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My Favorite Mistake Soup

Alex Benedict


While Dave is our resident soup master-- he authored a new book on the subject available on Amazon, I try my hand as well--almost always using the instapot. The instapot is great, but it can overcook the soup in a flash, which is what happened this morning to my celery soup. Not wanting to throw it away, I made some adjustments and the result was delicious.


Available on Amazon

Here is the recipe.


Ingredients


  • 4 cups water

  • 1 bunch celery chopped (assumed ~1 lb or 54 g)

  • 1 small onion (~70 g) In a pinch use dried onion.

  • 2 cloves garlic (~6 g) In a pinch, use garlic powder..

  • 1 teaspoon Oregano


  • 1 cup of baby spinach (about 30 g)

  • 3 Tbsp collagen powder (assumed ~30 g total)

  • 8 oz cream cheese (~224 g)


  • 1/2 cup edamame (shelled, ~78–80 g)


Instructions: Put first five ingredients in the instapot. Set to low pressure and cook for 15 minutes. My intention was to make celery soup, but when it came out it was brown and a bit mushy. By reducing the time and heat, you should be OK.

When done, add the rest of the ingredients except the edamame. The spinach will cook on its own in the heated soup. Add salt to taste. Using a hand stick blender, blend it all but leave a few chunks for flavor. Finally, add the edamame for a contrast in texture and to add more protein. You now have a superfood soup, full of protein, fiber and antioxidants.

Approximate Macros for the Entire Pot

Macro

Approx. Total

Calories

~1,100 kcal

Protein

~57 g

Carbs

~39 g

 • Fiber

~12 g

 • Net Carbs

~27 g

Fat

~85 g

Where These Numbers Come From

  1. Baby Spinach (1 cup)

    • ~7 kcal, ~1 g protein, ~1 g carbs (0.7 g fiber), negligible fat

  2. Celery (1 bunch, ~454 g)

    • ~60–65 kcal, ~3 g protein, ~14 g carbs (6–7 g fiber), <1 g fat

  3. Collagen Powder (3 Tbsp, ~30 g)

    • ~110 kcal, ~27 g protein, 0 g carbs, 0 g fat

  4. Cream Cheese (8 oz / 224 g) You can reduce the fat by using cashews or tofu. Or low fat cream cheese.

    • Typically around 750–800 kcal total

    • ~14–16 g protein

    • ~8 g carbs

    • ~72–80 g fat

    • (Exact macros depend on brand.)

  5. Edamame (1/2 cup, ~78 g)

    • ~95 kcal, 9 g protein, 8 g carbs (4 g fiber), 4 g fat

  6. Onion (1 small, ~70 g)

    • ~28 kcal, 1 g protein, ~6 g carbs (1 g fiber), negligible fat

  7. Garlic (2 cloves, ~6 g)

    • ~9 kcal, 0.4 g protein, ~2 g carbs, negligible fat

  8. Seasonings & Water

    • Negligible calories, carbs, protein, or fat

When you total all of these and account for rounding, you land around 1,100 kcal with 57 g protein, 39 g total carbs (about 12 g fiber), and ~85 g fat.

Per-Serving Estimates

If you split the soup into roughly 4 servings, each serving would have:

  • Calories: ~275

  • Protein: ~14 g

  • Total Carbs: ~10 g (3 g fiber → 7 g net)

  • Fat: ~21 g

Tips for More Accuracy

  • Weigh your actual celery bunch (or measure exact cups) and onion.

  • Check your specific collagen’s label (different brands can vary in protein per tablespoon).

  • Look at the nutrition facts on the exact cream cheese brand you use.

These steps will give you the most precise macro counts for your homemade soup. Enjoy!


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