Super-nutritious, super-delicious, super-satisfying soup!

Years ago, I read a book on body-building. The author said: "You build your abs in the kitchen."

It was true then, and it is still true today. Planks and crunches are great. But if you want to shed the body fat that is hiding your abs, you've got to cut back on the calories you eat and drink.

Even though I get a ton of exercise, I still have to be smart about what I eat. So I always keep a big pot of my super-nutritious, super-delicious, super-satisfying soup in the fridge. It is packed with antioxidants and other micronutrients. It is delicious, so I always look forward to eating it. Equally important, it is satisfying. If I feel like I need to lose weight, a bowl of this can hold me all day.

Here's the recipe!

One head of cabbage
Two medium onions
Three or four stalks of celery
Handful of baby carrots
Chicken stock
Three strips of bacon
Olive oil
Soy sauce
Hot sauce
Ground cumin seed
Salt
Pepper
Two cans of cannelini beans
One can of crushed tomatoes
16 ounces of Hillshire Farms smoked sausage

This makes a lot of soup, so you're going to need a big soup pot. I start by cutting up my bacon into bite-size pieces, then throw them into the pot over medium heat to render out a little of the fat. While the bacon is rendering, I chop up my carrots, celery, onions and cabbage. I pour in a couple tablespoons of EVOO with the bacon, then add the carrots, celery and onion. I let that mixture sauté for a minute, then throw in my cabbage. I add enough chicken stock to just cover the cabbage. Next I add a couple teaspoons of salt, a teaspoon of pepper, a heaping teaspoon of cumin, and about a teaspoon of hot sauce. (I am currently using a hot sauce called Sadistic Mistress. Don't laugh - it's good!)

I let all that cook until the cabbage starts to soften, then I add the beans, tomatoes, and sliced sausage. Give it a while to simmer at low heat,, and enjoy!

Obviously, this not a no-fat dish. I added the fat in the bacon and sausage very deliberately. Arguably, it would be a healthier dish without the fat. But it would not be as delicious, and it would not be as satisfying. This soup works for me because a little goes a long way!

If you happen to live in Bradenton, Florida and you're looking for a personal trainer, please get in touch. 502 475-4686 or Lancenelsonporter@gmail.com.

You can do it!

Lance Porter