Healthy Soups for the Winter Season

Soups keep you warm during the winter months and are a great way to feed a big family or just one or two people as they can be frozen in batches to enjoy later. Having healthy soup on hand makes for easy meal assembly during a busy week.

White Vegan Lasagna Soup

*Recipe by Rabbit & Wolves

INGREDIENTS

Cashew Cream

• 1 cup raw cashews, soaked
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
• Pinch of salt and pepper

For the Rest of the Soup 1 Tablespoon Olive oil

• 6 Cloves Garlic, chopped 1/2 a Sweet onion, chopped Juice of 1 Lemon
• 6 cups Vegetable broth
• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
• 2 teaspoons maple syrup 8 Lasagna sheets
• Salt and pepper to taste 8 oz. mushrooms, sliced
• 3 handfuls raw spinach leaves

DIRECTIONS

• Soak cashews for 6-8 hours. If you are in a pinch, you can quick soak the cashews in boiling water for 15- 30 minutes
• Once ready to make the soup, make the cashew cream first. Drain the soaked cashews and add to a blender with the rest of the cashew cream ingredients. Blend on high, scraping down the sides as needed until the cream is super smooth and velvety. This may take a few minutes. Set this aside.
• In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil on medium Add the garlic and onions to the pot. Sauté reducing heat as needed until the garlic and onions are slightly caramelized. This may take 5-10 minutes.
• Add mushrooms to the pot, stir and cook for 2 minutes. Add lemon juice to the pot and scrape any bits of garlic and onion off the bottom.
• Pour in the vegetable broth and whisk in the Italian seasonings and nutritional yeast and maple.
• Now, pour all the cashew cream you made into the pot and whisk to combine everything.
• Season with a few pinches of salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer.
• Next, break the lasagna sheets into about 1–2-inch Then add them to the soup.
• Simmer, stirring frequently until the noodles are al dente. Check your package for timing.
• Once the noodles are done, taste and adjust seasoning. Towards the end of the cook time for the noodles, add spinach to wilt.
• Serve immediately. Top with fresh herbs and additional salt and pepper.

Sardinian Longevity Minestrone

INGREDIENTS

• 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 small yellow or white onion chopped
• 1 medium carrot peeled and chopped
• 1 celery rib chopped
• 1 broccoli stalk or crown peeled and chopped
• 1 small potato peeled and diced (about 1 cups)
• 1 small fennel bulb chopped
• 1 Tablespoon tomato paste
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 can fava beans
• 1 can great northern beans
• 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
• 1/4 cup loosely packed fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley leaves chopped
• 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh basil leaves
• 1/2 cup of regular or Israeli couscous
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup pecorino Romano or Daiya smoked gouda finely grated (optional)
• Extra virgin olive oil for garnish

DIRECTIONS

• Heat the oil in a 5 qt Dutch oven or soup pot set over When the oil begins to shimmer, add the onions, carrots, celery, broccoli, sweet potatoes, and fennel. Sauté, stirring frequently, until all the vegetables are softened.
• Scooch the vegetables to the side, creating a clear spot and add the tomato paste and garlic to the Stir together until the garlic is fragrant (less than a minute), then mix in with the remaining vegetables.
• Increase heat to medium-high, and add the beans, crushed tomatoes, and 4 cups of Bring to a boil, then reduce heat low or medium-low to maintain a very gentle simmer. Cook for 20 minutes, uncovered.
• Add the pasta and a pinch of If the soup is too thick, add another cup of water. Cook for 10 minutes more.
• Stir in the Taste, and add salt and pepper as needed.
• To serve, spoon into bowls, drizzle with olive oil and top with optional

Broccoli Chowder with Croutons

*Recipe by Love and Lemons

INGREDIENTS

• 2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, more for drizzling
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• ½ cup chopped celery
• ⅓ cup chopped carrots
• 1 lb. broccoli, stems diced, florets chopped
• 1 small Yukon gold potato, diced (1 cup)
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 3 cups cubed bread, for croutons (sourdough recommended)
• ½ cup raw cashews
• 1½ teaspoons apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• ¼ cup fresh dill or 1 Tb dried dill
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 3/4 teaspoon sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 2 Tablespoons nutritional yeast

DIRECTIONS

• Preheat the oven to 350°F and line 2 small baking sheets with parchment paper. If bread is not already cubed, cut bread into cubes, sourdough recommended.
• Heat the oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, carrots, broccoli stems, salt, and pepper and sauté until softened, about 10 minutes. Add the potatoes and garlic and stir, then add the broth and simmer for 20 minutes until the potatoes are soft. Let cool slightly.
• Set aside 1 cup of the broccoli florets to roast as a topping for the soup. Place the remaining florets in a steamer basket and set over a pot with 1-inch of water. Bring the water to a simmer, cover, and let steam 5 minutes, until the broccoli is tender.
• Meanwhile, place the reserved broccoli florets and the bread cubes on the baking sheets. Toss with a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt and roast until the bread is crispy and the broccoli is tender and browned around the edges, 10 to 15 Add a dash of garlic salt for additional flavor.
• Transfer the soup to the blender and add the cashews, apple cider vinegar, and mustard, and blend until creamy. Work in batches, if Add the steamed broccoli florets, dill, and lemon juice, and pulse until the broccoli is incorporated but still chunky. The soup should be thick; if it’s too thick, add 1/2 cup water too thin to your desired consistency.
• Season to taste and serve the soup in bowls with the roasted broccoli and croutons on top.

Lentil Sweet Potato Soup with Coconut Milk and Kale

*recipe by The First Mess

INGREDIENTS 

• 1 medium yellow onion, small dice
• ½-1 teaspoon dried chili flakes
• ½ teaspoon ground coriander
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
• 2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 ½ lbs (690 grams) sweet potatoes, diced into 1-inch pieces
• 2/3 cup brown or green lentils
• 4 cups vegetable stock
• 5 oz (400 ml) can coconut milk
• 4 cups chopped kale (small bunch)
• To garnish: chopped cilantro, extra chili flakes, lime wedges

DIRECTIONS

• Heat a large, heavy-bottomed soup pot over medium heat. Add olive oil to lightly coat the pot and then add the onions. Stir and sauté the onions, stirring occasionally, until translucent and quite soft, about 5 minutes. Add the chili flakes, coriander, cumin, and turmeric. Sauté spices until very fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the ginger and garlic to the pot and cook for another minute. Add a pinch of salt and pepper.
• Add the sweet potatoes to the pot and stir to coat in the spices. Add the lentils to the pot and stir once more. Season everything liberally with salt and pepper. Add the vegetable stock and stir, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pot. Place the lid on top of the pot and bring to a boil.
• Once the stew is boiling, lower the heat to a simmer and set the lid slightly askew on top of the pot so that there’s a couple inches available for steam to escape. Simmer until the sweet potatoes are soft and the lentils are tender, about 35-40 minutes. The liquid should also be reduced by almost a third.
• Add the coconut milk and kale to the pot and stir. Place the lid on top and continue to simmer the stew until the kale is wilted and bright green, about 3-4 minutes. Season the sweet potato and coconut milk stew again with salt and pepper. Bring the stew back up to a strong simmer and check for seasoning. Adjust with more salt, pepper, chili etc. if necessary.
• Serve the sweet potato and coconut milk stew hot with chopped cilantro, extra chili flakes, or lime wedges.
• Pair with brown rice for a heartier meal.