Carb Substitutes

shilohron

I am looking for carb substitutes or low carb versions of pasta and potatoes
that I can us in soups. Something "edible"! :-) Any suggestions?

elphie754

Is there a specific reason you want low carb? It is not required for weight loss. If it is not for a medical reason, just have a reasonable portion of pasta/potatoes and make it fit into your calorie goals.

littlechiaseed

Alot of people will tell you veggie noodles. I don't like them much. Doesn't replace noodles for me. I like the edamame noodles which are edamame beans formed into noodles so they are super high in protein and are all around better for you than plain pasta. There's also black bean ones. Don't fear carbs, just make better choices with them.

kgeyser

How about cauliflower as a sub for potatoes?

ETA: For noodles, you could try the suggestions above for edamame or black bean noodles. There are also shirataki noodles which might work, and depending on the soup, perhaps cabbage?

kommodevaran

If you don't want to eat pasta and potatoes and other carby foods, you need to eat more meat and fish and other fatty foods. Not exactly substitutions, but they are edible.

rosebarnalice

I like julienned broccoli stems (sometimes sold as broccoli slaw mix) or cauliflouwer stems as a carb substitute in soups. I add it late in the cooking process so it's still toothsome.

lemurcat12

In soups? Lots of soups don't have pasta or potatoes. Use winter squash or root vegetables (carrots, turnips, parsnips), or just vegetables depending on the kind of soup. I'm a fan of soups with lentils or other beans, but of course they are "carby" too, although they also have more protein.

Add some source of protein if it is intended as a meal.

ouryve

If it's for soup, just leave out the starchy component of the soup!

nvmomketo

For noodles, I will sometimes use spaghetti squash but I find it simplest just to skip the starchiest carbs. Take a bit of extra of something else and just move on.

Sabine_Stroehm

rosebarnalice wrote: »

I like julienned broccoli stems (sometimes sold as broccoli slaw mix) or cauliflouwer stems as a carb substitute in soups. I add it late in the cooking process so it's still toothsome.

Brilliant!

Sabine_Stroehm

lemurcat12 wrote: »

In soups? Lots of soups don't have pasta or potatoes. Use winter squash or root vegetables (carrots, turnips, parsnips), or just vegetables depending on the kind of soup. I'm a fan of soups with lentils or other beans, but of course they are "carby" too, although they also have more protein.

Add some source of protein if it is intended as a meal.

And much more fiber.

lemurcat12

Yep, beans and lentils are fiber powerhouses.

Sabine_Stroehm

lemurcat12 wrote: »

Yep, beans and lentils are fiber powerhouses.

Yep. I love em! Great source of lignins! And, for those reducing carbs, higher fiber is better.
I must admit, I ate a cup of beans/lentils a day when I was losing. Gave me good energy, a full feeling, and, well...fiber!
I'm eating them more now with menopause because of the lignins.

BackwoodsDarlin

You can use radishes in place of potatoes.... It's actually really good! If you boil a radish until the "redness" turns opaque like a new potato, most people can't even tell the difference. Below is a picture of my Crockpot Chicken Green Chili Stew. Tastes amazing and I've served it to many people. I've asked each one about how they liked the "potatoes" and they said loved them... even though it was really radishes, they never knew the difference. LOL

Sabine_Stroehm

BackwoodsDarlin wrote: »

You can use radishes in place of potatoes.... It's actually really good! If you boil a radish until the "redness" turns opaque like a new potato, most people can't even tell the difference. Below is a picture of my Crockpot Chicken Green Chili Stew. Tastes amazing and I've served it to many people. I've asked each one about how they liked the "potatoes" and they said loved them... even though it was really radishes, they never knew the difference. LOL

I love radishes and had never thought of doing this!

lemurcat12

I always think that boiling a radish would ruin what's delightful about radishes (the bite plus the crunch). Is there some reason why you'd use radishes instead of turnips?

BackwoodsDarlin

lemurcat12 wrote: »

I always think that boiling a radish would ruin what's delightful about radishes (the bite plus the crunch). Is there some reason why you'd use radishes instead of turnips?

Because turnips don't taste like potatoes, they are the same consistency, just nowhere near a comparable taste.
And why couldn't you have both LOL Raw, when you want that crispness and cooked when you want the taste of a potato without all the carbs.

Just a note: I grew up on turnips, grew them, canned them, ate them raw etc... but they are a very different taste and sometimes an acquired taste for most people.

Chrismadison100

I have the perfect substitute for mashed potatoes...... Mashed Califlower.

Take a couple of Califlower and boil them. I use a slow cooker for about 6 hours. Then drain the water and using a hand blender, I blend it until it is creamy. For added flavor , I sometimes add some garlic, sage, chives for color. Then I save it is plastic containers and freeze them. I usually eat one per meal.

Wolfena

spaghetti squash or any spiral cut squash for pasta, and cauliflower mashes nicely

Sabine_Stroehm

Chrismadison100 wrote: »

I have the perfect substitute for mashed potatoes...... Mashed Califlower.

Take a couple of Califlower and boil them. I use a slow cooker for about 6 hours. Then drain the water and using a hand blender, I blend it until it is creamy. For added flavor , I sometimes add some garlic, sage, chives for color. Then I save it is plastic containers and freeze them. I usually eat one per meal.

Even better with a touch of feta.

retirehappy

Take a page from Julia Childs, ccook some celery instead of potatoes for a side dish.
Cauliflower as some others have said already. Makes great pizza crust, soups, and "rice". Costco and Trader Joes both have it pre riced so super easy.
Try asparagus and leek soup instead of potato and leek.
Cabbage soups are great in the fall.
Pumpkin soup is popular at our house.
Bake chicken with cherry tomatoes and garlic instead of potatoes.
Beef and mushroom soup.
Someone mentioned radishs, they can be fried like potatoes.
Bake kale leaves for kale chips, add parma cheese, yummo.
Just grab a listing of low carb veggies or google low carb soups and side dishes, you will find thousands of recipes.

lemurcat12

BackwoodsDarlin wrote: »

lemurcat12 wrote: »

I always think that boiling a radish would ruin what's delightful about radishes (the bite plus the crunch). Is there some reason why you'd use radishes instead of turnips?

Because turnips don't taste like potatoes, they are the same consistency, just nowhere near a comparable taste.
And why couldn't you have both LOL Raw, when you want that crispness and cooked when you want the taste of a potato without all the carbs.

Just a note: I grew up on turnips, grew them, canned them, ate them raw etc... but they are a very different taste and sometimes an acquired taste for most people.

A turnip seems much more like a potato to me than a radish, unless boiling them spoils the flavor (which it might -- never had a cooked radish, but a turnip is much like a blander radish uncooked). Never thought of them as more of an acquired taste.

arditarose

I eat shirataki noodles. No carbs. Just be sure to rinse AND dry fry them. Moisture is not their friend.

lemurcat12

Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »

Chrismadison100 wrote: »

I have the perfect substitute for mashed potatoes...... Mashed Califlower.

Take a couple of Califlower and boil them. I use a slow cooker for about 6 hours. Then drain the water and using a hand blender, I blend it until it is creamy. For added flavor , I sometimes add some garlic, sage, chives for color. Then I save it is plastic containers and freeze them. I usually eat one per meal.

Even better with a touch of feta.

Not in soup!

I know I'm weird or something in that I prefer cauliflower (which I eat all the time -- I had some WITH potatoes and other ingredients tonight, even) unmashed. But then I even prefer potatoes unmashed (and roasted), although they do mash well. (I like sweet potatoes and parsnips and, I suppose, turnips mashed too, often mashed with potaties. But I prefer my cauliflower to have the look and texture of cooked cauliflower.)

I think this is a reaction to not getting why people seem to only like a perfectly good and delicious vegetable for the way it can (badly) mimic foods like potatoes and rice they decide they should not eat. I know, it's fine to substitute, I do it all the time, and if people actually enjoy cauliflower other ways, why not mash it -- people eat potatoes multiple ways. And speaking of substituting, I'm currently eating a sauce I intended for pasta on some potatoes (yeah, I know, all those carbs!) because dried pasta isn't going to need me to find a place to store it where it won't sprout, and I've got a ton of potatoes at the moment. (Less of a problem than tomatoes, which are becoming the backbone of my diet and are why I made the pasta sauce and the gazpacho -- soup without starchy carbs! -- I had with it, weirdly.)

ahoy_m8

BackwoodsDarlin wrote: »

You can use radishes in place of potatoes.... It's actually really good! If you boil a radish until the "redness" turns opaque like a new potato, most people can't even tell the difference. Below is a picture of my Crockpot Chicken Green Chili Stew. Tastes amazing and I've served it to many people. I've asked each one about how they liked the "potatoes" and they said loved them... even though it was really radishes, they never knew the difference. LOL

That looks SO GOOD!! i would love this with turnips or radishes. I put carrots and hominy in my green chile stew. A heighborhood bistro makes "French fries" with carrots and parsnips. They're delicious but not low cal.

arditarose

My mom made turnips for Thanksgiving one year instead of mashed potatoes. I was so sad.

ahoy_m8

OMG, I love turnip purée. I might have made them one thanksgiving..... But that could have been a different holiday.

AmandaHugginkiss

Chicken?

Chicken tortilla soup with a few black beans, a little corn, diced tomatoes, cumin, chili powder, and a couple Ole Extreme Wellnes low carb high fiber tortillas. Not exactly corn tortillas, but a decent sub. Any tortilla soup recipe subbing the tortillas works.

BackwoodsDarlin

lemurcat12 wrote: »

BackwoodsDarlin wrote: »

lemurcat12 wrote: »

I always think that boiling a radish would ruin what's delightful about radishes (the bite plus the crunch). Is there some reason why you'd use radishes instead of turnips?

Because turnips don't taste like potatoes, they are the same consistency, just nowhere near a comparable taste.
And why couldn't you have both LOL Raw, when you want that crispness and cooked when you want the taste of a potato without all the carbs.

Just a note: I grew up on turnips, grew them, canned them, ate them raw etc... but they are a very different taste and sometimes an acquired taste for most people.

A turnip seems much more like a potato to me than a radish, unless boiling them spoils the flavor (which it might -- never had a cooked radish, but a turnip is much like a blander radish uncooked). Never thought of them as more of an acquired taste.

To each his own ....

bwhitty67

I made baked meatballs tonight, hubby had pasta, I had spaghetti squash mixed with 1/2c noodles. I like the squash he doesn't

BackwoodsDarlin

lemurcat12 wrote: »

Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »

Chrismadison100 wrote: »

I have the perfect substitute for mashed potatoes...... Mashed Califlower.

Take a couple of Califlower and boil them. I use a slow cooker for about 6 hours. Then drain the water and using a hand blender, I blend it until it is creamy. For added flavor , I sometimes add some garlic, sage, chives for color. Then I save it is plastic containers and freeze them. I usually eat one per meal.

Even better with a touch of feta.

I think this is a reaction to not getting why people seem to only like a perfectly good and delicious vegetable for the way it can (badly) mimic foods like potatoes and rice they decide they should not eat.

If I eat a potato, it makes my blood sugar go sky high... some people actually have reasons to substitute.