Easy Go-To Soup

This is probably our quickest, easiest, cheapest, go-to yummy soup.

Savory Bean and Spinach Soup

1 (32oz) box of veggie broth
1 cup water
1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce
4 large carrots, sliced
1 can dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can great northern beans, drained and rinsed
1 (1lb/16oz) bag frozen spinach
garlic powder, onion powder, basil and pepper to taste

Bring to boil. Simmer, covered, until carrots are cooked through.

Slow Cooker Mexican Minestrone

2 cans black beans, d and r
2 cans mexican style stewed tomatoes
28 oz. veg broth
1 can corn, drained
1 can chickpeas, drained
2 cups diced red skinned potatoes
2 cups frozen green beans
1 large carrot, sliced
1 cup salsa
cumin, chili powder, and pepper to taste

Yumm!

Pumpkin, Kale and Black Bean Stew

• I made this about 2 weeks ago and am just getting around to posting it.  It had such a unique flavor, it definitely fit the bill for the I'm-tired-of-making-the-same-old-thing blahs.  Jocelyn ate a whole bowl, and Cory, when asked if he liked it replied very neutrally, ate FOUR bowls. You heard me. Four.
• 
  

I made a lot of changes.  Butternut Squash for Pumpkin. No meat.  Veggie broth, not beef.  No Sherry Vinegar or Sorrel. Super good.  And you can save the kale water for a future recipe.  Here is the original recipe. 

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 yellow onions, diced
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 small sugar pumpkin, peeled, seeded, cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 4 cups beef broth
• 1 (16 ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 bunch lacinato kale, stems removed, chopped
• 1 pound cubed cooked ham
• 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
• 1 tablespoon thinly sliced sorrel

Directions

1. Heat olive oil over medium heat in a soup pot. Cook onion until it begins to soften, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and diced pumpkin and cook for another 5 minutes. Stir in the beef broth, tomatoes, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then turn heat to low and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes.
2. While soup is simmering, bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the kale and simmer until softened, about 3 minutes. Drain into a colander.
3. After soup has cooked for 15 minutes, add the kale, ham, and black beans; simmer for another 5 minutes. Stir in the sherry vinegar and sorrel; remove pot from the heat.

Nutritional Information 

Amount Per Serving  Calories: 203 | Total Fat: 11.8g | Cholesterol: 25mg

Creamless Creamy Squash Soup

Creamless Creamy Squash Soup

Ingredients: 1 celery rib, chopped
1 medium carrot, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
2 tablespoons oil
1 lb winter squash such as butternut, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 lb boiling potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 teaspoons salt
3 1/2 cups boiling water plus additional for thinning

Preparation:

Cook celery, carrot, and onion in 2 tablespoons oil in a 3-quart heavy saucepan over low heat, stirring occasionally, until tender but not browned (10 to 12 minutes). Add squash, potatoes, and salt. Stir in 3 1/2 cups boiling water and simmer, covered, until vegetables are very tender (about 20 minutes).

Once vegetables are tender, purée soup in batches in a blender, adding more water to thin to desired consistency.

You could make this raw if you put the veggies in warm warm water for several hours to soften.

Caribbean Pumpkin Soup

I made this soup today for lunch from the Green Shakes and Giggles blog.  I thought it was good especially if you're sick of just plain old black bean soup, but nothing sensational.  Just a good staple recipe...except that it could be that I made a few substitutions.  I didn't have chipotle chile (I used regular chili powder) or yellow pepper or coconut milk (I used almond milk-hardly interchangeable, I know).  It's probably sensational made the way it's supposed to be made, but It was definitely good enough to make again, substitutions and all.  I liked the lime flavor.

Avocado Tortilla Soup

This lovely recipe comes to you courtesy of my Vitamix cookbook. :) Not everyone in my family will vouch for it's deliciousness, but not everyone in my family likes cilantro. Paige, Parker and I enjoyed this, Brandon and Andrew ate it, but didn't love it.

Avocado Tortilla Soup
2 c broth
5 Roma tomatoes
1/3 bunch cilantro
1 garlic clove
1/2 t black pepper
1/2 avocado, peeled and pitted
1/2 lime, peeled
1/2 c canned black beans, drained
1/2 c corn

Now, if you're lucky enough to have a vitamix, you put everything but the beans and corn in the blender, and mix it until it steams through the lid, (about 5 minutes....how cool is that?! Dinner in 5 minutes!) Then you turn down the speed, toss in the beans and corn for 20 seconds, and serve with tortilla chips. I suppose without one, you would cook everything first then process it until smooth, toss it back in the pot and add the corn and beans. I doubled this recipe for our family, but still ended up with a bowl or two leftover. I also didn't have tons of fresh tomatoes, so the second batch was a can of diced tomatoes. Knowing that my family doesn't love cilantro, I maybe used 1/3 of a bunch total, and after tasting the first half of the batch, didn't add in more lime. Enjoy it how you like.

Cauliflower Soup

I got this "recipe" from my student who has been doing this Healthy eating switch with me and I thought it was fantastic and super easy.  Thanks, Ellie!

She cooked 1/2 onion, 2 celery stalks, 1 carrot, 1 head cauliflower and 8 cups veggie broth... Cook it in a pot and then blend it! She put some mrs. Dash in it too!  I added potatoes and it was great!  I also did a few green onions instead of half an onion.  I used an immersion blender so I didn't have to transfer it from the pot.

Lentil Soup

This is less of a recipe and more of a how-to.  I make a ton of this at a time, because it freezes well and then I don't have to make more for awhile.

You saute an onion, cut up carrots, cut up celery, and sliced mushrooms in a little bit of oil then add a tablespoon or two of flour (I did 2 heaping tablespoons of wheat flour), and then I added 5 cans of beef broth or veggie broth. Then I diced up as many potatoes as I wanted in and added it and 2 cups of lentils and let it boil/simmer until the lentils and potatoes are soft.  

The original recipe came from an Inn in Portland and you add a sliced up keilbasa type sausage in the saute stuff before.  I just made it without and I thought it was yummy.  It is good the first day, but as it sits in the fridge, it gets better and better, but you do have to add more liquid to keep it a soup.

I actually just made this this week in the slow cooker and it was super easy and I ended up with 4 meals worth out of it, because I packed that slow cooker as full as it could go!  To make it for slow cookers, just put the carrots and potatoes in first so they're touching the bottom and sides of the pot because they take the longest to cook.  Then put the rest of the veggies in on top.  Sprinkle the flour in, add the lentils, and then add enough liquid to cover the veggies plus an extra little bit (maybe up to an inch above the veggies).  I cooked it on high for 4-6 hours.  Just until the potatoes and carrots were totally done.  

I put the leftovers in bread pans and freeze them and then you can transfer the soup to food saver bags (or just regular freezer ziploc bags) once they are frozen solid.  Then just pull out a brick of soup later and heat up and you have instant dinners!

Black Bean Soup

This was originally from Kraftfoods.com.  I've been making it for years and it still is the very best bean soup, in my opinion.  Sorry I don't have a picture.  Ashlee, haven't you made this quite a bit too?  I remember I gave it to you forever ago and you made it a few times...

Black Bean Soup

1 Medium Onion chopped or grated
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper (optional)
2 Tbsp. oil
1 can (14.5 oz.) reduced sodium chicken broth (I've just been doing water instead and it doesn't seem to make a difference, but veggie broth would be great too)

3 cans (16 oz.) black beans, undrained
1 jar (16 oz.) salsa
2 Tbsp. lime juice
1/2 cup lowfat plain yogurt

cook onion, garlic, cumin and pepper flakes in oil in 4 qt. saucepan on medium heat 3 minutes or until onion is tender; remove from heat. Place 2 cans beans w/ liquid in batches with broth in blender; cover. Blend until pureed. Stir into saucepot. Stir in remaining beans, salsa and lime juice. Heat mixture to boil and reduce heat to low to simmer 30 minutes. Ladle soup into bowl with a dollop of yogurt.

White Corn Tortilla Soup

Had this for dinner last night... yummmmmmmm.

White Corn Tortilla Soup

3 tablespoons Olive Oil
1 1/2 7" corn tortillas, cut into 1" squares
1 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh garlic
2 tablespoons minced white onion (I used yellow, it was fine)
1 1/2 teaspoons minced jalepeno peppers
1 pound white corn kernels (1 lb=16 oz - I could only find it in cans)
1 1/2 pounds plum tomatoes, chopped
1/3 cup tomato paste
2 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon kosher salt (yes tablespoon- the tomatoes aren't canned and it needs more than normal recipes, although... I didn't do the FULL tablespoon)
1/8 teaspoon white pepper (I had white, but I'm sure black would do)
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 1/2 cups water
32 oz. veggie broth

Garnishes:

Tortilla Chips
Cilantro

In oil, fry tortilla squares over med-high heat until beginning to crisp. Add garlic, onion, and jalepenos. Continue to cook 1-2 more min. Remove from heat. Add 1/2 of the corn, and remaining ingredients except garnishes. Bring to boil. Boil 5 min stirring frequently. Either with a handheld blender, or using a blender in batches- blend until you have a course puree. Return to pot if necessary. Add remaining corn and bring back to a boil being VERY careful not to scorch. Remove from heat and serve with garnishes.

We had ours with sides of refried/salsa beans, and cooked kale. Kale didn't go great with it, but it was sure yummy anyway!

Tuscan White Bean and Garlic Soup

We had this for dinner tonight and it was a big hit! Andrew, who is notorious for going several nights in a row without dinner had two bowls full! I wasn't sure how having a soup without any chunky stuff in it would go....they usually don't like that, but I gave them some curly straws and they went to town. Now, to give fair warning, (and credit) this is a recipe from Giada of the Food Network; however it's not as rich as most of her stuff.

Tuscan White Bean and Garlic Soup

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 shallots, chopped (I used an onion)
  
• 1 sage leaf
• 2 (15-ounce) cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 4 cloves garlic, cut in 1/2
• 1/2 cup cream
• 1/2 t freshly ground black pepper

In your soup pot, heat the butter and olive oil, (not sure why she used both.....obviously this could be changed to "healthify" the recipe but I went with it). Add the shallots and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the sage leaf, (mine looked kind of small, so I used two for good measure) beans, garlic, and broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for at least 10 minutes. I turned mine down way low and simmered for over an hour; I had the time and wanted the beans to be nice and soft and the flavors to have plenty of time to cook in. Next, pour the soup into a blender or food processor in batches. Puree until smooth. Return to soup pot and add cream and pepper. Serve.

Now for those that don't like cream....okay, let's face it we all LIKE cream, but for those who are dieting better than me, you could totally leave it out if you wanted. The soup was creamy from the beans alone...it just added a little more flavor and depth. And let's face it, coming out of that first trimester morning sickness fog, my family is lucky to have dinner at all. Brandon's actual words tonight were, "No offense, but this was great. The first dinner in a while that hasn't tasted like cardboard." Yeah ladies....I was in a bad way. Nothing sounded good, therefore I made no effort. Glad we're past that.

By the way Ash, I took your advice and used real garlic instead of the stuff from the jar for the first time. I may have turned a new leaf! It was every bit as good as you said it would be. And for full disclosure, one of my cloves of garlic looked a bit small, so I used 5. Livin' on the edge!

One more thing: Emily, I made your banana cookies this week and they were awesome!! Everyone in my family loved them, and I loved them having a treat with no sugar! ;)

Tomato Soup

I finally found a tomato soup recipe that I like. I have tried... no joke.. 4 recipes before this... all of which were horrible. I think the difference is that in this one there is more than just tomato. If any of you have a recipe for tomato soup I would LOVE to try it. We liked this one a lot, but if you had a good one you use I would want to know about it!

Tomato Soup - Family Fun

1 Tablespoon Butter
1 Onion, Chopped
3 Stalks of Celery, Chopped
1 Carrot, Chopped
3 Cloves Garlic, Chopped
1 28oz Can Tomatoes with Juice
2 Tablespoons Tomato Paste
1 Teaspoon Oregano (I used more)
6 Cups Veggie Broth
2 Teaspoons Sugar
Salt and Pepper
Fresh or Dried Basil
1 Cup Milk (optional)

Melt butter in large pot. Saute onion, celery and carrots until soft. Add garlic and cook 1 more min. Add tomatoes, paste, oregano, broth and sugar. Bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer 30 min uncovered stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Blend in batches in blender or food processor. Return to pot. Season with Salt, Pepper and Basil. Stir in milk if using.

We used the milk and liked how creamy it was even with just skim.

Sorry to post 2 days in a row! I just made this last night and wanted to share. Katie... Whitney... it's your turn for a recipe I believe!

--Ashlee

Sick of Soup?

I'm totally not.

I know I have posted nothing but soup, soup and more soup but it's just so dang good! Soup and dangerously hot showers are pretty much the only thing I miss about winter when it's gone.

I liked this one for lots of reasons:

A- Totally new flavors. The boys totally loved the okra (as did I). And I had never tried anything with Creole seasoning before... but BEWARE: Creole Seasoning is no joke! Whew! Plus there was pepper and paprika to boot! I had to put sour cream in the boys so they could eat it, and my boys have Burton tastes- they can handle hot.

B- SO easy. Frozen, pre-chopped veggies? Awesome. And they actually tasted good! Click THIS which is where I stole the recipe. You can read all about why frozen veggies aren't so bad nutritionally- in fact they may even be better.

C- I have always hated lima beans and yet I liked them in this. Totally didn't see that one coming.

Southern Succotash Stew

1 medium onion, chopped
2 teaspoons garlic, minced
12 ounces baby lima beans, fresh or frozen
12 ounces frozen soup vegetables (mixture of carrots, corn, peas, green beans, etc.)
6 ounces okra, sliced, fresh or frozen (I got mine frozen)
6 ounces green beans, fresh or frozen, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 14-ounce can crushed tomatoes
1 large turnip, peeled and diced (may substitute potato)
1 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon hot smoked paprika
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon Creole seasoning (or more to taste)
7-9 cups hot water or vegetable broth

In a large soup pot, sauté onion until soft. Add remaining ingredients along with 7 cups of the water or broth. Cook until turnips and other vegetables are tender, about 1 hour, adding more liquid as needed. Check seasoning, adding more Creole seasoning and salt to taste.

Serving Suggestion: Stir in a squeeze of fresh lemon juice to each bowl just before serving.

Ashlee Notes: I get the feeling this is a recipe with a lot of wiggle room. I didn't have thyme or extra green beans in addition to the bag of mixed veggies, and I used tomato sauce instead of crushed tomatoes. Worked out great! To cut down on costs I used one box veggie broth and the rest water. I didn't find that I needed to add more liquid. It needed to cook down quite a bit I thought... of course I didn't have those extra grean beans. And like I said earlier sour cream can take this down a notch. I didn't use the lime juice but I bet that wouldn't be bad. We ate this with my biscuit recipe below. It was yummo!

Pasta Fagiole

This looks incredibly similar to the Savory Bean and Spinach Soup that I already posted but we think it has it's own unique taste and place in the world. This is a recipe that I made as an adaptation of others that I have seen. Strictly speaking authentic Italian Pasta Fagiole does not have chopped spinach in it, but I think the flavor works so well with it that I couldn't resist tossing some in. This is the soup I run to when I have been eating crappy and just want to eat something that will make me feel good again. This would make an excellent home-from-a-long car-trip meal.


Pasta Fagiole

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 cup onion, chopped finely

2-3 cloves minced garlic

1 seeded and minced jalepeno (if in a pinch you can substitute 1 can diced green chilies but it's doesn't pack quite the same punch)

2 cans stewed tomatoes

1 can great northern (white) beans, drained and rinsed

3 1/2 cups vegetable stock

4-6 oz whole wheat macaroni, uncooked

A few handfuls of fresh spinach, chopped

kosher salt

ground black pepper

chopped fresh or dried parsley

shredded parmesan cheese (optional)

Saute onions in oil over med heat 3-4 min. Add garlic and jalepeno and cook 4-5 min. Stir in tomato, beans and broth. Break up tomatoes with your spoon while cooking to be more 'bite size'. Bring to boil. Add pasta, reduce heat and simmer, covered stirring periodically. When pasta is nearly through cooking add spinach and spices and cook until wilted and pasta is cooked. Serve immediately with parmesan if using.