Avocados in soup? Yeah, I was skeptical, too. But it works amazingly well. Since I provide the nutritional analysis below, you can easily work this into the Low-Carb Mediterranean Diet, Ketogenic Mediterranean Diet, or Paleobetic Diet.
Ingredients
1.5 lb (680 g) boneless skinless chicken breast
1 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil
1 cup (240 ml) chopped green onions
1/2 jalapeno pepper (or 1 or 2 peppers if you wish), seeded and minced (use the seeds, too, if you want it very spicy hot)
2 roma tomatoes (5 oz or 140 g), seeded and diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
60 oz (1,700 g) low-sodium chicken broth
salt and pepper to taste (nutritional analysis below assumes no salt added)
1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) ground cumin
1/3 cup (80 ml) chopped cilantro
3 tbsp (45 ml) fresh lime juice (2 limes should be enough)
3 medium California avocados, peeled, seeded, and cubed
Instructions
Heat up the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat, then add the green onions and jalapeño; sauté until tender (1–2 minutes) then add the garlic and cook another 30 seconds or so. Next into the pot goes the chicken broth, cumin, tomatoes, chicken breasts, and optional salt and pepper. If adding salt, I’d wait until just before serving: taste it and then decide if it needs salt. Bring to a boil with high heat, then reduce heat but keep it boiling, covered with a lid while the chicken cooks through-out. Cooking time depends on thickness of the breasts and may be 15 to 45 minutes. When done, it should be easy to shred with a fork. Reduce heat to low or warm then remove the chicken breasts and allow them to cool for 5–10 minutes. When cool enough, shred the chicken with your fingers and return it to the pot. Add the cilantro. Ladle 1.5 cups (355 ml) into a bowl, add one fifth or sixth of the avocado cubes (half of an avocado) and the juice of 1/4 to 1/2 lime. Enjoy!
Serving size: 1.5 cup of soup plus 1/2 of an avocado
Servings per Batch: 5
Advanced Mediterranean Diet boxes: 1 veggie, 1 fat, 1 protein
Nutritional Analysis per Serving:
43 % fat
13 % carbohydrate
44 % protein
350 calories
12 g carbohydrate
8 g fiber
4 g digestible carb
638 mg sodium
1,180 mg potassium
Prominent features: Rich in protein, vitamin B6, vitamin C, niacin, pantothenic acid, phosphorus, selenium; plus a fair amount of fiber
PS: You can fancy this up just before serving by adding a couple large triangular corn tortilla chips (broken into a few bits) or half of a 6-inch (15 cm) corn tortilla (first, microwave for 20 seconds, then break into a bits). Both items each add 5 g of digestible carbohydrate; the tortilla chip option adds 60 calories and the corn tortilla adds 25 calories. Shredded cheese might be a nice topper, too.
Diabetic Mediterranean Diet 