One of the keys to successful weight-loss is eating healthier foods.  You don't need to cut out your favourite delicacies, but you should replace some of the burgers and fries with meals that contain less fat and more fiber.  A great way to fill up without a lot of calories is to eat soup.  Here are a bunch of recipes based on the Weight Watchers point system which contain zero points.  In theory, you can eat as much of these soups as you want to help suppress your hunger, while not worrying about calories.  They all taste great -- give them a try!

5 large dried Japanese shiitakes

9 cups homemade broth or bouillon

1 Tbs grated fresh ginger

2 garlic cloves, pressed

4 oz/125 g dried soba (buckwheat noodles)

1 can straw mushrooms, drained

1 bunch watercress, coarse stems trimmed

4 oz/125 g fresh enoki mushrooms, trimmed

2 green (spring) onions, green tops inc., sliced

½ tsp sesame oil

Rinse the shiitakes.

In large pot over medium heat, bring broth to

boil.

Add shiitakes, take pot from heat, cover, and let stand for 30 mins. Remove shiitakes, discard the stems, thickly slice caps.

Return the soup pot to medium heat. Stir in ginger, garlic, and sliced shiitakes; bring to simmer. Add soba, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally until the noodles are almost tender,

about 4 mins.

Add the straw mushrooms and cook for 1 min.

Stir in watercress, enoki mushrooms, onions, and sesame oil. Remove from heat, cover, and let stand for 1 min.

Serves 6.

Roxan

1 cup chopped onion

1 tablespoon minced garlic

2 15 oz cans black beans (dump one can in a bowl with their juice and mash them)

1 14 1/2 oz can of low-fat chicken broth to the mixture (I usually add more to make a bigger batch)

1 14/1/2 oz can of flavored stewed tomatoes (Mexican, Italian, Creole - whichever)

1 tsp dried thyme leaves

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1 teaspoon vinegar (apple, red wine, or balsamic)

1 15 1/4 oz can of corn kernels, or one cup frozen kernels

Saute the onion and garlic in a little chicken broth until translucent. Add the mashed beans, the can of beans (with it's juice) and the chicken broth. Bring to boil. Add the tomatoes, thyme, cumin, vinegar, and corn. Simmer for 5-10 minutes. Done!

You can add a dollop of fatfree sourcream or a little lowfat grated cheese to the individual bowls if you like.

I don't know who posted this originally but there is no analysis. I looked at similar soups in the "Light and Tasty" CD ROM, and they were around 4 points a bowl.

0 Point

Ingredients:

1 big onion, chumped

2 packages of brocoli (of as much as you want, depending on the texture you're looking for)

1/2 cup of fresh coriander

1 pinch of basil

1 oregano

1 or 2 pinches of powdered cinnamon

2 pinches of powdered nutmeg

salt and pepper as you like it (but not too much! it will kill the cinnamon and nutmeg taste!)

hot water

concentrated chicken broth (Bovril like or powder)

4 or 5 mushrooms (fresh and raw)

sour cream at 0% fat (and 0 point, yeah!)

Take the onion, brocoli, celery, coriander, basil, oregano, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and pepper, and put in a cauldron (is that the right wording? sounds witchy to me...). Cover with the hot water. Add just a tiny spoon of concentrated chicken broth, just to say it will taste a bit. Now, you have to cover the vegetables with the hot water, so I can't really tell how much you need. Don't put too much, though, just barely cover the veggies, else you'll get your potage way too liquefied. It should be around 4 cups (1 liter).

Cook on stove at medium-low temperature until all vegetables are well cooked.

Once cooked, put all this yummy-smelling broth in a blender. Blend until it takes on a creamy texture. To make certain it will "glue" together, don't use potatoes, like my grandma used to do: instead, put 4 or 5 raw mushrooms in the mix. Then add sour cream, until you get the consistency you wish. I usually add one or two spoonfull of sour cream.

Mix until the color is uniform, i.e. mushrooms and sour cream are not visible.

And ta-dah! You have a "crème de brocoli" or "potage" as good as in any French restaurant, without the points!

I started doing the recipe just like I described to you, but next I started adding more vegetables, like carrots, tomato, zucchinis, eggplant, pepper... Basically, any vegetable you are thinking of throwing away because they don't "look" nice anymore can go in this potage. Because a vegetable has lost its cripsness or its good looks doesn't mean it's not good anymore. It just means it's perfect for a nice warm potage...

--

Isabelle

Montréal, Québec, Canada

6 scallions [also known as spring onions or green onions]

2 green peppers

1-2 cans tomatoes (I used 1 large and 1 medium - chopped)

1 bunch celery (yes, a *whole* bunch)

1/2 head cabbage

1 pkg. dried onion soup mix

1-2 cubes bouillion (optional -- I used 2 cubes of veg. broth)

1 48 oz. can of V-8 juice (optional -- I used it)

1-2 additional cups of water or veg. cooking liquid (this is my own addition -- I wanted the final soup to have abit more "juice")

spices (I added a few shakes of garlic powder and curry)

Chop all veggies coarsely. Put everything into a large pot and cook until done (I let it simmer for at least an hour). This makes a large quantity of soup. I just put it into containers in the fridge and have been enjoying some every day after work or at other odd times.

Gail

just veg stock,

a little cauliflower

and plenty of carrots boiled.. then liquidised... and some ground coriander to spice the soup.

Sanna

Here's my latest variation on 0-point soup:-

Into a saucepan put one large onion, chopped, and one head of cauliflower, broken into florets. Put in a couple of bayleaves, half a teaspoon of coriander, salt & pepper. Crumble in a veg or chicken stock cube and pour over enough boiling water to just cover. Bring back to the boil and simmer for around 15 mins. Take out the bay leaves and liquidise (I LOVE my new hand-blender). Mmm, so delicious and creamy you'd never think it was point-free.

Karen from England

Variation - substitute curry powder for the coriander, omit the bay leaves.

Preparation time 15 minutes

Cooking time 20 minutes

Makes 6 cups (1.5 L)

2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts

3 thin carrots

1/2 (10-oz/300-g) bag fresh baby or regular spinach, about 3-1/2 cups (875 mL)

1 tbsp (15 mL) olive oil

2 minced garlic cloves

1 tbsp (15 mL) minced or 2 to 3 thin slices fresh ginger

2 (10-oz/284-mL) cans chicken broth, preferably lower salt, diluted with only 1 can water

1/4 tsp (1 mL) freshly ground coarse black pepper or 1/8 tsp (0.5 mL) cayenne pepper

19-oz (541-mL) can Romano or kidney beans or 2 cups (500 mL) cooked beans, drained and rinsed (optional)

1. Slice chicken into bite-size strips. Peel carrots, then cut into 1/3-inch (1-cm) slices. Wash spinach. Leave baby spinach leaves whole. If using regular spinach, tear leaves into large pieces.

2. Heat oil in a large wide saucepan set over medium-high heat. Add garlic and ginger and cook 1 minute. Add chicken strips and stir frequently until pink colour is gone, from 2 to 3 minutes. Add carrots, undiluted broth and water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Then cover and reduce heat so soup simmers until carrots are tender, about 20 minutes.

3. Just before serving, stir in spinach and pepper and, for extra interest, rinsed beans. Serve with crusty bread and robust red wine.

Make ahead

At the end of Step 2, after carrots are tender, stir in pepper. Cover and refrigerate up to 1 day. Add spinach after reheating.

Nutrients per cup (250 mL)

11.4 g protein, 3 g fat, 6.6 g carbohydrates, 1.4 mg iron, 50 mg calcium, 646 mg sodium, 1.7 g fibre, 95 calories

serves 4, cals per serving 45

1 point

2 chicken or veg stock cubes, dissolved in 1 1/2 pints (900ml) hot water

1 bunch of spring onions or leek, trimmed and finely sliced

1 carrot, finely sliced

1 red pepper, deseeded and finely sliced

90g (3oz) beansprouts

90g mushrooms sliced

1 teaspoon soy sauce

2 teaspoons sweet chilli sauce (optional)

1 teaspoon Chinese five spice seasoning

Chopped fresh chives or parsley, to garnish

salt and freshly ground black pepper

1) Pour the stock into a large saucepan and add the spring onions or leek, carrot and red pepper. Bring up to the boil, then cover and reduce the heat, simmer for 5 minutes

2) Add the beansprouts, mushrooms and five spice seasoning. Cook for 3-4 more minutes, then add the soy and chilli sauce, if using, plus a little salt and pepper.

3) Ladle the soup to warm bowls and serve garnished with either chopped fresh chives or parsley

Kim (aka: Ismile)

Weight watchers publish their own version of this soup. It is similar to that infamous Cabbage Soup. I do not recommend a diet based on soup, but there are days when you will need something to fill the aching void that will not add calories. This works because soup is very satisfying - more so than the same ingredients eaten with a glass of water - and the vegetables being high in fibre offset the calories. It is also tasty, and despite the ingredients in this recipe that start off as pretty unappealing, by the time they are soup they look fine.

Look in the fridge towards the end of the week. Especially in the drawers and the back right hand corner. Throw away - or better yet put in the back yard composter - anything with visible mould growth. Now look at the sorry collection of wilted cabbage, slimy green onions, yellowing broccoli, wrinkled carrots and shrivelled mushrooms - celery that is no longer a neat bunch but a limp triffid with browning leaves.

Take a sharp knife and cut off the unappealing bits - they go in the compost bin too.

Slice onions, carrots and anything that is firm or a root vegetable -scrub or peel things that look especially grimy.

Take saucepan or dutch oven and heat with a spray of vegetable oil. Saute the onions and roots - don't worry if you forget to stir them and they get a bit browned - that's caramelising their natural sugars and adds to the flavour. Then add the leafy veg, mushrooms - sliced if they are large, add the end of the packet of frozen green beans that has been living at the bottom of the chest freezer since Christmas and isn't enough to make a decent side dish. Cut off the bruised bits of the tomatoes that have been sitting in the basket on the counter since last Saturday and chop them roughly, add to the soup. Stir and then add enough stock, broth or if there is nothing else boiling water and one or two stock cubes (I had chicken broth but anything like Oxo, Bovril, Knorr cubes, works) to cover the vegetables and an entire itty bitty can of tomato paste. Cover and leave to simmer for 20 minutes.

Taste: add salt, pepper or Mrs Dash to taste.

Serve in a large bowl with a warmed, crisp wholewheat roll or some crackers. If you have it, try a couple of turns of the cheese grater with some parmesan cheese.

2 tablespoons butter

2 cups chopped onions

1/2 cup diced carrot

1/2 cup diced celery

7 1/2 cups frozen corn kernels, thawed, drained (about 42 ounces)

1 teaspoon dried rosemary

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

6 cups chicken stock or canned low-salt chicken broth

1 cup skim milk

1 red bell pepper, chopped

Melt 1 tablespoons butter in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions, carrot and celery and sauté 3 minutes. Add 5 1/2 cups corn, rosemary and cayenne and sauté 2 minutes. Add stock and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered until vegetables are tender and liquid is slightly reduced, about 30 minutes.

Working in batches, purée soup in blender. Return soup to pot. Mix in milk and remaining 2 cups corn. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Melt remaining 1 tablespoon butter in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add bell pepper and sauté until almost tender, about 5 minutes.

Stir bell pepper into soup. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

Bring soup to simmer. Ladle into bowls and serve.

Serves 10.

Roxan

Recipe By : Steph

Serving Size : 8 Preparation Time :0:00

Categories : Soups Vegetables

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method

-------- ------------ --------------------------------

2 tablespoons margarine

2 carrots -- finely chopped

2 stalks celery -- finely chopped

4 cups chicken broth

2 cups corn

1/2 cup milk, skim

2 tablespoons flour

1/4 cup cheddar cheese -- shredded

1 1/2 cups milk, skim

1 teaspoon paprika

1 tablespoon parsley

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

6 slices bacon -- crumbled

In large stock pot, sauté the carrots and celery in margarine. Add broth and corn (can be frozen). In a small saucepan, blend milk and flour with a whisk until well blended. Then add cheddar and stir until smooth. Add cheese mixture to stock and stir well. Add additional milk, paprika, parsley, bacon and salt and pepper to taste.

Let it simmer until vegetables are tender and flavors blend.

...I think because you just make it with whatever you can. I usually make a small batch but play with quantities as wanted --

Combine in a saucepan:

can of chicken broth

cut up veggies such as: carrots, celery, onions, mushrooms, parsnips, green beans

(or for an extra point or two(depending on quantity): corn, potatoes, canned beans)

a little parsley, salt and pepper, garlic powder, onion powder to taste

Again, for extra points, you could add a little leftover cooked meat (chicken, ham, beef, whatever) or pasta if desired.

I just simmer it until the vegetables are tender and that's it.

Recipe by Stephanie Stussman

1 Fennel bulb (also called Anise)

1 onion

1 large celery stalk

1 small squash (acorn) peeled and cubed

1 tablespoon margarine

4 1/2 cups chicken broth

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 small sweet potato, cooked, peeled and cut (optional)

Cut fronds (feathery leaves) from fennel and save for garnish. Remove core from bulb. Thickly slice bulb and white parts of frond stalks. Coarsely chop onion and celery. Peel, seed and cut fresh squash (may use 14 oz package of frozen pureed squash instead) into cubes. Heat margarine in a large saucepan set over medium heat. Add onion and celery. Cook until onion has softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in fennel, squash, sweet potato and enough undiluted broth to cover vegetables. Bring to a boil. Then reduce heat, cover and simmer until vegetables are very tender, from 15 - 30 minutes. Puree vegetables in several batches in a food processor or use a hand blender. Return to saucepan. Stir in remaining liquid. Heat stirring often, until hot. Add salt if needed. Ladle into bowls, then float a small piece of frond on top.

Soup will keep well, covered and refrigerated for 3 days or freeze (it never lasts long enough to do that in our house).

Serves 8.

Mastercook says its 71.6 Cal, 3 gr Fat, 1.6 gr Dietary fiber per serving.

I failed to copy the author's name - if you know contact me. This looks like 1 point to me.

Recipe By : bonnie stern entertains (slight variation)

Serving Size : 6 Preparation Time :0:30

Categories : Appetizers Entrees

Great For Entertaining Soups

Vegetables

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method

2 pounds onion -- sliced

2 teaspoons olive oil

1/4 cup sherry

2 cups beef stock -- or chicken stock

2 cups water (or more stock)

2 teaspoons red wine vinegar -- or cider vinegar

6 pieces french baguette slices

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

Put olive oil and onions into stock pot and cook for about 20 minutes--until caramelized. Add sherry and 3/4 cup stock and simmer for a few minutes. Add rest of stock (or stock and water mixture) and vinegar.

Brush bread with small amount olive oil and put in 400 degree oven for 10 minutes, or until crispy. Top with parmesan and broil until melted. Place on top of soup in bowls and serve.

Chilled Tomato Soup

Serves 6

1 1/2 lb tomatoes (700 gr)

4 inches cucumber, peeled and chopped (10cm)

3 green onions, chopped

1/2 pepper (red or green) deseeded and chopped

2 cloves of garlic

1 1/2 tablespoons wine vinegar

1 heaped teaspoon of fresh chopped basil (or marjoram or thyme)

about 1/2 pint cold water (275ml)

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Skin and deseed the tomatoes. Put all of the ingredients into a blender. Blend until smooth. Chill thoroughly. Before serving, check for seasonings and consistency: you may need to add a little more water. Garnish with chopped peppers, chopped peeled cucumber, choped green onions, chopped parsley all mixed together. Some people add a chopped hard boiled egg. Serve with croutons if you like them and an ice cube floating in each bowl.

I think this is 0 points - the original recipe (from Delia Smith's Cookery Course) has 4 tablespoons of olive oil - but we don't need that.

(serves 4)

2 pints (approx. 5 cups) of stock (I used OXO vegetable stock)

1 cup thinly sliced shitake mushrooms

1/2 block tofu, diced into small cubes

1 can sliced bamboo shoots

1 tbsp. soy sauce

2 tbsp. rice wine vinegar (or white vinegar)

2 tbsp. chilli pepper oil

Cornstarch (diluted in cold water) to thicken

1 beaten egg

Heat stock until boiling, then turn down the heat to simmer. Add mushrooms, tofu, bamboo shoots, and simmer for about 5 minutes. Add soy sauce, vinegar, chili oil (to taste), cornstarch mixture, and stir. Just before serving, add the beaten egg and stir quickly to leave "threads" of egg throughout the soup. Serve and enjoy!

You can garnish this soup with chopped spring onions/green onions/scallions (or whatever you call them in your country ;) ). You can make this soup ahead of time and freeze it, but do not add the tofu and beaten egg if you are going to freeze the soup.

Point values will depend on the brand of tofu, stock, and chili oil that you use. Most powdered stocks like OXO and Knoor are fairly low in points, and you can certainly find some canned low fat stocks as well. The version I made with OXO vegetable broth, Sainsbury's tofu, and the olive oil with chili comes to around 2 points per serving. It's great for colds, too! :)

Cheers,

Petal

Recipe By : Erin Ratliff

Servings : 10

-- Amount Measure Ingredient Preparation Method

3 medium leeks minced (works out to about 3 cups)

1 medium onion minced (works out to about 1 cup)

1/2 cup Chicken Broth

4 medium potatoes peeled and sliced thinly (works out to about 4 cups)

4 cups Chicken Broth

Sautee leeks and onion in 1/2 c chicken broth. Add potatoes and remaining chicken stock. Simmer until tender (approximately 15-25 minutes). Cool for 10 minutes. Blend until smooth, reheat and serve.

Makes 12 servings

Ingredients

2 onions, chopped

2 large carrots, sliced

2 potatoes, peeled and cubed

2 green peppers, diced

1 (28 ounce) can tomatoes, including liquid, mashed

3 chicken stock cubes

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 tablespoons fresh mixed herbs of your choice

3 cups finely shredded cabbage

2 stalks celery, chopped

1 1/2 cups cauliflower florets

water to cover

Directions

In a large saucepan or cooking pot, put onions, carrots, potatoes, green peppers, mashed tomatoes, chicken stock cubes, black pepper, and chopped fresh herbs.

Cover with water. Boil for 20 minutes or until carrots are tender. Add shredded cabbage, chopped celery, cauliflower florets, and dill weed, and cook an additional 10 to 15 minutes. If soup is too thick, add more water and bring to boil. Adjust seasonings to taste. Liquidise if you prefer smooth soup.

Val from UK

--

(cooking light style)

1 tbsp margarine (I use pam instead)

1 1/2 c. chopped onion

1 tbsp curry powder

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 lb skinned, boned chicken thighs, trimmed & chopped (I use breast, and a bit less)

1/2 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

2 (10 1/5 oz) cans low salt chicken broth

1/2 c all purpose flour

2 c 2% low-fat milk (I use skim, it's all I have in the house)

2 3/4 c. chopped peeled Golden Delicious apples

1/4 c. chopped fresh parsley

Melt margarine in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, curry powder and garlic. Saute about 3 minutes. Add chicken, saute for 5 minutes. Add salt, pepper and broth. Reduce heat to medium/low and simmer 10 minutes.

Place flour in bowl, add milk. Stir with whisk until blended. Add to soup, cook 10 minutes or until thickened, stirring constantly. Add apples, cook 5 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in parsley. Yield: 2 quarts (serving size

1 cup)

CALORIES: 185; PROTEIN 15.3 g; FAT 5.7 g; CARB 18.4 g; FIBER 2.1 g; CHOL 52mg; IRON 1.8 mg; SODIUM 270 mg; CALC 98 mg

This is one of my favourite soups, the recipe is from "Cooking Light" magazine, many years ago. Prepared as directed, it is just under 4 points per 1 cup serving. I adjust the marg & milk & use less than the 1lb of chicken - also using breast (as opposed to thighs) and have a little more than a cup <G> Just made it tonight & thought I'd share for those of you who love soup (like me!) and love curry (like me!).

L.

This is my 'peasant' soup. Not made from peasants, but cheap and earthy. I generally never measure so it's all a bit of a guess, but every time I make it it's lovely however it turns out. It's not an entirely free soup, but it is incredibly filling.

about 175 g red lentils, into a pan, covered with lots of water (about an inch over the top I reckon), and boiled for 20 minutes. Keep an eye on it, just in case you have to chuck some more water in it.

Next, in the big pan, in general order of chopped up and thrown in:

1 onion, chopped fine, sweated in a teaspoon of olive oil, medium heat.

1 clove of garlic, chopped teeny.

1 red pepper, chopped small.

1 large carrot, chopped small, or if you're in my house, sliced into ribbons

with a potato peeler

At this point, we're waiting for the lentils, so season to your taste: black pepper, salt, cayenne pepper, paprika, chili, chili flakes, chilli sauce, mushroom ketchup. How hot I make it depends entirely on how I feel when I'm making it.

When the lentils are done, tip the yellow mush into a sieve to drain off any excess water, then put the whole lot into the big pan. Keep stirring and add a big tin of chopped tomatoes (400g) Lastly add a pint of vegetable stock, and a quarter of a pint of skimmed milk, and give it a jolly good stir

Let it simmer away for about 30/45 minutes (sorry, I can't be more precise) then blend it, or mash it with a potato masher if you have no blender. It will probably be fairly thick, by which I mean perfect for lining the stomach before going out ice-skating.

Points: 10 for the whole lot, and I get about 6 portions out of it, which gives us 1 and a half per bowl. It freezes well too.

--

Jo

UK

A soup I used to make when I was a student (i.e. cheap and filling) that is also a lovely low point meal - Indian dal soup. It's so easy to make and is wonderfully aromatic. Dal is a type of legume, very similar to a split pea that you buy dried. In fact, if you cannot find

dal at an Asian food market, you can use split peas instead. To make the soup:

Boil 1 1/2 cups of dal or split peas in 4 cups of salted water until it is very soft and most of the water has been absorbed. Stir often and be patient as this does take a while.

Add

1 tsp. cumin,

1 tsp. turmeric,

1/2 inch stick of cinnamon,

1/4 tsp.cayenne pepper,

1/4 tsp. ground ginger,

1/4 tsp. ground coriander,

1/2 tsp.mustard seeds,

6 whole cloves.

Simmer and stir often for another couple of minutes. If you want to use this as a dip (wonderful with pita!), boil longer and use a bit less water. If you need to thin it more for soup, add more water towards the end. Garnish with some fresh coriander (I think Americans call it cilantro).

If used as a dip, it's about the same consistency as hummus (but with a lot less fat). It tastes even better the next day, too. :)

Cheers,

Petal

--

Serves 3-4

Pumpkin, 450 g (1 lb) peeled and de-seeded

1 onion, thinly sliced

2 medium tomatoes, peeled and chopped

Stock, 1.2 litres (2 pints)

Salt and pepper

Dice the pumpkin flesh into small cubes and place in a pan. Add the tomatoes and season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour over the stock, cover and simmer gently for 30-40 minutes until the pumpkin is completely soft. Purée in the blender, check the seasoning and it is ready to serve. A sprinkle of grated parmesan or a swirl of non or low fat cream could be added when serving.

Val from UK

The heady flavour of roasted red pepper adds new dimension to this saffron-laced fish soup. Toss in a few shrimp, mussels or sautéed bay scallops when the occasion calls for a special treat.

Preparation time 30 minutes

Cooking time 30 minutes

Makes 7 cups (1.75 L)

4 sweet red peppers or 340-g jar roasted red peppers

4 canned or 2 peeled fresh tomatoes

2 (10-oz/284-mL) cans chicken broth

1 cup (250 mL) water

1/2 cup (125 mL) white wine

2 minced garlic cloves

1/4 tsp (1 mL) each of hot red chili flakes, basil and salt

1/4 tsp (1 mL) saffron threads

1 leek

1 lb (500 g) firm-fleshed fish such as marlin

1 tsp (5 mL) granulated sugar (optional)

Chopped fresh coriander or basil (optional)

1. If using fresh peppers, preheat oven to 450°F (230°C). Slice peppers in half. Remove stem and seeds. Place pepper halves cut- side down on a foil-lined baking sheet. Roast, uncovered, until about half of skin becomes bubbled and charred, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven. Pull edges of foil over peppers and enclose so they will steam, making skins easier to peel. When cool, peel skin and discard.

2. While peppers are roasting, finely chop tomatoes. Combine tomatoes along with juice, broth, water, wine, garlic, chili flakes, basil and salt in a large wide saucepan. Crush saffron threads between your fingers and add. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat.

3. Meanwhile, cut deep green leaves from leek and discard. Barely trim root end so leaves stay attached to white end. Cut lengthwise in half. Thoroughly wash sand from between leaves under cold running water. Then thinly slice crosswise. Add to tomato mixture. When mixture boils, cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to develop flavours.

4. As soon as peppers are peeled, coarsely chop and add to tomato mixture. If using a jar of peppers, drain well, chop and add. If you wish more broth, simply add another cup (250 mL) of water.

5. After soup has simmered 20 minutes, slice fish into bite-size pieces. Stir into simmering soup. Cover and cook just until fish flakes easily, from 6 to 8 minutes. Taste and add sugar and more basil, if needed. Serve in heated bowls sprinkled with chopped fresh coriander or basil.

Make ahead

At the end of Step 4, after stirring pepper into soup, cover and refrigerate soup up to 2 days or freeze. When ready to serve, reheat and continue with Step 5.

Nutrients per cup (250 mL)

17.8 g protein, 3.7 g fat, 8.3 g carbohydrates, 1.6 mg iron, 26 mg calcium, 688 mg sodium, 1.8 g fibre, 141 calories

Speedy version - Zero points

A small bag of chopped/shredded carrots

A small bag of chopped onions

2 teaspoons of minced garlic from jar

Chicken broth - low-sodium, 5 or 6 cans (**OR Chicken stock, homemade - 3 quarts)

A bag of coleslaw fixins (that's right... it's shredded cabbage & carrots)

A bag of frozen green beans

1 tablespoon of tomato paste with italian seasoning

Dried herbs & spices (oregano & basil, 1/2 t. each)

A cup of chopped zucchini from the salad bar (or 2 small ones, chopped)

A 16oz. package of sliced mushrooms

Saute carrot & onion with garlic. Add chicken broth, bring to boil. Throw in frozen green beans, cabbage, tomato paste, herbs & spices. Simmer for 15 minutes covered. Add zucchini and mushrooms. Simmer 5 minutes.

serves two

Carrots, 350 g (12 oz) cooked

Vegetable stock, 600 ml (1 pint)

Garam masala*, 2 tsp

Salt to taste

Liquidize the carrots with the stock and the garam masala. Heat gently, stirring, for 5 minutes, then season to taste with salt. Simmer for a further 5 minutes before serving.

Val from UK

* Garam masala is an aromatic mixture of spices, but is not a standardized spice mix. There are many variations. You can buy ready made mixes "which you can certainly resort to in emergencies" but this is Madhur Jaffrey's recipe.

Makes about 3 tablespoons

1 tablespoon cardamom seeds

a 2 inch (5 cm) stick of cinnamon

1 teaspoon cumin seeds (preferably black, green are more delicate)

1 teaspoon whole cloves

1 teaspoon black peppercorns

1/4 of an average nutmeg

Place all the ingredients into a clean electric coffee grinder. Turn macjine on for 30 to 40 seconds until the spices are finely ground. Store in a small jar with a tight fitting lid. Keep away from heat and sunlight.

Madhur's Jaffrey's Indian Cookery BBC 1982

serves 4, cals per serving 75

spray cooking oil

1 large onion, chopped

2 garlic gloves, crushed

1 red or green pepper, de-seeded and chopped

1 tablespoon paprika

400g can chopped tomatoes with herbs

1 tablespoon tomato puree

2 veg stock cubes dissolved in 1 1/4 pints (750ml) hot water

salt and freshly ground black pepper

chopped fresh parsley or coriander, to garnish

1) Heat a large saucepan and spray 2 or 3 times with spray cooking oil. Add the onion, garlic, pepper and carrots and cood, stirring gently, over a medium heat for 3-4minutes until softened. Add the paprika and stir well.

2) Add the tomatoes, tomato puree and stock to the saucepan. Bring slowly to the boil, then simmer gently without a lid for 20-25mins until the vegetables are quite tender.

3) Transfer approx half the soup to a blender and blend until smooth. Return to the saucepan with the unblended soup, to give a chunky texture. (Or with a hand blender, remove half the solids with a slotted spoon, blend the rest then return the solids.)

4) Reheat the soup, season with salt and pepper and pour into 4 bowls. Serve, sprinkled with fresh herbs.

serves 4, calories per serving 50

0 points

1 medium butternut squash, peeled, de-seeded and chopped (or 1 can of pumpkin)

1 large onion, chopped

3 celery sticks, chopped

2 vegetable stock cubes, dissolved in 900ml (1 1/2 pints) hot water

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin (optional)

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander (optional)

salt and freshly ground black pepper

fresh coriander or chives to garnish

1) Put the squash, onion and celery into a large saucepan and add the stock, cumin as well as coriander - if using

2) Bring up to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 20- 25mins until all the vegetables are tender

3) Transfer the soup into a liquidiser or a food processor (or use a hand blender directly in the pot - its a lot easier) and blend until smooth and velvety

4) Return to the saucepan and reheat gently. Season to taste, then serve in warmed soup bowls, garnished with either fresh coriander or snipped chives.

1 Can Ranch Style beans (20 oz.??? or use 2 of the small sized ones)

1 can whole kernel corn

1 can Ro-Tel diced tomatoes and green chiles (or whatever brand you use)

1 can diced tomatoes

1/2 lb. lean ground chuck

1 pkg. (1 oz.) ranch dressing mix

1 pkg. taco seasoning

1 can chicken broth

Brown the ground beef. Add the taco and ranch seasonings to the meat and mix well. In a large pot, just open the cans of vegies and broth...dump them in....add the seasoned ground beef, stir to mix and simmer until everything is heated through.

1 cup soup = 2 points

Makes a whack of soup (12 servings)

In a large stock pot:

Saute until soft (5-7 minutes)

1 teaspoon of butter or margarine

1 large onion, chopped

Add

1 large box of Campbell's chicken broth (or 6 cans)

2 large cans of stewed tomatoes

3 tablespoons of dried basil

fresh cracked pepper (if you like it!)

Cook for 10 minutes on medium heat.

Chop coarsely in a food processor and return to stove to simmer.

Serve with a little fresh Parmesan cheese.

A viola... enjoy.

Maybe a few baked tortilla chips would be yummy as well.

In the summer it would be really nice with fresh garden tomatoes!

Serves 2

1 onion, finely chopped

1 clove of garlic, finely sliced

Few sprays of oil for softening

Canned tomatoes, 400 g (14 oz)

Grated rind of 1 orange

Orange juice, 150 ml (¼ pint)

Vegetable stock, 600 ml (1 pint)

Salt and pepper

Spray a non stick pan with oil, and soften the onions and garlic a low heat for 6-8 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes with the juices from the can and the orange rind. Heat through, mixing well, and simmer for 3-4 minutes. Liquidize in the blender with the orange juice, then return to the pan. Heat through, adding the stock as you stir the soup. Season to taste and simmer for 5 minutes before serving.

Val from UK

Serves 10

1 1/2 onion

1/2 teaspoon olive oil

56 ounces stewed tomatoes

2 tablespoons basil

56 ounces chicken bouillon

Saute the onion, add rest of ingredients. After 20 minutes at a simmer, blend with either food processor or, as I like to do, use a hand-blender right in the pot. Blend until smooth.

68 calories

1.2 gm. fat

2.3 gm. dietary fiber

1 point

Brenda

Stephen's comments

Tomato seeds add a bitter taste - especially when blended. De-seeding tomatoes is a messy, fiddly business, but it does produce a nicer soup. Either pass the entire contents of a can of tomatoes though a fine mesh nylon seive - pushing the tomatoes through with a wooden spoon. Or, drain the can (saving the juice for the soup, of course) then cut the tomatoes in half and push the seeds out with your fingers. Discard the seeds, and put the tomato flesh into the pot. The watery stuff around the seeds is of no account, in my book.

If you grow your own tomatoes, this is a very good way to use up the inevitable glut towards the end of summer. Peel the tomatoes by dipping them into boiling water briefly, the skin will split and can be easily pulled off. De-seed as above. If it's too hot for conventional soup, serve cold as gazpacho.

2 cans (14-1/2 oz ea) beef broth

1 14 oz can whole tomatoes, undrained - smashed up

2 zucchini, thinly sliced

1-1/2 cups water

1 onion, chopped

2 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced

2 Tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes

1 tablespoon dried oregano leaves

1-1/2 cups uncooked small shell-shaped pasta

In Slow Cooker, combine beef broth, tomatoes, zucchini, water, onion, carrots, parsley and oregano. Cover & cook on Low 8 to 10 hrs or High 4 to 5 hrs. Stir in uncooked pasta and cook additional 30 minutes or until pasta is tender.

Garnish with parmesan cheese, if desired.

Estimate 3 points

2 cups mixed green, yellow and red peppers chopped

1 large onion chopped

2 fresh cloves of garlic chopped

2 Tabs. oil or spray for a non stick pan

2 cans of low fat chicken or vegetable broth

1 - 15 oz. can navy beans drained

1 - 15 oz. can butter beans drained

1 - 15 oz. can white kidney beans drained

1 - 4 oz. can mild green chilies

1 Tbsp. chili powder

2 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. oregano leaves

1 tsp. paprika

dash of red pepper to taste

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

8 ounces sour cream light or fat free

In a large pot heat oil add peppers, chopped onion, and garlic till soft. Add all the remaining ingredients except the sour cream and cilantro. Bring to a full boil for about 10 minutes. Cover and cook on medium low heat for about 40 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the sour cream and top with cilantro. Serves 10 people.