Broccoli Cauliflower Avocado Soup

There is so much to love about a healthy and tasty batch of homemade soup, simple to prepare and you really can’t mess them up. If you are not a huge fan of broccoli or cauliflower, I bet this soup will convert you to love them. A delicious and healthy creamy puréed soup is formed when you combine the two together and add a whole avocado.

Serving size: 1 cup

Yield: 8 servings

Tip: Any type of broth or boullion, vegetarian or not, can be used in this soup.

You might need to puree this soup in two batches because the volume is quite large. If so, divide the avocado in half so it mixes well into each batch. You combine all of the soup at the end and give a good mix.

Ingredients

1 large Onion roughly chopped

a few cloves of Garlic, roughly chopped

splash of Olive Oil

a few pinches of Cracked Black Pepper

a few pinches of Smoked Paprika

a few pinches dried Thyme

1 bunch of Broccoli, cleaned, remove stems and break into large florets

1 head of Cauliflower, cleaned and cut into large pieces

3 cups of hot Broth (my favorites are Vegetable or Chicken)

1 pitted Avocado, cut into quarters

Preparation

1. Heat a large soup pot with a splash of olive oil, onion, garlic and spices over medium high heat.

2. When it starts to sizzle reduce heat to medium and cook about 5 minutes until lightly brown, softened and fragrant. Stir occasionally.

3. Add the cauliflower and broccoli and cook these a few minutes with the onions.

4.  Add the hot broth to the soup pot, increase the heat back to medium high and bring to a boil.

5.  Reduce heat back to medium, partially cover and simmer for about 30 minutes until the vegetables are very soft and you can mash them with a fork.

6.  Remove soup from the stovetop and let it cool a bit.

7. Add avocado.

8. Purée with and immersion blender, blender or food processor until you get a smooth texture.

If you like your soup thicker, feel free to add more broth.

Butternut Squash and Sweet Potato Soup

There is no better way to warm up in this cold weather other than having a healthy yet tasty soup. 

Yield 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 cups roughly chopped onions

6 cups (about 2 pounds) butternut squash, peeled, seeded and diced into 1-inch pieces

3 cups (about 1 pound) sweet potatoes, peeled and diced into 1-inch pieces

8 cups (64 ounces) low sodium chicken stock

1½ teaspoons salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 tart-yet-sweet apple, cored, peeled and diced into ½-inch pieces

3 tablespoons honey

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

 ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 cup half-and-half or light cream

Directions

1. Melt butter in large pot. Add onions and cook over medium-low heat until soft and translucent.

2. Add butternut squash, sweet potatoes, chicken stock, salt and pepper to pot. Turn heat to high and bring to a boil.

3. Reduce heat to medium and cook until vegetables are very tender, about 15 minutes. Turn off heat.

4. Add diced apple to pot and puree soup with a handheld immersion blender until very smooth and creamy.

5. Add the honey, cinnamon, nutmeg and half and half and stir. Bring to a simmer. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.

*For a thinner soup, stir in a bit of water; to thicken, simmer and stir over low heat.

*This soup thickens as it sits. To reheat, add a bit of water to thin it back to desired consistency.

Roasted Tomato and Basil Soup

It’s time for soups and stew to warm our bodies with the cold raining weather outside. When I got home from work last night, I wasn't as hungry as usual so I decided to make a delicious soup with all the tomatoes I had in the fridge.

Easy. Prep & Cook Time: ~60 minutes

Serves 4 – 6

Ingredients

6 plum tomatoes, cut into large chunks

2 pack of cherry tomatoes

1 onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp dried thyme

3 - 3 1/2 cups chicken stock

pinch of chili flakes

1 tsp paprika

1 tbsp Worcester sauce

1 tsp white sugar

3/4 cup of light cooking cream

a handful of fresh basil leaves, chopped

Olive oil

Salt and cracked pepper

Directions

1.      Preheat the oven to 395F

2.      Spread the tomatoes on a tray lined with parchment paper, sprinkle with thyme, salt, cracked pepper and coat with olive oil

3.      Roast in the oven for 30 minutes, then turn on the broiler function (grill on top) and roast for another 5 - 10 minutes.

4.      In the mean time, sauté the onions in a little olive oil; add the garlic and cook for a few more minutes.

5.      Add the paprika, chili flakes, Worcester sauce and the roasted tomatoes with all their juices.

6.      Add the sugar and stock and simmer for 10 minutes.

7.      Now take a hand blender and liquefy the soup

8.      Add a bit of cream, basil, season to taste and cook for another few minutes just to infuse all the flavors

9.      Serve and enjoy ;)

Rockin' Moroccan Stew Recipe

Makes 6 servings
Recipe from Crazy Plates. Recipe analysis in cookbook says: 251 calories, 5.1 g, fat, 8.9 g protein, 44.9 g carbohydrates, 4.3 g fiber, 784.5 mg sodium. This analysis is calculated with regular peanut butter instead of light. So overall calorie and fat count lower with light and natural peanut butter.


Ingredients

2	tsp olive oil
1	cup onions, chopped
1/2	cup celery, diced
1/2	cup green bell pepper, diced
1	clove garlic, minced
3	cups vegetable broth
3	cups sweet potatoes, cubed
19	oz tomatoes, canned
19	oz peas, chickpeas, canned, drained and rinsed
1	tbsp lemon juice
2	tsp ginger, fresh, grated
1	tsp cumin
1	tsp curry powder
1	tsp ground coriander
1	tsp chili powder
1/2	tsp salt
1/4	tsp black pepper
1/4	cup raisins
2	tbsp peanut butter, light, smooth

Directions

1. Heat olive oil in a large, non-stick saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onions, celery, green pepper and garlic. Cook and stir until vegetables begin to soften, about 3 minutes.
   
   
2. Add all remaining ingredients, except raisins, peanut butter and cilantro. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes.
   
   
3. Stir in raisins, peanut butter, and cilantro. Mix well. Simmer for 5 more minutes. Serve hot.