CHICKEN GUMBO SOUP

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, diced
3 cups reduced-sodium, reduced-fat chicken broth, divided
3 cups water
1 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp salt (optional)
1/2 tsp pepper
1 bay leaf
1/8 tsp sage
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp thyme
1 cup chopped fresh tomatoes
1 cup corn kernels, frozen or fresh
1 cup frozen okra
2 Tbsp canola oil
1/4 cup flour
2 cups cooked brown rice

Place the chicken in a large soup pot with 1 cup of broth. Bring to a boil.

Add the additional broth, water, onion, garlic, salt (omit this if you need to reduce total sodium), pepper, bay leaf, sage, red pepper flakes, and thyme and simmer for 20 minutes.

Add the tomatoes, corn, and okra and simmer for 15 minutes.

In a separate pan, heat the oil and flour and stir until the flour and oil are golden brown and bubbly, stirring constantly. Add 1 cup of the soup broth to the mixture and whisk until smooth.

Add the mixture back to the soup pot and whisk until dissolved. Simmer 30 minutes. Stir in the rice the last 10 minutes of cooking.

Yield: 6 servings
Serving size: 1 cup

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories 279; Total Fat 7 g; Calories From Fat 61; Cholesterol 43 mg; Sodium 720 mg; Carbohydrate 31 mg; Dietary Fiber 4 g; Protein 23 g

Diabetic Exchanges: 2-1/2 Starch; 2 Lean Meat

Adapted from source: The New Soul Food Cookbook for People with Diabetes by Fabiola Demps Gaines