Creamy Chicken Soup with Cauliflower

Makes 8 cups

Ingredients

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil

½ yellow onion, diced

1 carrot, diced

1 celery stalk, diced

1 ½ pounds (3 or 4 medium) cooked chicken breast, diced

2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

2 cups water

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon dried thyme

2 ½ cups fresh cauliflower florets

1 cup fresh spinach, chopped

2 cups nonfat or 1% milk

Directions

1. Place a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Sauté the garlic in the olive oil for 1 minute.
2. Add the onion, carrot and celery and sauté until tender, 3 to 5 minutes.
3. Add the chicken breast, broth, water, black pepper, thyme and cauliflower. Bring to a simmer, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, uncovered, for 30 minutes.
4. Add the fresh spinach and stir until wilted, about 5 minutes.
5. Stir in the milk, then serve immediately.

Nutrition per serving (1 cup): Calories 164; Fat 3g; Carbohydrates 5g: Protein 25g; Sodium 54mg.

Recipe from: The Gastric Sleeve Bariatric Cookbook by Sarah Kent MS, RDN, CSOWM, CD

Roasted Vegetable Quinoa Salad with Chickpeas

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients

1 small eggplant, diced

1 small zucchini, diced

1 small yellow squash, diced

½ grape tomatoes, halved

1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

1/3 cup packaged quinoa

1 cup low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 teaspoon minced fresh garlic or 1 garlic clove, minced

1 tablespoon dried basil

1 teaspoon dried oregano

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 425. Line a 9-by-13-inch baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Spread the eggplant, zucchini, yellow squash, tomatoes, and chickpeas across the baking sheet and toss them with 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
3. Bake for 30 minutes, stirring once halfway through. The finished vegetables should be tender and the tomatoes should be juicy. The chickpeas will be firm and crispy.
4. While the vegetables and chickpeas are roasting, place the quinoa and broth in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and cook for about 15 minutes, or until all liquid has absorbed. Remove the pan from the heat and fluff the quinoa with a fork.  (Otherwise, make the quinoa according to package instructions.)
5. In a small dish, whisk together the lemon juice, garlic, and remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Mix in the basil and oregano.
6. In a large serving bowl, combine the quinoa, roasted vegetables with chickpeas, and dressing. Gently stir to combine. Serve and enjoy!

Tip:  To increase protein in this dish, you can add lean grilled chicken breast or serve with a piece of baked fish.  You can always top with a dollop of low-fat plain Greek yogurt.

Nutrition per serving (1/2 cup): Calories 200; Fat 9g; Carbohydrate 27g; Protein 7g; Sodium 160mg.

Recipe from: The Gastric Sleeve Bariatric Cookbook by Sarah Kent MS, RDN, CSOWM, CD