The Good Soup Diet

Getting back to healthful low-fat eating is what January is all about for most of us. The following soups, designed as entrees, should help get you back on track.

The Chinese Minimal Fish Soup, inspired by a soup we ate at the Monterey Park restaurant Charming Garden, is a light but satisfying, almost ceremonial, soup. The ingredients are simple and distinct. Spring water is infused with ginger and star anise to make the broth. Sliced baby bok choy and lettuce are then layered on the bottom of a large serving bowl or tureen, along with sliced green onion. Parchment-thin fish is arranged on top of the greens just before the dish is brought to the table. The boiling infused broth is then poured over all the ingredients, cooking the fish and the vegetables. The two main things to watch for when making this soup are that the broth reaches a full rolling boil before it is poured over the raw ingredients and that the fish is sliced very thin.

The California Chile Soup is heartier but still very low in fat, made with nonfat chicken broth, tomatoes and spices. Dried California chiles soaked in water and pureed give this soup an earthy flavor and a rich adobe color. Substitute vegetable broth for the chicken if you want to make it even lighter. Masa flour is used to thicken the soup slightly, giving it a toasty corn tortilla flavor. Corn tortilla strips baked in the oven until crisp add crunch.

Rather than making the roux for the New Orleans-style Shrimp Bisque the traditional way (by combining flour and oil and browning it), simply toast the flour in a skillet with no oil until it turns beige-brown. Blend the flour with water until smooth before stirring into the soup. To get the maximum amount of flavor out of the shrimp, add the shells and heads to the broth and simmer. A spoonful of rice finishes the dish.

SHRIMP BISQUE

1/4 cup flour

1 pound large shrimp with heads

1 quart nonfat reduced-sodium chicken broth

1/4 cup minced onion

Nonstick cooking spray

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1/2 cup water

Salt

White pepper

2 cups cooked white rice

Toast flour in small skillet over low heat, stirring constantly until flour is beige-brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.

Peel and devein shrimp, reserving heads and shells.

Combine shells and chicken broth in saucepan and heat to boiling. Reduce heat, cover and let simmer about 15 minutes. Let cool to warm, then strain broth.

Saute onion in saucepan sprayed with nonstick cooking spray until tender, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in shrimp broth. Bring to boil, then reduce heat to simmer. Whisk in tomato paste and add shrimp. Simmer just until shrimp are translucent, about 1 minute.

Puree soup in food processor or blender until smooth. Return to heat and cook until simmering.

Blend toasted flour and water in bowl until smooth. Whisk into soup. Season to taste with salt and white pepper. Serve each bowl with 1 (1/2-cup) scoop of rice.

Makes 5 1/2 cups bisque, 4 main course servings.

Each serving contains about:

Each serving contains about: 264 calories; 765 mg sodium; 110 mg cholesterol; 3 grams fat; 38 grams carbohydrates; 20 grams protein; 0.12 gram fiber.

CALIFORNIA CHILE SOUP

TORTILLA STRIPS

Nonstick cooking spray

2 corn tortillas, cut into 1/4-inch strips

Salt

SOUP

2 dried California chiles

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup chopped onion

Nonstick cooking spray

6 cups nonfat chicken broth

2 stalks celery, sliced

1 (14 1/2-ounce) can whole tomatoes

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon Mexican oregano

1/4 cup cilantro leaves

1/4 cup masa harina (masa flour)

2 corn cobs or 4 mini frozen corn cobs (thawed if frozen), cut into 1-inch chunks

TORTILLA STRIPS

Spray 11x15-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Spread tortilla strips in single layer. Lightly spray strips with nonstick cooking spray. Lightly sprinkle with salt to taste. Bake strips at 425 degrees until lightly browned and crisp, 10 to 15 minutes.

SOUP

Heat chiles in hot skillet or on hot griddle, turning until warm and pliable, 1 minute. Remove stems and seeds and devein chiles. Soak chiles in warm water to cover until softened, about 30 minutes. Puree chiles in blender with 1/2 cup chile soaking water.

Saute garlic and onion in large sauce pot sprayed with nonstick cooking spray until onion is tender, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in pureed chiles and simmer about 10 minutes. Add chicken broth, celery, tomatoes with liquid, cumin, oregano and cilantro. Bring to boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, about 15 minutes to blend flavors.

Whisk together masa harina and 6 tablespoons cold water until smooth. Gradually stir into simmering liquid. Return to boil and simmer 1 minute.

Add corn and simmer additional 1 to 2 minutes until hot throughout. Serve topped with Tortilla Strips.

Makes 4 servings.

Each serving, without Tortilla Strips, contains about:

Each serving contains about: 94 calories; 973 mg sodium; 0 cholesterol; 2 grams fat; 15 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams protein; 1.09 grams fiber.

Each serving, with Tortilla Strips, contains about:

Each serving contains about: 124 calories; 1065 mg sodium; 0 cholesterol; 3 grams fat; 21 grams carbohydrates; 6 grams protein; 1.09 grams fiber.

CHINESE MINIMAL FISH SOUP

Call your seafood shop ahead of time and ask for the fish to be sliced paper-thin. If you have a problem finding someone to do this, the fish may be sliced by hand. Partially freeze the fish so it is firm, yet not frozen solid, and slice with a very sharp knife.

8 cups spring water

3 slices ginger root, about 1/4-inch thick

3 whole star anise

6 bunches baby bok choy, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch pieces

3 green onions, sliced diagonally

2 cups sliced iceberg lettuce

1/4 pound fresh sea bass, salmon, pomfret, halibut or sole, cut into paper-thin slices

Salt

6 sprigs cilantro

Bring water to boil in saucepan. Add ginger and star anise and simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let steep about 7 to 10 minutes, no longer, then strain.

Put sliced bok choy in bottom of large serving bowl or tureen. Add sliced green onions and iceberg lettuce. Arrange fish slices in single layer to cover.

Return broth to boiling. Season to taste with salt. Present bowl without broth at table, then pour boiling seasoned water over fish. Ladle soup into serving bowls. Top each bowl with 1 cilantro sprig.

Makes 6 servings.

Each serving contains about:

52 calories; 200 mg sodium; 10 mg cholesterol; 1 gram fat; 6 grams carbohydrates; 6 grams protein; 1.55 grams fiber.

* In California Chile Soup photo, bowls and plates from Skid Row Access catalog. Call (800) 517-1133. In Shrimp Bisque photo, bowls from Bristol Kitchens, South Pasadena.

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Kitchen Tip

Masa harina means “flour for masa” and it’s made of coarse-ground dried masa. To make tamales or tortillas from it, you must reconstitute it with water or stock andthen beat in the fat of your choice.