1/2 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup sliced celery

2 tablespoons butter

1 cup chicken broth

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

2 tablespoons cornstarch

2 tablespoons water

3/4 cup sauerkraut, rinsed and drained

2 cups half-and-half cream

2 cups chopped cooked corned beef

1 cup shredded Swiss cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

Rye croutons, optional

In a large saucepan, saute onion and celery in butter until tender. Add broth and baking soda. Combine cornstarch and water until smooth; gradually add to pan. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.

Reduce heat. Add sauerkraut, cream and corned beef; simmer and stir for 15 minutes. Add cheese; heat until melted. Add salt and pepper. Garnish with croutons if desired.

Yield: about 6 servings.

1 (15-ounce) can low-sodium canellini beans, drained and rinsed

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 large onion, diced (about 1 cup)

2 carrots, diced (about 1/2 cup)

2 stalks celery, diced, (about 1/2 cup)

1 small zucchini, diced (about 1 1/2 cups)

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves (or 1 teaspoon dried)

2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage leaves (or 1/2 teaspoon dried)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

32 ounces low-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth

1 (14.5-ounce) can no salt added diced tomatoes

2 cups chopped baby spinach leaves

1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan, optional

In a small bowl mash half of the beans with a masher or the back of a spoon, and set aside.

Heat the oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery, zucchini, garlic, thyme, sage, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper, and cook stirring occasionally until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes.

Add the broth and tomatoes with the juice and bring to a boil. Add the mashed and whole beans and the spinach leaves and cook until the spinach is wilted, about 3 minutes more.

Serve topped with Parmesan, if desired.

1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts*

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 cup chopped green onions (including whites, mince the whites)

2 jalapeños, seeded and minced (leave seeds if you want soup spicy, omit if you don’t like heat)

2 cloves garlic, minced

4 (14.5 oz) cans low-sodium chicken broth

2 Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced

1/2 tsp ground cumin

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/3 cup chopped cilantro

3 Tbsp fresh lime juice

3 medium avocados, peeled, cored and diced

Tortilla chips, Monterey jack cheese, sour cream for serving (optional)

In a large pot heat 1 Tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Once hot, add green onions and jalapenos and saute until tender, about 2 minutes, adding garlic during last 30 seconds of sauteing.

Add chicken broth, tomatoes, cumin, season with salt and pepper to taste and add chicken breasts. Bring mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Then reduce heat to medium, cover with lid and allow to cook, stirring occasionally, until chicken has cooked through 10 – 15 minutes (cook time will vary based on thickness of chicken breasts).

Reduce burner to warm heat, remove chicken from pan and let rest on a cutting board 5 minutes, then shred chicken and return to soup. Stir in cilantro and lime juice. Add avocados to soup just before serving (if you don’t plan on serving the soup right away, I would recommend adding the avocados to each bowl individually, about 1/2 an avocado per serving). Serve with tortilla chips, cheese and sour cream if desired.

*For thicker chicken breasts, cut breasts in half through the length (thickness) of the breasts, they will cook faster and more evenly.

1/4 cup water (or vegetable broth)

1/2 of a red onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 celery stalks, diced

3 medium carrots, diced

1 small head of broccoli, florets

1 cup chopped tomatoes

1 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and minced

1 teaspoon turmeric (I used powdered)

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste (optional)

fine-grain sea salt and black pepper, to taste

6 cups water (or 4 cups vegetable broth + 2 cups water)

2 cups kale, de-stemmed and torn in pieces

1 cup purple cabbage, chopped

juice from 1/2 of a small lemon (or a whole lemon, depending how much lemon flavor you prefer)

In a large pot, add the water and turn on the heat to medium-high. After it’s hot, add the onion and garlic. Sauté for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the celery, carrots, broccoli, tomatoes and fresh ginger. Stir and cook for 3 minutes, adding in extra water or broth as needed (another 1/4 cup). Stir in the turmeric, cinnamon, and cayenne pepper plus salt and pepper to taste.

Add in the water or vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until vegetables are soft. Add in the kale, cabbage and lemon juice near the last 2-3 minutes of simmering.

Enjoy!

Notes

This cleansing recipe is oil-free because avoiding the use of oil during a cleansing meal is important for the detoxification process (and you won’t miss the oil at all due to all the flavor!) but if you feel like cooking with oil, use a minimal amount – 1 tablespoon or less.

Leftovers stay well in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

2 medium onions, chopped

1 tablespoon canola oil

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 cans (4 ounces each) chopped green chilies

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

2 cans (14-1/2 ounces each) chicken broth

4 cups cubed cooked chicken

3 cans (15-1/2 ounces each) great northern beans, rinsed and drained

2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Sour cream and sliced jalapeno peppers, optional

In a Dutch oven or soup kettle, saute onions in oil until tender. Stir in garlic, chilies, cumin, oregano, cayenne and cloves; cook and stir 2-3 minutes more. Add broth, chicken and beans; simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes.

Remove from the heat. Stir in cheese until melted. Garnish with sour cream and jalapeno peppers if desired. Yield: 6-8 servings (2-1/4 quarts).

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 c diced onion

1 c diced red bell pepper

1 c diced celery

½ c diced carrot

8-12 oz spicy Italian turkey sausage

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 bunch kale, chopped (about 8-10 cups)

4 c chicken broth

1 can diced tomato

1 can white beans, drained and rinsed

½ tsp each, salt and pepper

In a large pot, heat olive oil.  Add carrot, celery, onion and pepper.  Sauté until onion is translucent.

Add sausage, cook until no longer pink.  Add kale and garlic and reduce heat to a simmer.

Cover and cook 10 minutes.  Add broth, beans and tomato, salt and pepper.

Cook 20 addition minutes or until all vegetables are tender.

5 Smart Points  220 calories
Total Time: 6+ hours

1 small onion, chopped

1 (15.5 oz) can black beans, drained

1 (15.5 oz) can kidney beans, drained

1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce

10 oz package frozen corn kernels

2 (10 oz) cans diced tomatoes w/chilies

4 oz can chopped green chili peppers, chopped

1 packet reduced sodium taco seasoning or homemade (see below)

1 tbsp cumin

1 tbsp chili powder

24 oz (3) boneless skinless chicken breasts

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

To make your own taco seasoning, omit the packet, cumin and chili powder above and use below instead:

1 1/2 tablespoons cumin

1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Combine beans, onion, chili peppers, corn, tomato sauce, diced tomato, cumin, chili powder and taco seasoning in a slow cooker and mix well.

Nestle the chicken in to completely cover and cook on LOW for 8 to 10 hours or on HIGH for 4 to 6 hours.

Half hour before serving, remove chicken and shred.

Return chicken to slow cooker and stir in.

Top with fresh cilantro and your favorite toppings!

2 medium onions, chopped

1 tablespoon canola oil

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 cans (4 ounces each) chopped green chilies

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

2 cans (14-1/2 ounces each) chicken broth

4 cups cubed cooked chicken

3 cans (15-1/2 ounces each) great northern beans, rinsed and drained

2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Sour cream and sliced jalapeno peppers, optional

In a Dutch oven or soup kettle, saute onions in oil until tender. Stir in garlic, chilies, cumin, oregano, cayenne and cloves; cook and stir 2-3 minutes more. Add broth, chicken, and beans; simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes.

Remove from the heat. Stir in cheese until melted. Garnish with sour cream and jalapeno peppers if desired. Yield: 6-8 servings (2-1/4 quarts).

Nutritional Facts

1 each: 324 calories, 16g fat (7g saturated fat), 87mg cholesterol, 609mg sodium, 13g carbohydrate (3g sugars, 4g fiber), 31g protein.

Ingredients:

1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1 in cubes
3 carrots, peeled and sliced
1 stalk celery, diced
1 small onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
Pinch of Kosher salt, TT
½ tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp Allspice
1 tsp paprika
1 bay leaf
2 (15 oz) cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed *(can substitute Navy beans)
4 cups baby spinach, loosely packed
1 (14 oz) can diced tomato
4 cups vegetable broth
1 Tbsp plus 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

Add all ingredients, except spinach and olive oil to a slow cooker.  Cover and cook on low 6-8 hours, or until the vegetables are tender.  Add spinach, stir and continue cooking until just wilted, approximately 5 minutes.

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups pumpkin puree
2 shallots, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups veggie stock
1 cup light coconut milk
2 Tbsp maple syrup or honey
½ tsp each cinnamon and nutmeg
1 tsp salt and rubbed sage
Dash black pepper

GARLIC KALE SESAME TOPPING (optional)

1 cup roughly chopped kale
1 large garlic clove, minced
2 Tbsp sesame seeds
1 Tbsp olive oil
pinch salt

Directions:

To a large saucepan over medium heat add 1 Tbsp olive oil, shallot and garlic. Cook for 2-3 minutes, or until slightly browned and translucent. Turn down heat if cooking too quickly.

Add remaining ingredients, including the pumpkin, and bring to a simmer.

Continue cooking over medium-low heat for 5-10 minutes and taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Serve as is or with Kale-Sesame topping.

For the Kale-Sesame topping: In a small skillet over medium heat, dry toast sesame seeds for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently until slightly golden brown. Be careful as they can burn quickly. Remove from pan and set aside.

To the still hot pan, add olive oil and garlic and sauté until golden brown – about 2 minutes. Add kale and toss, then add a pinch of salt and cover to steam. Cook for another few minutes until kale is wilted and then add sesame seeds back in. Toss to coat and set aside for topping soup.

Recipe serves 3-4. Leftovers keep in the fridge for up to a few days, and in the freezer for up to a month or more.