That’s what inspired this post. That drizzly, monochromatic, makes-you-want-to-stay-in-bed-all-day view, coupled with the fact that when I drove through town today, most of the businesses had sandbags against their doors which leads me to believe that we won’t see color again for quite some time.
So this is what I’m retaliating with — a soup with just about every shape and color and flavor that winter has to offer gilded with a high-heat roasting before being thrown into the pot. I’ve said in my comments on several of your blogs that I’m just not a soup person. I may love the photos of your soups, I may crave the soup you write about, but rarely do I actually make soup myself. I don’t know why, it just is.
But there’s another reason I’m making soup today.
I bought a new scale last week and noticed that I’m about six pounds over where I want to be. That’s not catastrophic, I know. But last year I was bothered by an extra three pounds that clung to me like a ramora; I’m seeing a trend and I’m not fond of it.
Two years ago I set out to lose twenty pounds. I was never terrifically overweight, I was just carrying enough extra baggage that it made me feel uncomfortable in my skin. So I joined Weight Watchers online with the primary purpose of tracking what I ate so that I could learn what was realistic for me. I gave myself a whole year—no “I want to look great in a bikini in three weeks”—and I focused on eating healthy and finding a balance that didn’t leave me feeling deprived. By about two months into it I’d reached my stride and the numbers on the scale started dropping. I felt wholly satiated and more comfortable in my body than I ever had before.
While six pounds may be just a ripple in the pond, it’s a clear indicator that my perception of how much I can eat while remaining at the weight I want to be is off, and that I’m not paying close enough attention to or savoring deeply enough the foods that I am eating. I shouldn’t be too surprised, though. Many of the experts I’ve interviewed have stressed that weight gain happens more insidiously than we tend to think. The extra tablespoon of peanut butter on my morning toast each day or the little bites I pilfer from Noe’s plate (I’ve got to check the temp!) are much more likely to be the culprit of that annual three pound increase than my dinner at Cyrus. Fast forward ten years at this rate and I’ll have thirty extra pounds on a frame that’s meant to carry 120 at the most . . . that’s a quarter more body than I need all because of a few bites a day!
Well that trend is going to change today.
One could look at this vegetable soup as a boring, must-eat diet food. Or one could, as I am choosing to today, look at it as the opportunity to enjoy seasonal flavors at their peak in a presentation that’s soothing and comforting on a dreary winter day.
In the end, I think it’s the choice we make between these two perspectives that will dictate the success of our “diet” over a lifetime, more so than any one diet itself.
{ Roasted Vegetable Soup }
8 cups various winter veggies, cubed (I used rutabaga, turnip, sweet potato and cauliflower . . . but feel free to mix it up with your favorites)
1–2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup sliced mushrooms (I used shiitake for their bold flavor)
4 cloves garlic, sliced
1/4 cup whatever wine you have open
6 cups chicken stock (preferably home made, if not then organic)
2 cups sliced Napa or Savoy cabbage
Preheat oven to 425.
Toss the winter veggies with olive oil, salt and pepper and roast in a heavy duty roasting pan for 30 minutes, tossing once or twice. Add mushrooms and garlic, toss to mix, and continue roasting until veggies are turning tender and have bronzed well.
Remove pan from oven, pour in wine and scrape up all the yummy nubbins from the bottom. Set pan aside.
Pour chicken stock in a large stock pot and set over medium high heat. Scrape veggies from the pan to the pot, add cabbage and bring to a boil. Lower heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
Serve with a grating of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.
Makes 8 servings
17 Comments
I started weightwatchers 3 weeks ago. I need to lose a lot more than you. In fact - I have already lost almost 6lbs. But I totally agree with you on the ‘creepng up’ aspect of weight loss. I love the way WW forces you to focus on what exactly you eat, how much you enjoy particular foods and don’t enjoy others and also how to balance your diet with the correct amount of protein and fibre. good luck!
duh - i meant ‘creeping up aspect of weight GAIN’!
Your soup looks and sounds delicious!
I remember reading a magazine article last year (Gourmet maybe?) where they followed a chef around all day and kept track of every taste and bite that he took during the course of a normal day for him- and the caloric results were staggering when tallied up. Thos little tastes and nibbles do definitely add up quick!
Sam . . . Good for you! I’ve enjoyed WW–and continue to watch WW–for the very same reasons you mention here. I find that I actually enjoy food MORE when I’m in the mindset of the program than I do when I’m just feeling guilty about anything I put in my mouth because, darn it, it’s FOOD. A perfect example is the carrot cake (homemade, a total coup on my part, the non-baker) I ate today. I took one, fabulous, perfect bite and reveled in it. And that was all I needed. Good luck to you!
Erika . . . I read that same article and found it fascinating. And I know those little spoons from my classes at the CIA –they’re the little mini-tasting spoons that they use for ice cream. Can you imagine coming up with an exorbitant amount of calories and cholesterol using those? It sounds almost daunting.
The soup looks and sounds like the perfect antidote to the cold and grey. Interestingly, both Weight Watchers and Kraft Foods, the packaged goods giant that markets South Beach foods, have walked away from the word diet in favor of the word living. It’s no longer about temporary fixes, but about adopting healthy lifestyles that involve eating sensibly and exercising. In fact, Weight Watchers’ new tagline is: Stop dieting. Start living.
Ah Lia . . .I’ve got those 30 extra pounds on a body that should be in the 120 range but I haven’t been 120 since my 20’s.
I was feeling pretty good about 140 at 43 when I got preggers with my last child. I’ve been working on those extra 20 pounds ever since. I lose it and gain it. I eat healthy food - I just eat too much. Like your soup .. I’d probably end up having more than 2 servings. Soup is a downfall for me . .. . I love it. steph
The soup looks good! I know what you are saying. I have about 10 extra pounds, which probably isn’t too bad at my age. But I need to stop it now, that’s why I pulled out all the Weight Watchers and Cooking Light cookbooks this weekend to browse through!
You have been tagged on my site!!
You’re well on your way! It’s a process, taking the weight off, just as it was when it went on, like you say. I’ve found the “handful of almonds” to keep hunger at bay to really work and almonds are so good with dried black mission figs…a perfect sweet snack. OH!! AND muscle weighs more than fat, so I don’t pay attention to the scale!! As long as I’m hitting the gym, eating sensibly, no worries! Cheers! http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/health/healthmain.html?in_article_id=506974&in_page_id=1774 http://www.winespectator.com/Wine/Features/0,1197,4215,00.html
Soup is an easy, nutritious way to get that sensation of fullness without a lot of calories. I just love all kinds of soup, and the idea of roasting the vegetables first is perfect.
OK, what’s up with my name coming up as Susan from Food Blog? Let me see if I can fix that.
I don’t believe it. It won’t let me type the “ga.” Seriously. It just stops typing after the first “g.” Weird. Totally weird.
Your soup looks wonderful! I recently am back “on plan” with WW and starting to see the weight I initially lost starting to leave again. It’s so easy to get over-confident in “eyeballing” portion sizes and slowly they get bigger. I find that soup is a wonderful way to fill up without a lot of calories as others have said. Good for you for working to lose the bit of weight that makes you uncomfortable before it becomes a health problem.
ps… Love your blog!
I am a total “soup-a-holic” and eat at least one meal a day consisting of soup. You soup looks so satisfying and I especially love your addition of shitake mushrooms for extra flavor. It’s amazing how much depth shitake’s can add to a stock. Good luck on your quest for health. Personally, I could never eat soup to lose weight because my portions are so HUGE! I can’t help it ! I’ll go for a run to make up for it.
Ah, finally someone else who could never use soup to lose weight!! (White on Rice Couple).
I can’t run right now - too much snow and ice on the road and the high school track is a mess. We have a treadmill -but I hate running on a treadmill.
I’ve been looking at WW the past few days. steph
Terry . . . Very interesting indeed. I love the message, as long as these organizations truly embrace it!
Steph . . . Go ahead and indulge in two servings of this soup–it’ll do you good!
Pam . . . Those ten are hard, aren’t they! Good for you, though, for getting a jump on it too.
C’tina . . . That is a great reminder, that muscle weighs more than fat . . . if only I’d been to the gym more than a half dozen times in the past six months!
But seriously, it’s true. And I am proud to say that I’m getting back into my yoga/pilates/hiking routine too.
Susan . . . I know I’ve seen all kinds of yummy soups on your blog! I’m not sure why your ‘ga’ is being truncated (ironically, that’s the word my daughter says all day long, “ga, ga, ga!”). My guess is its some letter-count setting. I’ll check in on it and see if we can get your ‘ga’ back ;-).
Patsyk . . . Good for you! Isn’t it amazing how our perception of how much we’re eating can just become so skewed over time? Glad you’re here, and glad you like Swirling Notions!
White on Rice Couple . . . Man, soup once a day, that is some good stuff. See, I WANT to eat soup once a day! And you’re right on, the shiitakes made the soup. They’ve got that depth of flavor and umami to them that’s just fabulous. I also occasionally splash some soy sauce in too, or add a stir of miso paste for a similar reasons, but for some reason didn’t this time. It still turned out great though :-). And all veggies . . . which is good, since I don’t run ;-).
Steph . . . You go girl!
Veg soup sounds like a good start and I hope it goes well. I’ve found the trick is for it to be a diet without ever letting yourself actually know that its a diet. Once you’re in on the plan, you can start to strategize against it
Mike . . . I couldn’t agree more!