Roasted Butternut Squash and Apple Soup

This soup is really worth blogging about. I tried to find a similar recipe but ended up having to create my own to get the flavoring just right. I hope you will enjoy it as well.

I love this time of year and the warmth a good soup brings. This is one of my favorites with the combination of both apple and butternut squash. The roasting process adds a lovely caramelized richness and the aroma in the kitchen is out of this world. The secret ingredient is curry. It adds a robust flavoring that even this non curry fan can't deny. It's so subtle you won't detect it but without out it, it's just not as good. The garnish of toasted pepitas (pumpkin seeds) and fresh pomegranate seeds is both festive and flavorful. You'll savor them in each bite!

I have made this vegan because that's how I prefer to eat and the flavor does not disappoint but you may substitute as you wish.

To make this simpler and quicker I used freshly prepped ingredients from Trader Joe's. For those without a local Trader Joe's, my apologies but many grocery stores are catching on to the convenience of prepped ingredients and of course freshly prepped at home is always best.

Butternut Squash prepped and cubed- got to love it!

Onions, carrots and celery- diced! No more tears.

Fresh apple juice and organic vegetable broth and diced apple

Roasted Butternut Squash and Apple Soup

Makes about 8-10 cups  Print Friendly

Ingredients:

4 12 oz bags Trader Joe's peeled and cubed Butternut Squash or about 3 lbs *

1 apple cored and diced, Gala or your choice

2 cloves Garlic, peeled and minced

1/2 cup Carrots, peeled and diced

1/2 cup Celery, diced

1/2 cup Onion, diced

2 -3 cups Vegetable Broth, organic preferred

1/2 cup Apple Juice, I used fresh flash pasteurized from TJ's

1/2 cup unsweetened Almond Milk, optional

1/2 tsp Ground Coriander

1/2 tsp CurryPowder

1 Cinnamon stick

2 Tbsp Coconut Oil, optional

Salt

Pepper

Cinnamon

Pepitas

Pomegranate seeds

Instructions:

Preheat Oven to 450 degrees

Line baking sheet with parchment paper and lightly oil if you like to prevent sticking

Place squash cubes in single layer on baking sheet

Sprinkle with salt (optional), pepper and cinnamon

Roast 30-45 minutes, turning after 15 minutes, until tender and caramelized to taste

Remove and let cool

In a large pot, melt coconut oil or use a splash of broth

Cook garlic until lightly cooked but not brown

Add Mirepoix mix of onions, carrots, celery, coriander, curry powder and cinnamon stick  Cook until onions are translucent, about 8 minutes

Add in roasted squash cubes, apple, apple juice, and enough broth to cover ingredients starting with 2 cups.

Bring to a boil then cover then reduce heat and let simmer until all ingredients are cooked through and flavors meld, about 10 minutes. Remove cinnamon stick.

Use a hand held Immersion blender or place the soup in batches in a blender or food processor to puree. Make sure to remove top cap on blender top and cover with a towel to let the steam escape while blending and only fill container half full. You don't want to scotch yourself! Add in Almond milk for more creaminess if desired. Rinse pan and return blended soup to pot to keep warm while serving. Season with salted pepper to taste. If you would like a thinner soup add in more broth and stir until you reach your desired consistency. 

Toast Pepitas in a dry skillet over medium heat until oils are released and the seeds are slightly crispy. Bowl up the soup and scatter the pepitas and pomegranate seeds on top.

Serve with your favorite bread or salad or both and enjoy!

 
Try it out and let me know what you think.

Until next time,

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Zesty Watermelon Gazpacho

Looking for something cool and refreshing to start your meal or actually be a light meal this summer?
Well then, this is it!

Chilled Watermelon Gazpacho

A light chilled soup with a little zestiness to it. Blending super hydrating watermelon and cucumbers, with a little lime, cilantro and a subtle hint of jalapeno and onion and you have this wonderful soup.

It takes only a few mints to whip up, but like most things, benefits from time to marinate and chill.  It's even better the next day, if you can wait that long.

Watermelon Gazpacho

Adapted from a recipe of Tyler Florence found here.

Serves approximately 4 as a small appetizer or 2 as a main soup. Highly recommend doubling!

Ingredients:

2 cups fresh watermelon, cubed and chilled if serving right away.

1/2 cucumber, peeled and seeded

1 large tomato

1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeded

2 tablespoons red onion, diced

1/2 lime, juiced

2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped

salt and pepper to taste, optional

Directions:

Blend tomato, chili pepper and 1/2 the watermelon in a blender into a puree. Add the lime juice and pulse again. Add onion, the cucumber and cilantro until week blended and smooth. Salt and pepper to taste and blend again.

Chill for approximately 15 minutes minimum, if possible.

When ready to serve, pour into glasses or bowls (chilled would be a good idea) then top with remaining cubed watermelon and additional chopped cilantro, onion and even a wedge of lime.

Enjoy!

Sharing for Gluten-Free Cats' Raw Thursday as well as Healthy Vegan Fridays. Have you checked these sites out? There are some great recipes being shared both places weekly!

Until next time!

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Springtime Minestrone Soup

For many here in the states the beginning of June is still the end of Spring, just inching it's way into Summer. But around here where we are already steadily over 100 degrees, it's already feeling like Summer. But so as not to rush into things, I decided to post this Springtime Vegetable Minestrone using some of the spring tender asparagus, tomatoes, peas, watercress and kale.

This is another easy recipe, as it uses the crockpot to slowly simmer the flavors all day long. People often think of the crockpot only in cold weather months but forget that it can come in just as handy for those busy warm weather days when you just don't want to be in the kitchen much.

Speaking of warm weather, I have to apologize for being a little light on the posts these last couple of weeks. It's this time of year when we first get into the hot temperatures that I always forget how it effects my health. It causes me a flare up that I knocks out my energy and makes me feel quite sick and every year I am always surprised. I guess I always think it's behind me when I improve in cooler weather. But sadly, not yet.

It's been hard for me to prepare and photograph the meals as I would like. Perhaps I may snap some more informal shots as I do for Instagram from time to time for the simple things. I'll experiment and see what you all think.

So for now, until I get my feet back under me, I will be leaning more toward easy and simple meals for a while. Lots of smoothies, salads, fruit, which is prefect for the summer months anyway but soup is still a perfect fit for highly nutritious no brainer meals.

So Super Soup Sunday is still on!

Springtime Minestrone Soup with Raw-mesean 

This recipe is adapted from Dr. Joel Fuhrman's website and member newsletter. I used the crockpot as suggested but this could easily be cooked on the stove in a soup pot for a shorter period of time.

Here is a combination of broth, water and carrot juice for the base. Kale, watercress and green peas up the nutritional quotient, while barley and cannellini beans make it a heartier more filling soup.

Tender asparagus, fresh tomatoes, carrots and onions round out the vegetables. The recipe called for thyme and oregano but I substituted an organic Herbs de Provence mix for a little more flavor with the garlic.

Raw-mesean is a nut based cheese substitute for parmesan cheese. Try it! I think you'll like it!

Ingredients:

1 small bunch of kale, tough stems removed and chopped

3 cups diced fresh tomatoes

1 15 oz can of low salt cannellini beans, rinsed well and drained (1 1/2 cup)

3 carrots, peeled if not organic and sliced

1 onion, diced

1/2 cup hulless barley (dry)

3 cups low sodium vegetable broth

2 cups of water

1 cup carrot juice

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 teaspoon oregano, dried

1/2 teaspoon thyme, dried

1/4 teaspoon pepper

12 thin asparagus stocks

1 cup frozen organic peas

3 cups fresh watercress

Place everything except the peas, asparagus and watercress in the crock pot.

Cook covered on low for 6 hours.

Add the asparagus and peas and cook another 20 minutes or until asparagus is tender.

Add watercress until wilted.

Ladle soup up into bowls and dust the top with the raw-mesean or pass on the side in a bowl.

For the Raw-mesean:

1/2 cup almonds, (walnuts or even pine nuts work well too)

1/2 cup Nutritional Yeast- for that cheesy flavor

Pulse in a food processor until crumbly and resembling parmesan cheese in consistency.

Quick & Easy Black Bean Soup

Don't have a lot of time but would love to have some throw together meals in the fridge for the upcoming week? You'll love this one.

It's easy to keep ingredients on hand to throw this together at a moment's notice, and fast to prepare with little to no chopping, because sometimes, you just need a break. Am I right?

Today, Mother's Day was just one of those days. Hope you all had a wonderful Mother's Day!

This recipe is adapted from The Fast Black Bean Soup recipe in Dr. Fuhrman's book, Eat for Health. Can you tell I love this book? It's also on his website: Dr.Furhman.com

Here we are using some frozen veggies, black beans and even a low salt black bean soup for the base. Carrot juice and tomatoes round out the collection of flavors. If you are worried about the frozen veggies, know that while fresh is always best, little nutrients are lost in the freezing process and in some cases it might be easier to find organic produce this way.

Plus this is for those times when you need something ready to go with little fuss and the taste is worth it. This makes about 5 healthy servings.

Ingredients:

2 15-ounce cans of black beans, no or low salt, and strained and well rinsed (to remove salt)

2 cups frozen mixed vegetables

2 cups frozen corn

2 cups frozen broccoli florets

2 cups carrot juice

1 15-ounce can prepared black bean soup, low to no salt.

1 cup water

1 cup fresh tomato, chopped

1/4 cup cilantro

1/8 teaspoon chili powder

Optional toppings:

1 avocado, chopped or mashed

1/2 cup green onions, chopped

1/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds

Note: you will probably have some left over veggies so just defrost them and add them to your salads, a wrap or a pita for a little more variety.

Quick and Easy Black Bean Soup

Directions:

Combine beans, all the frozen vegetables, carrot juice, water, soup, cilantro and chili powder in a soup pot. Bring to boil and then reduce to simmer on low for 30 minutes.

Stir in chopped fresh tomato and heat through for a few minutes.

Serve topped with avocado, green onions and pumpkin seeds if using.

This soup pairs very well with a fresh green salad. A simple, and healthy lunch or dinner ready to go.

So there you have it. Fast, easy and healthy to boot.

Enjoy!

Until next time… 

Hearty Ginger Lentil Soup

Welcome to another edition of Super Soup Sunday!

I can't believe it's been a full week already but here we are. And what a week it was. I spent it helping an elderly neighbor who had a bad fall and ended up in the hospital. If you ever want a reminder of why it is so important to take care of our health now, at whatever age you are at, spend some time with a senior or for more of a reminder, spend time in a hospital where seniors are the majority. It is not a pretty sight. My friend is home now, and family has arrived from out of town to take over the care. But it has reinforced my resolve to not be dependent on our healthcare system and eat my veggies!

But enough about that. Let's talk food!

This recipe is another from Dr. Fuhrman's book, Eat For Health,

the same book I mentioned in the last post. It is also posted in his newsletters and on his member website at www.DrFurhman.com, which if I am loving! 

As a member on his site, I have access to a community that have been following this program and some for years and they have so much to share. There are some truly amazing success stories there. The other thing I really am enjoying is the direct access to Dr. Fuhrman for any questions I may have. His staff, including other MDs are readily available for input as well. Between them and all the previous discussions, webinars, podcasts, and newsletters just about every possible issue is covered in full. There are over 1000 recipes in there as well. It's a true wealth of information and well worth the monthly fee. If you are serious about regaining your health, and wanting to transition to a nutrient based way of eating, I would highly recommend it.

Now on to this delicious soup.

This Hearty Ginger Soup has already become a favorite in our house. 

It's very nutrient dense, flavorful, and as the name implies- hearty! I think it took me half an hour the other day to finish my bowl for lunch! Ginger plays a major roll, along with lentils, brown rice, sweet potatoes and a hefty amount of swiss chard, to name a few of the key flavors. Instead of vegetable broth, carrot juice is the liquid base, which just ups the nutrients as well as the flavor. I chose to purchase the juice to save some time but if you are game, juice the carrots yourself. 

Also it calls for Dr. Fuhrman's Veggie Zest, which is a no salt dried vegetable seasoning. You can use a substitute like Bragg's or Mrs. Dash but do not use the same amounts listed in the recipe. I tried this with Mrs. Dash on another soup and it was so full of pepper it was basically inedible. So I decided to break down and buy Dr. Fuhrman's Vegizest to get it right for future recipes, including this one.

This recipe requires some time for chopping so be prepared time wise. It's definitely worth it as I believe we got 12 big servings out of this recipe and it freezes well.

Ingredients:

8 cups carrot juice

4 cups of water

1 cup dried lentils ( do not soak)

1/2 cup uncooked brown rice

2 zucchinis, finely chopped

2 carrots, finely chopped

1 red bell pepper, finely chopped

1 onion, finely diced.

2 sweet potatoes, peeled and diced

2 bunches swiss chard leaves and stems, chopped

6 cloves garlic, peeled, minced and pressed 

3 tablespoons grated fresh ginger root
3 tablespoons Dr. Fuhrman's Vegi-zest or equivalent to taste. (thanks to reader Angie for catching this.)

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/8 teaspoon allspice

1/2 cup fresh parsely chopped, for garnish

Place all but the sweet potatoes, swiss chard and parsley in soup pot. Bring to a boil then cover and simmer about 40 minutes.

Add potatoes and simmer another 15 minutes.

Add chard and simmer for 10 more minutes.

Serve topped with  chopped parsley.

Carrots and zucchini (I just realized I peeled the zucchini for some reason- not necessary.)

Grated ginger and garlic and cubed sweet potatoes

The recipe calls for Swiss chard but I'm a sucker for the vibrant colors of Rainbow chard. One of these days I'll have to make myself buy Swiss chard.

Final soup close up. Hope you give it a try. It's really worth it. 

Let me know if you try the carrots as a soup base and if you do the juicing yourself. 

Until next time,

 Eat Your Veggies!

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Super Soup Sunday Kickoff- Marrakesh Express Red Lentil Soup

Happy Super Soup Sunday!

Around here we have begun a little habit of making a big pot of soup on Sundays that we keep both in the fridge and freezer to make for easy lunch or dinner additions for the upcoming week. It really has taken the pressure off figuring out something for meals when in a time crunch.

We have started calling it Super Soup Sundays.

Now there are some that think soup is only for the cold of winter, but just like ice cream can be enjoyed any time of year, so can soup. It's an easy way to get your veggies and fiber in (and if you make it right, lots of them) without having to chew. That's what your salads are for right? Plus who wouldn't like to know that dinner and some lunches aren't already made ahead of time ready to grab and go?

Our first Super Soup Sunday recipe is adapted from 

Dr. Caldwell B. Esselstyn Jr.'s book, 

Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease. 

This is a great book covering the 20 year study he did effectively stopping the progression of and in some cases reversing heart disease in critically ill patients with a low fat plant based vegan diet. Bill Clinton was so impressed (and in terrible shape), he adopted the lifestyle as well. 

This book also has a great collection of recipes gathered and tried by his wife and patients. This is one of those recipes.

Marrakesh Express Red Lentil Soup

This is so easy and full of healthy goodies, plus the smell is amazing!

Ingredients:

6 cups of low sodium vegetable broth or homemade

4 celery ribs, or 1 cup chopped

4 plum tomatoes, chopped

1 onion, chopped

1 cup red lentils, uncooked

1 15 ounce can of chickpeas (garbonzo beans)

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

water or broth (for stir frying the onion and celery)

1 bay leaf

1-2 tablespoons of fresh ginger, chopped

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon of turmeric

bunch of cilantro (for garnishing bowls)

First in the soup pot, stir fry the onion and celery in a little water or broth until soft.

Add the bay leaf, ginger, cinnamon, turmeric, veggie broth, tomatoes, lentils and chickpeas to the pot.

Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer covered for 45 mins.

To serve, add a slice of lemon for that flavor enhancing substitution of salt and top with chopped cilantro to taste. (Can you tell we picked up parsley by mistake?) A side salad is what we pair it with but if you are still eating bread and/or gluten, a nice crunchy loaf would go perfectly.

By now your house smells delicious too! My dog was going crazy the whole time this was cooking.

Marrakesh Express Red Lentil Soup

Let me know if you start your own Super Soup Sunday. Come back and look for a regular soup post here every Sunday.

Until then,
Enjoy!

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