This week was me and my husband’s 5th year wedding anniversary. Celebrating has brought back so many great memories. Especially, memories about what I ate and how I exercised during the weeks leading up to the big day.
Unlike typical brides, my wedding dress was a little revealing and showed off my mid-section! Thinking about showing my stomach to all my friends and family scared the you know what out of me. This was the only thing I needed to keep myself super disciplined day in and day out.
I worked out 5 days a week. I resisted offers for co-worker birthday cake and sweets at the office. I ate in for the majority of the time and created a routine of foods to stick with.
This is a head to toe shot of my wedding dress. It was easy to go a few months without cake knowing I was going to wear this!
Check out my abs! Dancing at one of my wedding pre-parties. “The Lady Sangeet”
As I strolled down memory lane, a particular soup I made kept popping up in my mind… So I decided to make it yesterday in honor of our anniversary weekend. It’s based on mostly green vegetables of kale and celery, but also includes some protein sources of cannellini beans and organic chicken.
Wedding Weight Loss Soup
I ate this soup every week for a few months. I call it the “Wedding Weight Loss Soup” because it really helped curb my appetite and satisfied the urge for something warm and comforting at night. I didn’t have a wedding planner, so I was crazy busy every night doing something for the wedding. I made this on Mondays and it lasted me a few days so I wouldn’t have to cook every night. Left overs were so easy to heat up on the stove for 10 mins.
- sea salt
- fresh ground black pepper
- 1 TBSP of olive oil
- 1 large organic onion chopped
- 1 bunch organic celery chopped (including green leafy tops)
- 1 bunch organic kale chopped
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 pound organic chicken breast
- 4 cups organic chicken broth (if you buy packaged – make sure it doesn’t have any yeast extract or autolyzed yeast – a hidden name for MSG)
- 2 cups water
- 1 can of “Eden Foods” organic cannellini beans (this is the only canned product brand I use, the liners are guaranteed BPA Free)
- Salt and pepper organic chicken breast on each side, cut into small cubes and set aside
- Heat large pot with olive oil on medium for about 3-5 mins
- Add chopped onions and celery and cook until soft about 5-7 mins
- Add the bay leaf, broth, water and chicken and turn heat up to high
- Once it comes to a boil, reduce heat down to a simmer for 10 mins
- After 10 mins add cannelloni beans and chopped kale and cook another 10 mins
- Remove bay leaf before serving
- Serve with Mary’s Gone Crackers (onion is my favorite!)
A bunch of kale chopped yields about 5-6 cups.
Bringing the broth to a boil… it’s getting hot in here.
Just added the beans & kale – it will cook down in 7-10 mins.
Please cool down soup! Don’t burn my tongue!
Vani- I will definitely have to try your soup but the vegan version. I am not a fan of kale so would spinach work?
Yes! Spinach would definitely work. With any delicate green like spinach or arugula, make sure you double the amount and cook less time (2-5 mins). Also green collards and rainbow chard are both a little milder in flavor than Kale. Try them! They would work beautifully.
I’m really excited to try this soup. I am going to omit the chicken ingredients and add veggie broth. Do you have a recommended brand? What other beans can I use too? Giant white?
The brand of vegetable broth I use at the moment is the low sodium version from Pacific Foods
Picking a good carton of broth is so important. Many brands use added sunflower or corn or safflower oils, which I don’t like to use because of the imbalance it causes with your Omega 3 Fatty Acids.
As for beans, try dark red kidney beans, Eden Foods has a great canned version. The kidney beans will add heartiness that can replace the chicken nicely. Good Luck!
Vani,
I’m in a fashion ER, with an outfit that’s just a little snug. Would this be something I could eat, exclusively, for the next few days to look my best in a new dress?
Fashion Emergency? No problem. You definitely could eat this soup a few days and get all the nutrition you need. However, you won’t be able to lose real weight (i.e. fat) in a few days, just water weight. Did you know that salt can add 8-10 pounds of bloat to your skin, especially around your mid-section? My cure before a big event is to cut salt completely out of your diet. No processed foods, lots of fresh vegetables and fruits. Also, go to a natural food market and pick up Dandelion Root tea. Drink this 3 times a day for a few days to help the process of salt elimination! Good Luck!
How extreme do I need to be? Can I skip the part of the recipe where I salt the chicken, and go for chili powder/ garlic/ garam masala instead?
Sure – however, the amount of salt is very minimal already in this soup. Remember to use low sodium broth and beans with no salt added. The other spices would work too. Just remember to add lots of fresh vegetables and fruits. Think salads, cucumbers, celery, pineapple, watermelon, etc – pick fresh fruits and veggies with a high density of water. You also should be drinking a gallon of water a day. The more water you drink, the more your body can get rid of the salt!
Awesome…shall try this.thanks vani
that dress is amazing… WOW
Vani I want to make this soup tonight! It looks so comforting and delicious! I wore a similar outfit to my cousins wedding! She married into an Indian family so we had a week of events celebrating our different traditions. It was the most fun I’ve ever had a wedding, and I’ve kept my outfit, I just need an excuse to wear it again!
Gillian – Only if we lived in the same town – I’d invite you to the next Indian party! Let me know how you like the soup – it’s really simple tasting but great with some crackers.
I’ve made this soup a number of times since I first started visiting your blog this year. Just whipped up a batch now to have for lunch this week. Thanks again for sharing such a simple but great recipe!
I so glad you’ve enjoyed it Charlene. I thought about making some this week too! Maybe I still will
Hi! I am very curious to try this soup and the other recipes you have on your blog. Although, living on a small island can be challenging to find some of your ingredients. For example, dandelion and kale is not available in any of our markets. Any suggestion on what tropical veggies can be alternate with some of the ingredients? Thanks!
Yes – Try Bok Choy..or cabbage, or morning glory, really any type of dark leafy green will work… where do you live?
Yumm Foodbabe this looks AH-MAZING! I’m not getting married, but I will deff be adding this to my winter menu.
Thanks!!
This sounds delish! I will probably make it this weekend to have for lunch during the week. I’m always looking for easy AND healthy things to make and pack ahead of time so I can grab them and go in the morning.
Hi Food Babe,
I just wanted to let you know I made this soup last night, and instead of using chicken, I used leftover cooked, white meat turkey from Thanksgiving- it came out great!
Thanks for all the great tips and recipes.
Christina
Made this super easy and amazing soup today and it was so delicious I had it for lunch and dinner. Lifted my spirits on a cold and rainy day. Thank you for sharing and I’ve enjoyed your website. You are such an inspiration. Let’s spread this real food movement fast!
Thanks for sharing this reciepe. I was wondering how often did you eat this soup and what else did you add to your diet to get your great results?
BTW love your blog very inspiring!
Oh yum yum yum!! I just made my first batch to kick off the new year right! I nixed the chicken and added some extra beans! Thanks for sharing this! You look fabulous in the pics!
Your recipe looks awesome! I can hardly wait to try it. I just found you online last night, and have just started trying to eat healthy. I’m about 100lbs over my ideal weight.
Besides using organic/non GMO products, what do you think of this soup? http://www.food.com/recipe/ww-0-point-weight-watchers-cabbage-soup-128956
I read that tomato paste and tomato products in cans are bad for you. What would you recommend? Is there such thing as organic beef broth? I’m taking your advice and changing my grocery store, so maybe I’ll find out on my own soon enough. Sorry for all the questions, and thanks!
I made this soup last night and it was Delicious! Even my two year old loved it! I added garlic and cilantro (in place of the bay leaf). Thank you for sharing!