As the weather turns colder, I naturally start to crave meals with more warmth. My family meal prep turns from the slice and serve lunches and dinners of spring and summer to the throw it in the oven or in a pot and serve it style of fall and winter. These next three soups are some our family’s favorites. All three soups use the same technique for getting a rich, flavorful soup that the whole family will love. These soups are easy to make custom to any diet by switching the broths from bone broths to vegetarian broths as well as the ingredients.
Why Soup?
Soups are an easy way to get more diversity in your diet. Helping hydrate with nutritious broths and packed with fiber, soups are a wonderful addition to the diet. I’ll often double the recipe and throw some in the freezer to have on hand for the future. Soup as a main course or as a side dish is a great way to boost the nutrition of any meal.
Secret Technique:
These soups are easy to make, flavorful and each uses a similar process in the recipe. The secret technique is sauteing the veggies beforehand to concentrate and enhance their flavor. This step takes just few minutes, but it kicks up the flavor several notches! Check out how all three of the soups below use the same process to achieve their flavor:
Coconut Curry Soup:
Ingredients:
1 can of full fat coconut milk
1 cup of broth of choice
1 zucchini diced
1/2 small onion diced
1 carrot diced
1 stalk of celery diced
1/2 cup of cooked garbanzo beans
1/2 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp cumin powder
Pinch of cilantro
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Saute the diced onion, zucchini, carrot and celery until translucent/lightly brown in oil of your choice with a dash of salt and pepper.
Add garbanzo beans and simmer for 3-4 minutes.
Add the coconut milk and broth and simmer for 5-10 minutes.
Sprinkle cilantro and Enjoy!
Carrot Ginger Soup
Ingredients:
6 large carrots chopped
2 shallots chopped
1/2 small onion chopped
1 inch of ginger root grated
4-6 cups of broth depending on desired consistency
Salt and pepper to taste
Extra Virgin Olive oil
Pat of butter (optional)
Directions:
Saute shallots, onions and carrots until soft and translucent, 5-7 minutes, in the oil of your choice with a dash of salt and pepper. You do not want to lightly brown the onion or shallot because it will make the soup taste bitter, saute only until soft and translucent.
Add grated ginger and saute for 1 minute.
Add broth and simmer until the carrots are soft, 10-20 minutes.
Puree with hand held blender until completely smooth
Serve and Enjoy! Pat of butter optional and delicious!
Farmers Soup
Ingredients:
1 small zucchini sliced
1 small yellow squash sliced
1/4 of savoy cabbage sliced
1/2 small onion diced
1 carrot sliced
1/4 cup sliced kale lacinato
1/2 cup cannellini beans
4 cups of broth
Pinch of fresh thyme chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Saute the zucchini, yellow squash, cabbage, onion, carrot and kale with a dash of salt and pepper until soft.
Add cannellini beans and saute for 1 minute
Add fresh thyme and add the broth, simmer for 1 minute
Salt and pepper to taste and Enjoy!
– Dr. Catherine Clinton ND