Substitutes to Create Low Carb Soups

Substitutes to Create Low Carb Soups

Winter is here, and even though some of us may live in warmer climates, a nice cup of hot soup can still warm the soul. Most soups are loaded with noodles, potatoes, rice, or other high-carb ingredients, making it hard for them to lose weight. Warm up this winter with ideas to substitute ingredients to create low-carb soups. Enjoy the warmth of soup and still lose weight! First, replace any high-calorie meat with low-calorie meat, which means substituting more fatty meat, like beef, with leaner meats, like chicken or turkey. This substitute will cut a lot of calories for you. Second, remove any starches like potatoes, corn, peas, rice, or noodles. Also, consider removing beans and lentils, as they are high in carbohydrates. If you want to add cooked, grated cauliflower as a rice substitute or spiraled zucchini for noodles, both will work quite well and decrease your carbs significantly. When you remove other starches and have a hard time finding a similar substitute, consider adding more veggies. Vegetables are low-carb and packed with nutrients and vitamins your body craves. Instead of peas, consider chopped zucchini. This swap would save you 17 grams of carbs per cup. Instead of corn, consider carrots, which would save you 18 grams of carbs per cup. Select the low-carb vegetables you like and enjoy your soup! Below is one recipe for Cabbage Roll Soup with substitutes made for you: ground turkey replaced the ground beef, and grated cauliflower replaced the rice. There is also a link for a low-carb, sugar-free tomato sauce you can make and use for other low-carb recipes calling for tomato sauce; however, for easiness, we used the S&W brand of tomato sauce. The key is to look at labels and select low-carb tomato sauce, as most will contain a lot of sugar. In case cabbage isn't your soup de jour, here is another suggestion for chicken zoodle soup to try as well. Keep in mind with the cauliflower rice and zucchini noodle substitutions; you may want to add them to the soup last so they hold their intended texture. Eating healthy is a lifestyle, so be creative and try your hand at making some substitutions that will allow you to eat low-carb versions of your favorite recipes and continue to lose weight. Be adventurous, you may find you like the replacements more than the original! ‍

Cabbage Roll Soup

‍Ingredients:4 cups cabbage, roughly chopped1 lb. 99% lean ground turkey1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce 1 tsp. salt1 tsp. paprika1 onion, chopped3 cloves garlic, minced cup water1 tsp. oregano tsp. basil24 oz. S&W tomato sauce (or low-carb, sugar-free tomato sauce recipe)2 14.5 oz. Cans diced tomatoes1 head of cauliflowerDirections: Add onion, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, paprika, ground turkey, and salt to a skillet on medium heat. Cook until the ground turkey is browned. In a slow cooker, add cabbage, oregano, basil, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, water, and ground turkey mixture and stir to combine. Cover and cook on low heat for 8 to 10 hours. In the last hour of cooking, steam cauliflower until almost done (not too soft), grate it into rice and add to the crock pot, combine. Allow to cook for 15 minutes and serve. Serves: 8Nutrition per ServingCalories: 153 Fat: 3g Carbs: 14g Protein: 17g