carrot and lentil soup

'Tis the season for soups and stews!

Serves 2-3

3 large carrots
2 T olive oil
About 1/2 t each corriander, tumeric (if tolerated), cumin (if tolerated) and ceylon cinnamon (if tolerated)
4 cups veggie broth (ic friendly)
1/3 cup red lentils
1/4 cup cooking onion (roughly- if tolerated)
2 cloves garlic
1 grated apple (ic friendly)
1 small head of broccoli

Heat up olive oil on low heat in the bottom of a pot. Chop and add onion (if using), saute a few minutes until translucent. Add garlic and saute about 1 minute.

Add spices, chopped carrots and broccoli, grated apple and 2 cups veggie broth. Bring to a boil and then lower heat. Simmer about 5 minutes.

Puree the contents of the pot in a blender, and then set aside.

Bring the rest of the veggie broth to a boil. Rinse and add lentils. Simmer about 15 minutes or until lentils are cooked, stirring occasionally.

Add the pureed mix back into the pot and simmer a few minutes longer. Serve and enjoy!

Note: I've taken a little break from this blog due to various life changes, but will be posting recipes again from time to time if you want to check back :)... 

kale and quinoa soup

Once you have a good broth, you only need a few ingredients to make a delicious soup.  Sometimes the best soups are just made with whatever you have on hand at the time.  Here's one of those I made that turned out well.       Serves 5-6

Ingredients

1/2 tin great northern beans, drained and rinsed (or equal amt cooked beans)
2- 3 cups kale
3-4 small carrots, chopped small
1 leek  (if tolerated - maybe add something else with a strong flavor if not using)
about 1 1/4 cups cooked quinoa
fresh thyme and sage
6 cups veggie broth
2 cloves garlic, smashed and chopped
2 bay leaves


If using leek, chop just the white/light green part and saute in olive oil in a frying pan or cast iron skillet for a few minutes, until softened. Add carrots and saute a couple more minutes.

Add garlic and herbs, saute another minute or so.

Bring 6 cups veggie broth plus bay leaves to a boil in a large pot then reduce heat to simmer.  Add the contents of the frying pan to the pot.

In the meantime wash, de-stem, and roughly chop kale. Add kale and beans to the pot. Simmer for about 10 minutes. Add quinoa towards the end.

You can serve it right away, or turn off the heat and let it sit for a little while so that the flavors can mingle.

vegetable soup broth

     Many of my recipes call for vegetable soup broth, so I thought it would be good to include a method for making your own broth.  Not all of us live near a health food store or can find soup broth without problem ingredients.  If you have the time, making your own soup stock is a good option.

    With our dietary restrictions, this skill can be quite useful as there will be no preservatives and you can include only ingredients which you know to be bladder friendly for you. I've found it's easy to do once you get the hang of it. It's fun to experiment with and it has a richer flavor (and less salt) than store bought.
 
    The following is just a basic method rather than a specific recipe. The ingredients will depend on what you have on hand and what's available where you live. If you haven't made your own stock before, there is a lot of information on the internet or in cookbooks that you can browse for more tips before you start.

                                                               

You can use any combination of vegetables, fresh herbs, and clean, edible vegetable scraps (broccoli stems or carrot tops, for instance) that you desire.

For a classic base, saute carrots, celery, and onions together for a few minutes. If you avoid onions you can just use carrots and celery, plus garlic (whole cloves) if you wish. Transfer to a large pot and add the rest of your ingredients.

Add enough water to just cover the vegetables. Add salt (to taste - I usually use 1-2 teaspoons).

Bring to a boil and then simmer. Length of time is up to you - I usually simmer for about 45 minutes.

Remove from heat and allow it to cool for a little while with the vegetables in the pot. Then strain all the vegetables out by pouring it through a strainer or colander into another pot or a large bowl. Discard vegetables in the compost.

The liquid broth is now ready for use in soups and sauces. It will keep for a few days in the fridge or longer in the freezer.

Good in stock (examples):  sweet potato, rutabaga, parsley (including stems), lovage, bay leaf, zucchini, turnip, fresh thyme including stems (in a loose leaf tea bag), celery (including heart and leaves), carrots (including clean peels or leaves).

   

veggie borscht

A healthy and comforting wintery soup.  Typically a sour soup, this variation has no vinegar but the beet-dill combination gives it a nice flavor.  This soup is easy to make, but requires a lot of chopping so you might want to listen to the radio or something as you chop away.        Serves 7


Ingredients

8 cups vegetable broth
half of a green cabbage
4 beets, peeled
2-3 carrots
about 3 cups fresh dill

Chop cabbage and julienne beets into small matchstick sized pieces, about 2 inches x 1/4 inch.  Bring broth to a boil and reduce heat.  Add the cabbage and beets and let them simmer while you chop the carrots.  Julienne carrots in matchstick sized pieces and add to the pot.  Simmer about 15 more minutes.

Meanwhile, wash and chop the dill and add to the pot.  Simmer another couple of minutes.  Taste test to see if everything is cooked and serve.  I like to put a few individual portions in the freezer for later as well.

potato cauliflower soup

Even better heated up the second day.  This is really good with new potatoes if they are in season/available. Serves 6-7

Ingredients

6-7 cups veggie broth
7-8 medium size potatoes
1 whole cauliflower
1 cob of sweet corn
2 leeks (optional - if tolerated)
2-3 garlic cloves
1T Olive oil
fresh thyme, fresh ground pepper, chopped fresh parsley (to taste)

Wash and scrub potatoes, cut into cubes.  You can leave the skins on if they are organic.

Bring the broth to a boil and add the potatoes.  Reduce heat and simmer.

If using leeks, slice just the white/light green part.  Saute in olive oil on a low heat  and let them soften, stirring occasionally (this takes a little while).

In the meantime, wash and cut up the cauliflower and add it to the pot.  Husk the corn and do your best to remove all the cornsilk.  Slice vertically into the pot.

When leeks are tender, add garlic to the pan and cook a minute or so, stirring frequently.  Add the thyme and simmer for another minute.  Add the contents of the frying pan to the pot.  Mash some of the potatoes and cauliflower against the side of the pot with a wooden spoon to thicken the broth.

Let simmer a few minutes more.  Add parsley and fresh ground pepper.  Serve!

butternut squash bisque

A deliciously creamy, rich and sweet soup.  Great with fresh baked bread or salad.        Serves 4-5

Ingredients

Half of a medium size butternut squash
1 small sweet potatoe, or half of a large one
1/3 cup yellow onion (optional - if tolerated)
1T Olive oil
2 Cloves garlic
3-4 cups veggie broth
1 tin coconut milk
1 t pure maple syrup
Cinnamon, nutmeg, tumeric (to taste and if tolerated)
fresh thyme, chopped fresh parsley, fresh ground pepper (to taste)

Boil the squash in a pot of water for a few minutes to make it easier to peel.  Carefully remove it from the pot and dump the water.

Meanwhile, wash and chop the sweet potatoe into cubes, dice the onion (if using), smash and chop the garlic.

If using onions, heat up some olive oil in a frying pan or cast iron skillet on a very low heat and add the onions.  Let them cook slowly and stir with a flipper occasionally.

When the squash is cool enough to handle, carefully peel, cut in half, and de-seed the squash.  Cut it into cubes.  You can put the other half of the chopped squash in the freezer for later use.

Put the sweet potatoes and squash into the pot and add enough veggie broth to just cover them, about 3 or 4 cups.  If you are using boullion cubes, use a bit more of the boullion than you normally would.  For example, if the box calls for 2 cups water per cube, then use two cubes for three cups of water (or two and a half cubes for four cups of water. You get the idea.)  Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes.

When onions are translucent, add the garlic and thyme to the pan and saute for another minute or so, then empty the contents of the frying pan into the pot.  Simmer a few minutes more.

Puree the soup in a blender or food processor. You can do it in batches if it doesn't all fit into your blender.  Open the lid periodically to release the steam.  Then pour the soup back into the pot.

Add coconut milk, spices, and maple syrup.  Simmer for a couple more minutes.  Have a taste to test the seasonings and see if it needs more of anything.  Add some chopped fresh parsley, if desired.
Serve :) .