The purpose of these videos that we recently (and quickly!!) made is to demonstrate how easy it is to make soup at home that is filling, low in calories, will give you a PILE of energy and helps you get massive amounts of nutrients. The key for me was the Cuisinart Smart Stick that I found in my drawer. I had been reading about blended vegetable soup for energy, and I was trying to figure out how to do it. Habib often cooks stuff and then has to pour it into countertop Cuisinart. Back and forth process, which is messy and a pain. I am so glad I found this thing. I had won it at some holiday party late last year, and it was just sitting in a drawer. It made the soup making process very easy.
The point I want to hammer on here is that if you are looking for more energy (and I know a TON of you are)- please try this approach. There is another video referenced, which you can watch lower down on this page where you see what I put into it. In this case it was broccoli, spinach, mushrooms, garlic, onion and chicken broth. I threw that stuff in, cooked it for 15 minutes, and then used the stick to blend it up. You can use whatever veggies or ingredients you want, and flavor it any way you want. The breakthrough for me was that I found an easy and tasty way to get my greens in. Habib and I do this almost every day now. He wants to fuel up for his long runs (10-18 miles) and I use it to power through my days.
Part 1, Preparing The Stuff You Need To Make The Soup (Editors Note, the cost was closer to $6 for the ingredients)
Part 2, How To Use The Smart Stick (Makes this very easy)
Part 3, Short Video Showing A Quick Adjustment I Made To The Taste Of The Soup:
We put this together for the new PEERtrainer Pursuit of Excellence Program. In the beginning of this program we focus on practical ways to get more energy. This has been a big request and a very popular focus.
I looked up the Smart Stick on Amazon, and there are two models:
Fancy Model With Deluxe Attachments
Basic Model If You Just Want To Blend
Kitchen Aid also makes one that is more expensive than either of these, and from the reviews is more powerful if you are planning on blending more than veggies on a regular basis. Hope this helps you, and please share your own recipes and tips with us!
Pureed PEERtrainer Energy Soup Recipe
Pureed PEERtrainer Energy Soup Recipe. This is the one. I created it because I wanted a way to get in tons of vegetables easily and I wanted it to taste great. It’s the gift that keeps on giving. You make a salad and all that work gets eaten up in one sitting. You spend 45 minutes making this soup and it lasts for days. And you can freeze half.
People call me and write me almost every day and tell me that they lose weight when they add this soup to their diet. Here it is:
Ingredients you will need:
- 4 cups chicken stock broth (if you can, please get the organic stock without gluten and preservatives. Pacific organic makes a great one. If you are vegan, this is the only ingredient you need to change. Substitute Vegetable Broth).
- 3 stalks of broccoli (cut off the stalk ends)
- 1 bag of frozen spinach
- 1 pk of mushrooms (make them shitake or a mixed blend if possible. If not, regular white mushrooms will do. Regular square box)
- 6 peeled carrots
- 1 can of coconut milk (unsweetened)
- 2 fresh bay leaves (available in any grocery)
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 4 1 x 1 inch chunks of fresh ginger
- 6 medium cloves of fresh garlic
- 2 – 3 fresh limes (depending on your taste, these can be strong)
- crushed red pepper (anywhere from a teaspoon to a tablespoon or more, depending on your preference. I prefer a more than less)
- handful (a palm full) of fresh cilantro (chopped)
- Few shakes of salt
Place broccoli, spinach, mushrooms, carrots and bay leaves in a large stock pot with the chicken broth and the can of coconut milk. Turn on high until boil. Once it’s boiling, turn down to simmer for 18 – 20 minutes. (If you have questions about coconut milk and the saturated fat content, we have two blog posts that address this further down this page, featuring the input of Jonny Bowden who has a PhD in Nutrition.)
Slice onion into pieces (size and shape are not important) In separate sauce pan, drop in the olive oil and sautee the onion in a large skillet in the olive oil, until translucent and slightly soft and browned. You must care for the onions and be sure to not burn them. Do not go do something else in this part of the process. In a Cuisinart or other food blender, grind up the garlic and ginger and stir in ginger and garlic for less than a minute. Then place the mixture into the large stock pot of vegs and broth/coconut milk.
In same sauce pan that you sautéed the onions, place the juice of two limes, a handful of crushed red pepper (more or less depending on how hot you like things), and a handful of cilantro into a sauce pan and sautee at high for a few minutes. Pour into large stock pot.
Then with your Cuisinart smart stick, puree, puree until smooth. It should be a bit ‘thick” and this will help with your hunger and keep you satiated. The more you water it down, the less full you’ll feel. Add a few shakes of salt. Taste. Depending on taste, add a bit more lime, red pepper flakes, or cilantro as needed and puree.
This soup makes probably 10 servings and has about 2 points per serving. (Do not quote me on the weight watchers points/servings. This is only an estimation). If you are in weight loss mode, eat before you eat other foods. Suggested pairings:
- A bowl of black beans (you can throw them right in the soup)
- Extra firm tofu (sautéed for 5 minutes with a bit of olive oil, fresh sesame seeds and red hot chili pepper flakes.
- 4 oz of baked salmon or other protein.
Final Note: Unless you use a stick blender this will be a big pain and you won’t be as likely to do it. If you do not own one, this is our Amazon link to buy one. Meaning we get a small commission if you click the link and buy something.
What About The Fat Content Of Coconut Milk?
