It’s been a cold winter. I have told people that it’s our pay back because we’ve had several mild winters the last few years. Well, we’ve made up for it this year!

Hobert and I went to Kerr Scott Reservoir in Wilkesboro on Monday to check on our boat. It was a gorgeous day, and we thought that we would take the boat out for a while and have lunch.

To our surprise, our boat, which is docked in the water on a back bay, was sitting in about 4 inches of ice! The lake was frozen. So, no boating for us. That made me think of soup recipes. All of these recipes are ready in under 30 minutes and most are less than 300 calories per serving!

Our first recipe is borscht. I love beets, so I love borscht. This is an easy and beautiful colored soup.

The second soup is Ravioli Vegetable Soup. The kids will love the ravioli. If you are feeling adventurous, you can make your own. However, the frozen ones are so good, it’s not really worth the effort.

The third recipe is a satisfying remake of broccoli chowder. It benefits from the creamy texture of cooked potatoes and smooth, tangy reduced-fat sour cream instead of getting its richness from cream and cheese. A single serving gives you over half of the daily recommendation for vitamin C.

The third recipe is a remake of Clam Chowder. Chopped clams, vegetables and creamy potatoes blended with low-fat milk and just a half cup of cream gives this New England-style clam chowder plenty of body. Serve with oyster crackers and a tossed salad to make it a meal.

The last recipe is French onion soup. It’s a favorite of mine but it usually isn't substantial enough to make a complete meal. This problem is solved by adding fiber-rich chickpeas to a broth flavored with sherry and three kinds of onions. Of course you still need the gooey topping, but it’s a little lighter and a lot easier to prepare – simply top toasted whole-wheat bread with cheese and pour the soup on to melt it or float it on top.



Borscht

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cups reduced-sodium beef broth, or vegetable broth

1 medium russet potato, peeled and diced

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 1/2 cups steamed cubed beets, 1/2-inch cubes (see Tip)

2 teaspoons red-wine vinegar

1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream

1 tablespoon prepared horseradish

1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring, until beginning to brown, about 4 minutes. Add broth, potato, salt and pepper; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook until the potato is just tender, about 8 minutes. Add beets and vinegar; return to a boil. Cover and continue cooking until the broth is deep red and the potato is very soft, 2 to 3 minutes more.

Combine sour cream and horseradish in a small bowl. Serve the soup with a dollop of the horseradish sour cream and a sprinkle of parsley.



Ravioli Soup

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

2 cups frozen bell pepper and onion mix, thawed and diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 teaspoon crushed crushed red pepper, or to taste (optional)

1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes, preferably fire-roasted

1 15-ounce can vegetable broth or reduced-sodium chicken broth

1 1/2 cups hot water

1 teaspoon dried basil or marjoram

1 6- to 9-ounce package fresh or frozen cheese (or meat) ravioli, preferably whole-wheat

2 cups diced zucchini, (about 2 medium)

Freshly ground pepper to taste

Heat oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add pepper-onion mix, garlic and crushed red pepper (if using) and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add tomatoes, broth, water and basil (or marjoram); bring to a rolling boil over high heat.

Add ravioli and cook for 3 minutes less than the package directions. Add zucchini; return to a boil. Cook until the zucchini is crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Season with pepper.



Broccoli-Cheese Chowder

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

1 large carrot, diced

2 stalks celery, diced

1 large potato, peeled and diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 14-ounce cans vegetable broth, or reduced-sodium chicken broth

8 ounces broccoli crowns, (see Ingredient Note), cut into 1-inch pieces, stems and florets separated

1 cup shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese

1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream

1/8 teaspoon salt

Heat oil in a Dutch oven or large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrot and celery; cook, stirring often, until the onion and celery soften, 5 to 6 minutes. Add potato and garlic; cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Stir in flour, dry mustard and cayenne; cook, stirring often, for 2 minutes.

Add broth and broccoli stems; bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to medium. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Stir in florets; simmer, covered, until the broccoli is tender, about 10 minutes more. Transfer 2 cups of the chowder to a bowl and mash; return to the pan.

Stir in Cheddar and sour cream; cook over medium heat, stirring, until the cheese is melted and the chowder is heated through, about 2 minutes. Season with salt.



New England Clam Chowder

2 teaspoons canola oil

4 slices bacon, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme, or 1 teaspoon dried

1 medium red potato, diced

1 8-ounce bottle clam juice, (see Makeover Tip)

1 bay leaf

3 cups low-fat milk

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon salt

12 ounces fresh clam strips, (see Shopping Tip), chopped, or 3 6-ounce cans chopped baby clams, rinsed

2 scallions, thinly sliced

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add bacon and cook until crispy, 4 to 6 minutes. Transfer half of the cooked bacon to a paper towel-lined plate with a slotted spoon. Add onion, celery and thyme to the pan; cook, stirring, until beginning to soften, about 2 minutes. Add potato, clam juice and bay leaf. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook until the vegetables are just tender, 8 to 10 minutes.

Whisk milk, cream, flour and salt in a medium bowl. Add to the pan and return to a simmer, stirring, over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring, until thickened, about 2 minutes. Add clams and cook, stirring occasionally, until the clams are just cooked through, about 3 minutes more.

To serve, discard bay leaf. Ladle into bowls and top each serving with some of the reserved bacon and scallions.



French Onion Soup

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

2 large sweet onions, sliced

2 cups chopped spring onions, or leeks, whites and light green parts only

2 tablespoons chopped garlic

1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme, or 1/4 teaspoon dried

1/4 cup dry sherry, (see Ingredient Note)

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

3 14-ounce cans reduced-sodium beef broth

1 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed

1/4 cup minced fresh chives, or scallions

6 slices whole-wheat country bread

1 cup shredded Gruyère, or fontina cheese

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add sweet onions and stir to coat. Cover, reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring often, until softened and starting to brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Add spring onions (or leeks), garlic and thyme and cook, uncovered, stirring often, until starting to soften, 3 to 4 minutes.

Stir in sherry and pepper; increase heat to medium-high and bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring often, until most of the liquid has evaporated, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in broth and chickpeas and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in chives (or scallions).

Meanwhile, toast bread and divide it among 6 bowls; top with cheese. Ladle the soup over the bread and cheese and serve immediately.



Did you know?



Tip: How to Prep & Steam Beets: Trim greens (if any) and root end; peel the skin with a vegetable peeler. Cut beets into 1/2- to 1-inch-thick cubes, wedges or slices.

To steam on the stovetop: Place in a steamer basket over 1 inch of boiling water in a large pot. Cover and steam over high heat until tender, 10 to 15 minutes.

To steam in the microwave: Place in a glass baking dish, add 2 tablespoons water, cover tightly and microwave on High until tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Let stand, covered, for 5 minutes.

No time to prep? Look for Melissa's brand Peeled Baby Red Beets in the produce section of many supermarkets. They're peeled, steamed and ready to eat and contain far less sodium than their canned counterparts.

Chowder makeover tip: Check sodium carefully when using clam juice because the amount of sodium can vary dramatically between brands. We use Bar Harbor clam juice with only 120 mg sodium per 2-ounce serving.

Shopping tip: Look for fresh clam strips at the seafood counter.



Karen’s Kitchen is a weekly column by Karen Freeman of Tarboro. Contact Karen at:

kvfreeman@triad.rr.com to exchange ideas, ask questions, submit recipes, tips or suggestions.

Check out her Web site: http://www.geocities.com/kvfreeman27886/