Soup It Up!!

It's All About Flavor.....

Hi Folks!  Not gonna lie....I'm pretty excited for a multitude of reasons this week.  First my Washington Nationals clinched the NL East Division on Tues night in Atlanta...and it was such a sa-weeeet victory. The Dean family has our playoff tickets and we are ready to cheer them on in October!!

Secondly....I've lost 2.5 lbs in past 9 days of seriously working out everyday and watching what I eat. The Lose It app has been a revelation for me to keep track of fat & calories and I haven't had any cravings at all.  I feel full and satisfied after every meal or snack.  Now just 27.5 lbs left to go...its a long haul but I'm ready to do this!  I don't think you can ever get on a healthy path until you are TRULY ready...mind, body & soul or you won't be successful. For me I was beyond ready and excited to be getting healthy again.

Third...I made some French Onion Soup that will rock your world and then some hehehe.  It was so good we ate the leftovers for lunches in 2 days...I had to fight my son for a bowl lol.  I've been making this soup for years but could never get the depth of flavor I wanted like I've had in other restaurants. And trust me over the years I've probably taste-tested 400 different kinds so I knew what I was after.  WELL I DID IT....I had a revelation looking at a recipe I had pinned which called for similar things I used but with an addition...it made all the difference.  So I'm sharing with you all today!

Oh and best part....only 80 calories in a bowl...160 calories if you count a slice of low-fat Swiss Cheese and a slice of bread on top.  And its filling...can't beat that kind of meal!

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French Onion Soup with Flavor Depth

Mmmmmm can you almost smell it....it was sooooo good!

RECIPE:

4-5 good sized Vidalia Onions sliced

2 TBS of butter

2-3 cloves of garlic diced/minced

1/2 cup of Worcestershire Sauce

1/4 cup of red wine

1/4 cup of Balsamic Vinegar (this was the difference in flavor folks)

1 TBS of brown sugar

1/2 TBS of Thyme dried powder or use fresh Thyme

Kosher Sea Salt & Black Pepper to taste

4 TBS of flour

64 onces of Beef Broth

Bread Slices

Low-Fat Swiss Cheese Slices

INSTRUCTIONS:

I cooked my soup in my Dutch Oven pot but if you aren't going to be home or want to simmer while at work..just follow Dutch Oven instructions in a pot then transfer to a Crock-Pot.

Put your sliced onions, butter, Balsamic Vinegar, Worcestershire Sauce, wine and garlic in pot or saute pan and cook till onions start to caramelize on med heat.  Add a shake of salt & pepper as they cook too.  This can take about 10-15 mins...you want them to cook slowly and not burn...burned onions equal yucky flavor.

**The Balsamic Vinegar made all the difference in the flavor I kid you not!**

Lower heat then add in the flour and stir well and cook for a few more mins.  I added another splash of Balsamic Vinegar & Worcestershire Sauce at this point too.  I cook to taste & rarely measure so please bear with me lol.

If you sauteed your onions in a pan, transfer them to a large pot and add your beef broth.  Stir well and keep on med/low heat.  Add your thyme and salt/pepper and simmer covered for at least an hour if not a couple of hours if you can.  Or cook on low/warm in Crock-Pot.  The longer it simmers the more flavor you create so cook it as long as you can...mine cooked about 5 hours.

Toast your bread/baguette slices, place on top of soup in your bowls...then top with 2 slices of cheese.

Broil in oven for a couple minutes until your cheese starts to bubble.  Make sure your bowls are oven proof. I put my bowls on a baking pan so they are easier to remove from the hot oven.

I served my soup with a side of fruit salad to finish off the meal!

Bon Appetit!!!

Soooo yummy!!!

When you have deep flavors in your food you don't miss all the other stuff including fat...makes the eating healthy experience enjoyable!!