Keeping it brief, I bought a bunch of bok choy and wasn't sure what to do with it all. Searching for recipes, I came across a hot and sour soup. AND I couldn't believe how easy it was. I had to modify it a fair bit because I prefer more hot and more sour than the recipe had. Here is my SOUPED up version (every bit of the pun intended). Many of the ingredients are swappable, add more such as baby corn and water chestnuts. Leave out the egg if you want it vegan. The nutrition facts are approximate depending which ingredients you use. More soup recipes to come to battle this winter.
Gazpacho is a traditional dish from Spain that spread to Portugal and Latin America. They all have their own variations with adding bread or avocados and even omitting the tomatoes and having more fruit-based like watermelon. They traditionally use a mortar and pestle instead of a blender of food processor, which cause the puree to foam a bit, and a sieve for the tomatoes to get the seeds out.
It is great summer soup because it is a soup served cold and the acidity of the tomatoes add to the refreshingness of it. There is some prep work with dicing and chopping. Or you can just throw it all in the food processor until completely pureed. Your choice and it is worth it either way!
To make the soup as rich and flavorful as you can, use fresh tomatoes from your own tomato plants or gather some up at a wonderful local farmers' market. Canned tomatoes can be more flavorful than many fresh ones you buy in your regular supermarket. Check out this article on tomatoes. Letting it sit longer also enhances the flavor of the soup, a minimum of 2 hours but t is still spectacular days down the road.
Visit That's Vegetarian?! to prepare any one of the dishes and you'll find yourself saying "That's Vegetarian?!"
Gazpacho
1/2c Celery, chopped
1 Red, orange, or yellow bell pepper, chopped
1 Red onion, chopped
1 Garlic clove, chopped
1 Cucumber, peeled and chopped
2t Hot pepper such as jalapeno, Anaheim, or Serrano, chopped
1/2c Cilantro, chopped + 12 stems for garnish
5 Tomatoes, chopped
2c Tomato juice
1 can Tomatoes, diced
1 Avocado, cubed (opt)
2T White wine vinegar
1T avocado oil or olive oil
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 lime wedged
Mix the celery, peppers, onion, garlic, cucumber, cilantro, and 3 of the chopped tomatoes in a large bowl. Using a regular or immersion blender or a food processor, puree the can of tomatoes. Add half of the veggie mixture to the pureed tomatoes and pulse about 5 times for 3-5 seconds each time. Add the remaining mixture and pulse another five times. Continue to blend until you get your desired texture. Pour into a bowl and mix in the tomato juice, remaining chopped tomatoes, vinegar and oil. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Chill in the refrigerator for a minimum of 2 hours, preferably overnight.
Serve with cilantro, lime wedge, avocado and/or cucumber slices.
Ahhhhh, Thanksgiving is just around the
corner. For those of you who haven’t
gone shopping for your Turkey Day feast, here is a great recipe for you. And surprise surprise – no turkey
here. I enjoy the fixins but not
any of that fake turkey stuff.
Staying away from the over processed products as much as I can. I have my weaknesses (fakin), but I can
do without the other “look like meat” products.
Add this great Apple Butternut Squash Soup with
the special ingredient of red lentils.
When the red lentils are pureed with the soup you can’t even tell they
are in there. Plus, they don’t
need to be soaked because they are so small. By roasting the squash instead of boiling it, a layer of
complexity and a sweet caramelization develops.
This soup is chock full of nutrients and a great
cold buster. Butternut squash is
super high in Vitamin A and pretty substantial in Vitamin C, Manganese, and
Potassium. It is also a good
source of Vitamin E, bunch of B’s, Calcium and Magnesium. The apples add even more Vitamin C and
fiber. Red lentils add more fiber,
protein, Folate, Iron, Copper, and Manganese. Ginger is great for digestion, cold prevention, migraine
relief, and pain and inflammation.
Nutmeg is good for brain stimulation, pain relief, indigestion and
cleansing. I didn’t know this soup
was so beneficial!!!
Also check out our previous blogs for additional
information and recipes for the fall:
Preheat oven to 400F. Spray a baking sheet with the olive oil and place the cubed
butternut squash in a single layer.
Spray with more olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, toss. Roast for about 30 minutes tossing
after 15 minutes.
While the squash is roasting, prepare the
remaining ingredients. Add 1 t
olive oil to pot. Add the chopped
onions and apples. When soft, add
nutmeg, ginger, and red pepper.
Stir. Wait a minute or so
until you can smell the spices come alive and fragrant. Add broth, lentils and water. Simmer for 30 minutes.
Remove squash from oven and add to simmering soup. Cook for an additional 10 minutes. Puree in blender or using a stick
blender. Be careful as the soup is
HOT. Add salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with fresh ginger and nutmeg.
