Chipotle Turkey Tacos/Taco Salads with Pico De Gallo

12 Tacos
Total price: NY $24.07 (plus leftover cheese, cilantro, chipotles and tomato sauce)
Price per taco/taco salad: NY $2.00


The other night, the LBUH developed a craving for old school suburban tacos. None of this fancy fish in a soft tortilla stuff I’d been feeding him before our finances took a turn for the worse. I wasn’t willing to fry up a pound of ground beef or use orange-colored seasoning from a pouch, so this recipe was a successful compromise. (So successful that it had the LBUH walking around the house singing “Taco, taco, taco!”)

The instructions below incorporate my mother’s patented trick to keep taco shells from breaking. Her method allows the juices from the turkey mixture to soak into the shell, which makes it just pliable enough that it won’t crack but not so much that it turns to mush and all the fillings tumble out the botttom. Personally, I like this best as a taco salad so I pounce on any that happen to break (which, thanks to Mom, won’t be many).


Ingredients

• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (staple)
• 1.3 pounds ground turkey breast*(NY $5.29)
• 2 medium onions (NY $ 1.69)
• 1 red pepper (NY $ 1.15)
• 2 cloves garlic (NY $0.59 for one head)
• 2 chipotles in adobo sauce** (NY $1.79 for 7 oz. can)
• 1 cup tomato sauce*** (NY $1.49 for 15 oz. can organic)
• 1 rounded tbsp chili powder (staple)
• Salt (staple)
• ½ cup water (free)
• 12 corn taco shells (NY $2.79)
• Romaine Lettuce (NY $ 2.99 for one head)
• 1 cup cheddar, monterey jack, or mexican blend cheese (NY $2.79 for 8 oz.)
• 3 tomatoes (NY $1.47)
• 2 small jalapeno peppers (NY $0.54)
• 4 tbsps cilantro leaves**** (NY $1.50 for 1 bunch)

Directions
Preheat over to 350 degrees.

Prepare pico de gallo: seed and dice tomatoes and jalapeno peppers, combine in medium bowl. Chop 1 onion and 3 tablespoons cilantro, add to bowl and stir. Salt to taste, and leave flavors to blend while you prepare tacos.

Heat oil in skillet over medium high heat, until fragrant. Add turkey and brown (approx. 2 to 3 minutes).

Add remaining onions, red pepper and garlic and continue cooking until turkey is cooked through (approx. 3 to 5 minutes).

Stir in chipotles, chili powder and tomato sauce. Season with salt to taste, and stir in ½ cup water.

Reduce heat to low, and simmer for a few minutes.

Carefully remove taco shells from package and stuff with a few spoonfuls of turkey mixture. Place filled shells on cookie sheet, heat in oven for (approx. 3 to 5 minutes)*****.

For tacos: arrange filled shells on platter. Serve with bowls of washed, shredded romaine lettuce, cheese, and pico de gallo.

For taco salads: Arrange washed, torn romaine lettuce on plate. Top with pico de gallo, and crumble a filled taco shell over. Sprinkle some cheese on top.

Adapted from Rachael Ray******

* Most packages of ground turkey come in this seemingly odd size, while most recipes call for just a pound. One of the things that I love about this recipe is that it doesn’t leave you with a leftover 1/3 pound of turkey.

** Freeze leftovers for another use.

*** Ditto!

**** For info on storing cilantro, see earlier post.

***** The filled shells keep well in the fridge. To reheat, either pop them in the microwave or back into the oven at 350 degrees.

****** That’s right, Rachael Ray. I understand that there are many who can’t stand Rachael Ray, but I’m a fan. I get that her cutesy expressions can rankle, and her portion sizes are humongous, but I think she gets people in the kitchen cooking when they might otherwise have gone to KFC. And there can be no doubt that that is a good thing. Now if you want to bash on Sandra Lee and that semi-homemade nonsense, then be my guest!


Nutrition Facts
Calories per taco (including cheese, pico de gallo and lettuce)

Calories: 168.1	Protein: 14.2 g	Magnesium: 6.9 %
Total Fat: 6.5 g	Vitamin A: 24.0 %	Manganese: 10.5 %
Saturated Fat: 1.1 g	Vitamin B-12: 0.9 %	Niacin: 3.8 %
Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.4 g	Vitamin B-6: 9.0 %	Pantothenic Acid: 2.7 %
Monounsaturated Fat: 2.3 g	Vitamin C: 46.2 %	Phosphorus: 11.3 %
Cholesterol: 22.1 mg	Vitamin D: 0.0 %	Riboflavin: 4.6 %
Sodium: 533.2 mg	Vitamin E: 5.9 %	Selenium: 5.2 %
Potassium: 248.2 mg	Calcium: 8.1 %	Thiamin: 5.4 %
Total Carbohydrate: 15.6 g	Copper: 4.7 %	Zinc: 3.7 %
Dietary Fiber: 2.6 g	Folate: 9.9 %
Sugars: 1.2 g	Iron: 5.7 %

Recipe and Nutritional Information after the jump

Herbed New England Clam and Corn Chowder

8 servings
Total Cost: NY $18.67 (plus extra bacon* and carrots)
Price per serving: NY $2.34


Even though its technically spring, its going to be cold and rainy weekend here in New York: perfect chowder weather! I adapted this recipe from a recent Bon Appetit article about eating better for less, but last I checked this chowder doesn’t seem to have ever made it on to Epicurious. Which is a darn shame because its economical, quick, easy, tasty, and a great way for Lovely But Unemployed Husband to get his bacon (“Mmmm, bacon”) fix without me worrying about the state of his arteries. (I am sparing you here from a truly dreadful joke about bringing home the bacon. I would like this noted on my permanent record. Thank you.) The original recipe called for whole milk, but I’ve substituted 2% because it’s a little less heavy and for us its more economical as 2% is what we use on a daily basis. Go ahead and use whichever you have on hand, or a mix if you feel like it. Like most soups, this freezes well.


Ingredients

• 6 bacon slices (NY $3.99 for 1 lb. package)
• 2 medium onions (NY $.69)
• 3 large carrots (NY $1.29/Bunch)
• 1 ¼ tsps dried thyme (staple)
• ¾ teaspoon dried rosemary (or a few sprigs fresh if you have it) (staple)
• Salt (staple)
• Pepper (staple)
• 3 tbsps flour (whole wheat pastry if you like) (staple)
• 4 cups 2 % milk (NY $2.25 for organic)
• 2 8 oz potato (NY $1.50)
• 3 6 ½ oz. cans chopped clams in juice (NY$5.97)
• 2 10 oz packages frozen corn** (NY$2.98)
• Chopped fresh parsley (staple)

Directions
Cut bacon crosswise into ½ inch pieces. Peel and chop carrots, chop onions. Chop, but do not peel, the potato into ½ inch cubes.

Cook bacon in soup pot over medium heat until crisp. Transfer bacon to a plate lined with paper towels to drain.

Pour out all but 2 tbsps of bacon drippings from pot. (Note: if you’re phobic about saturated fat, you could pour out all but 1 tbsp and substitute 1 tbsp olive oil. But you get a lot of flavor bang out of the bacon grease for both your actual and caloric bucks.)

Add onion, carrots, thyme, rosemary, a few pinches salt and several grinds of pepper. Saute until vegetables are tender but still crisp (approx. 5 minutes).

Sprinkle in flour, stir over heat until well combined (approx. 1-2 minutes). Stirring constantly, slowly pour milk into pot. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to medium. Cook until slightly thickened, stirring frequently (approx. 5 minutes).

Add potatoes, and simmer until potatoes are tender, stirring often (approx. 15 minutes.)

Add the clams with their juice, and the corn Return to a boil, then reduce heat to medium low and let simmet for another 10 minutes. Adjust seasoning to taste. Crumble bacon slices into bits. Sprinkle individual bowls with bacon and parsley, serve and enjoy!

Adapted from Bon Appetit, January 2009

*Bacon freezes well and according to Sarah Moulton stays tasty for up to a month. Insert a sheet of wax paper between every six slices or so (or whatever the smallest quantity you think you might want at one time is), wrap in plastic wrap, and place in heavy duty freezer bag before freezing.

** The original recipe called for 1 8 ¾ oz can corn kernels, drained. “CANNED CORN?!?” you ask, increduously. Hand to heart, Bon Appetit said to use canned vegetables. We elected to use frozen corn instead as, among other things, canned corn frequently contains added salt or sugars.

Nutrition Facts
Approximate values per serving, using 2% milk

Calories: 285.6	Vitamin B-6: 14.9 %	Manganese: 15.7 %
Total Fat: 6.5 g	Vitamin C: 25.5 %	Niacin: 11.7 %
Cholesterol: 46.4 mg	Vitamin D: 0.0 %	Pantothenic Acid: 4.5 %
Sodium: 496.6 mg	Vitamin E: 1.1 %	Phosphorus: 11.7 %
Potassium: 795.1 mg	Calcium: 63.3 %	Riboflavin: 7.3 %
Total Carbohydrate: 37.4 g	Copper: 5.8 %	Selenium: 4.4 %
Protein: 21.8 g	Folate: 61.2 %	Thiamin: 12.3 %
Vitamin A: 352.7 %	Iron: 11.4 %	Zinc: 6.2 %
Vitamin B-12: 1.4 %	Magnesium: 9.8 %

Recipe and Nutritional Information after the jump

Shrimp Enchiladas Verde Casserole

8 servings
Total price: NY $ 25.87 (with leftover cheese and cilantro*)
Price per serving: NY $3.23


Seafood is admittedly pricey, but given how ridiculously healthy and delicious it is, we’re not willing to give it up until after the recession is over. But maybe that’s not as far away as it once
seemed? Just maybe? (Now’s when you nod your head and say “Yes, undoubtedly!”) As much fun as this site has been, it would be even better to be rendered obsolete. Back to seafood: one way to keep the price manageable is to use it as just a small part of a larger dish. This recipe does just that, and is truly idiot-simple besides. As easy as an old-school casserole—dump in a can of this, scatter over a pack of that—but blessedly devoid of cream of lima bean soup. Posting this sooner than anticipated as its one of the Lovely But Unemployed Husband’s favorites and, as you may have heard, its hard out there in the job market. (For the moment at least! Soon to end maybe! See above!)


Ingredients

• 1 pound peeled cooked shrimp (NY $9.20**)
• 1 10 oz package frozen corn (NY $1.39)
• 2 4 oz cans chopped green chiles, undrained (NY $3.78)
• 2 10 oz cans green enchilada sauce (or green salsa) (NY $3.98)
• 12 6-inch corn tortillas (NY $ 1.49)
• 1 15 oz can nonfat refried beans (NY $1.99)
• 1 cup reduced-fat shredded cheese (Mexican blend, Montery Jack,
• Cheddar or the like) (NY $5.19 for 8 oz.)
• 2/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro (NY $1.50 for 1 bunch***)
• Cooking spray (staple)
• Optional: 1 lime (NY $0.33)

Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Coat a 9 x 13 inch baking dish withcooking spray. Remove tails from shrimp**** and dice. Combine shrimp, defrosted corn, 1/3 cup cilantro, chiles with their juice and ½ cup of the enchilada sauce in medium bowl.

Spread 1/3 cup enchilada sauce in prepared baking dish. Next put down an overlapping layer of 6 of the corn tortillas. Spread refried beans evenly over tortillas, top with shrimp mixture. Cover with another overlapping layer of remaining tortillas. Pour remaining tortilla sauce over the top. Cover with foil.

Bake until bubbly at the sides (approx. 20 minutes). Remove foil and sprinkle cheese over top. Continue baking, uncovered, until cheese melts (approx. 5 minutes). Sprinkle remaining cilantro over top (or serve on the side), and let stand (approx. 5 minutes). If desired, serve with lime wedges to squirt over the top.

Adapted from Eating Well

* To store leftover cilantro, I trim the bottom of the stems, and pop the bunch into a glass of clean water (like an herbal bouquet). Either keep this on the counter if you plan to use quickly, or put a plastic bag over the top, afix with a rubber band (so basically, your cilantro is wearing a shower cap), then pop the whole works into the refrigerator.

** We found that, surprisingly, shrimp was the same price per pound whether fresh or frozen, raw or cooked. We went with fresh, pre-cooked, but shop around and go with whatever is cheapest. If frozen, defrost before combining with the corn, etc. If raw is cheapest, cook before combining with corn mixture.

*** If you’ve figured out how to grow a pot of cilantro in your apartment, you have my congratulations! We’ve never managed to make that trick work. If you’ve done it, please share your secrets below!

**** If you’re lazy, or just don’t like playing with shrimp tails (like me), you can just take your knife and lop them off. You’ll waste some shrimp that way, however, so better to get the shrimp to come out of their shells. LBUH will either coax(he’s a good coaxer) the shrimp out of the shell by pinching the bottom or will slice the shell off by running a knife horizontally down one side of the shrimp.


Nutrition Facts
Approximate values per serving

Calories: 285.0	Vitamin A: 40.6 %	Iron: 15.3 %
Total Fat: 4.2 g	Vitamin B-12: 15.4 %	Magnesium: 15.3 %
Cholesterol: 114.0 mg	Vitamin B-6: 12.2 %	Manganese: 10.2 %
Sodium: 1,041.6 m	Vitamin C: 20.0 %	Niacin: 13.8 %
Potassium: 318.4 mg	Vitamin D: 0.0 %	Phosphorus: 30.6 %
Total Carbohydrate: 40.1 g	Vitamin E: 1.9 %	Riboflavin: 7.0 %
Fiber: 8.1 g	Calcium: 13.4 %	Selenium: 39.1 %
Sugars: 2.7 g	Copper: 9.6 %	Thiamin: 6.5 %
Protein: 23.1 g	Folate: 7.0 %	Zinc: 13.0 %

Recipe and Nutritional Information after the jump

Chicken and Zucchini Gratin

7-8 servings
Total price: NY $20.79 (including extra pasta and garlic for another use)
Price per serving: NY $3.46

Wow, doing the math for this one really brought home that its true that the price of produce is going up, and the price of meat is coming down! I’m kind of shocked that we spent almost twice as much on (admittedly out of season) zucchini as we did on chicken. Anyway, this is a great, flavorful dish that, though loaded with veggies, has enough in common with mac-n-cheese and other casseroles to satisfy comfort food cravings (and who isn't having those these days?).


Ingredients

• 2 cups chicken broth (NY $1.49)
• 4 cloves garlic, minced (NY $0.59 for one head)
• 1 cup whole grain or regular tubettini, ditalini, orzo or similar pasta* (NY $2.99 for box)
• 1/4 lb. swiss cheese, unsliced** (NY $3.50 for Alpine Lace)
• 4 zucchini (NY $6.01)
• 1 large onion, such as Vidalia (NY $1.56)
• ½ pound skinless, boneless chicken breast (NY $3.72 for 0.52 1b.)
• 1 tbsp olive oil (staple)
• 2 tsps oregano (staple)
• Salt (staple)
• Pepper (staple)
• 1 tbsp grated or shredded parmesan cheese*** (staple)
• ½ cup grated mozzarella cheese (NY $2.49)
• Optional: Unseasoned breadcrumbs**** (staple)
• ¼ cup chopped parsley***** (staple)

Directions
Cut the zucchini in half lengthwise, then into ¼ inch thick slices. Slice the onion into ¼ inch slices, and mince the garlic.

Bring the chicken broth and one clove of garlic to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add pasta and cook until al dente, per package directions (approx. 8 minutes).

While pasta cooks, grate the swiss and mozzarella. (If you have sliced swiss instead of a hunk, just cut into small pieces.) Cut the chicken into 1/3 inch-wide slices.

In a large (as big as you’ve got!) skillet, warm the olive oil over medium high until fragrant. Add the onion (pop out the slices with your thumb so that the rings separate) and remainder of the garlic and sauté, stirring frequently, just until the onion begins to color. (About 3 minutes.)

Add the zucchini, oregano, several grinds of pepper, a dash of salt and cook until the zucchini begins to soften, about 3 minutes. If you’ve got a really enormous skillet like we do, scoot the vegetables off to the sides of the skillet and add chicken into the center. Continue cooking approximately 5 more minutes, until the chicken is just cooked through. If you have a smaller skillet, cook the vegetables until cooked through, and transfer to plate. Then throw a little more oil into the skillet, warm, and stir-fry the chicken approximately 3 minutes until just cooked. Then return the vegetables to the skillet.

Add the cooked pasta with the cooking liquid, grated swiss and mozzarella, and stir well to combine. In a small bowl, combine parmesan cheese, breadcrumbs, and parsley (if using.) Sprinkle breadcrumb mixture over top of dish. Broil until golden, approximately 3 to 5 minutes.

Alternate directions for those without broilers: We have a broiler, but its very narrow and not deep enough to broil anything without instantly setting it on fire. What we do have, however, is a Crème Brulee torch! (Only in NYC, right?) Here’s what we do: After combining the cheeses, leave the dish on the stove for a few more minutes, while stirring gently. Then sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture across the top and break out the torch! Move the flame slowly and continuously across the top of the gratin, until the top browns.

Adapted from “Fast, Fresh and Delicious”, an actual Time-Life Book my mother gave me over a decade ago

* Whole grain can be hard to find in these shapes, so we ended up using regular pasta this time. Both work if you can find them (and like whole grain pasta).

** You can get this from the deli counter. If you live in NYC, the guy behind the counter will grumble about cutting off such a small portion, but will do it anyway. I’m guessing that if you live elsewhere, he’ll do it and tell you to have a nice day. Either way, you’ll pay less than you would have for a larger pre-packed quantity of swiss cheese, which you’d then have to use up.

*** We keep this in the freezer and it lasts for several months.

**** What we do for breadcrumbs is save the crusts from whole wheat bread, throw them into the food processor, then freeze. Healthier, tastier, and cheaper than the overpriced cartons of sawdust-like material you find at the grocery store.

***** We consider parsley to be a staple b/c we grow it in a herb pot. Some herbs work better than others in pots, but we’ve had great success with parsley on the window sill. Rosemary has turned out fantastically for us, but cilantro and basil were both a disaster. Have you tried this? What works for you? Any tips? Please share in the comments!
Nutrition Facts
Approximate amount for 1/7 of dish, using regular pasta and wholegrain breadcrumbs

Calories: 318.4	Vitamin A: 6.2 %	Iron: 10.0%
Total Fat: 13.1 g	Vitamin B-12: 12.9%	Magnesium: 8.2%
Cholesterol: 47.8 mg	Vitamin B-16: 14.5%	Magnesium: 8.2%
Sodium: 351.0 mg	Vitamin C: 12.9%	Niacin: 33.7%
Potassium: 350.8mg	Vitamin D: 1.8%	Phosphorus: 36.4%
Total Carb: 22.5 g	Vitamin E: 2.8%	Riboflavin: 18.2%
Fiber: 1.5 g	Calcium: 40.9%	Selenium: 20.5%
Sugars: 0.9 g	Copper: 6.6%	Thiamin: 19%
Protein: 26.1 g	Folate: 16.5%	Zinc: 11.7%

Recipe and Nutritional Information after the jump

Veggie-ful Black Beans and Brown Rice

4 servings
Total Price: NY $ 7.33/ NY $ 16.11
Price per serving: NY $1.83/ NY $4.03


So you probably didn’t need me to tell you that rice and beans are budget-friendly. And you probably have already figured out that subbing brown rice for the traditional white makes the whole works healthier. What makes this rice ‘n’ beans recipe a little different is the quantity of veggies that go into it. The result is a really tasty dish that is chock full of protein, fiber, vitamins and I’m guessing those phytochemical and antioxidant thingies one hears so much about these days. You can also throw in extra odds and ends veggies you happen to have on hand, like red pepper, carrots, even celery or zucchini chopped up kind of fine. The leftovers from this pack great for lunch: just put the rice on the bottom of your Tupperware, layer on the beans and tomatoes in the same container, and pop in the microwave at lunch time. It’s so simple my brother could cook it, and cheap, cheap, cheap! Everyone I’ve ever made this for or recommended it to has loved it. (Hmmm, or at least that’s what they tell me. . .) Here’s hoping you will too.



Ingredients

• 1 14.5 oz can black beans (NY $1.79)
• 2 tomatoes (NY $2.70)
• 1 large green pepper (NY $0.95)
• 2 medium onions (NY $1.30)
• 2 cloves garlic (NY $ 0.59 for one head)
• Balsamic vinegar (staple)
• White cooking wine (staple, or NY $3.29 for 16 oz.)*
• Oregano (staple)
• Salt (staple)
• Pepper (staple)
• Olive Oil (staple)
• Cooked brown rice (staple, or NY $5.49 for 36 oz.)

Directions
Chop and saute the onion, green pepper and garlic in 2 tbsps olive oil, until tender. (About ten minutes.) Add the can of beans with their liquid. Add 2 tbsps or so balsamic vinegar, 2 tbsps or so wine, 1.5 tsps oregano, black pepper and a little salt. Add some water if its looking dry or if you like your beans soupy. Bring to a boil, then simmer uncovered for 10-15 minutes. Serve over brown rice, topped generously with seeded, chopped raw tomato.

Very loosely adapted from the black beans and white rice recipe that was on the back of the Goya can about 10 years ago

* A note on cooking wine: Yes, this recipe uses it. If you don’t know, cooking wine is an shelf stable product available in the grocery store, made by adding salt to wine as a preservative. Its an inexpensive product that some folks get truly virulent about. There are many who will tell you that if you wouldn’t drink a wine, you shouldn’t cook with it either. Now, there are some dishes for which that is undoubtedly true, but rice ‘n’ beans really isn’t one of them. And its not the most wallet-friendly of philosophies in any event. Unless you were going to cork open a bottle anyway (and, though tempting, something we’re trying to avoid these days, emphasis on trying) its silly to do so just to dump a few glugs into your beans. However, if you’re really stuck on avoiding cooking wine but still want to cook with wine, here are some other ideas. You can save leftovers from a bottle you haven’t quite finished drinking (note: this does not happen frequently in my house), freeze them in an ice cube tray, then transfer to a zip-top baggie and store in the freezer for future cooking. Just toss the cubes into the pot while cooking, or defrost first if the temperature drop would mess up your recipe. Another idea is to pick up minibar size bottles of el cheapo wine at the liquor store, and use those for cooking. For this recipe which only calls for about 2 tbsps, however, you’d end up with extra Sutter Home. And tell me, oh wine snob who didn’t want to condescend to use cooking wine in the first place, do you really want to drink that? Another tip is to substitute dry vermouth, which is shelf-stable even after opening, for the wine in your recipe. All tips and tricks worth trying for different purposes. But really, for rice and beans? Go on, just shell out the $3.29 for the cooking wine. I won’t tell.

Nutrition Facts
Approximate values per serving, assuming ½ cup brown rice

Calories: 334	Protein: 11.8 g	Iron: 16.3%
Total Fat: 8.5 g	Vitamin A: 13.4 %	Magnesium: 30.1%
Cholesterol: 0	Vitamin B-16: 20.9%	Niacin: 13.6%
Sodium: 20.7 mg	Vitamin C: 52.4%	Phosphorus: 24.5%
Potassium: 54.3g	Vitamin E: 8.4%	Riboflavin: 8.2%
Total Carb: 54.3 g	Calcium: 5.2%	Selenium: 16.4%
Fiber: 11.4 g	Copper: 19.8%	Thiamin: 26.5%
Sugars: 1.2 g	Folate: 39.7%	Zinc: 12.0%

Recipe and Nutritional Information after the jump

"French" Lentil Soup

Adapted from Bon Appetit, Dec. 2006
6 generous servings
Total Price: NY $17.14
Price per serving: NY $2.86


Ingredients

• Extra-virgin olive oil (staple)
• 3 garlic cloves, diced (NY $ 0.59 for one head)
• 3 medium onions, chopped (NY $1.99)
• 5 organic celery stalks, chopped (NY $3.49)
• a handful of baby carrots chopped (NY $ 2.00 for one bag)
• 4 cups vegetable broth (NY $ 4.99 for organic)
• 1 ¼ cups lentils, rinsed and drained (NY $ 1.89 for one bag)
• 1 14 ½ oz. can diced tomatoes in juices (NY $ 2.19 for one can, organic)
• Salt and pepper (staple)
• Balsamic vinegar (staple)

Directions
Heat oil in soup pot over medium heat. Add garlic, onions, celery and carrots. Saute until vegetables start to brown (softening, but still firm), about 15 minutes.

Add broth, tomatoes in juice and lentils. Bring to a boil, then cover, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer. Cook until lentils are tender, about 35 minutes.

Once cooked, puree about half of soup either using a stick blender or by transferring several cups to a blender and pureeing. Return puree to pot. If desired, thin soup with a few tablespoons water. Season with a healthy splash of balsamic vinegar, several grinds of pepper, and salt to taste.

Garnish with celery leaves, serve and enjoy! Like many soups, the leftovers are even better once the flavors have a chance to meld.

Nutrition Facts
Approximate values per serving

Calories: 201	Vitamin B-6: 10.8%	Manganese: 18.4%
Total fat: 7.1 g	Vitamin C: 46.3%	Niacin: 4.5%
Cholesterol: 0g	Vitamin E: 5.8%	Phosphorus: 11%
Potassium: 401.8 mg	Calcium: 10.6%	Riboflavin: 4.1%
Carbs: 28.9 g	Copper: 8.1%	Selenium: 2.7%
Fiber: 7.5 g	Folate: 24.1%	Thiamin: 8.4%
Protein: 5.5 g	Iron: 13.5%	Zinc: 5%
Vitamin A: 99 %	Magnesium: 6.6%

Recipe and Nutritional Information after the jump