National Clam Chowder Day

Many regional variations of Clam Chowder exist. The two most common are New England or "white" clam chowder and Manhattan or "red" clam chowder. Manhattan versus New England Clam Chowder.

Recipes

1. Manhattan Clam Chowder, MyPlate
2. New England Clam Chowder, EatingWell

Homemade Soup Day - Southwest Black Bean and Vegetable Soup

Serves: 13

Serving Size: 3/4 cups

Ingredients.

1 onion, large, chopped

1 green pepper, medium, chopped

2 garlic cloves

1 (32 ounces) low sodium chicken broth

1 (15 ounces) can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 (15 ounces) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed

28 ounces diced tomatoes, unsalted

6 ounces chopped green chilies

1 (15 ounces) can corn, drained
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

Directions.

1. In a large nonstick saucepan, sauté vegetables and
garlic until almost tender.

2. Stir in all ingredients and bring to a boil.

3. Simmer 20 minutes.

4. Soup freezes well.

Nutrition Information

Resources.
1. Wikipedia. Soups - History, Types, and Varieties
2. Food Network.  Healthy Soup Recipes
4. EatingWell. Healthy Winter Soup Recipes


Ensure accurate nutritional analysis for your recipes utilizing an extensive research database and over 30 years of experience. A valuable service for Recipe Bloggers, Media, Cookbook Publishers, Writers, Chefs, and Recipe Websites. Your readers will benefit from the Nutrition information and a Registered Dietitian. Contact: Dietitians-Online.com; Sandra Frank, Ed.D, RDN, FAND at recipenews@gmail.com  954-294-6300

A Culinary Voyage: The World's Most Famous Soups

In a world brimming with diverse cultures and traditions, nothing quite encapsulates the essence of a place like its local cuisine. Among the many culinary delights, soups stand out as a universal comfort food, transcending borders and bringing the taste of culture to our tables. Each spoonful of these simmering concoctions tells a story – a tale of heritage, geography, and the unique blend of ingredients that define a region's palate.

Join us on a gastronomic adventure, where each sip is a discovery, and every bowl is a celebration of the world's vast and vibrant culinary heritage. Embark on a journey, one spoonful at a time, to discover the stories and secrets simmering within these global soups. 

Gazpacho (Spain) is a refreshing, cold soup made from raw, blended vegetables like tomatoes, cucumbers, and bell peppers, often enjoyed in the summer.

Harira (Morocco) is a rich and hearty soup traditionally eaten during Ramadan. It is made with tomatoes, lentils, chickpeas, and lamb and flavored with a blend of fragrant spices.

Laksa (Malaysia and Singapore): A spicy noodle soup with a distinctive coconut milk base, it comes in various forms, including curry laksa and asam laksa, often served with chicken, prawn, or fish.

Minestrone (Italy): A thick Italian vegetable soup often containing beans, onions, celery, carrots, stock, and tomatoes, sometimes with pasta or rice.

Tom Yum (Thailand): A hot and sour soup known for its intense flavors, it typically includes shrimp (Tom Yum Goong), mushrooms, tomatoes, lemongrass, galangal, and kaffir lime leaves.

Tortilla Soup (Mexico): A hearty, flavorful soup made with chicken broth, roasted tomatoes, onion, garlic, and chilies and topped with crispy fried tortilla strips, avocado, cheese, and sour cream.

Caldo Verde (Portugal): A simple, comforting soup made with thinly sliced kale, potatoes, and chorizo sausage, often served during celebrations.

Phở (Vietnam): A Vietnamese soup known for its fragrant broth, rice noodles, herbs, and usually beef (Phở Bò) or chicken (Phở Gà).

French Onion Soup (France): A rich and savory soup based on caramelized onions and beef stock, and typically served with a crouton and melted cheese on top.

Chupe de Mariscos (Peru): A creamy seafood soup from Peru, loaded with various seafood like shrimp, crab, and fish, often enriched with potatoes, corn, and a base of aji peppers and cilantro.

New England Clam Chowder (USA): A creamy, hearty soup from the New England region, known for its chunks of clams, diced potatoes, onions, and sometimes bacon in a milk or cream base.

Borscht (Russia/Ukraine): A sour soup common in Eastern European countries, famous for its distinctive red color from beetroots, usually served with sour cream, and can contain a variety of vegetables and meat.

Ramen (Japan) is a popular Japanese soup consisting of Chinese-style wheat noodles served in a meat- or fish-based broth flavored with soy sauce or miso and topped with ingredients like sliced pork, nori, and scallions.

These soups not only offer a taste of their respective cultures but also embody the diversity and richness of global culinary traditions.

Nutrition Notes

Soup is a combination of foods with endless possibilities. It represents comfort, warmth, tradition, and nourishment.

Soups can be an economical way of meeting nutritional needs. Leftovers are perfect when preparing soups.

Soups have been known to curb the appetite and slow the eating process. Studies show slower eaters are more likely to notice signs of fullness sooner and consume fewer calories. With the extra time, enjoy the flavor, aroma, and texture of the foods.

Soups can be prepared with various healthy ingredients and traditional favorites made healthier with some substitutions.

Foods you can substitute to make heart-healthy choices.

Instead of:	Try these heart-healthy suggestions:
whole milk or 2% milk	1% milk or skim milk
whipped cream	chilled evaporated skim milk, whipped
cheese (American, Cheddar, Swiss)	Cheeses with 5 or less grams of fat per ounce. Terms used: reduced-fat, low-fat, or fat-free. Reduced fat is easier to substitute when cooking.
creamed cottage cheese	nonfat or 1% fat cottage cheese, or farmers' cheese
cream cheese	light, fat-free products, or Neufchatel cheese
Mozzarella cheese	part-skim mozzarella cheese
Ricotta cheese	nonfat, lite, or part-skim
sour cream, regular	non-fat, light, or low-fat sour cream or plain yogurt.
butter	lower-calorie margarine in soft tubes, vegetable cooking sprays, or nonstick cookware.
margarine, regular	lower-calorie margarine in soft tubes, vegetable cooking sprays, or nonstick cookware.
mayonnaise, regular	reduced-fat, cholesterol-free, low-fat, or fat-free. If making a dip, you can substitute plain nonfat or low-fat yogurt. Reduce the amount required in the recipe.
salad dressing	reduced-fat, cholesterol-free, low-fat, or fat-free dressings or lemon juice, vinegar, or mustard. Reduce the amount required in the recipe.
one whole egg	equals 2 egg whites or 1/4 cup egg substitute
egg noodles	noodles made without egg yolk
condensed cream soup	99% fat-free condensed cream soup
salt	eliminate or reduce by 1/2; explore herbs and spices
gravy	gravies made with low sodium broth and thickened with flour/cornstarch
beef, pork, veal, lamb	choose lean cuts trimmed of all visible fat, or substitute with chicken or turkey without the skin.
oil for sautéing	water, broth, tomato juice
frying	broil, bake, microwave, poach, steam, grill, stir fry

Healthy Soup Additions
1. Instead of salt, add herbs and spices to enhance the flavor. Explore the many possible seasonings available.
2. Add fresh, frozen, or leftover vegetables (use fruits if making a cold soup) to increase fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Avoid canned vegetables high in sodium. Read the label. A low-sodium food contains 140 mg or less per serving of sodium.
3. Increase fiber and protein by eating foods such as beans, lentils, brown rice, whole-grain pasta, barley, and bulgur.
4. Increase calcium and protein by using skim milk, evaporated skim milk, non-fat dry milk powder, or calcium-fortified soymilk. These low-fat ingredients can replace higher-fat alternatives like whole milk or cream.

Canned and Dry Soup Mixes are known for their high sodium content. Read the label and check the serving size. Remember, a low-sodium food contains 140 mg or less per serving.

Some companies within the food industry are making great strides in lowering the sodium content in their products. At Campbell, they have more than 100 products with a healthy level of sodium, more than 200 that are low in fat and saturated fat, more than 150 products that have 100 calories or less per serving, and more than 85 products certified by the American Heart Association.

I was searching the Campbell archives when I came across a 1959 commercial. Campbell had the foresight to recognize the importance of nutrition over 50 years ago.

Campbell's Soup, 1959

Soup Tidbits
Soup is a staple in almost every American home. After NBC's "Seinfeld" show introduced the "Soup Nazi" in the United States on November 2, 1995 - Soup became a fashionable food.

The Soup Nazi - Revenge

December 29, Pepper Pot Day Recipe

Pepper Pot is a thick stew or soup of beef tripe, vegetables, pepper, and other seasonings. Beef tripe is usually made from the first three chambers of a cow's stomach: the rumen, the reticulum (honeycomb and pocket tripe), and the omasum.

Pepper Pot Soup
Yields: 12 servings

Ingredients
1 pound sirloin steak, trimmed, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (or 1 pound honeycomb tripe)
5 slices bacon, diced
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
3 leeks, chopped
1 bunch fresh parsley, chopped
2 green bell peppers, diced
2 quarts low sodium beef stock
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves (optional)
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 large potato, peeled and diced
2 large carrots, diced
4 tablespoons unsalted margarine
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Directions
1. Place the beef in a nonstick saucepan. Cook and stir occasionally until no longer pink on the outside, about 3 to 4 minutes. Drain and cut the beef into 1/4 inch pieces. 

2. In a large kettle, saute the bacon until clear. Add the beef, onion, celery, leeks, parsley, and green peppers; saute until tender.
3. Stir in beef stock, thyme, marjoram, cloves, red pepper flakes, bay leaf, and black pepper. Bring the kettle to a boil. Turn the heat down to a simmer. Cook, covered, until meat is very tender, about 2 hours.
4. Add the diced potato and carrots, and cook for an additional 20 minutes.
5. Prepare the roux by stirring the flour into the melted margarine, and cooking for a moment on the stove. When the soup is done to your liking, stir in the roux. Simmer, stirring all the while, until the soup thickens a bit. Correct the seasonings.

Nutritional Information

Ensure accurate nutritional analysis for your recipes utilizing an extensive research database and over 25 years experience. A valuable service for the Recipe Blogger, Media, Cookbook Publishers, Writers, Chefs, and Recipe Websites. Your readers will benefit from the Nutrition information and a Registered Dietitian. Contact: Sandra Frank, Ed.D, RDN, FAND at recipenews@gmail.com 954-294-6300

December 6, National Gazpacho Day Gazpacho with Feta Cheese and Tabouli Salad

Gazpacho with Feta Cheese and Tabouli Salad

Serves 8

Ingredients 
2-1/2 cups peeled and diced (1/4 inch) hothouse cucumber 
2-1/2 cups diced red and green bell pepper 
2-1/2 cups diced ripe tomato 
1/2 cup diced red and white onion 
2 cups tomato juice, low sodium 
1/4 cup red-wine vinegar 
2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 
1 dash Tabasco sauce
Garnish
4 Tbsp Feta Cheese
1/2 cup Tabouli Salad
 
Directions 
1. Place all of the vegetables in a large bowl. Add the tomato juice, vinegar, oil, and Tabasco. Toss.
2. Transfer half of the mixture to a blender or food processor and pulse on and off until coarsely puree. 

3. Return puree mixture to the bowl and stir to combine. Refrigerate for 5 to 6 hours before serving.
4. Combine Feta cheese and Tabouli Salad.
5. Top Gazpacho with 1-1/2 Tablespoon of Feta Cheese and Tabouli Salad

Nutrition Information

Ensure accurate nutritional analysis for your recipes utilizing an extensive research database and over 25 years experience. A great service for the Recipe Blogger, Media, Cookbook Publishers, Writers, Chefs, and Recipe Websites. Your readers will benefit from the Nutrition information and a Registered Dietitian. Contact: Dietitians-Online.com; Sandra Frank, Ed.D, RDN, LN at recipenews@gmail.com

January Wellness NewsTopics for Journalists, Writers, Educators and Bloggers

Current News, Resources and Events in Nutrition, Food, Health, Environment, Safety, and Disability Rights. Encourages awareness and inspires ideas for Journalists, Educators, Consumers and Health Professionals. Wellness News is updated daily. To view the entire Newsletter online click here.

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January Food Events

January Highlights

National Birth Defects Month National Poverty in America Awareness Month National Mentoring Month National Folic Acid Awareness Week Healthy Weight Week Rid the World of Fad Diets and Gimmicks Day

Butternut Squash Soup with Raisin Bread Croutons and Shredded Carrots

Ingredients - Directions

1 cup Pre-made, low sodium Butternut Squash Soup
2 Tbsp Shredded Carrots
1/2 sl Raisin Bread, cubed, croutons


Heat soup. Garnish with shredded carrots and raisin bread croutons.

  



Nutritional Analysis Services

Ensure accurate and cost effective nutritional analysis and food nutrition facts labels for your recipes and menus utilizing an extensive research database. A great service for the Media, Cookbook Publishers, Writers, Chefs, Recipe Websites and Blogs. Your readers will enjoy and benefit from the Nutrition information.

For more information, visit Dietitians-Online Nutritional Analysis Services

contact:
Sandra Frank, Ed.D, RDN, LN
recipenews@gmail.com
954-796-7235

November 22, 2012 Comfort Soups for Thanksgiving

A comfort food can be a warm bowl of soup surrounded by loved ones

 on Thanksgiving Day.  - Sandra Frank, EdD, RD, LDN

Split Pea Soup with Reduced-fat Sour Cream 

and Basil in a Winter Squash Bowl

Canon EOS T3i; focal point: f/4; exposure time: 1/25 sec;

ISO 3200; focal length 47 mm; artificial light with diffuser; 

nutrition:139 kcal; 5 g Fiber

Vegetable Soup served in a Pumpkin Bowl

Canon EOS T3i; focal point: f/3.5; exposure time: 1/30 sec;

ISO 3200; focal length 21 mm; artificial light with diffuser; 

nutrition:106 kcal; 5 g Fiber

Visit Dietitians Online Blog for a Thanksgiving Day Special Edition

May your Thanksgiving be filled with special moments,
and the love of family and friends.

warm wishes, Sandra and Jake Frank

Thanksgiving Song

by Mary Chapin Carpenter