magic soup diet - Flat Tummy Club Flat Tummy Club

the magic
soup diet
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The Magic Soup Diet
Copyright Kate Adams and Nicole Pisani (2013)
Table of contents
Introductions!
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Why soup?! !
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How does it work?!!
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Soup essentials:
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Stock up
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Well equipped
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Soup store
7lbs in 7 days
Healthy baking on the side
Soup kitchen
Beyond the diet
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Introductions
My name is Kate (right) and this is Nicole. When I started the
Flat Tummy Club a couple of years ago I reignited my love of
cooking but admit I’m still something of a novice, improving all
the time I hope.
And then I met Nicole, who happens to be a rather fantastic chef
and loves creating dishes with interesting (healthy) ingredients,
from black rice to quinoa to crazy spice combinations and the
best chicken soup I have ever tasted, truly for the soul.
When I told Nic that the answer to my weight loss was green tea,
walking and soup, a little idea began to form. If it’s that simple
then why not write a really simple book about the magic soup
diet, no gimmicks, no complications. So here it is. We’ve put
together menus for 7 full days (during which time I happened to
lose 7lbs), including breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks, plus a
month of soups.
This year, why not enjoy losing weight for a change. It’s the best
way I know to make it last.
Kate and Nic x
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Why Soup?
Four years ago I went on a diet. It wasn’t the latest craze, I never went hungry,
I was never fed up and four years later I am still 2 1/2 stone lighter than back
at the beginning of that chilly January.
I can’t claim that my method was the most glamorous - I ate healthily and
started adding exercise into my day. About a week into the diet I realised that
I was doing something that was just making the whole losing weight thing so
much easier. Gone were the lunchtime sandwiches, and in their place came
one of my favourite things in the world... soup.
After 7 days I had lost 7lbs. Blimey, I thought. How did I do that? I carried on
with the soups. I would go for a huge walk on a Sunday and come back to
chicken soup to die for. I experimented with any vegetable I could lay my
hands on, I devoured all my favourite varieties in Pret, EAT and Leon. And
while all my friends on raw salad or juice diets fell off the health wagon one
by one I stopped noticing I was even on a ‘diet’ and happily skirted past all
the sandwiches each day to pick up a soup or, even better, create my own.
I didn’t realise it quite at the time but it turns out that soup really has just
about everything going for it, and especially if you want to lose weight easily.
The good news is, you don’t have to stick to that infamous cabbage soup,
which no one ever actually claimed to inventing. You don’t have to see a diet
as an unpleasant means to a desirable end. You don’t have to see it as a diet.
It’s a terrible cliche but it’s true – if you can make a small but permanent
change to your eating habits then you will see results that can last a lifetime.
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In Mauritius, women will eat ‘magic soup’ after having a baby. It’s doubly
beneficial as contains lots of nutrients while also helping women to regain
their shape. And apparently one of the main reasons French Women Don’t Get
Fat is thanks to leek soup. But again, eating only leek soup sounds like a
torturous detox to me, after which I’d be bound to rebound up the scales
again. I need variety, deliciousness, comfort. And so The Magic Soup Diet was
born.
Interestingly, soup has been shown by researchers to keep us full for longer
per calorie compared with eating the same foods ‘dry’. It is because in a soup
form the foods simply take up more room in the stomach, which turns off the
appetite or ‘hungry’ hormone more quickly than a salad would.
And just look at these quick comparisons from Pret a Manger’s website for
soup calories versus sandwiches:
• Malaysian chicken curry soup = 270 calories
• Spanish chorizo and butterbean soup = 226 calories
• Minestrone soup = 218 calories
• Chicken avocado sandwich = 462 calories
• Italian prosciutto on Artisan = 567 calories
• Double peppers and harissa humous = 316 calories
Plus I find that cutting down on bread is a very good way to speed up the
tummy-flattening process. I don’t ever ban bread entirely as it is one of my
favourite things and so I’ve learned how to balance things out and really
enjoy it on the odd occasion. Baking soda bread at home is a weekend treat it’s so easy, I use spelt flour and it doesn’t contain any yeast, so is very gentle
on the tummy. It’s particularly good with the beetroot soup you’ll find in the
‘soup kitchen’.
Soup store
For instant stocks our favourites are Kallo, Marigold and Stockpots.
Have plenty of seeds and spices to hand:
Fennel
Mustard
Coriander
Black onion
Sesame
Black sesame
Pumkin
Pine nuts
Cumin
Turmeric
Cinnamon
Nutmeg
Cloves
Spice mixes
5 Spice
Zat’ar
Ras el hanout
Harissa
Tamarind
Japanese seasoning
Fish sauce
Tamari
Noodles
Rice
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Garlic
Lemongrass
Ginger
Curry leaves
Bay leaves
Basil
Mint
Coriander
Parsley
Sour cream/creme fraiche/natural yoghurt
Mustard
Honey
Day 1
Breakfast: Hot muesli
Lunch: Sesame spiced aubergine
Supper: Chicken soup for the soul (page
26)
Hot muesli
Simply pour hot milk over your favourite (no added sugar) muesli, add a
spoonful of natural yoghurt and a little honey.
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Sesame spiced aubergine
Serves 2
1 medium aubergine, chopped into small dice
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp black sesame seeds
1 tsp white sesame seeds
1 tsp mustard or fenugreek seeds
a few chilli flakes
Sea salt
a little groundnut oil
bulgur wheat
chicken stock
salad leaves and yoghurt to serve
Pre-heat the oven to its highest setting.
1. Get a big mixing bowl to marinate the aubergine for a few minutes, using
all of the seeds, spices, seasoning and oil, mixing it all up thoroughly.
2. Meanwhile get a pan of water heating up and add a chicken stock cube or
concentrate (we like kallo). I have recently found that I seem to get lovely
fluffy bulgur wheat by using a wok for
this and not too much water so that it all
gets absorbed rather than draining at the
end. Add the bulgur wheat to the boiling
stock and then reduce to a simmer for
10-15 minutes until cooked.
3.Pop the aubergine cubes into baking
dishes (one large or 2 small) and into the
oven. As it’s on high it should only take
10-15 minutes to soften and brown just
enough. Half way through, give them a
toss in the tray. 4.Serve the bulgur wheat into wide
bowls, add the aubergine on top with a
few salad leaves, fresh herbs and a spoon
of natural or Greek yoghurt.
Soup kitchen
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Chicken soup for the soul
Nic says, “I love this because it feels like a really
satisfying meal but in a soup. It’s soul food, you
know.”
Serves 2
4 chicken legs or two large thighs
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp fennel seeds
Pinch of chilli flakes
1 tbsp groundnut oil
Chicken stock (enough to cover the chicken pieces)
2 garlic cloves
A few curry leaves
A couple of bay leaves
A few strands of lemon peel
50g fresh peas
50g beansprouts
50g Chinese leaf, shredded
2 eggs
1. In a large mixing bowl, toss the chicken in a little
turmeric, fennel seeds, chilli flakes and groundnut oil.
2. Seal the chicken legs and thighs in a hot saucepan,
then add chicken stock (hot), bashed garlic, curry
leaves, bay and lemon peel.
3. Simmer gently until the meat easily comes off the bone.
4. Remove the chicken from the stock and take off the bone. Add back to the
soup, along with fresh peas, beansprouts and shredded Chinese leaf.
5. Boil the eggs for xx minutes. Cool under the cold tap and peel.
6. Divide the soup into bowls, topped with an egg.
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Apple cider beetroot
Serves 2
4 large or 6 small whole beetroot
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
Sea salt
300-400ml chicken or vegetable stock (depending on consistency you like)
Dill
Sour cream
Preheat the oven to Gas 6/200 C
1. Wash the beetroot and cut away all but an inch of stalk.
2. Place in a roasting tray and then add water to about halfway up plus the
vinegar.
3. Bake for 40-45 minutes until soft.
4. Allow to cool and then rub away the skin with kitchen paper.
5. Roughly chop the beetroot and then blend with heated stock and chopped
dill (leave a little for serving)
Enjoy warm or cold with sour cream.
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Manuka honeyed parsnip
Sauté peeled and chopped parsnips and swede in a little butter. Add hot
vegetable stock to cover. Bring to the boil and then simmer until the
vegetables are cooked through. Blend. Stir through honey. Simple. So good.
Root veg make perfect soups for a winter’s day. They take just minutes and I
promise are so much better than shop bought. Many people add onion at the
start but Nic has opened my eyes and tastebuds to the pure, clean, delicious
tastes of these soups.
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Tamarind and orange
sweet potato
Sauté peeled and chopped sweet potatoes and carrots. Add hot vegetable
stock to cover. Bring to the boil and then simmer until the vegetables are
cooked through. Make tamarind water by adding a teaspoon to a little boiled
water. Add to the vegetables, stock, along with some orange zest. Blend. Taste.
Larb gai and giant couscous
This is such a versatile recipe. Basically it’s chicken or turkey mince, couscous
and stock. You add the ‘flavour’ of your choice while cooking the mince on
the hob. You might fancy Thai green or red curry paste, or a Keralan paste.
Try ras el’hanout or zat’ar for a Middle Eastern favour. A few fresh herbs are
always good too, especially basil or coriander.
We use Merchant Gourmet giant couscous as it gives a texture like mini pasta
while being a healthier option. It’s a very handy staple to have around.
Serves 2
200g turkey mince
A little groundnut or olive oil
Curry paste of choice
Red or green chilli, finely chopped (optional)
Fresh chopped herbs
80g giant couscous
Chicken stock
1. In a large bowl, mix the mince with your curry paste or spices and leave to
marinate for a half hour if you have time.
2. Heat some chicken stock in a pan and once boiling add the couscous.
Reduce to a fast simmer until the couscous in cooked according to the
packet instructions.
3. Sauté the marinated mince in a hot pan with a little groundnut or olive oil.
Add the fresh herbs.
4. Drain the couscous, keeping the stock, and divide between bowls.
5. Top with the mince and then pour over as much stock as you prefer.
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