Soup Chick®

Seven soups every Saturday: skinny tomato soup recipes

Creamy rich tomato soup and a grilled cheese sandwich: does any food pairing evoke childhood more than that? Like all moms in the 1950s, my mother was the queen of the red-and-white canned soup, and white bread sandwiches oozing processed American cheese. Don't get me wrong; I loved it then, and might love it still. However, my adult body craves something lighter, especially when it comes to soup. Skip the cream, load up on the tomato, add a bit of herbs and spices, maybe a companion sweet vegetable like red bell peppers or carrots. Skinnier soup, skinnier me.

Vegan and gluten-free creamy lime and coconut edamame soup, from Kahakai Kitchen

Deb of Kahakai Kitchen reached deep into her well-stocked pantry to create this creamy lime and coconut edamame soup, which is perfect for Meatless Monday. Kaffir lime leaves (you can substitute lime zest), lemongrass (or lemon zest), ginger, bird chiles and coconut milk give this soup an unmistakeable Thai quality; edamame (soy beans) gives it body. You'll want to try this vegan and gluten-free recipe with other frozen vegetables, too; Deb suggests substituting frozen peas, broccoli, corn or cauliflower, whatever you have on hand. Serve this hot or chilled.

Seven soups every Saturday: cucumber soup recipes

Envy isn't an attractive trait, but I must admit that I envy my friends who grow cucumbers in their gardens. Nothing refreshes more than the crunch of a young cuke picked right off the vine. The cucumbers I buy at the farmers' market most often end up in salad, in smoothies, or in my pickling jar. A few lucky ones morph into chilled soups that cool me down on the hottest summer days.