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4 12, 2018

Hearty Cauliflower Chowder

By |2022-06-27T13:28:57-04:00December 4th, 2018|Soup|5 Comments

This past weekend rained. I mean, it really rained. By now, we would expect the rain to be beautiful white fluffy flakes that make us feel all festive. The house was damp and our mood needed a little boost. I decided on Saturday that a hearty pot of soup might warm us from the inside out. I planned to make said soup on Sunday. Sunday was the exact opposite of Saturday – it was gloriously sunny and a delight to be outside. We no longer needed a warm bowl of soup, but I was committed! Boy, am I ever glad I stuck to it. This soup as it turned out ended up being more than I expected and is now a part of my soup rotation.

This cauliflower chowder is dairy free and gluten free, but that’s where the free part ends. There is no skimping on flavour or heartiness!

Hearty Cauliflower Chowder

Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Dairy Free, Gluten Free
Keyword: Comfort Food
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Servings: 12 people
Calories: 122kcal
Hearty soup that is quick, easy and delicious!
Print Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 1 medium onion diced
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 head cauliflower, cut into bite sized pieces frozen works really well here
  • 6 cups organic veggie or chicken broth
  • 4 carrot cut into coins
  • 2 ribs celery sliced
  • 2 cups corn frozen
  • 1/4 cup bacon bits
  • 1/2 cup cheese, shredded use Daiya shreds for dairy free option
  • 1/2 cup green onions

Instructions

  • Melt butter in large soup pot. Saute diced onion until translucent and almost caramelizing. Add 2 cloves garlic. Saute for another minute.
  • Add cauliflower and broth to the pot. Bring to a boil and simmer until cauliflower is soft. Using an immersion blender, puree the cauliflower & onions with the broth.
  • Add carrots, celery & corn. Simmer for another 20 minutes or until veggies are softened.
  • Serve with real bacon bits, shredded cheese & green onions.

Notes

Using frozen veggies will make this soup even easier to make in a hurry!

Nutrition

Calories: 122kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 7mg | Sodium: 195mg | Potassium: 420mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 3613IU | Vitamin C: 28mg | Calcium: 70mg | Iron: 1mg
12 10, 2017

Homemade Nourishing Broth

By |2017-10-12T11:26:11-04:00October 12th, 2017|Soup|0 Comments

Making your own broth is much more economical & healthier than purchasing broth from the grocery stores. Most store bought broth and soup contain high levels of sodium and artificial flavour enhancers such as autolyzed yeast extract or even MSG. All you need is a slow cooker and some time to let magic happen in the kitchen! Bone broth offers nutrients such as as collagen, glycine, l-glutamine and protein. It is often recommended as nutrient therapy for leaky gut and joint support.

Homemade Nourishing Broth

Course: Main
Cuisine: Candida, Dairy Free, Gluten Free
Keyword: Comfort Food, Healthy, slow cooker
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 1 day
Total Time: 1 day 10 minutes
Servings: 10 cups
Calories: 9kcal
There is nothing like homemade, nourishing broth for your soup or to elevate rice and quinoa dishes.
Print Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1 large beef soup bone or leftover roast chicken bones
  • 2 tbsp raw apple cider vinegar
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 medium onion quartered
  • 1 large carrot
  • 1 large stalk celery
  • 1 tbsp sea salt
  • water to fill slow cooker

Instructions

  • Ask your butcher to cut the large beef soup bone into smaller chunks for you. (I usually spend $13-$14 on my beef bone or $2 on my chicken bones.) This will help increase the surface area of the bone and get you more of those wonderful nutrients.
  • Place everything in the slow cooker and simmer on low for 24 - 48 hours. The long cooking time and low heat ensures you are getting the most out of your broth. You may have to add some water to top up the crock pot during cooking.
  • Once cooking is complete, use a ladle, canning funnel and strainer to pour broth into freezer-safe glass jars. Be sure to leave about 1.5 inches from the top of the jar and screw on lid. Allow broth to cool completely and then store in the freezer. Leaving the space at the top of the jar will allow the broth to expand without cracking the jar. Alternatively, freeze pucks of broth in a muffin container. Once frozen solid, pop pucks into a large freezer-safe container.
  • Skim off the excess fat that will collect at the top of the jar before serving.
  • Enjoy the broth in a mug by itself or use as a base for soup, brown rice or quinoa dishes or to sauté vegetables.
  • Note: You can absolutely make wonderful veggie broth. Simply replace the bones with more veggies like carrots, celery, onions and garlic.

Notes

Add brown rice vermicelli noodles, nori (dried seaweed), frozen peas or shredded carrots to broth to make a healthy soup.

Nutrition

Calories: 9kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 704mg | Potassium: 39mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 1203IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 6mg | Iron: 1mg

12 05, 2017

Easy Lentil Soup

By |2017-05-12T09:49:45-04:00May 12th, 2017|Soup|0 Comments

Lentils are a fantastic source of protein, fibre,and iron. They also help stabilize blood sugar and reduce cholesterol. Did I mention that they are also a very budget friendly food? With two boys who are heading towards the teen years, I need all the help I can get!

Easy Lentil Soup

Course: Appetizer, Main Dish
Cuisine: Dairy Free, Egg Free, Gluten Free, Vegan
Keyword: Comfort Food, Easy
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 8 people
Calories: 187kcal
Looking for something protein packed & delicious? Look no further! This lentil soup is so tasty and went together in about 30 minutes!
Print Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1 medium cooking onion diced
  • 2 medium carrots diced
  • 2 ribs celery diced
  • 2 cups red lentils rinsed & drained
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 19 oz can stewed tomatoes
  • 1 tbsp curry powder
  • 1/2 tbsp sea salt
  • 6 cups veggie or chicken broth

Instructions

  • Dice and sauté onion, carrots and celery. Add 2 c red lentils, rinsed & drained. Sauté for a minute with 2 cloves of minced garlic. Add one large can diced tomatoes, 1 tbsp curry powder, 1/2 tbsp sea salt and 6 c chicken or veggie broth. Simmer for 25 and blend with a hand held immersion blender. Enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 187kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 459mg | Potassium: 537mg | Fiber: 16g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 2618IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 43mg | Iron: 4mg

28 01, 2017

Cozy Chicken Soup

By |2017-01-28T07:25:58-05:00January 28th, 2017|Soup|0 Comments

Try my cozy chicken soup with a surprise burst of cilantro. It is soooo tasty! Cilantro is a leafy green herb and is rich in antioxidants, can help soothe an upset stomach and can even help balance blood sugar levels. To read more about cilantro’s long list of benefits, click here.

Cozy Chicken Soup

Course: Soup
Cuisine: Dairy Free, Gluten Free
Keyword: Comfort Food, kid approved
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 307kcal
There is nothing like a cozy bowl of chicken soup to soothe a tired throat and make you feel taken care of. This soup is a winner around our table!
Print Recipe

Ingredients

  • 10 cups chicken broth homemade
  • 1 bunch green onions sliced
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 4-6 chicken thighs skinless & boneless
  • 4 medium potatoes cubed with skin on
  • 4 medium carrots sliced & cut into quarters
  • 1 cup frozen corn
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • 1 cup milk cow or rice work well
  • 1/2 cup cilantro finely chopped or minced

Instructions

  • Boil broth with chicken, onions, garlic and potatoes until chicken is cooked through. If you don't have homemade chicken broth on hand, you can use 2 organic tetra pack containers from the grocery store.
    Once the chicken is cooked through, remove from pot and place in a deep bowl and set aside. Add to the pot the carrots, corn, sea salt, milk and cilantro and bring to a boil. Now, using two forks you can shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces and return to the pot. Simmer on low for 15-20 minutes. Serve with fresh cilantro on top if you wish. Enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 307kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 58mg | Sodium: 320mg | Potassium: 1030mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 5286IU | Vitamin C: 25mg | Calcium: 77mg | Iron: 2mg

15 06, 2016

Healthy Italian Vegetable Minestrone

By |2016-06-15T19:18:00-04:00June 15th, 2016|Soup|0 Comments

Vegetable Minestrone

Course: Main, Soup
Cuisine: Dairy Free, Italian, Vegetarian
Keyword: Comfort Food, Easy, Healthy, slow cooker
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 6 hours
Total Time: 6 hours 10 minutes
Servings: 8 people
Calories: 130kcal
Need a quick and easy crowd pleaser? Look no further! This hearty soup has it all - flavour, taste and will keep you full for hours.
Print Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1 medium onion diced
  • 1 bag Mediterranean vegetables frozen
  • 6 cups chicken or vegetable broth organic or homemade
  • 1 large can diced tomatoes low sodium
  • 2 tbsp basil leaves dried
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 2 cups whole grain or gluten free pasta uncooked

Instructions

  • Combine all ingredients except pasta. Mix well and cover. Cook on low for 6 hours or high for 3-4 hours. Add pasta 30 minutes before serving and allow noodles to cook to your liking. Cooking times will vary with type and size of pasta used as well as personal preference.

Notes

When buying pasta make sure it says 100% whole grain. This means it is made from flour that contains the entire grain kernel, the germ, endosperm and bran. Whole grain pasta is rich in many nutrients essential for human health and is high in dietary fibre, which promotes regularity and may help lower cholesterol and aid in cancer prevention. For my gluten free friends, opt for brown rice, lentil, quinoa or chickpea pasta.

Nutrition

Calories: 130kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 134mg | Potassium: 323mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 93IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 36mg | Iron: 2mg

2 06, 2014

Butternut Squash Soup

By |2022-02-09T17:04:25-05:00June 2nd, 2014|Appetizer, Soup|3 Comments

Hello Fall! Don’t get me wrong, I have been LOVING the past week or so of unseasonably warm temperatures, however there is just something wonderful about autumn that gets me excited. I think it is the combination of cozy sweaters, warm foods and pretty leaves that get the ball rolling.

Butternut squash is one of my favourite fall foods. It is a great source of fibre, B6 and folate. This recipe for soup is a hit every time! I recently made this with a group of seniors at a workshop. It got rave reviews! I love the creaminess of the coconut milk and the burst of lime.

How do you like to eat squash? Leave your comments below!

Butternut Squash Soup

Course: Main
Cuisine: Dairy Free, Egg Free, Gluten Free, Vegetarian
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 190kcal
There is nothing like a warm soup to warm the soul on a cool fall day. Butternut squash is full of healthy goodness to! It is a great source of fibre, vitamin B6 and folate. The coconut milk makes the soup rich and creamy and the burst of lime juice gives a little extra hit of flavour!
Print Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1 butternut squash
  • 4 cups broth (home made or store bought organic)
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1 small cooking onion
  • 2 tbsp coconut oil or butter
  • 1 tsp curry pwd optional
  • 1 inch ginger finely chopped
  • 1 can coconut milk
  • 1 small lime freshly squeezed
  • 1 tsp sea salt

Instructions

  • Wash and cut butternut squash in half.
  • Place into a cookie sheet, flesh side down into 1/2 inch water.
  • Bake in oven for about 30 – 45 minutes until flesh has softened. Baking time will depend on how big the squash is.
  • Allow squash to cool so that you can handle it comfortably and scoop out the insides.
  • Meanwhile, sauté onion in coconut oil or butter. Once onion is softened, add ginger & garlic and sauté for another 1 -2 minutes.
  • Add in squash and broth, coconut milk and sea salt.
  • Simmer for about 20 minutes. Squeeze the lime into the soup just before blending.
  • Using an immersion blender, blend the soup until smooth. DO NOT use a regular blender as the heat in the pitcher will cause the lid to blow off, sending hot soup all over you and the kitchen. (I am speaking from experience here!)
  • Voila! You have a tasty soup that will warm you on a chilly warm day!

Nutrition

Calories: 190kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Sodium: 346mg | Potassium: 456mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 9966IU | Vitamin C: 23mg | Calcium: 58mg | Iron: 2mg

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