Lentil - Veggie Soup

When does soup season officially start in your household?  My car said it was 45 degrees outside yesterday morning when I was up and out early.  Commence souping!  

I've been focusing on natural immunity boosting this past week with my private Facebook community, Lean In with Tara Allen Health.  The omnipresent echo of late October sniffles always seem to inspire my most nurturing of recipes.  Besides the winning ingredients (garlic, spices, plants, protein) in this next recipe, the fact that it is a soup - a hot liquid - will be key in helping to fight off some germs.  When we bring a mug of something nice and hot close to our face (no burning yourself though, deal?!), the steam helps to kill off those pesky buggers that like to hang out in our nostrils and cause head colds.  So, take your time with your soup or tea or coffee and try to inhale as you canoodle with your warm cup of ANYthing. :-)

Here's a soup recipe that I happen to love.  I wanted something warming, hearty, plant-based, and free of dairy and gluten so my whole family could partake.  If it passes that taste-test for your family, make it in large batches next time around and freeze some so if/when you ARE feeling under the weather, you have this on the ready and don't even have to worry about cooking.

***Lentil-Veggie Soup***

Ingredients:

1 pound lentils, rinsed

2 quarts broth (chicken, veggie, whatever)

1 cup onion, chopped

1 cup tomatoes, chopped

1/2 cup celery, chopped

1/2 cup carrots, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

3 T olive oil

2 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp chili powder

Directions:

1. Pour olive oil in bottom of large saucepan on stovetop (medium heat).

2. Add carrots, celery, onion, and garlic, and cook about 5 minutes (onions should become slightly translucent).

3. Add all remaining ingredients.

4. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low.

5. Cook an additional 30-35 minutes on low.

6. Serve as is for a chunkier consistency.  Or, use an immersion blender (or transfer to a blender in batches) for a smoother consistency (picky toddlers, anyone?). ;-)

7. Freeze any leftovers that won't be eaten over the next few days.

Vegan "Cheesy" Broccoli Soup

This week brought some much-needed rain here on the East Coast of the U.S.  The trees were happy and our bellies wanted us to hunker down and eat some warm soup!  

This vegan and gluten-free Broccoli Soup brought us just the warmth and coziness we were looking for.  For Magnolia, this doubled as a dip - as everything seems to these days.  ;-)

The secret to the creaminess without the cheese in this soup is cashews!  They get soaked for a few hours, drained, and the blended with the other ingredients to get the desired texture; plus extra protein, fiber, and healthy fat!

The cashews are getting a bath before go-time!

The kiddos enjoying some comfort food!

VEGAN "CHEESY" BROCCOLI SOUP

Ingredients:

• 2 cups cashews
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 cups vegetable broth
• 2 cups broccoli
• 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
• 2 T coconut oil
• 1 T turmeric
• juice from 1 lemon
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Soak cashews for 4 hours in enough water to cover.
2. Drain and rinse cashews and set aside.
3. Put coconut oil, garlic, and onions in large pot and sauté for about 5 minutes.
4. Add vegetable broth, broccoli, nutritional yeast, salt, pepper, lemon juice, and turmeric.
5. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer.
6. Cook an additional 5-8 minutes - until broccoli is soft.
7. Use an immersion blender or transfer 1/2 the soup into a regular blender.  Add cashews and blend until smooth.  *Note: Carefully cover top of blender with a towel and hold top on to prevent the hot liquid from leaking out through the top.
8. Transfer second half of soup to blender and blend until broccoli pieces are smaller, but do not blend until smooth if you'd like more texture in your soup (for a very smooth textured soup, blend both batches completely).

Vegan "Cheesy" Broccoli Soup

Spaghetti Squash Hack

These suckers are fun, delicious, versatile, did I mention fun?!  :-)  But, have you noticed none of your knives seem to be able to cut them open?  It used to take longer for me to cut open the vegetable than it did for my oven to preheat to 400 degrees!

Until now...

Try this: Score the spaghetti squash all the way around with your knife.  Then throw it in the microwave for 3.5 minutes.  (Carefully) remove and resume cutting.  It's not as seamless as getting through a banana, but you'll notice a big improvement.

Then, just place the two halves on a baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees for 40-50 minutes.

Some ideas for toppings:

• tomato sauce and cheese
• avocado, cilantro, and garlic
• olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper
• baked apples, cinnamon, and coconut oil for a sweet version
• dill yogurt sauce with chopped cucumbers
• pumpkin puree, cinnamon, nutmeg
• hummus and sriracha for an uber-quick, creamy / spicy dish

Now that I saved you 10,561 hours of cutting time, what do YOU plan to make with the spaghetti squash?  Bonus points for creativity.  ;-)