Healthy Spinach Artichoke Soup
Trying to cut back a little bit? This Healthy Spinach Artichoke Soup is the perfect solution!
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So Laura and I have been really careful about what we eat lately. In fact, we’ve been on a “diet” of sorts for a couple of months now. (Yes, we were on a diet over the holidays…the worst time of the year to be careful about what you’re eating!) I say “diet” because we still allow ourselves tasty food. We’re just watching the portion sizes. We still ate birthday cake for Robbie’s birthday. We still ate Gingerbread Cake over Christmas. And we still ate Buffalo Chicken Nachos while watching the Super Bowl. We’re just careful how much we eat.
Once Robbie arrived, we realized that our old gym schedule just wasn’t feasible anymore. We used to get up at 5:15am every morning and drive down to Laura’s work. They have a gym on site, and we’d work out 3 days a week. But we quickly realized that we couldn’t keep doing the gym routine as someone had to watch Robbie. So we kinda just stopped going altogether. I continued to get a bit of a workout in from curling, but that stops in late March. So needless to say, the scale was not our friend last year. I know this isn’t a problem that’s unique to us either!
By late summer, we were ready to do something. We just didn’t know what. I called some of the local gyms to inquire about childcare, and they had options. But the problem was the options were in the middle of the day. Since we both work, that wasn’t really feasible. (What? You don’t offer childcare starting at 5:30am? Crazy!) So we ended up purchasing 2 exercise bikes, and we transformed part of the storage room in our basement into a home gym. And you know what? It’s been working! Sure, we can’t mix up the workout routine as much as we could at the gym, but we still get up and workout for about an hour 3 times a week. (Although now we wake up at 4:45am so we can shower and then get Robbie off to daycare by 7:00am. That’s right. We get up at 4:45am. Not ideal…but what can you do?)
Laura also found a free app (LoseIt) that lets us track calories. It requires you to be honest and put in everything you eat…but it’s been helping a lot. Using a calorie counter app also made me realize how many calories are in beer…oops. We still let ourselves have a beer or two on the weekends. We’re just careful about other things we eat that day. It’s all about balance!
So that long-winded story about exercise and weight loss brings me to this Healthy Spinach Artichoke Soup. As I mentioned, we’ve mainly been watching portion sizes. But every so often, I just want a big dinner. (Funny story: We recently made a batch of Buffalo Chicken Nachos to eat with our friends, and we had some leftovers. We decided to eat the leftovers for dinner. I was surprised when I realized we could eat nachos on our “diet.” Laura laughed and said, “Yeah, well wait til you see how many nachos are on your plate.”)
This Healthy Spinach Artichoke Soup is totally fair game! In keeping true to our calorie app, I estimated the total number of calories in this soup…and it clocked in around 1,100. That’s total. Like for the entire pot. And it makes a big pot! So, yeah, you can go crazy with this Healthy Spinach Artichoke Soup.
This soup is actually one of our favorite winter “detox meals.” Laura came up with the recipe years ago when we were living in Atlanta, and we’ve been making it every year since then. In fact, we often make this one 2-3 times per winter. It might be a rather unfortunate shade of green, but this Healthy Spinach Artichoke Soup is loaded with all sorts of good stuff. Heck, there’s 2 pounds of spinach in there! That’s enough to make even Popeye happy…and he’s strong!
What are your favorite detox foods?
Have you ever used a calorie counter app?
Healthy Spinach Artichoke Soup
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 tsp garlic minced
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 2 16-oz. packages frozen, chopped spinach
- 1 14-oz. can quartered artichoke hearts, drained
- 8 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable stock
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice
- 6 oz. low-fat cream cheese
- ⅓ cup Parmesan cheese grated
- {garnish} sour cream
- {garnish} chives chopped
Instructions
- Using a large stock pot or Dutch oven, add olive oil and place over medium-high heat. Once hot, add garlic and onions; saute for 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until onions begin to soften.
- Add frozen spinach, artichoke hearts, stock and lemon juice; stir and bring to a boil over high heat.
- Lower heat and let simmer uncovered for 30 minutes.
- Cut cream cheese into several pieces; add cream cheese and Parmesan to pot. Let simmer for 5 more minutes.
- Using an immersion blender, puree until completely smooth.
- Before serving, garnish each bowl with a dollop of sour cream and chopped chives.
Nothing wrong with the colour of this soup 😉 Hubby and I used to go to the gym a long time ago. It got so time consuming by the time we got there, worked out and got home so we decided to purchase our own equipment and haven’t looked back since. We try to work out about 5 days a week and it’s usually in the evenings because I have to get up early to leave for work and I just can’t possibly work out in the morning (I’d love to be able to, but not for me). I used to calorie count ago, but don’t do so any more….I just go with the mentality of ‘everything in moderation, including moderation.’ We particularly eat healthy during the week and have some indulgent stuff on the weekend. This soup would be something we would love to have for lunch. I’d make a big batch of this (2 lbs of spinach is AWESOME!) and eat throughout the week. I feel stronger just looking at it 😉
Good for you guys…5 days a week! That’s impressive as heck. We shoot for 2-3 days during curling season and then 3-4 during non-curling times. But I’ll be the first to admit that we sometimes come up a day short. The morning isn’t ideal, but it sure is nice to get up and get it down with! You guys sound a lot like us, Dawn. We eat healthier during the week, and then we splurge a bit (pizza!!) on the weekends…but it all balances out in the end. Thank you! 🙂
We get up at 5:15 and workout in the living room with the brutal T25 and Shaun T. then it’s off to the park with the boys for a run. I will say the older I get the harder it is to lose the pounds. Sad face.
As for this one, Dave would love it and I’d give it a try (not really a artichoke lover) but am always up for new and creative ways to use it. Thanks Dave!
Oh, Shaun T. He and I have a love-hate relationship. Actually, it really leans heavily on the hate side. That dude is intense! But it’s for all the good reasons, so that makes it love. Sorta? This soup is mighty tasty, Kevin…you could leave the artichokes out, but I find that the flavor just gets blended in with everything else. Cheers, my friend!
Yup, you’re absolutely right, David! The most important part of any diet is the amount of food, and this could be tricky. I enjoy ice cream almost every day cause I work out enough (Besides, I normally buy lighter versions of ice cream which are only 120 calories or something in 125 ml. of it). So I’ve been enjoying it cause I honestly could afford even 250 ml. Yesterday I decided to weight these 125 ml to get a better understanding how much real ice cream that would be. And you know what? Total disappointment! Turned out that those 125 ml.are nothing, and I normally fit 3 times of ice cream more in my bowl (And sometimes repeat). Or like with nuts…30 gramms of any nuts would be around 200 calories which is great. But wait…have you counted how many nuts would be in these 30 gr.? (And that’s why it’s highly dangerous to buy nuts in Costco for me haha). As about Robbie, you should get another pass to the gym for him – I bet there are plenty of safe things he would enjoy in here. Like napping on a bench:) And of course I do like this delicious and healthy soup. Please send me this ASAP (375 ml):)
Yeah, it’s really dangerous to actually look at serving sizes! I did the same thing as you, Ben. When we started getting serious and counting our calories, that meant I started weighing out/measuring out my food. And I was shocked! And nuts? Yeah, those things are so good…but they sneak up on you fast in terms of calories. Most nuts have good fats in them, but still. Hah! If Robbie would nap on a bench then I would eat my sock…after working out. That kid is one gigantic ball of energy! 🙂
I’ve roasted artichokes, I’ve had artichokes on pizza, in pasta, and salads but I’ve never had artichoke soup, and I’m totally ready to try it. I’m loving you and Laura definition of diet! There’s nothing wrong with watching your portion sizes while eating some of your tasty creations. I’m all for the home workout. I had to stop going to the gym also, and it’s just me, no husband, no toddler, just me, it’s just me, and I still can’t find time to make it to the gym. I’m going to check out this Loseit app Laura found.
Roasted artichokes, eh? I’m not sure we’ve ever roasted them! We’ve been on a serious roasting veggies kick lately, so I’ll need to try that one out. (We currently have a fridge packed with broccoli b/c it was on super sale!) The home workout totally works if you have the self control to do it…and I know you do, Mary, as I see your Monday posts! And LoseIt is a good one for sure. You’ve got to be honest and stay on top of your log…but I’m down 10 pounds in 3 months so far (and that’s over the holidays!). 🙂
I like your weight loss approach – balance is key! So many family & clients try to go too extreme and go cold turkey with all of their guilty food pleasures, but that never works in the long term. For it to be sustainable, you’ve got to treat yourself here and there. Good for you guys for committing to healthier eating and a regular workout routine – especially when it requires you to get up super early and be creative in your approach!
Also, I’ve got to try this soup. I love spinach & artichoke dip, and I love soup… so I think that I’d have to love this recipe!
Yeah, I hear ya, Nicole! When I was younger, I used to try to do the extreme thing. Funny enough…it never worked out. When I finally changed my lifestyle and eating habits, something actually started happening! Sure, we still “cheat” and eat pizza…but it’s all about balance. And the early workouts are rough, but we manage to get them in most weeks. (This week is a different story as we’ve both been sick as dogs…ugh.) Definitely give this soup a try! It’s one of our favorite post-holiday detox soups! It doesn’t look that great colorwise, but it’s packed with flavor and it’s so low calorie, too!
Wow ! The combo is really awesome. I would like to try these yummy and healthy spinach artichoke soup.
Thanks so much! This soup really is quite delicious…and super easy to make, too! 🙂 Thanks so much for stopping by and commenting!
Lololol. Let’s see how many nachos make your plate. A single corn chip and a spoonful of salsa 😉 Actually, my friend’s mum did weight watchers and salsa was a free food so she like..dipped into it like crazy! Mad props on the 4.45 start and the two bikes!!! Don’t even get me started on the beer calories- Low carb beer too killed me!
Anyway this soup is my favorite dip in soup form!!! I’ll comply to any diet for a bowlful- or ten.
Hey, how did you already know what my nacho plate looked like?!? 🙂 Yeah, I do love me some salsa. It’s packed with flavor and has almost 0 calories. The problem comes from the chips that I dip into it…haha. Oh, and low carb beer = water. Save yourself the time and pour water into a can instead!
So impressed that you have watched your diet over the festive season – I did not so I had to pay the price in January 🙂 I bought one of those smart watches recently which comes with an app making calorie counting, step tracking etc. a lot easier. Completely agree with you, it is nice to keep a balance and treat yourself every now and then. Artichokes are a fantastic detox food and spinach so healthy too – great combination! Most supermarkets don’t have artichokes in their regular stock here but thankfully we had a few Wholefood stores popping up all around London and they usually have it which is great!
Yeah, going into the holidays I was feeling a little ‘eh’ about the calorie counting…but then it kinda worked out! It made me stop and think whether or not I actually wanted one of those less-than-tasty cookies that was leftover from Laura’s work party. (Answer was no.) I don’t have a smart watch, but I’ve totally wondered about them. Good for you for using it! Oh, and this soup uses canned artichokes…are those any easier for you guys to find over there?? Thanks so much, Miriam!
Dude – 4.45am?! WOA!!! That’s super impressive – congrats to the two of you for sticking to it – especially over the Holidays!! I remember you mentioning about y’alls exercise bike plans when we were there – so glad to know it’s working out for y’all! Life is most definitely about balance and portion control – but, you’ve telling me portion control can be thrown out the window when it comes to this soup – right!? YES!!! So glad you used frozen spinach in this – I am starting to prefer the frozen kind to the fresh ones as they last for ever – kinda like a Twinkie! 🙂 Spinach is by far one of my favorite detox foods – that and kale! Happy Thursday, my friend!
Yeah, that alarm clock in the morning is super rough! But then again, we go to bed by like 9pm, so we still get a solid night’s sleep. We just don’t get to watch any late-night tv. 🙂 It’s been a bit of a change, but the bikes are working out…or as we call it, our “gym.” Oh, and yes, you can totally throw out portion control with this soup! The entire pot was only 1,100 calories (ish). You could eat the entire thing and still be within your daily allowed limits. But there’s no way you could eat the entire pot in one day…it’s a LOT of soup! 🙂
This is awesome .. I completely fell for the color and the presentation!!
Why thank you so much, Sharmila! I was actually a little afraid about the color when I made this soup…I thought it wouldn’t look good in photos. I appreciate your comment! 🙂
Hi David, love the color of this soup. I bet this is delicious. So funny my husband and I started watching our calories last October and all through the holidays as well. Everything in moderation…..
It sounds like we’re following about the same pattern then, Cheri! I hope it’s working as well for you guys as it is for us. Sure, the holidays were a bit difficult…but we managed quite well. We only ate the really good desserts instead of ALL desserts like we normally do. Haha! Enjoy this soup, my friend…it’s super tasty, and super low in calories! 🙂
I love all the comments on watching the calories! I have thyroid issues, so that is definitely something I have to be careful of all around. Not fun, but I’ve been finding some wonderful, gluten free, low carb recipes that make me feel like I’m not giving up. This would be one of those, I love spinach and artichokes. I have a spinach soup recipe that is great, even teenagers liked it, but I like the addition of artichokes and the cheese. This will be on our table soon.
Hey there, Cathy! I agree that counting carbs/calories isn’t much fun, but once you get the hang of it, then it’s not too bad. We still eat “bad for us” stuff…we’re just careful about portion sizes. You won’t need to be careful with portion sizes on this soup though…it’s so low in calories! But it’s packed (packed!) with flavor. Do give this one a shot. It’s one of our favorites. Oh, and Happy Valentine’s Day, my friend! 🙂