Healthy Baked Potato Soup

This recipe is easy, healthy, and doesn’t contain any heavy cream.  I enjoy the challenge of taking a calorie dense recipe and making it deliciously skinny!  Potato skins add fiber and plenty of nutrients.  Enjoy the warming and comforting powers of this healthy baked potato soup during the fall and winter months.

Food for thought…Potato skins contain an anti-carcinogenic compound called chlorogenic acid. This particular acid helps the fiber in potatoes absorb carcinogens that are found in grilled foods. Eating potato skins with grilled foods is important when preserving health and fighting off cancer-causing substances. -source www.healthberth.com

Ingredients
5 lbs russet potatoes, diced not peeled
3 tablespoons minced garlic
1 large yellow onion, chopped
64 oz low-sodium chicken broth
8 oz  1/3 less fat cream cheese
3 (6 oz) low-fat plain greek yogurt
3 tablespoons 50% less fat real bacon bits (optional)
salt and pepper to taste
shredded cheddar
chives

Directions
Combine first 4 ingredients in a slow cooker, cook on low for 8hrs or on high for 4hrs.  Add cream cheese, yogurt, bacon bits, salt, and pepper.  Blend well with a handheld blender.  Serve warm, sprinkled with cheese and chives.

This recipe will most likely leave you with plenty leftover.  For future meals, you may want to add chicken or shrimp with vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, or corn.

Recipe courtesy of Helen Agresti, RD. Helen Agresti is a Registered Dietitian with Professional Nutrition Consulting, LLC.  She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and 5 children.  For more Nutrition advice and healthy recipes follow her on twitter @HelenAgresti. For more information and recipes, go to www.pronutritionconsulting.com

Healthy Baked Potato Soup by Helen Agresti, RD

Try the following crock pot recipes by Rachael Roehmholdt.

Crock Pot Steel Cut Oats
Serves 6

Ingredients
•    1 cup steel cut oats
•    4 cups water
•    1 mashed banana or 1 chopped apple or 1 cup pumpkin puree
•    ¼ cup raisins or other dried fruit (optional)
•    1/2 tbsp cinnamon
•    1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions
1.    Combine all ingredients in a crock pot.
2.    Cook on low for 7-8 hours.
3.    Stir completely before dishing up.
4.    Sweeten with a teaspoon or two of raw honey or maple syrup.

Veggie Lentil Stew
Serves 6

Ingredients
•    1 onion
•    1 clove garlic
•    2 cups red lentils
•    1 can garbanzo beans
•    1 15-oz can diced tomatoes
•    5 cups water (can also use vegetable or chicken broth)
•    1 tbsp curry powder
•    ½ tsp cumin
•    1 tsp cinnamon
•    1 tsp oregano
•    1 sweet potato
•    salt and pepper

Directions
1.    Peel and chop the onion and sweet potato. Mince the garlic.
2.    Drain and rinse the canned garbanzo beans.
3.    Combine all ingredients in crock pot.
4.    Cook on low for 7-8 hours.
5.    Serve with cooked brown rice.

Ham, Bean & Green Soup
Serves 6

Ingredients
•    2 cups diced organic ham
•    1 onion
•    2 cloves garlic
•    1 sweet potato
•    2 cups cooked white beans (can also use canned beans –drain and rinse first)
•    1-10 oz package frozen spinach
•    4 cups chicken broth
•    2 cups water
•    1 bay leaf
•    ¼ tsp nutmeg
•    salt and pepper

Directions
1.    Peel and chop the onion and sweet potato. Mince the garlic.
2.    Combine all ingredients in crock pot.
3.    Cook on low for 7-8 hours.
4.    Remove bay leaf before serving.

Sausage, Kale & Potato Soup
Serves 6

Ingredients
•    1 onion
•    2 cloves garlic
•    3 leaves kale
•    2 russet potatoes
•    2 organic chicken-apple sausages
•    1 bay leaf
•    1 tsp oregano
•    salt and pepper

Directions
1.    Peel and chop the onion and potatoes. Mince the garlic. Remove the kale leaves from their stems and chop. Dice the sausages.
2.    Combine all ingredients in crock pot.
3.    Cook on low for 7-8 hours.
4.    Remove bay leaf before serving.

Rachael Roehmholdt is a certified holistic health coach and founder of Be More Healthful. With a passion for good food and living a healthful and balanced life, she believes that small changes to our everyday lives can set us up for a lifetime of health and happiness.

No-Fuss Cooking!