recipe: VEGAN VEGETABLE SOUP PUREE

Soups can be misleading.  Most look and taste "healthy" but many soup purees are made with heavy cream and chicken stock (which can be very high in sodium!).  So how do you lock in flavor that chicken stock adds and the texture that cream adds without all the extra empty calories and sodium?  Easy!  Follow this simple recipe for a rich, creamy and filling vegan veggie soup...

INGREDIENTS:

• 10 roma tomatoes
• 2 zucchinis
• 2 yellow squash
• 2 white squash
• 2 red skin potatoes
• 1 yellow onion
• 3 garlic cloves
• 10 large basil leaves
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 teaspoons coarse salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

INSTRUCTIONS:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Chop tomato, zucchini, squash, and potato and place into a large oven safe baking dish (I like to leave the skin on everything but you can take it off if you prefer). 

Peel and chop onion and garlic and add to dish.  Chop or tear basil leaves and add to dish.  Add olive oil, salt and pepper.  Mix a little with a spoon just to distribute the olive oil evenly.

Cover dish tightly with foil and place dish in the oven for 1 hour.

Remove from oven, remove the foil and let cook for 10 to 15 minutes.  Then blend until smooth.

Place puree in a pot, reheat, stir and taste.  At this time you can always add a little more salt, pepper or olive oil to your liking!

Makes 6 to 8 servings (depending if you are serving a "cup" or "bowl" size).

OPTIONAL "CROUTONS":

In order to make the "croutons" you see in the picture all I do is toast a piece of sprouted grain bread and cut into squares.  I throw in a few at a time as I'm eating the soup.  They are delicious just like that and they add a little extra texture!

NOTES:

• The potatoes make the soup creamy.  They are a lower calorie and vegan substitute to using cream.  Red Potatoes are high in Vitamin C, Potassium, and Niacin among other things. 
• Baking all the ingredients covered in foil helps to significantly lock in the flavor therefore eliminating the need for chicken stock.  So if you want to make a vegan soup this is a great way to keep flavor and still be able to serve your vegan friends. 
• Also, chicken stock (even low sodium chicken stock) can be very high in sodium.  Many recipes will call for chicken stock in addition to salt.  Personally, I just think that's way too much sodium and not necessary for flavor!

GTBB,
Bad Joan