Soup Is The New Salad

I crave crisp green salads (topped with heirloom tomatoes and goat feta!) all summer long. But as soon as the first frost hits, I just lose my taste for salads (at home at least.) In the winter, I like to think of soups as the new salads. Soups that are loaded with vegetables are also loaded with nutrition! They take a little more prep to cook, but once you have one in your fridge you can heat it up when you’re hungry, and it can last all week.

My friend Lynsie is a superb cook and also runs a meal planning business called Vie. Her weekly meal plans are based off of the sales at the grocery store, so not only are you cooking great food, but you’re using the least expensive ingredients you can. Each of Lynsie’s meals plans comes with 4 Mains, 2 Large Sides, 1 Soup + Breakfast, Lunch & Snack. I just love that she plans in a flex soup that you can eat whenever you want!

Thus, I knew Lynsie would have some excellent soup recipes to inspire us all this winter. I asked her for her top five, and she shared these with me.

Three Sisters Vegetable Soup

Perfect for the Vegetarian or Vegan, this soup showcases typical end-of-harvest produce available in our area.  It is a tradition American Indian soup filled with squash, potatoes, beans, corn, and fire-roasted tomatoes.

Ingredients

• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, sliced
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 yellow squash, trimmed and sliced into rounds
• 1 zucchini, trimmed and sliced into rounds
• 1 bag baby potatoes
• 1 bag frozen green beans
• ½ bag frozen fire-roasted corn
• 1 large 28-oz can of fire-roasted tomatoes
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary
• ½-1 tsp salt and pepper, to taste
• Water to cover (start with 1 quart)*

Instructions

1. In a soup pot set over medium heat, cook the onion and garlic in olive oil until softened, about 5 minutes.
2. Add yellow squash, zucchini, baby potatoes, green beans, fire-roasted corn, fire-roasted tomatoes, rosemary (the whole sprig – you’ll remove it later), salt, pepper and water to cover.
3. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes, or until potatoes are done and flavors have melded.
4. Serve hot with leftover garlic bread, or add rice for a stew.

Coconut Lime Shiitake

Ingredients

• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Tbsp coconut oil
• 2 cans coconut milk
• 2 cups water
• 3 limes, juiced
• 2 Tbsp green curry paste
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• 1 pkg fresh shiitakes, sliced thinly, stems removed and reserved for stock if desired
• 1 lime leaf *optional

Instructions

1. Sauté the onion and garlic in coconut oil until softened, 5 minutes.
2. Add coconut milk, water, lime juice, and green curry paste.
3. Mix to combine, then add soy sauce, shiitakes (and lime leaf if using.)
4. Cook on low heat until shiitakes are softened, about 10 minutes.
5. Taste, adjust seasonings and serve hot.

Scorched Pepper & Peanut

Ingredients

• 1 pkg vermicelli rice noodles
• 1 bag sweet peppers
• 1 pkg mixed mushrooms
• 2 cloves garlic, sliced
• 1 yellow onion, sliced in slivers
• 1 tsp coconut oil
• 1 tsp red chili paste
• 2 limes, zested & juiced
• 1 Tbsp fish sauce (optional)
• 1 quart vegetable stock
• ½ pkg baby kale 
• ½ bunch cilantro, rinsed and chopped
• 1-2 cups peanuts, roasted and unsalted

Instructions

1. Heat a pot of water to boiling. Remove from heat, add noodles, and let sit 3-4 minutes, or until softened but not mushy or falling apart.
2. While water is coming to a boil, preheat oven to a high broil.
3. Cover a baking sheet in aluminum foil and scatter peppers evenly on it.
4. Place sheet pan under the broiler in the lowest part of the oven.  Allow the broiler to scorch the peppers for 10 minutes.  Remove when the peppers are browned or even a bit charred.
5. In a large pot, heat coconut oil, chili paste, mushrooms, garlic, and onion for 5 minutes.
6. Remove from heat, add lime zest and juice, fish sauce and beef or veggie stock. Bring to a boil, remove from heat, add baby kale, pour over noodles individual bowls, and top with cilantro, scorched peppers, and peanuts.

Creamy White Bean with Pesto Drizzle

Ingredients

• 1 large pkg basil
• 1 cup pine nuts, toasted
• 1 cup grated parmesan *optional
• 2 cloves garlic, left whole
• 1 pinch red pepper flakes
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 lemon, zested and juiced
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• ½ bag white beans, cooked (2 cups reserved)
• 2 Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 1-2 quarts chicken or vegetable stock
• 2 tsp salt and pepper (or to taste)

Instructions

1. Make pesto first by combining basil, pine nuts, parmesan*, garlic, red pepper flakes, half of olive oil, pinch of salt and lemon zest and juice in a food processor or blender. Set aside.
2. Sauté onion and garlic in the rest of the olive oil for 5 minutes.  Add beans (minus 2 cups), potatoes, and chicken or vegetable stock.  Cook for 20 minutes.  
3. Puree the soup in a blender, add the rest of the beans and add salt. Taste and adjust seasonings. Cook until heated through and top with pesto to serve.

Rosada Chili

For Beans

• 1 bag rosada beans (pink beans, dried)
• 1 thumb-sized piece kombu (seaweed)
• lots of water
• NO SALT

Instructions

1. Rinse beans and place in a large ovenproof pot with a lid.
2. Cover beans with water to 2 inches above where the beans end.
3. Bring to a boil and set a timer for 15 minutes.
4. While beans are boiling, preheat oven to 250 F.
5. Once timer goes off, transfer pot (with lid) to the oven and set a timer for 60 minutes.
6. Check beans after 60 minutes and make sure there’s still enough water to cover beans.
7. Continue cooking for up to 30 minutes more if beans are not tender, but don’t overcook. You still want the beans to be intact and not completely mushy!
8. Drain and use or freeze.

For Chili

• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 1 lb ground beef *optional
• 3 Tbsp cumin
• 2 Tbsp chili powder
• 1 Tbsp garlic powder and paprika
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 can chopped tomatoes
• 1 1/2 quarts water
• 4 cups cooked beans (or more if desired)

Toppings

• queso fresco
• avocado
• radishes, julienne cut
• tortilla chips (we used nacho flavored flax chips from Wegmans)
• chopped tomatoes
• oregano and paprika
  

Instructions

1. Sauté onion and beef together until browned, about 10 minutes, with spices.
2. Add tomatoes, water, and beans and cook over medium heat until thickened, about 25 minutes.
3. Taste, adjust seasonings if needed.
4. Serve with desired garnishes.

As a special gift to you guys, take advantage and try Vie for yourself!  Use the promo code katheats when you subscribe for a Meal Plan and get one month free. That’s 8 meal plans a week and over 220 recipes all based on sale items at your favorite stores. If you don’t have the Vie sale grocery stores in your area, not to worry! With Vie you can just shop at your favorite store as usual, just make sure to choose sale items when possible to save even more.

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