South Beach Phase One Recipes: Ground Beef and Sauerkraut Soup

I'm absolutely not going to start telling you how much I weigh every day on this blog,(how boring would that be?) but I am excited to report that after one day on phase one I lost two pounds. So if you're lurking out there wondering if the South Beach Diet really works, trust me, it does. I spent a few minutes yesterday washing lettuce, cutting up veggies, and preparing snacks since I'm going back to school today. Having the right foods handy is one way to help yourself succeed on any diet.

Yesterday I started our month of South Beach Diet Phase One recipes on Kalyn's Kitchen with a recipe for Warm Scallop Caesar Salad. That's a delicious recipe, but scallops are probably something lots of people don't have around, and a salad like that wouldn't be some people's idea of a good meal. Today I'm featuring a down-to-earth soup that's delicious and simple to make. The sauerkraut flavor isn't strong, but it gives this a subtle sweet and sour taste that I think most people would like. I loved this soup with sour cream in it, but I must caution you that adding sour cream didn't improve the looks of the soup. I didn't care; it tasted delicious. (Use light sour cream but not fat free for South Beach.) You could saute the ground beef, onions and garlic, and then put this in a crockpot type slow cooker and cook (4-6 hours on low or 2-3 hours on high) but if you did I would not use the water.

Ground Beef and Sauerkraut Soup
(about 8 servings; I know I was inspired by a recipe I saw somewhere, but I can't remember where I saw it!)

1 lb. very lean ground beef (less than 10% fat)
2-3 tsp. olive oil (depends on your pan)
1 cup chopped onion (one large onion)
1 T minced garlic (or less if you're not that fond of garlic)
2 cups homemade chicken stock
(or 1 14 oz. can chicken broth)
2 14 oz. cans beef broth
1 14 oz. can diced tomatoes with juice
(I prefer Muir Glen Organic Fire Roasted Tomatoes)
1 14 oz. can sauerkraut with juice (or use bottled sauerkraut)
1 cup water (if needed)
1 T Splenda or brown sugar (use Splenda for South Beach Diet)
1 T Worcestershire sauce
3-4 dried bay leaves
3 T minced parsley or 1-2 T dried parsley
1 tsp. rubbed sage
fresh ground black pepper to taste

In heavy frying pan, heat 1 tsp. olive oil, add ground beef and brown well, breaking into small pieces with turner. This will take as much as ten minutes but don't rush the browning step.

While ground beef browns, combine chicken stock, beef stock, canned tomatoes, sauerkraut, Splenda or brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, bay leaves, parsley and sage in large stock pot. Bring to a low simmer.

When beef is well browned, add to soup in pot. Deglaze pan with a bit of the soup liquid, scraping off any browned bits, and add to soup.

Wipe out frying pan and add other 2 tsp. olive oil. Saute onions 2-3 minutes, until starting to soften, then add garlic and saute 1-2 minutes more. Add to soup, reduce heat under soup pot and let soup simmer at low heat about one hour. After an hour, taste for seasoning and add water if soup seems too strong. Simmer 15 minutes more if adding water. Season to taste with fresh-ground black pepper before serving. Serve hot, with sour cream if desired.

For me this would be a perfect phase one lunch or dinner for the South Beach Diet. If you wanted a more substantial meal, serve with Grilled Zucchini and Sausage Kabobs or Roasted Squash with Garlic. When you get to phase two or three, enjoy this with your favorite 100% whole wheat bread.

Here are some other phase one soups:
Leftover Roast Beef Italian Stew (If you follow that link you can see how my photos have improved!)

Goulash Soup with Red Pepper and Cabbage (a little similar to this recipe but it has cabbage and red peppers and is seasoned with paprika)
Italian Sausage and Zucchini Soup (one of my very favorites; leave out the Dreamfields Macaroni for phase one)
Thai Chicken Soup
Chicken Soup with Garbanzos and Oregano

Reminders:

Weekend Herb Blogging is back this week. Recipes can include any herb, plant, veggie, or flower. Here are the Rules for Weekend Herb Blogging. Here's where to find out Who's Hosting Weekend Herb Blogging.

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Food Recipes Cooking South Beach Diet Recipes
Low Carb Recipes Low Glycemic Index Recipes