Soup's On! Four Recipes to Warm You Up!
In our book nothing is as nourishing and uplifting as a really great bowl of soup on a chilly day. A lot of people even find the act of making soup highly therapeutic. We have recipes for some healthy seasonal soups below, and while they are quick & easy to make (no hours of simmering, straining, etc.), we hope making & consuming them will give you the same therapeutic benefits you’d get if you labored over your soup pot for hours. And if you’ve also engaged in a therapeutic bread-baking session lately, any of these soups will be great partners for your creation!
Note: If you’re a soup fan, an immersion blender is an inexpensive but essential piece of kitchen equipment for mess-free pureeing when making soup. However you can also let the soup cool somewhat and carefully puree it in small batches in your blender.
Black Bean & Chipotle Soup
Hearty and filling enough to serve as a main course and, no lie, you can feel its health-giving properties as you consume it! It’s got a bit of kick, but is not “hot”; you can adjust the heat level by adding (or omitting) your favorite hot sauce. We love to pair this soup with our individual Corn Souffles or our All Natural Grilled Chicken & Cheese Burritos for a wholesome, balanced meal.
Serves: 4 Preparation time: approx. 35-40 minutes
Ingredients
¼ cup olive oil
2 chopped onions
4 garlic cloves, chopped
3 peeled and diced carrots
1½ teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
2 green or red (or a combination) bell peppers, chopped
Three 10-oz. packs Your Organics Ready-to-Use Black Beans, drained
½ teaspoon dried chipotle pepper
1.5 cups of chicken, beef or veggie stock
½ cup orange juice
salt & pepper
¼ cup half-and-half cream (optional)
sour cream (optional)
chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
Tabasco or other favorite hot sauce (optional)
Instructions
- Warm the oil in a nonreactive soup pot. Sauté the onions and garlic in the oil for about 5 minutes, stirring, until the onions are translucent.
- Add the carrots, cumin, coriander and bell peppers and cook on medium heat, stirring often, for a few minutes. Lower the heat, cover, and cook for about 5 minutes.
- Add the black beans, chipotle, tomatoes, stock and orange juice and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes.
- Using an immersion blender, puree the soup briefly (about 1 min or less), so that most of the beans are still intact (if using a blender, puree just ½ cup of the soup and return it to the soup pot). Reheat until the soup reaches serving temperature.
- For a creamier version of the soup, after taking the soup pot off the heat, stir in the cream. Add salt & pepper to taste, and a few dashes of hot sauce, if using. If desired, garnish each serving with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkling of cilantro.
Roasted Root Veggie Bisque
So very soothing! Root veggies seem to address all of our basic food cravings at this time of year, and this soup has them all in a silky, beautifully seasoned puree. Using our Pinwheel Roasted Root Veggies makes it a snap to put the soup together, and the roasted veggies will add a depth of flavor that would otherwise take hours to obtain…
Serves: 4 Preparation Time: approximately 30 minutes
Ingredients
1 large onion
3 garlic cloves, peeled and halved
2 ribs of celery, chopped
1.5 pounds Pinwheel frozen Roasted Root Veggies
2 tablespoons olive oil or butter
Salt & pepper
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2.5 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1/4 cup half-and-half cream, milk or coconut milk
Optional: fresh sage leaves sautéed in olive oil until crispy
Instructions
- Heat the oil/butter in a large pot over medium-high heat; add in the onion, garlic & celery and cook until softened (about 5 min.). Add in the frozen Root Veggies. Sprinkle with a 1/2 teaspoon of salt and add the red pepper flakes.
- Cook, stirring occasionally, until the frozen vegetables soften, 3 to 5 minutes.
- Pour in the stock and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until the vegetables are softened; about 15 minutes. Puree part or all of the soup with an immersion blender or in small batches with a regular blender. Add more broth or water to thin, if desired. Reheat the soup on low-med and when it reaches serving temperature, take it off the heat and stir in the cream, milk or coconut milk. Check the seasoning; add additional salt & pepper to taste. Top with sautéed sage leaves if using.
Curried Sweet Pea Soup
This is a fresher, brighter take on pea soup, using frozen fresh peas, rather than split peas. The curry flavor gives new depth to the peas and the lettuce, which may be a surprising addition, provides subtle flavor & additional texture & nutrients to the soup. Try pairing this with our Chesapeake Bay Crab Cakes and/or Seasoned Potato Wedges for a crowd pleasing meal.
Serves: 4 Preparation Time: approx. 30-35 minutes
Instructions
- Melt butter in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion or leeks and potato and sauté until tender, about 8 minutes; add the lettuce and curry powder and stir 30 seconds.
- Add the broth and peas and bring to boil. Reduce heat; simmer until peas are very tender, about 5-7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
- Puree with an immersion blender or in a blender in batches. Thin with more broth if desired.
- Mix a few tablespoons of the soup with the cream or yogurt in a small bowl; reheat the soup gently (low heat) and mix in the soup and cream/yogurt mixture. Serve with herbs mixed in just before serving.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons butter
1 large onion or 2 leeks (white part only, cleaned), chopped
1 large baking potato, peeled & cut into large chunks
1 handful of any green lettuce, washed (romaine, butter, arugula, etc.)
5 teaspoons curry powder
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
2.5 pounds (about 4 1/2 cups) Pinwheel frozen Local Sweet Peas
½ cup half-and-half cream or 1 cup plain low-fat yogurt
1⁄2 cup chopped fresh cilantro or parsley
Cream of Broccoli
The classic, creamy vegetable soup that even broccoli haters love! A lovely accompaniment are our Bacon & Swiss Mini-quiches, or Asparagus & Sweet Red Pepper Mini-quiches for a quick, complete meal.
Serves: 4 Preparation Time: approx. 35-40 minutes
Instructions:
- In a medium saucepan, heat the butter or olive oil over medium heat. Add the broccoli, carrot, celery, onion, garlic, and potato. Sauté until onion is translucent and just tender, about 5-7 minutes.
- Sprinkle vegetables with flour and thyme. Cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring often.
- Gradually add the broth and cream/ milk, stirring constantly to prevent lumps. Simmer soup over medium-low heat for 10-15 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.
- Add the salt & pepper and blend the soup to your liking. We recommend puréeing ½ to ⅔ of the soup smooth. Add the lemon juice just before serving and stir well; test the seasonings and adjust salt & pepper if needed and serve with optional toppings, if using.
*Note: the carrots, celery, onion & garlic can all be chopped together simultaneously in a chopper or food processor to save time.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons butter or olive oil
2 carrots, chopped*
2 ribs celery chopped*
1 medium onion, chopped*
2 cloves garlic, minced*
1 baking potato, peeled & cut into large chunks
6 tbsp flour
¼ tsp dried thyme
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
2.5 cups half-and-half cream or dairy/ non-dairy milk of choice
1 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt, to taste
Black pepper, to taste
Optional toppings: chopped fresh parsley and/or croutons