Watching Your Weight? Eat Soup! (Dirty Little Secret Soup Recipe) 
I love soup, especially during cold weather. In the winter, about every other meal I make centers around soup. I tend to favor thick, chunky, meal-in-a-bowl soups, primarily because I’m too lazy to make lots of different courses. But if I had all the time and energy in the world, I would like nothing better than to start every meal with a light, vegetable-based soup.
Main-dish soups are also great for dieters. Adding some beans or other high-protein ingredients increases the soup’s “staying power”–the length of time it satisfies your hunger–and turns it into a one-pot meal. Soups that are already protein-heavy, such as split-pea or lentil, can be lightened up with the addition of vegetables or can be served as the main dish along with salads or other vegetable sides.
Some people eschew frozen vegetables, but they are often more nutritious than fresh ones that have been shipped from far away. They’re usually flash-frozen at the farm, resulting in more nutrients being preserved; vegetables that are allowed to age before cooking lose some of their nutritional value.

Ingredients
  • 5-6 cups vegetable broth I use Imagine No-Chicken
  • 1 16- ounce can diced tomatoes
  • 2 16- ounce cans beans rinsed and drained (I usually use 1 Great Northern and 1 Kidney Bean)
  • 2 1- pound bags of frozen vegetables (my favorites are California Blend [cauliflower, broccoli, and carrots] and Italian Blend [zucchini, Italian green beans, broccoli, red pepper])
  • 4 cloves minced garlic
  • 1 teaspoon basil
  • 1/2 teaspoons oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon thyme
  • a shake or two of hot pepper sauce (Tabasco)
  • black pepper and salt to taste
  • 1/2 cup small pasta OR 2 cups diced potatoes OR 1 cup frozen corn or other starchy vegetable OR 1/2 cup of quick-cooking grain (buckwheat, pearled barley, millet, or quinoa or cooked rice OPTIONAL
Instructions
  1. Put 5 cups of vegetable broth and all remaining ingredients into a large pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until vegetables are done, about 20-30 minutes. If the soup seems too thick, add more broth. Taste and adjust seasonings before serving.
  2. This can also be made with 2 pounds of whatever fresh vegetables you have in the house.
Recipe Notes
The nutritional breakdown will vary depending on the ingredients you use. Nutrition (per serving) without optional starch and using Imagine No-Chicken Broth and California Blend Vegetables listed in the Nutritional Facts below.