The following recipes were excerpted from Runner's World: Meals on the Run, our collection of 150 runner-friendly recipes ready in 30 minutes or less.
Rainy Day Onion Soup
With its rich broth, sweet onions, and just the right amount of gooey cheese, this soup will warm you to your core after a cold, rainy run. It also offers the carbs and protein you need to recover. Makes 4 servings.
Ingredients
3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
2 large yellow onions, halved and sliced
Leaves from 2 sprigs thyme
1 bay leaf
¼ cup dry sherry
3 cups reduced-sodium beef broth
¼ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. ground black pepper
4 slices (½”) whole-wheat baguette
1 cup shredded Swiss cheese
Instructions
In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions, thyme, and bay leaf. Cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until caramelized and very soft.
Add the sherry and scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. When evaporated, add the broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the salt and pepper.
Position an oven rack 4” from the heat and preheat the broiler to high. Place the bread slices on a baking sheet and top each with 2 Tbsp. cheese. Broil for 2 ½ minutes or until the bread is toasted and the cheese is golden.
Place 2 Tbsp. cheese in the bottom of four small bowls. Discard the bay leaf from the soup. Ladle the soup into the bowls. Top each with one cheese toast.
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Chunky Tomato Beef Soup
Meaty and filling without being overly rich, this soup is ideal after a tough run when you need to refuel but don't want to feel weighed down. Makes 6 servings.
Ingredients
1 lb. ground sirloin
1 Tbsp. canola oil
1 onion, diced
1 carrot, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups reduced-sodium beef broth
2 cans (14 oz. each) diced tomatoes, undrained
2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
½ tsp. dried thyme
1 cup elbow macaroni
¼ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. ground black pepper
2 Tbsp. grated Parmesan
Instructions
Heat a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the sirloin and cook for 3 minutes or until no longer pink. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
Add the oil, onion, and carrot to the pot. Cook for 4 minutes or until softened. Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds longer.
Add the broth, tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, beef, and thyme. Raise heat to high and bring soup to a boil. Add the pasta.
Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 8 minutes or until the pasta is tender. Add the salt and pepper.
Ladle into bowls. Serve with a sprinkling of Parmesan.
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Sweet Potato Chicken Stew
For gluten-free runners, sweet spuds offer energizing carbs. This quick stew gets its deep flavor from smoked paprika, making it taste like it simmered for hours. Makes 4 servings.
Ingredients
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 sweet onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 can (14 oz.) diced tomatoes, drained
1 can (15 oz.) cannellini beans, drained
1 tsp. smoked paprika
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into ½” cubes
2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
¼ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. ground black pepper
2 Tbsp. chopped parsley
Instructions
In a large pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook for 3 minutes or until soft. Add garlic and cook 1 minute.
Stir in broth, tomatoes, beans, and paprika. Raise heat to high and bring to a boil. Add sweet potatoes, cover, and reduce heat to low. Simmer 10 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
Scoop out 1 cup of stew and puree in a blender. Return puree to the pot.
Add chicken and simmer until heated. Add the salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with parsley.
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Spicy Salmon and Noodle Soup
Salmon provides omega-3 fatty acids that help soothe inflammation after a tough run, while rice noodles add a carb kick. Makes 6 servings.
Ingredients
1 Tbsp. canola oil
1 shallot, sliced
1 Tbsp. grated fresh ginger
1 Tbsp. red curry paste
1 can (14 oz.) light coconut milk
4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
6 oz. rice noodles
1 Tbsp. fish sauce
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
Juice of 1 lime, plus wedges for serving
¾ lb. skinless salmon, cut into 1” pieces
4 oz. snow peas
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
Instructions
In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add shallot and cook 2 minutes or until soft. Add ginger and curry paste. Cook 1 minute. Add coconut milk and broth. Raise heat to high and bring to a boil. Lower heat to medium and simmer 10 minutes.
Boil a pot of water. Add noodles and cook 5 minutes or until tender. Drain and rinse. Set aside.
Add fish sauce, soy sauce, lime juice, and salmon to the soup pot. Partially cover and simmer 5 minutes, until fish is cooked. Add peas. Remove from the heat.
Divide noodles into 6 deep bowls. Ladle soup on top. Serve with cilantro and lime wedges.
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Turkey, Barley, and Kale Soup
Lean ground turkey provides protein to speed muscle recovery postrun. Because it contains dark meat, it has slightly more fat than ground turkey breast, but it also packs more zinc and iron. Kale helps replenish potassium and magnesium. Makes 4 servings.
Ingredients
1 Tbsp. canola oil
1 package (10 to 14 oz.) prediced mirepoix
½ lb. lean (93%) ground turkey
1 tsp. poultry seasoning
½ tsp. garlic salt
½ tsp. ground black pepper
¾ cup quick-cooking barley
5 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 cups baby kale leaves
4 Tbsp. grated Parmesan
Instructions
In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the mirepoix and cook for 5 minutes or until softened.
Add turkey, poultry seasoning, garlic salt, and pepper. Cook, breaking the turkey into pieces, for 3 minutes or until the meat is no longer pink.
Add the barley and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the broth, raise the heat to high, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, add the kale, and simmer for 7 minutes or until the barley is tender.
Ladle the soup into bowls and sprinkle each with Parmesan.
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Hungry for more? Pick up a copy of Runner's World: Meals on the Run (Rodale, October 2015), our collection of 150 runner-friendly recipes ready in 30 minutes or less. Click here to order.
