Aficionados of Portuguese cooking will recognize this chunky soup as a classic with a twist. For the sausage, instead linguiça, found only in Portuguese-American neighborhoods, I use kielbasa because it is widely available and adds a delicious smoky flavor. Spanish chorizo or Italian sausage work well, too. I also make a vegetarian version, using smoked tofu or seared cubed tempeh in place of the meat.
Fast Fact: Yellow-fleshed potatoes contain small amounts of lutein and zeaxanthin, forms of carotene that are good for the eyes.
Quick Tip: For maximum flavor with less fat and no nitrites, look for the cooked turkey kielbasa from Wellshire Farms.

In early October, when the new crop is harvested, I am eager to enjoy fresh cranberries. This ruby soup, which pairs their tart-sweet flavor with apples and cider, is good with any autumn dinner as a prelude to a pork, venison, or chicken main dish. When fresh cranberries have disappeared, you can make this soup using frozen ones, which helps you serve this antioxidant-loaded fruit right through to spring.
Fast Fact: Cranberries are a North American native, with most of today’s commercial crop grown in Massachusetts and Michigan
Quick Tip: A cast iron frying pan works best for cooking the apple croutons; a non-stick pan slows their browning

If you love Indian food but think making it at home seems complicated, try this golden soup. The red lentils called for are available in most supermarkets, at Wild Oats, and other natural foods markets, and they cook quickly, so this soup is ready in 30 minutes. If you want this main-dish soup to pack heat, include some cayenne pepper along with its other aromatic spices. Vegetarians can use vegetable broth.
Fast Fact: The fennel in this spice blend rounds out its flavors and works as an aid to digestion
Quick Tip: To add even more vegetables to this a one-dish meal, mix in chopped spinach along with the tomatoes

This delicious, vegetable-filled broth can be served by itself or used as a base for other soups. The vegetables used in this soup are often just added to soup liquids for cooking. This recipe oven-roasts them first, enhancing their flavor. Your kitchen will fill with the aromas of the roasting vegetables evoking old-fashioned, home-style meals. Comfort food at its finest.

This is a very easy recipe using ginger and turmeric, two of my favorite seasonings.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees

South Beach Friendly all phases

South Beach Friendly all phases

South Beach friendly all phases