Dietitians Dish – January 20, 2020
Keep working on making habits effortless!
Habit #1 – Start your meals with fruits or vegetables.
January is Slow Cooker Month,
and what better way to include more vegetables at the start of your lunch or dinner meal than with a warm, comforting soup. Creating a delicious soup from scratch is an adventure of the palate when you use leftovers, some canned goods, and frozen ingredients. It’s a great way to reduce food waste at home. Soup or stew can also take the leading role in your meal by adding some whole grain bread and a salad. Waste less food and money by planning for extra servings or leftovers.
If you grab a beef roast and all the fixins’ for a slow-cooked pot roast, it’s likely you’ll have some extra potatoes, carrots, and onions. Plan to use them in a vegetable-based soup or stew.
Slow Cooker Vegetable Chowder
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 2 cups chopped potatoes
- 1 cup chopped carrots
- 1 bell pepper, chopped
- 1 cup chopped broccoli florets
- 1 cup sliced mushrooms
- 1/2 cup chopped celery
- 1 can creamed corn
- 3 cups vegetable broth
- 1 tsp. dried parsley
- 1 tsp. dried basil
- 1 tsp. dried oregano
- 1 cup reduced fat milk
- 2 Tbsps. cornstarch
Directions:
- Place the onion, potatoes, carrots, pepper, broccoli, mushrooms, celery, creamed corn, broth, parsley, basil, and oregano in the base of a crockpot. Cook on low for 6-7 hours or on high for 3-4 hours until potatoes are tender and cooked through. Season to taste with salt and pepper; depending on the saltiness of your broth you may or may not need salt.
- Whisk together the milk and cornstarch until dissolved. Slowly add the milk mixture to the chowder and cook on high another 30 minutes until thickened.