Recipe for a Chilled and Healthy Green Soup

Ingredients (6-8 servings):

2 tablespoons of oil

1 large onion

5-6 medium zucchinis, peeled and sliced into rounds

2/3 cup frozen green peas

A handful of mint leaves (stemless)

A handful of parsley or cilantro leaves (according to personal taste)

Seasoning: Salt and black pepper – to taste

To serve: Natural yogurt up to 3% fat

Preparation Method:

On low heat, sauté 2 tablespoons of oil with the onion in a large pot. Add the zucchinis, peas, mint leaves, and parsley or cilantro, and sauté everything together for 3-5 minutes. Add boiling water to slightly cover the vegetables. Add the seasoning and mix. After bringing to a boil again, cook over medium or low heat for about 15-20 minutes (or until the zucchinis are soft). Once the soup cools, blend it with a hand blender to the desired consistency (more blending for a smooth texture, or less for a chunkier texture with pieces). Before eating, it is recommended to refrigerate the soup slightly, or just leave the soup on the counter for at least an hour and eat it lukewarm. After serving the soup into bowls, it is recommended to add 2 tablespoons of yogurt to each bowl and mix.

Dietitian's Note:

The soup is low in calories and carbohydrates. The green leaves provide a variety of vitamins and minerals, such as folic acid which is essential for the proper functioning of various body systems, magnesium important for preventing diabetes, heart disease, muscle relaxation, and more, Vitamin K which aids in blood clotting, antioxidants, and dietary fibers. It can be eaten as a starter to the main meal to increase satiety, or enjoy a bowl of the soup as a snack. The addition of yogurt provides about a tenth of the recommended daily calcium intake for most of the adult population.

Nutritional values per serving (depending on the size of the serving and addition of yogurt):

Einat Mazor Bakar is a clinical dietitian at DMC, specializing in diabetes and obesity treatment