5 Quick and Healthy Soups

I am in a serious #SoupPhase. I love making soup because there is room to "off road" from the recipe and still end up with something delicious. I mean, recipes are just guidelines anyway. Unless you're baking. Then you should probably stick to the script and trust science. (Which is probably why I never bake...) The following 5 soups are my favorite go-to's because they are easy to whip up, packed with flavor, and rich in nutrients. When making these soups, feel free to trust your flavor instincts and make magic. 

Lazy Tomato Soup

Makes 2-4 Servings

Ingredients:

·      1 pint bone or mineral broth

·      1 pint coconut milk*

·      4 oz tomato paste

·      Fresh herbs for garnish 

Directions:

1.    Heat broth and coconut milk over medium heat. Whisk in tomato paste until incorporated. Salt and pepper to taste. Slurp up!

2.    If you want to get fancy, adding basil, fried sage, rosemary, and/or thyme for more flavor and antioxidants. I garnished with basil, hemp hearts and a drizzle of olive oil this time - was not disspaointed. 

*Can subsitute for organic, grass-fed whole milk. Other non-dairy milks will give a different flavor, but if using look for sugar free brands without additives – or use homemade.

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Miso Mineral Immune Soup

Makes 4 -6 servings

Ingredients:

•      1 quart bone or vegetable broth

•      Vegetables: celery tops, onion, carrot, etc.

•      ½ tbsp coconut oil

•      1 cup shitake mushrooms

•      8 oz firm tofu, cubed

•      1 sheet nori seaweed, cut into pieces

•      1 cup chopped chard

•      4 thinly slices garlic cloves

•      1 in shredded ginger

•      ¼ cup miso paste

•      Chopped green onion

•      Sesame seeds

Directions:

1.     In a soup pan heat coconut oil on medium heat. Add shiitakes*, tofu, and cook until lightly brown – about 5 – 7 minutes. Add broth, nori, chard, garlic and ginger to pot. Simmer on low for minimum 5 minutes.

2.     Remove 1 cup of soup into separate bowl and whisk in ¼ cup miso paste until the miso is dissolved entirely. Return to soup pot and stir. Serve immediately with green onion and sesame as garnish.

* You can substitute dry mushrooms if need be, but opt for fresh shiitakes when possible. They are wonderful immune boosters and add rich, umami flavor. 

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Cream-less Creamy Chicken Soup

Makes 4 – 6 servings

Photo by Jennifer Schmidt on Unsplash

Ingredients:

·      2 quarts bone broth, 1 cup reserved

·      1 small head (2 cups) cauliflower, chopped

·      1 tbsp olive oil or ghee

·      1 lb cooked chicken, shredded

·      3-4 large carrots, chopped

·      3-4 celery stalks, chopped

·      1 onion, chopped

·      4 cloves garlic, minced

·      ½ cup parlsey, finely chopped

·      1-2 sprigs rosemary – stem removed

Directions:

1.    In large soup pot steam steam cauliflower with 1 cup bone broth. When soft, transfer cauliflower and broth to blender to blend until smooth (or use imersion belnder). Add more bone broth if needed.

2.    Back in soup pot, add olive oil and saute garlic and onion for 5 minutes, then add remaining vegetables. After 5 minutes, add remaining bone broth, chicken, and cauliflower puree with herbs. Salt and pepper to taste.

3.    Simmer on low heat for 20 minutes minimum to incorporate flavors.

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Gold Pumpkin Soup

Makes about 3-4 servings

Photo by Aaron Burden

Ingredients:

·     2 sugar pumpkins (~2 1/4 cups puree)

·     2 shallots, diced

·     4 cloves garlic, minced

·     2 cups broth

·     1 cup coconut milk

·     1/4 tsp each sea salt, black pepper, nutmeg

·     ½ tsp turmeric

Directions:

1.     Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (176 C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2.     Using a sharp knife, cut off the tops off pumpkins and halve them. Use a sharp spoon to scrape out all of the seeds and strings. Reserve seeds for roasting – can cook at same time on separate sheet with coconut oil, salt, and pepper.

3.     Brush the flesh with olive oil and place face down on the baking sheet. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until a fork easily pierces the skin. Remove from the oven, let cool for 10 minutes, then peel away skin and set pumpkin aside.

4.     To a large saucepan over low/medium heat add 1 tbsp olive oil, shallot and garlic. Cook for 2-3 minutes, or until slightly browned and translucent. Add remaining ingredients, including the pumpkin, and bring to a simmer.

5.     Transfer soup mixture to a blender or use an emulsion blender to puree the soup. Pour mixture back into pot. Continue cooking over medium-low heat for 5-10 minutes and taste to adjust seasonings as needed. Serve with roasted pumpkin seeds.

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Tahini Veggie Kick Soup

Makes about 2-3 servings

Ingredients:

·    1 red pepper, chopped 

·    1 jalapeño, chopped

·    1 onion, chopped

·    4 cloves garlic, minced

·    1 head broccoli, chopped with stems

·     1 cup kale  

·     1 tbsp sesame oil  

·     2 cups broth 

·     1/2 cup tahini 

·     1 1/2 inch ginger, peeled grated 

·     Lime wedge, cilantro, sesame seeds, and green onion for garnish 

Directions:

1.     In soup pot sauté vegetables (first 6 ingredients) on low heat until soft, about 5 - 10 minutes. Add broth and simmer for another 5 minutes or so. 

2.     Transfer consents to blender, or use immersion blender, and puree with ginger and tahini. Add salt and pepper to taste. Feel free to add more raw jalapeño for an extra KICK. Return to soup pot and heat for another 10 minutes for flavor to incorporate. 

3.     Serve with lime wedges, cilantro, sesame seeds, and lots of chopped green onion. Enjoy!