Vegetable Soup for P90X Phase I
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 dash black pepper
- 10 cups fat-free chicken broth low sodium
- 4 whole red potatoes cut into 1 inch squares
- 4 cups onions quartered
- 1 cup carrots sliced 1 inch thick
- 3 cups celery sliced 1 inch thick
- 2 cups zucchini sliced 1 inch thick
- 8 ounces tomato sauce canned
- 1/4 bunch fresh parsley chopped
- 1/4 bunch cilantro chopped
- Carbohydrate 13.4661588888889 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 0.410650555555556 g
- Fiber 2.23661115402646 g
- Protein 2.50282222222222 g
- Saturated Fat 0.04951 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (258g)
- Sodium 598.464666666667 mg
- Sugar 11.2295477348624 g
- Trans Fat 0.266786388888889 g
- Calories 64 calories
Step-by-step
- Into a large stockpot, combine the chicken broth, potatoes, onions, carrots, and celery. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-high, and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 30 minutes.
- Add the zucchini, tomato sauce, garlic, parsley, and cilantro. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 10 to 15 minutes more, or until the zucchini is just tender.
- Season to taste with black pepper and serve.
- If desired, add protein powder just before serving.
Swapping the low-sodium chicken broth for vegetable stock changes the flavor profile completely, though usually for the worse when paired with canned tomato sauce. Root vegetables absorb liquid unevenly during the initial thirty-minute simmer, meaning potatoes soften before carrots reach an acceptable bite. The pot requires strict heat management to avoid scorching the bottom of a standard six-quart stockpot. Starch from the red potatoes breaks down further when chilled, thickening the broth into a heavy gel by day two. Second-day heating demands careful stirring over medium-low heat to prevent the zucchini from disintegrating entirely into mush.
- Slice carrots and celery precisely to one inch so they soften within the exact thirty-minute window.
- Store leftovers in an airtight glass container for up to four days in the refrigerator.
- Reheat portions gently on the stovetop rather than using a microwave to preserve zucchini texture.
- Add fresh herbs like parsley and cilantro at the very end to retain volatile aromatic oils.
