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In the spring and summer, I love a good salad. But when the weather turns cold, nothing beats a piping hot bowl of soup or chili.
Since I started on the new Weight Watchers Freestyle program, I’ve been enjoying a big, satisfying bowl of soup almost every day. It’s such a healthy, easy, delicious choice. All of these WW Freestyle soups are three points or less, even a zero point chili! What’s not to love?!
Bring on the soup!
Three Point Vegetarian Minted Green Pea Soup
When the mercury drops day after day and snow has overstayed its welcome, a bowl of a fresh green pea soup with a hint of mint warms my soul and reminds me that spring is just around the corner!
Because you can make it with frozen peas, this delicious, refreshing soup is a winner year round. However, if you’re lucky enough to have a supply of fresh peas on hand, by all means use them! You’ll just need to increase the boiling time on the peas from 3 minutes to 5.
Ingredients
| 2 leeks, chopped, white and green parts | (0 Points) |
| 1 cup chopped yellow onion | (0 Points) |
| 1 T butter-flavored olive oil | (4 Points) |
| 4 cups store bought vegetable stock | (4 Points) |
| 20 oz frozen green peas | (0 Points) |
| 2/3 cup loose-packed mint leaves | (0 Points) |
| 2 t salt | (0 Points) |
| ½ t fresh ground pepper | (0 Points) |
| ½ cup fat free half and half | (4 Points) |
| (12 Points Total/3 Per Serving) |
Instructions
In large stockpot over medium heat, cook leeks and yellow onion in olive oil until soft, approximately 5 minutes.
Add vegetable stock to pot and bring to a low boil. Add peas to pot and cook for approximately 3 minutes. Take soup off the heat. Stir in mint leaves, salt, and pepper.
Using a blender, puree pea soup mixture in batches (about 3 cups at a time) until smooth. Pour pureed soup back into pot and stir in fat free half and half. Serve immediately. If desired, garnish with chopped chives or additional peas.
Makes 4 generous 1.5 cup servings. Each serving equals 3 Points in the Weight Watchers Freestyle Program.
Hearty Zero Point Chicken Chili
Every Sunday afternoon, I make a pot of this hearty, protein-packed chili, made with pantry staples. Paired with some crackers and a piece of fresh fruit, it’s my go-to lunch choice.
And how amazing is it that something so delicious and satisfying doesn’t use up any precious points on the new WW Freestyle Program! ZERO! A zero point chili! That makes this yummy recipe a perfect choice if I’ve gone a little bit overboard on my points that day or if I’m planning on going out to dinner or a party in the evening, and want to save my points for later.
But if you’re on track with your points that day, you can afford to indulge your palate by topping your chili with some optional 1 point garnishes.
Ingredients
| 3 sprays olive oil cooking spray | (0 Points) |
| 1 medium yellow onion, small diced | (0 Points) |
| 2 large cloves garlic, chopped fine | (0 Points) |
| 12 oz ground chicken (99% Fat Free)** | (0 Points) |
| 15 oz can black beans, drained & rinsed | (0 Points) |
| 15 oz can pinto beans, drained & rinsed | (0 Points) |
| 15 oz can fire roasted tomatoes | (0 Points) |
| 1 jalapeño, seeded and diced (if you like a little heat!) | (0 Points) |
| 1 green bell pepper, chopped | (0 Points) |
| 10 oz can tomato sauce | (0 Points) |
| 1 t kosher salt | (0 Points) |
| 1 t. dried oregano | (0 Points) |
| 1 t. ground cumin | (0 Points) |
| 1 T chili powder | (0 Points) |
| ½ t freshly ground pepper | (0 Points) |
| ¼ t cayenne (spicy and optional) | (0 Points) |
| (0 Points Total) |
Optional Garnishes
| ½ oz low fat cheddar or Colby cheese | (1 Points) |
| 1/8 fresh avocado | (1 Points) |
| 2 T fat free sour cream | (1 Points) |
Instructions
Spray a nonstick stockpot with olive oil cooking spray, add onions, green peppers, and jalapeno. Cook over medium heat until onions are soft. After about about 5 minutes, add garlic, cook for an additional minute.
Next, add ground chicken** to cooked vegetables, cook over medium heat, breaking up large pieces with wooden spoon, until chicken is cooked through. Add black and pinto beans, tomato sauce, and roasted tomatoes to pot. Stir and heat through.
Add remaining 6 spices to pot, stir into mixture. Reduce heat to low heat. Simmer chili for 20 minutes. Taste chili and adjust spices to your personal preference. Simmer 10 more minutes to allow flavors to meld.
Serve chili alone or with optional garnishes.
** Note: If you can’t find 99% fat free ground chicken, use boneless, skinless chicken breast with all fat removed and either grind in a food processor or mill or dice breast into very small pieces. You could also substitute 93% lean ground chicken but note that this adds 2 WW Freestyle points per serving.
Three Point Cheesy Smokey Root Vegetable Veloute
Technically, this is a puree, not a veloute. But this rich, velvety, flavorful soup, full of cheesy-smokey goodness, is so elegant that I thought it deserved a fancier name.
I adapted this recipe from a tasty WW potato cheese soup recipe that I loved – but not at 6 points a serving. Substituting root vegetables for some of the potatoes cut the points in half and stirring in my new favorite spice – smoked paprika – kicked the flavor up several notches.
This soup is definitely my new favorite. I’m guessing it’ll be yours too!
Ingredients
| 1 spray cooking spray, olive oil | (0 Points) |
| 1 medium onion, chopped | (0 Points) |
| 2 medium carrots, peeled and grated | (0 Points) |
| 1 large parsnip, peeled and grated | (0 Points) |
| 8 oz small red potatoes, diced | (5 Points) |
| 1 t. smoked paprika | (0 Points) |
| ½ t dry mustard | (0 Points) |
| ½ t kosher salt | (0 Points) |
| ¼ t freshly ground black pepper | (0 Points) |
| 4 cups prepared organic chicken bone broth | (0 Points)** |
| 1 cup water | (0 Points) |
| ½ cup fat free half and half | (4 Points) |
| 3oz low fat cheddar cheese | (9 Points) |
| (18 Points/3 per serving) |
Instructions
** To make this a vegetarian soup, substitute vegetable broth for bone broth but note that this will add one point per serving.
Spray a nonstick stock pot with cooking spray. Start by cooking onions over medium heat until soft, approximately 5 minutes. Then add grated carrot and parsnip, stir in paprika, mustard, salt, and pepper and cook 2 more minutes, stirring frequently.
Next, pour broth and water into pot with vegetables and spices, add diced potatoes. Raise heat until soup just reaches a boil, then lower heat to simmer. Simmer soup for 20 minutes, until potatoes are cooked through.
Use an immersion or regular blender to puree all the ingredients into a thick veloute. (If using a regular blender, puree soup in batches). Stir fat free half and half and cheese into mixture. Lastly, stir until cheese is melted.
