Butternut Squash & Basil Soup

Its freezing cold, my refrigerator has broke, and I just happened to have these ingredients lying around. 

1 Tbs Olive Oil

2 lbs butternut squash, chopped into cubes

1 medium onion, sliced

3 garlic cloves, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

1 quart vegetable broth

1 cup fresh basil

2 tsp cinnamon

salt and pepper to taste

In a pot, heat oil then add onion, garlic and carrots. Sauté for about 5 min or until soft. Add butternut squash, vegetable broth, cinnamon and basil. Bring to a boil then reduce to simmer till squash is soft, about 30-40 minutes.

 Remove from heat and place in Vita-mix, or other blender or food processor and puree till creamy. Allow to cool a bit & Devour.

  

Wham-Bam-Thank-You-Ma'am

Red Lentil, Turnip & Kale Soup

Here you go..one more soup for ya. The fact that is has some of the best veggies ever, including my all time fav Kale, it needs no other words. Let you belly tell you the rest! 

1 1/2 cups red lentils

3 cups water

2 Tbs olive oil

1 onion, diced

3 garlic cloves

2 stocks celery, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

1 1/2 cups tomatoes, chopped

1 turnip, peeled and sliced

1 1/2 great northern beans

4 cups vegetable stock

5-8 pieces of kale, ripped and deveined

Place water and lentils into a pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer, and cook partially cooked till soft. Remove from heat. In a larger pot sauté onion, garlic, celery & carrot in oil till soft. Add in tomatoes, turnip and beans. Add cooked lentils and vegetable stock. Bring to a boil and simmer, covered for 20 minutes. Add in kale and continue to cook till kale is a bright green. Remove from heat & Devour. 

Vegan Winter Veggie Ragout

Crockpot to the rescue! This colorful soup is so flavorful and delicious, and is so simple a 3 year old could make it. Make this before work (Cook on a lower heat) and come home to dinner already ready, or throw it all in the pot a couple hours before dinner and finally make dinner easy on yourself! 

1.5 pound butternut squash, peeled and cut into cubes

2 Tbs grapeseed oil

1 1/2 Tbs garlic, minced

1 onion, chopped

1 bulb fennel, cut into inch pieces

1 red pepper, chopped

1/2 cup white wine 

1 can white kidney beans

2 cup vegetable broth

1 1/2 cup water

1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes, chopped

1 bunch of rainbow chard leaves, de-stemed

1 Tbs oregano

1 Tbs fresh sage, chopped

Throw all of the ingredients into a crock pot, cook on high for about 3-4 hours, or until squash is soft. Serve & devour!

Vegan Potato Veggie Cashew Soup

I was recently told this mouthwatering soup was one of the top 5 things I have made in quite a while by the family I cook for. Filled with veggies and a creamy broth (with no cream!) any vegetarian, vegan or celiac can enjoy this winter warmer! 

1 cup mushrooms, diced

3/4 cup raw cashews

6 cups vegetable broth (I used a mushroom based broth)

3 potatoes, chopped

3 carrots, chopped

1 onion, finely chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped

Zest and juice of one lemon

In your vita-mix (or any blender) blend cashews and 2 cups of veggie broth until smooth. Pour mixture into a large saucepan and add potatoes, onion, carrots and remaining 4 cups of broth. Add in mushrooms and 1/2 cup of water. Bring soup to a boil, and reduce heat to simmer till potatoes are tender. Add bell pepper and lemon juice and simmer for 3 more minutes. Serve, top with lemon zest, and Devour! 

Sweet Potato Lentil Soup

No gluten, no animal products, no crap, Hooray! Word on the street is it is going to snow tomorrow in Colorado, so for all you people living in cold places, or heck, even warm places, here is one of my favorite soup recipes! This winter favorite is filled with hearty, delicious fresh ingredients!  Freeze any left overs for that unexpected snow day (if you are able to resist devouring the whole pot)

1/4 cup olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

2 tomatoes, diced

1 tsp fresh ginger, minced

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

3 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into small cubes

7 cups vegetable broth

1 cup lentils

Heat oil in a large pot. Add the onion, constantly stir until onions are softened. Stir in the tomatoes, ginger and spices and cook for about 3-5 minutes. Add the sweet potatoes, broth and lentils. Bring to a boil over high heat. When boiling, reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 35 minutes, or until sweet potatoes are soft enough to easily poke with a fork.