One of the easiest ways to lose and/or maintain your ideal body weight is to eat a variety of healthy foods.  When eating the foods you love, it never feels like you’re depriving yourself while keeping your waistline in check.

Choosing a healthy lunch can sometimes be difficult.  If you’re picking up a sandwich from a local deli, they’re usually stacked high with three times the amount of meat and cheese that you need.  And, they’re expensive.  It’s just hard to find healthy lunches with “good for your body” portion sizes.

So why not make a big pot of soup that will last you the entire week?  Just because it’s almost summer doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy hot soup.  In fact, eating this soup for lunch everyday will help you get ready for the skimpier clothes that hot summer days bring. I love this soup all year long because it’s not only delicious; it keeps me satisfied for hours.  My friend Randy Stephen gave me this recipe and I’ve had a lot of fun substituting various types of veggies, beans and hot sauces to mix it up.

The Daily Soup

  • 2 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 3 carrots, peeled and diced
  • 3 ribs of celery, diced
  • 1 large sweet onion, diced
  • 1 red pepper, diced
  • 3 cloves of garlic
  • 1-23 oz can of diced tomatoes
  • 1-15 oz can of kidney beans
  • 48 oz chicken stock
  • Water as needed (about 2-4 cups)
  • Juice and zest of 2 limes
  • 1 cup wild or brown rice
  • 1 package frozen corn
  • 1 head of kale, chopped

Sauté onions, carrots, celery, pepper and garlic until soft.  Add tomatoes, beans, stock, water, hot sauce, lime zest, lime juice, rice corn and kale.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer until the rice and kale are cooked through.

Please let us know what modifications you make to this hearty, perfect-for-lunch soup.  We’d love to hear your ideas!

Soup is Good Food,

Molly