Now that Winter is here, we wanted to share one of Mary Helen’s favorite soup recipes as well as two other Ballet Beautiful approved soup recipes that are perfect for colder temperatures. We always enjoy eating soup because it is nourishing for the body and soul. Take some time to treat yourself to a delicious, homemade soup that will help you get through these colder months feeling energized and healthy. Enjoy!
Romy’s Lentil Soup
From:
The Ballet Beautiful Book
Ingredients:
-Olive oil
-1 yellow onion
-1 teaspoon sea salt
-3 or 4 carrots, chopped
-2/3 bunch celery, chopped
-2 organic vegan bouillon cubes (I like Rapunzel Sea Salt)
-Sea Salt
-Cayenne
-Turmeric
-Coriander
-16 ounces French lentils, rinsed
-Bay leaves
-Kale
Instructions:
-Add some olive oil and the chopped yellow onion to a large soup pot at medium heat. Sprinkle with the sea salt and let the onion sweat down.
-Add the carrots and celery. Let everything cook down on medium heat. Add the vegan bouillon, sea salt, some cayenne, a couple of dashes of turmeric, and some coriander.
-Add the French lentils and a few bay leaves to the pot and cover with water. Let everything cook down. Keep watching and stir occasionally.
-After the lentils have cooked until soft (about half an hour), add the kale.
-When the soup is almost finished, add a heavy drizzle of good extra virgin olive oil to the pot for richness and flavor. You can even add a tiny drizzle when serving and a tiny of sea salt to taste.
Kale and Quinoa Minestrone
From:
Cooking Classy
Image courtesy of Cooking Classy
Ingredients:
-1 large yellow onion, diced (2 cups)
-3 medium carrots, diced (1 1/2 cups)
-2 stalks celery, diced (1 cup)
-2 Tbsp olive oil
-2 cups diced, fresh zucchini (from about 2 small)
-2 cups green beans, cut into 1-inch segments
-1 red bell pepper, diced
-3 cloves garlic, minced
-1 (32 oz) carton unsalted or low-sodium vegetable broth
-1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
-3 cups water
-3 1/2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
-1 tsp dried rosemary, crushed
-3/4 tsp dried thyme
-1 1/2 tsp granulated sugar
-Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
-3/4 cup dry quinoa
-1 (15 oz) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
-1 (15 oz) can chick peas, drained and rinsed (aka garbanzo beans)
-2 (heaping) cups chopped fresh kale, thick ribs removed
-1 Tbsp. lemon juice
-Shredded parmesan cheese, for garnish
Instructions:
-In a large stockpot, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add diced onion, carrots and celery and sauté about 5 minutes, until softened.
-Add in zucchini, green beans, red bell pepper and sauté 2 minutes, then add garlic and cook 1 minute longer.
-Add in vegetable broth, crushed tomatoes, water, parsley, rosemary, thyme, granulated sugar, season with salt and pepper to taste and bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and allow soup to gently boil, uncovered for about 20 minutes.
-Add in dry quinoa then cover and cook 15 – 20 minutes longer.
-Add cannellini beans, chick peas, kale and lemon juice and cook, uncovered, until kale has wilted, about 5 minutes. Serve warm garnished with parmesan cheese.
Easy Garden Fresh Tomato Basil Soup
From:
NeighborFood
Image courtesy of NeighborFood
Ingredients:
-¼ cup olive oil
-6 cups chopped yellow onions (About 2 very large onions)
-2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
-2 Tablespoons sugar
-6 garlic cloves, minced
-12 cups chopped tomatoes (I used a variety of kinds and didn’t peel, but you can peel if you like)
-6 cups chicken broth (or swap vegetable broth)
-Salt and Pepper, to taste
-Basil, to garnish
Instructions:
In a large (at least 6 quart- bigger is even better!) heavy pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté for 5-7 minutes, or until they’ve started to soften.
Add the balsamic, sugar, and garlic and sauté for an additional 2-3 minutes, or until garlic is fragrant.
Stir in the chopped tomatoes and bring the mixture to a simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes, uncovered, stirring occasionally.
Stir in the chicken broth and bring the mixture back to a simmer. Simmer another five minutes then taste. Season with salt and pepper as desired.
Use an immersion blender to blend the soup into the consistency of your choosing. You can make it totally smooth or leave some chunks. I personally like a few chunks. You can also blend this in your blender, but I recommend draining off the liquid and just blending the solids to avoid a blender explosion! Once the solids are blended, add them back to the liquid and stir to combine.
To serve, spoon the soup into bowls and top with sliced fresh basil. Swirl with half and half or heavy cream, if desired.
To freeze, allow the mixture to cool then ladle it into freezer safe containers or quart size freezer bags. Freeze bags laying flat. Thaw soup in the fridge overnight then reheat on the stovetop.
