List:
To buy: 1 small parsnip, 1 can reduced-sodium red kidney beans, 1 can reduced-sodium chick peas, 1 small package frozen baby lima beans, 1 large can (32 ounces needed) reduced-sodium peeled tomatoes, 1 jalapeno pepper, 1 medium cucumber, 1/4 pound jicama, 1 red onion, 1 container no-salt-added vegetable broth, 1 bottle ground cumin, 1 bottle chili powder, and 1 small whole-wheat baguette.
Staples: Reduced-fat oil and vinegar dressing, carrots, salt and black peppercorns.
THREE BEAN SOUP
Recipe by Linda Gassenheimer
1 cup diced red onion
1/2 cup diced carrot
1/2 cup diced parsnips
1-1/4-cups water, divided use
3/4 cup rinsed and drained reduced-sodium red kidney beans
3/4 cup rinsed and drained reduced-sodium chick peas
1 cup frozen baby lima beans
4 cups reduced-sodium canned peeled tomatoes
1 cup no-salt-added vegetable broth
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons chili powder
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 slices whole-wheat baguette
Place onion, carrot, parsnips and 1/4 cup water in a large saucepan. Saute 5 minutes. Add kidney beans, chick peas, lima beans, tomatoes, vegetable broth, remaining 1 cup water, cumin and chili powder. Break up tomatoes with a spoon or knife. Simmer 20 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Place bread in oven to warm for 5 minutes.
Yields 2 servings.
Per serving: 586 calories (11% from fat), 6.9 g fat (0.9 g saturated, 1.4 g monounsaturated), no cholesterol, 29.7 g protein, 111 g carbohydrates, 30.6 g fiber, 604 mg sodium.
CUCUMBER AND JICAMA SALAD
Recipe by Linda Gassenheimer
2 tablespoons reduced-fat oil and vinegar dressing
1 tablespoon diced red onion
2 teaspoons seeded, chopped jalapeno pepper
1 cup peeled, sliced cucumber (cut large slices in half)
1 cup peeled and sliced jicama, (about same size as cucumber)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Pour dressing into a salad bowl. Stir in onion and jalapeno pepper. Add the cucumber and jicama and toss well. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Yields 2 servings.
Per serving: 45 calories (22% from fat), 1.1 g fat (0.01 g saturated, 0.3 g monounsaturated), 1 mg cholesterol, 1 g protein, 8.4 g carbohydrates, 3.8 g fiber, 8 mg sodium.
Linda Gassenheimer is an author of over 30 cookbooks. Her newest is “The 12-Week Diabetes Cookbook.” Find her on Facebook (@FoodNewsandViews) and Twitter (@LGassenheimer), and listen to her podcasts at www.880thebiz.com.
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