1001 Low-Carb Recipes: Hundreds of Delicious Recipes From Dinner to Dessert That Let You Live Your Low-Carb Lifestyle and Never Look Back (45 page)

1 quart (960 ml) chicken broth

¼ teaspoon guar (optional)

1 tablespoon (15 ml) soy sauce

1 tablespoon (15 ml) rice vinegar

½ teaspoon grated fresh ginger

1 scallion, sliced

2 eggs

Put 1 cup (240 ml) or so of the chicken broth in your blender, turn it on low, and add the guar (if using). Let it blend for a second and then put it in a large saucepan with the rest of the broth. (If you’re not using the guar, just put all the broth directly in a saucepan.)

Add the soy sauce, rice vinegar, ginger, and scallion. Heat over medium-high heat and let it simmer for 5 minutes or so to let the flavors blend.

Beat your eggs in a glass measuring cup or small pitcher—something with a pouring lip. Use a fork to stir the surface of the soup in a slow circle and pour in about ¼ of the eggs, stirring as they cook and turn into shreds (which will happen almost instantaneously). Repeat three more times, using up all the egg and then serve!

Yield:
3 biggish servings, or 4 to 5 small ones (but this recipe is easy to double).

In 4 servings, each will have 2 grams of carbohydrates, a trace of fiber, and 8 grams of protein.

This is the Italian take on eggdrop soup, and it’s delightful.

1 quart (960 ml) chicken broth, divided

2 eggs

½ cup (50 g) grated Parmesan cheese

½ teaspoon lemon juice

Pinch of nutmeg

½ teaspoon dried marjoram

Put ¼ cup (60 ml) of the broth in a glass measuring cup or small pitcher. Pour the rest into a large saucepan over medium heat.

Add the eggs to the broth in the measuring cup and beat with a fork. Then add the Parmesan, lemon juice, and nutmeg and beat with a fork until well blended.

When the broth in the saucepan is simmering, stir it with a fork as you add small amounts of the egg and cheese mixture until it’s all stirred in. (Don’t expect this to form long shreds like Chinese eggdrop soup; because of the Parmesan, it makes small, fluffy particles instead.)

Add the marjoram, crushing it a bit between your fingers, and simmer the soup for another minute or so before serving.

Yield:
4 servings

Each with 2 grams of carbohydrates, a trace of fiber, and 12 grams of protein.

This is a really-truly bean soup! The high-carb but flavorful black beans are diluted with the low-carb black soybeans. Add plenty of seasonings, and you’ve got a great south-of-the-border soup.

2 cans (15 ounces, or 420 g) Eden brand black soybeans

1 can (15 ounces, or 420 g) black beans

1 can (14½ ounces, or 411 ml) chicken broth

1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil

½ cup (80 g) chopped onion

4 cloves garlic, crushed

1 cup (130 g) salsa

2 tablespoons (30 ml) lime juice

1 tablespoon (6.3 g) ground cumin

½ teaspoon red pepper flakes

½ teaspoon salt or Vege-Sal

½ cup (115 g) plain yogurt

¼ cup (16 g) chopped cilantro

Put half of the beans and half of the chicken broth in your blender or in your food processor with the S-blade in place. Run the machine until the beans are puréed. Dump the mixture into a bowl that holds at least 2 quarts (1.9 L) and purée the other half of the beans and the other half of the chicken broth. Add that to the first batch.

Heat the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-low heat and add the onion. Sauté until the onion starts turning translucent. Add the bean purée and the garlic. Now stir in the salsa, lime juice, cumin, red pepper flakes, and salt or Vege-Sal. Turn the heat up a bit until the soup is heated through and then turn it back down to the lowest setting and let your soup simmer for 30 to 45 minutes. Serve with a dollop of plain yogurt (or sour cream, if you prefer) and a sprinkling of chopped cilantro.

Yield:
6 servings

Each with 18 g protein, 25 g carbohydrate, 13 g dietary fiber, 13 g usable carbs. (This is obviously not an Induction dish, but for comparison, I analyzed a standard black bean soup recipe. It had 43 grams of carbohydrate and 10 grams of fiber per serving, for a usable carb count of 33 grams, or about two-and-a-half times as much. And it had less protein, too.)

This is high enough in carbohydrate and low enough in protein that you should think of it as a first course, rather than a main course—and the yield for this recipe reflects that. But what a great starter for Thanksgiving dinner!

¼ cup (40 g) minced onion

1 clove garlic

1 tablespoon (14 g) butter

1 quart (960 ml) chicken broth

1½ cups (240 g) canned pumpkin

½ cup (120 ml) Carb Countdown dairy beverage

2 teaspoons curry powder

Salt and pepper to taste

In a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan, over medium-low heat, sauté the onion and garlic in the butter until just softened. Add the chicken broth and simmer for a half an hour.

Stir in the canned pumpkin, Carb Countdown dairy beverage, and curry powder. Bring back to a simmer and simmer gently for another 15 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste and then serve.

Yield:
6 servings

Each with 5 g protein; 7 g carbohydrate; 2 g dietary fiber; 5 g usable carbs.

With a quesadilla on the side, this makes a nice light supper.

1 quart (960 ml) chicken broth

1 ripe black avocado

2 scallions

2 canned green chilies or 1 or 2 canned jalapeños, if you like it hot!

2 tablespoons (8 g) chopped cilantro

½ teaspoon salt or Vege-Sal

Start heating the broth—you can put it in a pan on the stove or you can put it in a large microwaveable container in the microwave.

While the broth is heating, scoop the avocado out of its skin and into a food processor with the S-blade in place. Add the scallions, chilies, cilantro, and salt. Pulse to chop everything together—you can leave a few chunks of avocado or purée it smooth, whichever you prefer.

When the broth is hot, divide the avocado mixture between 4 smallish soup bowls. Ladle the hot broth over the avocado mixture and serve.

Yield:
4 servings

Each with 6 grams of carbohydrates and 3 grams of fiber, for a total of 3 grams of usable carbs and 6 grams of protein. Bonus: You’ll get a whopping 572 mg potassium and only 125 calories!

I’d never had soup made with blue cheese before, but this is amazing. It certainly appealed to my blue-cheese-fan husband!

1 cup (160 g) chopped onion

2 tablespoons (28 g) butter

1 turnip, peeled and diced

1½ quarts (1.4 L) chicken broth

1 pound (455 g) frozen broccoli, thawed

1 cup (240 ml) Carb Countdown dairy beverage

¼ cup (60 ml) heavy cream

1 cup (120 g) crumbled blue cheese

In a large saucepan, sauté the onion in the butter over medium-low heat—you don’t want it to brown.

When the onion’s soft and translucent, add the turnip and the chicken broth to the pot. Bring the mixture to a simmer and let it simmer over medium-low heat for 20 to 30 minutes.

Add the thawed broccoli and let it simmer for another 20 minutes.

Scoop the vegetables out with a slotted spoon and place them in a blender. Add a ladleful of the broth and run the blender until the vegetables are finely puréed. Return the mixture to the pot.

Stir in the Carb Countdown, the heavy cream, and the blue cheese. Simmer for another 5 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, and serve.

Yield:
6 servings

Each with 14 g protein; 9 g carbohydrate; 3 g dietary fiber; 6 g usable carbs.

2 tablespoons (20 g) minced onion

1 tablespoon (14 g) butter

14 ounces (400 ml) chicken broth

10 ounces (280 g) frozen chopped broccoli, thawed

1 cup (240 ml) Carb Countdown dairy beverage

½ cup (120 ml) heavy cream

1½ cups (180 g) shredded Swiss cheese

Guar or xanthan

In a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan, sauté the onion in the butter until it’s translucent. Add the chicken broth and the broccoli and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes until the broccoli is quite tender.

Stir in the Carb Countdown and cream. Bring it back up to a simmer. Now stir in the cheese, a little at a time, letting each batch melt before you add some more. When all the cheese is melted in, thicken a little with guar or xanthan, if you think it needs it, and serve.

Yield:
4 servings

Each with 20 g protein; 7 g carbohydrate; 2 g dietary fiber; 5 g usable carbs.

What's not to like about cheese soup with beer! Don’t worry about the kids, the alcohol cooks off.

1½ quarts (1.4 L) chicken broth

¼ cup (30 g) finely diced celery

¼ cup (30 g) finely diced green bell pepper

¼ cup (30 g) shredded carrot

¼ cup (15.2 g) chopped fresh parsley

½ teaspoon pepper

1 pound (455 g) sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

12 ounces (360 ml) light beer

½ teaspoon salt or Vege-Sal

¼ teaspoon hot pepper sauce

Guar or xanthan

Combine the broth, celery, green pepper, carrot, parsley, and pepper in your slow cooker. Cover the slow cooker, set it to low, and let it cook for 6 to 8 hours (even a bit longer won’t hurt).

When the time’s up, either use a hand-held blender to purée the vegetables right there in the slow cooker or scoop them out with a slotted spoon, purée them in your blender, and return them to the slow cooker.

Now whisk in the cheese a little at a time until it’s all melted in. Add the beer, salt or Vege-Sal, and hot pepper sauce and stir until the foaming stops. Use guar or xanthan to thicken your soup until it’s about the texture of heavy cream. Re-cover the pot, turn it to high, and let it cook for another 20 minutes before serving.

Yield:
8 servings

Each with 18 g protein, 3 g carbohydrate, trace dietary fiber, 3 g usable carbs.

If you’ve only ever thought of mushroom soup as gooey stuff that came in cans and was used in casseroles, you need to try this! It has a rich, earthy flavor. Even my mushroom-phobic husband liked it.

8 ounces (225 g) mushrooms, sliced

¼ cup (25 g) chopped onion

2 tablespoons (28 g) butter

1 quart (960 ml) chicken broth

½ cup (120 ml) heavy cream

½ cup (120 g) light sour cream

Guar or xanthan (optional)

In a big, heavy skillet, sauté the mushrooms and onion in the butter until the mushrooms soften and change color. Transfer them to your slow cooker. Add the broth. Cover the slow cooker, set it to low, and let it cook for 5 to 6 hours.