Spiced bean, pea, lentil and tomato soup

Posted on by gloriouslygoodfood
spiced lentil pea bean and tomato soup

This is a really hearty soup suitable for the whole family.  I made it as part of my liquid post-gastric-sleeve diet, but it would be equally suitable for anyone on a low-fat diet, or a reflux diet, or of course just someone who enjoys a wholesome nourishing soup! 

Because I need to be on liquids with ‘no bits’, I blitzed it as finely as I could, then put it through a sieve, but under other circumstances, I’d either just blitz it but not sieve away all the fibre goodness from the bean and lentil hulls, or would take some of the beans and lentils out before blitzing, then add them back in, to give the soup more of a chunky feel, so it’s up to how you like your soup! 

spiced bean pea lentil and tomato soup

Ingredients (for 2 very generous portions for people not on my diet!)

  • 2 handfuls dry cannellini beans (these may need soaking in cold water overnight before you cook them – check the pack for instructions)
  • 2 handfuls dry yellow split peas (these may need soaking in cold water overnight before you cook them – check the pack for instructions)
  • 1 handful dry green lentils (these may need soaking in cold water overnight before you cook them – check the pack for instructions)
  • 1 handful dry red lentils (these may need soaking in cold water overnight before you cook them – check the pack for instructions)
  • 400g tinned chopped tomatoes
  • 1l chicken or vegetable stock (I used 2 Knorr Chicken Stock Pots and 1l water)
  • 0.5l water
  • half a teaspoon Ras El Hanout spice mix
  • optional: low-fat cheese triangle (1 per portion) or a sprinkling of powdered milk or whey protein powder to add more protein into the soup (for post-bariatric surgery liquid diet supplementation)
  • optional: sea salt, to taste

Method

Place all ingredients (aside from the salt) in a large saucepan or stockpot and bring to the boil.  Boil on a high heat for 10 minutes. 

Turn the heat down, cover, and simmer / boil gently for about an hour and 20 minutes, checking that the beans and lentils are soft and easily squashable (otherwise cook a little longer). 

Liquidise in a jar blender or using a hand-held blender in the saucepan, then, if you’re using this for the post-bariatric surgery liquid diet, sieve to ensure there are no bits left.  If you are not following this diet, and prefer a chunkier soup, you can either just liquidise it but not sieve it, or take out some beans and lentils before liquidising the soup, then add those back in, so it has a more chunky texture.

Taste and add a sprinkling of sea salt if you feel it needs it.

Note: If you are following a post-bariatric surgery liquid diet and need to supplement your liquid nutrition with protein, you can add a little powdered milk, whey protein powder, or a cheese triangle melted into the soup. 

Serve and enjoy! 

Gloriously simple, gloriously good!

Disclaimer: I am not a dietitian or medical professional.  These are simply ideas based on meals I have created to suit my own dietary needs and, as I’ve enjoyed them, I wanted to share them. If you are unsure about the suitability of any ingredients or recipes on my blog for your own requirements, please check with a health professional first. 

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Velvety potato and cheese soup

Posted on by gloriouslygoodfood
Velvety Smooth potato and cheese soup | liquid diet | bariatric surgery diet | reflux diet | low-cal | low-fat

This is another one of the recipes I developed for my liquid diet after my gastric sleeve weight-loss surgery.  It is, however, a delicious, velvety-smooth, low-cal, low-fat soup suitable for all the family, and suitable for those following any low-fat diet, including those on a reflux diet. 

Velvety Smooth potato and cheese soup | liquid diet | bariatric surgery diet | reflux diet | low-cal | low-fat

Ingredients (for 2 tiny portions for liquid post-bariatric-surgery diet) – increase as required

  • Approx. 250ml chicken or vegetable stock (I used my home-made hen stock, but any good stock, even made with stock cubes/pots, will work)
  • 1 small potato
  • 1 low-fat cheese triangle

Method

Peel the potato and cut it into small cubes.  Place it in a small saucepan with the stock and bring to the boil, then cover and simmer for approximately 15 minutes, until the potato is fully cooked and very soft. 

Add the cheese triangle and place everything in a fine blender (I used my Nutribullet). 

Serve and enjoy! 🙂

Note: This super-velvety creamy soup is also delicious with the addition of a sprinkle of chilli powder and garlic granules/powder (I always use the ‘aglio e peperoncino’ mix I get from Italy, but you can just add both ingredients separately). 

Gloriously simple, gloriously good!

Disclaimer: I am not a dietitian or medical professional.  These are simply ideas based on meals I have created to suit my own dietary needs and, as I’ve enjoyed them, I wanted to share them. If you are unsure about the suitability of any ingredients or recipes on my blog for your own requirements, please check with a health professional first. 

Lentil soup with a hint of bacon, and melted cheese

Posted on by gloriouslygoodfood
lentil soup with a hint of bacon and melted cheese | bariatric surgery liquid diet

I am now 3 days post-surgery from my gastric sleeve weight-loss surgery and am keen to stay well-nourished and keep food interesting while I’m on the two-week liquid diet. I am also keen to create soups that other family members can enjoy alongside me, so whilst this is a soup for the post-bariatric surgery diet, it is suitable for anyone, and also very good for anyone on a reflux diet. 

lentil soup with a hint of bacon and melted cheese | bariatric surgery liquid diet
It may not be the prettiest soup in the world, but it is absolutely delicious and very nourishing!

Ingredients (for one person, or increase according to number of portions)

  • chicken stock (or vegetable stock if you want to do this as a vegetarian soup), 300-400ml (allow a generous amount as it will boil down.  I used my home-made hen stock, but you can use stock cubes/pots
  • green no-soak dried lentils, approx. 1 tbsp
  • one thin strip of lean, previously grilled, bacon
  • one low-fat cheese triangle

Method

Place the stock, lentils and bacon in a pan and cook according to instructions (I brought mine to the boil, boiled without a lid for 10 minutes, then simmered with a lid for a further 20 minutes).  Ensure the lentils are very soft by the end of the cooking time, otherwise cook for longer. 

Check the stock for taste – if it has cooked down a lot, it may be too salty and require the addition of a little boiled water. 

Remove the bacon piece and leave to cool a little.  Once it has cooled down, place the stock and lentils into a blender and blitz until there are no pieces left.  Then sieve the blitzed soup through a fine sieve, to ensure it is completely smooth (it is essential that no ‘bits’ are present that could get stuck in the surgical staple line of the sleeve gastrectomy during the first two weeks). 

When you are ready to serve the soup, reheat it gently in a pan or microwave, adding the cheese triangle, cut into small pieces so it will dissolve better.  Stir until all or almost all of the cheese has melted into the soup, serve and enjoy! 

Gloriously simple, gloriously good!

Disclaimer: I am not a dietitian or medical professional.  These are simply ideas based on meals I have created to suit my own dietary needs and, as I’ve enjoyed them, I wanted to share them. If you are unsure about the suitability of any ingredients or recipes on my blog for your own requirements, please check with a health professional first.