Tag: soup

Sweet Potato Carrot Soup

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Sweet Potato Carrot Soup

This pureed soup uses few ingredients but is big on flavor. It’s a great way to add more veggies into your kiddo’s lunch or dinner, and introduces spices in a mild way to suit picky preschool tastebuds.

Ingredients:

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 yellow onion, chopped
  • 5 ounces shredded carrots
  • 1 and 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
  • 3 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
  • 1/2 (15-ounce) can coconut milk
  1. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and cook for 5 minutes.
  2. Stir in the carrots, sweet potatoes, ginger, cinnamon, turmeric, and broth. Bring to a boil, then cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 25 minutes.
  3. Transfer the soup to a blender and process until smooth. Pour into a bowl and whisk in the coconut milk.

You can prepare the soup in advance and reheat portions before serving.

Meatball Soup with Farro

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Meatball Soup (1).JPG

This hearty bowlful is a surefire way to warm up on a winter night!

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 package Gardein meatballs
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/2 cup chopped onion
  • 1 medium bell pepper, chopped
  • 4 oz. green beans
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • 2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
  • 1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes
  • 1 and 1/2 cups cooked farro
  1. Cook the meatballs according to package directions. Cut into quarters and set aside.
  2. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, bell peppers, and green beans; cook for 5 minutes.
  3. Add the Italian seasoning, broth, tomatoes, cooked meatballs, and farro to the pan, continuing to cook until warmed through.

Top with vegan Parmesan sprinkles for serving, if desired!

Meatball Soup (2)

Cheesy Cauliflower Soup

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Cauliflower Soup

This soup has so many hidden good-for-you ingredients it’s like a gold mine! I simply use plain white cauliflower, but feel free to get fancy and use an orange variety if you want a more vibrant color to the soup. To suit my preschooler’s taste, a mixture of half water and half veggie broth keeps the soup from being too salty. Use 4 cups broth instead if you prefer.

Ingredients:

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 chopped yellow onion
  • 2 minced garlic cloves
  • 1 head cauliflower, chopped
  • 2 cups vegetable broth
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 (15-ounce) rinsed and drained can navy beans
  • 6 tablespoons nutritional yeast
  • 1 tablespoon tahini
  1. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic; cook for 5 minutes, until the onion is translucent. Add the cauliflower, stirring well, then the broth, water, smoked paprika, and beans.
  2. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 15 minutes.
  3. Remove from heat and stir in the nutritional yeast and tahini. Working in batches, transfer the soup to a blender and process until smooth. Return to the saucepan to heat through before serving.

Add croutons for serving, if desired!

Give a Super Soup!

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Super Soup (5)

Need a gift for teachers that they’ll actually use? Assemble the dry ingredients for this warming winter soup in a jar, add a hand-made note from your child, and tie it all with a pretty ribbon for a perfect gift. Thanks to High Five magazine for the suggestion!

First, the full recipe, because you’re going to want to make a batch of this soup at home, too:

Super Soup (1)

Ingredients:

  • 1 and 1/2 tablespoons low-sodium vegetable bouillon cubes, crumbled
  • 1 tablespoon dried parsley
  • 1 tablespoon dried minced onion
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/8 teaspoon celery seeds
  • 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 cup tricolor rotini or fusilli pasta
  • 1 cup chopped carrot
  • 2 chopped celery stalks
  • 1 and 1/2 cups cooked and chopped Gardein chickn
  • 1/2 cup oyster crackers
  1. In a large pot, combine the bouillon, parsley, onion, black pepper, thyme, celery seeds, garlic powder, bay leaf, pasta, carrot, celery, chickn, and 6 cups water.
  2. Bring to a boil, then cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 15 minutes.
  3. Uncover and remove the bay leaf; continue to simmer for an additional 5 minutes.
  4. Serve with the oyster crackers!

To prepare the soup as a gift, have your child help layer the ingredients from the bouillon through the pasta in a 1-quart clear glass jar. Travis loved adding in the herbs:

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And untwisting caps to smell each one before we added it!

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Place the oyster crackers in a small zip-top plastic bag, and nest atop the other ingredients. Put the lid on the jar and tighten.

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Write out the recipe instructions on a recipe card (Note: teachers will supply their own carrots, celery, and chickn when the time comes).

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Have your child decorate the index card with crayons or stickers. Of course Travis needed to help punch a hole in each index card.

Super Soup (6)Now slip a ribbon through the hole and secure around the lid of each jar.

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Think that your kid’s teacher would prefer something sweet to something savory? Check out the Rocky Road Brownies we used for a gift mix last year!

Don’t forget to save the recipe and make a big pot of this for your own family, too.

Super Soup (2)

Lemony Turkey-Corn Soup

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Turkey Soup

Here’s the vegan answer to the age-old Thanksgiving query: What to do with all those leftovers! If there are any extra vegan holiday roasts or Tofurky lurking in your fridge, this soup is for you. I like to prepare Gardein’s turkey cutlets ahead of time, then rub off the breading and chop before adding to the pot.

Ingredients:

  • 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
  • 1 cup chopped celery
  • 2 cups diced red potato
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
  • 2 cups cooked meatless turkey
  • 1 (16-ounce) bag frozen corn
  • 1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  1. Combine the broth, celery, potato, garlic powder, and thyme in a large pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes, uncovered.
  2. Add the turkey, corn, beans, and lemon juice. Cook for a final 5 minutes.