recipe: MUSHROOM POTATO SOUP WITH A HINT OF SAGE

Want a creamy mushroom soup without the cream? Well look no further! By adding potatoes to the soup you can make it thick, creamy, and filling without having to add heavy cream. It's a healthier alternative to a traditional creamy mushroom soup.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 lb mushrooms (whatever kind you prefer, white button mushrooms seen above)
• 3 medium white potatoes
• 1 large sweet onion
• 4 cloves of garlic
• 1/3 cup of extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon fresh sage, finely chopped
• 4 cups of water
• salt and pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Chop mushrooms, potatoes, onion, garlic, sage and place everything in a large oven safe dish.  Add olive oil, salt and pepper (I usually use about 1 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper).  Mix everything together, cover with foil, and cook for 1 hour.

Remove from the oven, let cool for about 10 minutes.  Blend, use the water to help make the mixture smoother and thinner (it will still be plenty thick and creamy!).

Place in a pot and let it simmer for about 20 minutes.  Taste, add more salt and/or pepper if it needs.

Makes 4 - 6 servings.

Enjoy!

GTBB,
Bad Joan

recipe: HEARTY VEGETABLE SOUP

Around this time of year it's always nice to have a hearty bowl of soup to warm your bones!  There is something so comforting about it and when the soup is hearty it can be very satiating.  This is a super simple recipe, made with basic and fresh ingredients, that will definitely hit the spot...

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 large sweet onion, chopped into large pieces (1/2 to 1 inch)
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 7 roma tomatoes, chopped
• 1 large zucchini, chopped
• 1 large yellow squash, chopped
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 2 cups water
• 1 small handful fresh cilantro, finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons coarse salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

INSTRUCTIONS:
Heat olive oil in a large soup pot over low to medium heat.  Add onion and garlic.  Cook for about 5 minutes or until the onions start to get clear. 

Add tomatoes and cook for about 10 minutes until some liquid starts to develop from the tomatoes.  (At this point I like to just mash up the tomatoes a bit with my spoon adding to the liquid but still leaving the tomatoes chunky).

Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil.  Then reduce heat and let simmer for a minimum of 20 minutes.  (You can let it cook for up to an hour, stirring occasionally.  The longer it cooks the better the flavor will be.  Best if you can let it sit in the refrigerator overnight before serving).

You can add more salt, pepper, or olive oil according to your taste. 

Makes approximately 4 to 5 bowls of soup.

Enjoy!


GTBB,
Bad Joan

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