2 soup recipes to boost health: Hearty and healthy soups with poultry

Who doesn't enjoy a warm, satisfying bowl of soup on a cold day? Try these two recipes.  With more than comfort in these bowls, the soups pack a nutritional punch for added health benefits.

Black beans add a rich, almost smoky flavour (and soluble fibre that helps lower cholesterol and blood-glucose levels) to this comforting soup. Corn and butternut squash provide a sweet counterpoint to the earthy turkey and beans, as well as good amounts of beta-carotene, a potent antioxidant.

Dark meat turkey is particularly high in selenium, which help protects the eyes from cataracts and macular degeneration.

Preparation time 10 minutes

Cooking time 1 hour plus 35 minutes for cooling

Serves 8

Ingredients

• 350 g (1 1/2 c) dried black beans, picked over and rinsed
• 2 kg (4 lb) turkey drumsticks, skinned
• 1 green pepper, cut into 1 cm (1/2 in) squares
• 250 g (1 c) chopped cilantro, divided
• 4 scallions, thinly sliced
• 15 ml (1 tbsp) grated lemon zest
• 15 ml (1 tbsp) chili powder
• 22 ml (2 1/2 tsp) ground cumin
• 22 ml (2 1/2 tsp) ground coriander
• 5 ml (1 tsp) ground ginger
• 1.25 kg (5 c) butternut squash, cut in 1 cm (1/2 in) dice
• 275 g (10 oz) frozen corn kernels
• 21 ml (2 1/4 tsp) salt
• 50 ml (1/4 c) fresh lemon juice

Get started

1. In a large pot or stockpot, combine the beans with water to cover by eight centimetres (three inches); bring to a boil.

2. Add the turkey drumsticks, bell pepper, 125 grams (1/2 cup) of the cilantro, the scallions, lemon zest, chili powder, cumin, coriander and ginger; return the mixture to a boil. Reduce to a simmer; partially cover and cook for one hour and 15 minutes.

3. Add the squash, corn and salt, and cook, uncovered, for 15 minutes.

4. Remove from the heat. Remove the turkey legs from the soup; when cool enough to handle, cut the meat from the bones. Discard any ligaments and cartilage, and cut the turkey into bite-size pieces.

5. Return the turkey meat to the pot. Add the lemon juice and the remaining 125 grams (1/2 cup) of cilantro, and cook for three minutes to heat through.

Serve and enjoy the taste as well as the nourishment.

Nutritional information per serving: 339 Calories, 5.6 g Fat, 1.7 g Saturated Fat, 32 g Protein, 43 g Carbohydrate, 8 g Fibre, 80 mg Cholesterol, 832 mg Sodium

Nutty-flavored flaxseed oil, high in omega-3 fatty acids — important for cardiovascular health — is available in the refrigerated section of many health-food stores.

Just 75 grams (three ounces) of dark-meat chicken contains 15 percent of your daily requirement of zinc, thought to improve fertility and promote healthy skin.

Preparation time 15 minutes

Cooking time 45 minutes

Serves 4

What you'll need

625 g (1 1/4 lb) skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into 2.5 cm (1 in) chunks

4 carrots, thinly sliced3 large red onions, cut into 1 cm (1/2 in) chunks

5 cloves garlic, minced, plus 1 whole clove garlic30 ml (2 tbsp) finely chopped fresh ginger

5 ml (1 tsp) cayenne pepper

3 ml (3/4 tsp) salt2 red peppers, cut lengthwise into flat pieces

15 ml (1 tbsp) hulled roasted pumpkin seeds

15 ml (1 tbsp) flaxseed oil or dark sesame oil50 g (1/4 c) orzo pasta

2 kg (8 cups) shredded kale

What to do

1. In a large pot or stockpot, combine one litre (four cups) of water, the chicken, carrots, onions, minced garlic, ginger, cayenne and salt; bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce to a simmer; partially cover and cook for 25 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, preheat the broiler. Place the red pepper pieces, skin-side up, on a broiler pan and broil 15 centimetres (six inches) from the heat for 10 minutes, or until the skin is well charred. When cool enough to handle, peel the peppers and transfer them to a food processor along with the pumpkin seeds, flaxseed oil and whole garlic clove; process until pureed.

3. Add the orzo to the soup and cook, uncovered, for five minutes. Stir in the kale and cook for five minutes, or until the kale and orzo are tender.

4. Serve the soup with the roasted pepper puree.

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Nutritional information per serving: 433 Calories, 12 g Fat, 2.2 g Saturated Fat, 38 g Protein, 48 g Carbohydrate, 9.1 g Fibre, 118 mg Cholesterol, 649 mg Sodium