So many of us today are looking for healthy alternatives when it comes to diet. Being diabetic and on a low salt diet makes eating healthy a personal priority. The average canned soup contains anywhere from 450 grams of sodium to over a 1500 grams of sodium per serving.
My doctor has limited me to one thousand grams of sodium per day or less. I didn’t realize how much that limited my choice of foods until I was in the grocery store until I actually started reading labels carefully. In the case of canned soups, there were very few choices. But they must all be opened with a can opener!
Processed foods or any food that comes prepared and partially or fully cooked contain high amounts of salt and high amounts of chemical preservatives. If you, like myself, are looking for healthy ways to enjoy fresh unprocessed foods with less of the undesired additives; it usually means long preparations and long cooking times at home.
Who has the time to prepare foods at home in this “rush rush” world?
Here is a quick healthy recipe for four servings of Pasta ‘n Salsa Vegetable soup that is truly delicious and take less than twenty minutes to prepare and serve.
INGREDIENTS
- One sixteen ounce bag of mixed chunky frozen vegetables of your choice. You could use a ranchero type mix if you like.
- One and a half or two cups of water
- One half pound of small size pasta made in your pasta maker
- Four tablespoons of commercially produced or fresh low-salt Salsa
- One and a half or two teaspoons of sodium free chicken bullion or broth powder
RECIPE
- Cook the pasta traditionally in boiling water using a minimal amount of salt or salt substitute (Check out our recommended salt and pepper grinder sets!)
- Empty your sixteen ounce bag of frozen vegetables in a microwavable bowl and loosely cover it.
- Microwave your vegetables according to directions on the bag except don’t add any extra water. This will result in more steamed-like vegetables. (They’ll remain crisp)
- Drain your pasta well
- Add four tablespoons of Salsa to your cooked vegetables and mix well.
- Mix one and a half cups or two cups of boiling water with the sodium free chicken broth powder.
- Pour it over the vegetable- salsa mix.
- Add one or two cups of cooked pasta to the vegetable- salsa mix.
- Microwave this for two to four minutes according to your microwave power.
- Let stand for two minutes
Serve and enjoy!
You can find more great recipes like this in the Best Italian Cookbooks and Best Mediterranean Cookbooks!
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