By Chef Meg Galvin, Healthy Cooking Expert at SparkPeople.com
If it were up to kids to choose what's for dinner each night, we might all end up eating a steady diet of burgers, fries, and chicken nuggets, with a few slices of pizza thrown in for good measure.
This recipe combines flavors kids love in a soup, and we sneak in some nutrition, too. Best of all, it's ready in 25 minutes, and you probably already have most of these ingredients in the fridge and pantry.
Minutes to Prepare: 5
Minutes to Cook: 25
Number of Servings: 4 (each serving is 1 cup)
Ingredients:
8 ounces extra lean ground beef (95/5)
2 teaspoons canola oil
1 large onion, diced
3 large carrots, diced
2 ribs celery, diced
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
pinch cayenne pepper
1 T whole-wheat flour
4 cups homemade chicken stock (or no-sodium stock)
1 Russet potato, peeled and diced
3/4 cup shredded reduced-fat sharp Cheddar cheese
1/4 cup reduced-fat evaporated milk
1/4 cup shredded lettuce
2 Roma tomatoes, diced
Directions:
Brown ground beef and set aside.
Place a medium saucepan over moderate heat.
Add the oil, then add the onions, carrots and celery. Cook the vegetables over moderate low heat for 10 minutes, then add the spices and cook another two minutes, stirring often. Slowly add the stock, stir and simmer for 10 minutes.
Remove the soup from heat and puree using an immersion blender or a food processor. Return the soup to the saucepan, add the potato, and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the cheese, beef, and evaporated milk; cook another 2 minutes.
Ladle one heaping cup into bowls, and top with the lettuce and tomato.
Pair this with baked sweet potato fries, broccoli, and a cup of milk.
- Calories: 196.6
- Total Fat: 4.8 g
- Sodium: 72.5 mg
- Total Carbs: 19.3 g
- Dietary Fiber: 3.6 g
- Protein: 14.4 g
More kid-friendly recipes:
Chef Meg's Chili Cheese Dog Makeover
Chef Meg's Super Speedy Sausage Rolls
SparkPeopleHealthy Cooking Expert Meg Galvin is a World Master Chef, culinary instructor, and the author of "The SparkPeople Cookbook: Love Your Food, Lose the Weight." A farmer's daughter and marathon runner, she lives in northern Kentucky with her husband and three teenage sons.
