Soup Recipes

Are you looking to shape up and slim down for summer? This deliciously nutritious gluten-free, dairy-free Cream of Broccoli Soup makes 6 cups of soup at 100 calories per cup.  And as an extra bonus, this healthy vegetable soup may help reduce stress related molecules due to its potent antioxidant levels of Vitamin C and Beta Carotene. Research suggests that antioxidants give strong protection against the damaging effects of inflammation and oxidative stress that prematurely ages the body. Eat more plants to Feed Your Body Royally.

Cream of Broccoli Soup

makes 6 cups                     prep time= 35 minutes

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 cup red onion, peeled and chopped coarsely

4 cups soup stock (low sodium)

1 lb broccoli, chopped

3 stalks celery, chopped

10 oz sweet potato or butternut squash, diced

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon Herbs de Provence (or thyme)

1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

1/2 teaspoon seas salt

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

1/3 cup coconut milk

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1. Preheat oven to 375F. Line a small baking sheet with foil. Toss the olive oil and red onion in a small bowl and then spread evenly on sheet and roast for 15 minutes.

2. While the onion is roasting, prep other ingredients. Add remaining ingredients (except for the parsley, coconut milk and nutmeg) to a medium stockpot. Bring to boil, add roasted onion and simmer for 10 minutes, or until vegetables are tender. Cool 10 minutes uncovered.

3. In a food processor or blender, puree soup with parsley little by little, until smooth. Pour soup back into stockpot.

4. Stir in coconut milk, nutmeg and adjust salt and pepper to taste. Heat gently until warm and serve.

This colorful vegetarian Spanish Peasant Soup is a beautiful blend of garbanzo beans and fresh vegetables accented with paprika, turmeric, basil, cinnamon, and cayenne. It can be prepared in less than 45 minutes start to finish and perfect for a light alkalizing meal. Just one large bowl full will supply your body with three recommended daily servings of vegetables and one large recommended daily serving of beans. What more could you ask for? It is a nutritional powerhouse in an Impressionist landscape.  Enjoy some olives and Hail Merry Chimayo Chili Pecans while the soup simmers. Feed Your Body Royally!

VEGETARIAN SPANISH PEASANT SOUP

(From the Gluten-Free Good Health Cookbook)

6 Servings

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups chopped onion
2 cloves crushed garlic
2 cups sweet potatoes*, peeled and diced into 1 inch pieces
½ cup diced celery
1 cup diced tomatoes**
1 cup diced yellow peppers
1½ cups cooked chickpeas
3 cups of stock or water
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon basil
1 bay leaf
Dash of cinnamon
Dash of cayenne
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1. In a medium stockpot, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic, sweet potatoes, and celery. Sauté for 10 minutes. Add seasonings and stock.
2. Simmer, covered, for fifteen minutes. Add remaining vegetables and chickpeas. Cover and simmer another 15 minutes.
3. Remove bay leaf. Season with salt and pepper and serve hot.

Cook's note: One 15-ounce can of beans equals 1½ cups of cooked beans. One cup of dry beans yields 3 cups cooked. One pound of dry beans yields 6 cups cooked.

*Carrots or butternut squash can be substituted for sweet potatoes.
**Recommend Muir Glen® Organic Diced Fire Roasted Tomatoes.

Need gluten-free vegetarian recipes to strengthen your immune system and reduce chronic inflammation? This Roasted Winter Vegetable Soup is packed with nutrient dense, anti-inflammatory vegetables: butternut squash is high in beta carotene, vitamin E and potassium, all of which neutralize the free radicals that cause chronic inflammation; parsnips help detoxify the body; leeks contain healing compounds that are antibacterial and antiviral; turnips are chock full of cancer-fighting compounds, and carrots contain high levels of carotenoids that help enhance the immune system and boost the body's ability to fight cancer and heart disease. To save time, buy pre-peeled and cubed butternut squash.

Roasted Winter Vegetable Soup
Serves 6

• 1 small butternut squash (about 2 lbs.), peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 3 leeks, white and light green parts only, cleaned, cut in half lengthwise, and then into 2-inch lengths (see Cook's Notes below)
• 1 large parsnip, peeled and cut into 1-inch rounds (about 1 cup)
• 1 small yellow turnip, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes (about 1 cup)
• 1 large carrot, peeled and cut into 1-inch rounds (about *frac12; cup)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
• 1 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• Pinch of cayenne
• 5 cups of soup stock
• 2 small bay leaves (or 1 large)
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme leaves
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary (or ½ teaspoon dried)
• ¼ cup coconut milk (unsweetened)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• ¼ cup Hail Merry Sunflower Seeds (coarsely chopped) or parmesan cheese

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Position rack in bottom third of oven. Line a large baking sheet with foil and spray with oil or baking spray.

2. In a large mixing bowl combine oil, maple syrup, cider vinegar, garlic, salt, pepper and cayenne. Add the prepared vegetables and toss until coated in mixture.

3. Spread out the vegetables in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet.

4. Roast, tossing occasionally, until vegetables are tender and caramelized at edges, about 30 minutes (if vegetables are cold, add another 15 minutes)

5. Remove from oven and transfer the vegetables to a large saucepan. Pour the stock into the pan and add the bay leaves, thyme leaves, and rosemary. Bring to a boil, and then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove the bay leaves.

6. Transfer the soup to a food processor or blender, and working in batches, purée until thick and smooth. Add additional broth to thin soup if desired. Return the soup to the saucepan, add the coconut, and season to taste.

7. Serve warm with sunflower seeds and/or grated cheese.

Cook's Notes: Soup can be made several days ahead and stored in refrigerator. To wash leeks: cut off tops and then cut leek in half before washing out grit and sand.