Butternut Squash Soup

When you want soup but you want a little hint of sweet. Warm and creamy or chilled its good either way.

In large pot melt raw butter and sauté the onion.
Add in cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.
Add butternut squash and chicken stock.
Bring to a boil and let simmer till squash is tender.
Puree soup in food processor or blender until smooth.
Can be garnished with a sprinkling of cinnamon and chopped walnuts if not allergic to nuts.

Simple Vegetarian Lentil Soup

Compared with other legumes, lentils require much less cooking time. They are rich in in minerals, two of the B vitamins, protein, and high in fiber. They readily absorb the flavors of the dish they are cooked in and so are versatile. This simple soup is delicious and comforting. We like to eat it with some properly prepared corn bread and plenty of butter. Another nice way to serve it is poured over some cooked rice.

Pour the lentils into a colander, rinse them, and pour into a non-reactive bowl. Cover the lentils with plenty of filtered water.
Add 2 Tablespoons raw vinegar, lemon juice or live whey. Cover and let soak for 24 hours.
When you are ready to assemble the soup, drain and rinse the lentils. Pour them into a large saucepan.
Add the stock, onion, potato, celery, bay leaves, and olive oil.
Add enough filtered water to cover the lentils by at least 2 inches. (As the soup simmers, check occasionally to make sure there is enough liquid.)
Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 1/2 - 1 hour, until the lentils are very tender.
Add the salt just prior to serving. Remove bay leaves.
This soup reheats and freezes well. Some in our family like to add a little hot sauce to this.

Tomato Soup with Chicken Stock

This version of tomato soup is filling and nourishing. I use basil that I preserve in the refrigerator in raw apple cider vinegar (http://eatnourishing.com/recipe/preserved-fresh-genovese-basil/), but fresh basil will do admirably. Warm homemade muffins make this a complete meal, or served as a soup course, sprinkled with a few homemade croutons, it is very nice as well.

Melt the butter in a large, heavy-bottomed pan.
Saute the onions and garlic on medium/low heat, stirring constantly, until soft.
Add tomatoes, chicken stock, pepper, basil and salt. Simmer for 1/2 hour.
Add the milk and either using a stick blender or a stand blender, blend until smooth.
Serve. Makes about 1/2 gallon of soup.
Like so many dishes, this is best the next day. It freezes well also.

Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup

Canned tomato soup and grilled cheese. It was a staple on rainy summer days in elementary school, or snow days in the winter. It’s been a long time since I’ve had any sort of tomato soup, but this adult version put the canned tomato soup of my childhood to shame.

Preheat the broiler. Place the red pepper halves, onions and garlic cut side down (with liberal use of evoo), in a baking pan and broil 4 to 5 inches from heat until the skins are black and blistered, about 8 minutes. Let cool, uncovered, 10 to 15 minutes.
In a 3- to 4-quart pan over medium heat, simmer tomatoes, along with their juices, and the paprika. Bring to a low simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, about 3 minutes.
In a blender or food processor, purée the soup in small batches until smooth. Return purée to the pan and stir in broth and lemon juice. Stir over medium heat until hot. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Curried Cauliflower Coconut Soup

A super easy, vegan curried cauliflower soup made with coconut oil and dried coconut for extra creaminess. Perfect for those avoiding dairy, or for those times when there isn’t enough homemade broth or stock to make soup.

Chop and saute onion and garlic: Chop 1 yellow or red onion and saute it on medium heat in a large pot with 2 tablespoons of virgin coconut oil. When the onion becomes translucent, add 2-3 cloves of minced garlic and saute for a few more minutes.
Chop cauliflower and add to pot: Once the onions have very lightly browned and become fragrant, add the chopped cauliflower and saute for another few minutes.
Heat water: In a teapot or other pot, add 6-7 cups of filtered water and heat. Pour into pot with cauliflower, onions and garlic, and bring to a boil. Lower heat to medium-low and simmer for 20 minutes or so until cauliflower has cooked.
Blend and add seasoning: Using an immersion blender (it’s easier than transferring to blender), blend the cauliflower, onions, garlic and water into a creamy puree. Add 3-4 tablespoons coconut manna (dried coconut), and blend again to melt and incorporate the flavors. Spice it up by adding the turmeric, garam masala, allspice, cumin, coriander, and crushed cardamom pods. Add salt and pepper to taste, blend to mix in spices, and serve while hot, with a few drops of fresh lemon juice if you wish.

“Good for You” Cream of Broccoli Soup (Don’t Throw Away the Broccoli Stalks!)

Eating broccoli stalks doesn’t have to be a chore … and don’t you dare throw those healthy stems away! Simply blend them into a delicious and healthy cream of broccoli soup!

Prepare the bone broth or stock: If you have no broth or stock on hand, use some saved bones (that you’ve previously frozen) from pastured birds to make a nutritious broth by simmering the bones overnight in a pot-full of filtered water, a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar, an onion, some carrots and celery, and spices. You can also make stock in advance by boiling the pastured bird for an hour or two with an onion, some bay leaves and cardamom seeds, and some salt and pepper. For either, make sure to filter the veggies, bones and spices out before saving the liquid in a glass jar. This recipe assumes you have either bone broth or homemade stock previously prepared.
Chop and saute onion: Peel and dice an onion. In a large stainless steel pot, melt a tablespoon of grass-fed ghee or pastured butter, and saute the onion on medium heat until it has caramelized a bit and has become fragrant, stirring occasionally throughout.
Chop broccoli and carrots and add to pot: Peel the broccoli stalks and chop into small pieces. Chop the carrots as well. Add chopped broccoli and carrots to the pot and saute on medium heat for a few minutes with the onions, stirring frequently.
Pour the stock or bone broth in the pot: Measure approximately three parts stock to two parts veggies, and add to the pot. Bring to a boil, cover, and leave to simmer on low for 35 minutes, until the broccoli stalks and carrots have become soft.
Puree the soup, and add milk and spices: Using an immersion blender, blend the soup into liquid. Then, add a cup of raw whole milk to the pot, and blend once again to integrate the flavors. Finally, add the ground ginger, fresh chopped sage leaves and unrefined salt and black pepper, and bring the hand blender to a final whirl. Taste the soup and adjust the seasonings as you see fit.
Add the cheese and lemon juice (optional): If you wish, you can add a few drops of fresh lemon juice to the soup for a little zest. In individual plates, you can also add thin slices of hard tasty grass-fed cheese for a little extra flavor and for the texture of melted goodness. Either way, make sure to serve warm, and enjoy!

Slow Cooker Greens & White Beans Soup

Here is a soup that takes 10 minutes to assemble, is super frugal, and any leftovers freeze well. Not to mention it’s GAPS-friendly and gluten-free and your family is getting a healthy amount of protein, iron, fiber, trace minerals, immune boosters, and tummy soothers. According to my calculations (said in my nerdiest voice), each serving costs about $1. If you really need to cut corners, skip the sausage. That works with the ol’ grocery budget, yes?

12-24 hours before assembling soup, soak beans in lots of warm water and 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar in a non-metalic bowl (the longer you can soak them, the better). Cover.
Rinse beans thoroughly and place in crock pot. Add stock, sausage, thyme, red pepper flakes, vinegar, & greens. Cook on low for 7-8 hours or on high for 4-5 hours.
Right before serving, stir in garlic, salt, and pepper. Serve as-is (nice and chunky) or first blend with an immersion blender to consistency of choice (totally smooth, kinda chunky, or anywhere in between). I do suggest spooning as many pieces of sausage out before blending and adding them in afterwards. It’s prettier and yummier. Just trust me on this one.

Creamy Cauliflower Soup (Dairy-Free and Gluten-Free)

Inspired by Paul Bertolli’s super simple cauliflower soup recipe, I made a version of it with chicken broth, and it rocked my world! It’s a perfect easy recipe for a cold winter’s day.

Make chicken broth: If you don’t have fresh broth on hand, you can easily make it in under an hour. Refer to our post on making broth here. If you prefer making a vegetarian version, simply replace broth with filtered water.
Chop and saute onion: Chop 1 onion and saute it in a large pot with 2 tablespoons of grass-fed ghee or olive oil (I prefer the taste of ghee to oil).
Chop cauliflower and add to pot: Once the onions have lightly browned and become fragrant, add the cauliflower and saute for another few minutes.
Add broth to cauliflower: Add the broth to the pot and bring to a boil. Then lower the heat and leave to simmer until cauliflower is tender - about 20 minutes.
Blend and add seasoning: Using an immersion blender (it’s easier than transferring to blender), blend the cauliflower, broth and onions into a creamy puree. Add salt and pepper to taste, and serve while hot.

Golden Potato, Bacon & Spinach Soup

A rich and satisfying soup.

In a large pan over medium heat, cook the bacon until crispy, about 10 minutes. Remove the bacon, keeping the fat in the pan.
Add in the onion and celery. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until very soft, about 30 minutes.
Chop the cooled bacon and add it back into the pan.
Add in the chopped potatoes and beef stock.
Bring to a boil and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are soft, about 30 minutes.
Add in the spinach and simmer for 2 minutes.
Remove from the heat and salt and pepper to taste.

Creamy Tomato Bisque Soup

Tomatoes, tomatoes, tomatoes.
After making countless batches of delicious, fresh salsa and storing up jars of homemade ketchup, what else to do with the last of these jewels of summer? Now that the days are shorter and the nights are deliciously crisp, how about a nice, comforting bowl of creamy tomato bisque (a.k.a. Jeremy’s all-time favorite soup)? Pair it with a buttery, sourdough drilled cheese sandwich, yes? Let’s do this thing.

Purée tomatoes in blender (a high-speed like a Vita-Mix is best) until thoroughly blended.
Heat soup pot with bacon grease until melted and add onion, carrot, and celery. Sauté until the onions are translucent. Whisk in flour for about 3 minutes. Add stock and puréed tomatoes and continue to whisk until it’s brought to a boil.
Turn heat to medium-low and add thyme sprigs, red pepper flakes, and pepper. Keep the top open and allow soup to reduce to about 1/3 (about 45 minutes to 1 hour), stirring occasionally.
Turn off heat and compost thyme sprigs. If you don’t mind your soup a little lumpy, add remaining ingredients, run an emersion blender through it, and you’re good to go. If you’re like my husband and enjoy the bisque as smooth as possible, you may also want to pour it through a sieve, composting any chunks.

Preserving Fresh Celery

Here is a way to have celery on hand for soups and stir-fries without having your nice fresh celery go to waste in the refrigerator.

Trim and carefully wash fresh celery.
Using a sharp chef’s knife or a food processor, slice all of the celery into small pieces.
Measure batch-sized amounts into freezer bags or Food Saver bags. If using a Food Saver, vacuum process the bags.
If using freezer bags, close each bag, leaving a small opening. Immerse the bag in water up to the opening and let the air escape as the water squeezes it out. Then complete the seal and wipe the bag dry.
Put all of the smaller bags into a larger freezer bag for extra protection and store in the freezer.
I have stored fresh celery this way for at least 6 months and it is still good to use.

Southwestern Sprouted Pinto Soup

A little kick and a whole lot of nutrition. This soup is easy on the budget and easy to make. Sprouting beans makes them even easier to digest, and they cook in a fraction of the time to cook soaked beans.

How To Sprout Pinto Beans
Rinse and sort beans. Place in a bowl and cover with slightly warm water. Cover and leave on the counter overnight.
In the morning, drain and rinse the beans. Drain again. Do not refill with water, but leave the rinsed beans in the bowl covered on the counter. Rinse and drain 2-3 more times during each day until “tails” of the sprouts poke out. The time to sprout varies depending on the weather and temperature of your kitchen. Average sprouting time for pinto beans is about 48 hours.
For the Soup
In a heavy bottomed soup pot, add chicken stock and beans. Bring to a boil and skim off any scum that rises to the surface. Lower to a simmer and simmer for about 30 minutes.
Melt butter in a skillet and sautee onions until translucent. Add peppers and carrots and cook for another 3-4 minutes. Add spices and sautee until fragrant.
Add sauteed vegetables to beans and stock. Add crushed tomatoes.
Simmer until beans are tender. Serve topped with creme fraiche, shredded raw cheddar, chopped cilantro and a squeeze of lime.