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Dinner Tonight: Vegan Potato Leek Soup

By: Friday, December 4, 2015 Healthy Cooking, Healthy Eating, Recipes , , , , Permalink 0

Vegan Potato Leek Soup | The Organic Beauty Blog

Even though winter in Santa Monica comes in a very mild 50-60 degree variety, the evenings do get chilly enough to light the fireplace and incite a desire for soup.  Delicious warming soups are literally the only thing that used to get me through the gross New York winters I was subjected to for years, so I’m happy that the tradition can continue here on the West Coast, if under slightly (ok majorly) less depressing circumstances.

I’ve been posting some of our soup creations on my Instagram and received a request for recipes, so I’ll do my best to post our favorites here throughout the season, to inspire you all (especially those of you who are freezing your little butts off in the rest of the country ; )

Our weekly soup is influenced in no small part by what that week’s CSA bounty was, which keeps us on our toes and keeps things interesting.

This week, we got a ton of leeks, potatoes and herbs, so this soup was pretty much a no-brainer.  I added a can of organic coconut milk at the end to make it creamier, healthy-fattier, and a touch more decadent — and I highly recommend you do the same!  Almond milk will do in a pinch, but I really like the particular flavor that the coconut milk lends.  Enjoy!

Vegan Potato Leep Soup

Serves 4

V / GF

2 tbsp olive oil
6-8 medium potatoes, cubed (any kind will do, I used a mix)
2 leeks, halved and sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
6 cups vegetable broth (I use water and Seitenbacher Vegetable Broth Powder)
1 can organic coconut milk
1 green onion, chopped (for garnish)
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the potatoes, garlic and leeks and sauté for 5-7 minutes, or until leeks begin to soften.  Add the pepper, thyme and bay leaves and give it a stir.  Add the broth, and bring to a boil.  Cover, lower heat, and simmer until potatoes are soft, about 15 minutes.  Remove from heat, and remove bay leaves.  Puree with an immersion blender.  Add coconut milk and salt to taste. Puree until creamy.  Garnish with chopped green onion.

Any Root Winter Vegetable Soup

By: Friday, November 22, 2013 Diet and Foods, Healthy Eating, Recipes , , , , Permalink 0

By: Natasha Uspensky, CHHC

Any Root Winter Vegetable Soup | The Organic Beauty Blog

There’s nothing like a warm, comforting bowl of soup on a chilly early winter evening, and throwing together an amazingsoup from what you have on hand is so much easier than you think!  Not only is this any-root vegetable soup deceptively simple, you can make it with literally whatever seasonal veggies you have on hand. Potatoes, sweet potatoes, parsnips, rutabaga, celeriac, carrots, turnips… anything!  Perfect for those winter CSA deliveries you don’t know what to do with ; ) Make a big pot to last you all week long for a perfect, healthy dinner that will keep you slim, warm, and healthy all winter long.

Any Root Vegetable Winter Soup

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

3 tbsp olive oil, plus more for serving

1 large onion or 2 leeks (white and light green part only), diced

2 to 3 celery stalks, diced

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

3 rosemary or thyme branches

2 bay leaves

3 1/2 pounds mixed root vegetables (whatever you have on hand–carrot, parsnip, celery root, turnip, rutabaga, sweet or regular potato), peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks

2 teaspoons sea salt, or more as needed

1/2 teaspoon black pepper, or more as needed

Juice of 1/2 organic lemon, plus more for serving

Red pepper flakes, optional

 

Directions

  1. Heat olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed soup pot.
  2. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes.
  3. Add celery and cook for an additional 5 minutes.
  4. Add garlic, rosemary or thyme, and bay leaves, and cook for another 2 minutes.
  5. Add root vegetables, 8 cups water, salt and pepper, and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until vegetables are tender, about 30-40 minutes.
  6. Remove rosemary branches and bay leaves.
  7. Puree the soup in batches in your blender, or use an immersion blender.  Puree until smooth.
  8. Season with lemon juice, and add a little extra salt, if needed.
  9. Serve with a drizzle of olive oil, a few extra drops of lemon juice, a sprinkle of crushed red pepper (optional), and a sprig of thyme or rosemary.

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Soups: Your Quick and Easy Dinner Solution

By: Friday, June 28, 2013 Diet and Foods, Healthy Cooking, Healthy Eating, Nutrition, Organic Beauty, Recipes , , , , Permalink 0

By: Natasha Uspensky, CHHC

Soups Your Quick and Easy Dinner Solution | The Organic Beauty Blog

A light, delicious, vegetable-based soup makes the perfect dinner for encouraging healthy weight, quality sleep, improved digestion, and increased energy in the mornings.  Soups are easily digestible, which leaves your body primed for rest, detoxification, and rejuvenation while you sleep, instead of expending tons of energy on digesting a big meal full of slow-to-digest foods like animal protein and grains.  Plus, it is super easy to throw together a delicious, quick dinnertime soup that leaves you free to relax and enjoy your evening, without spending hours in the kitchen!  Cook a big pot for the week, and enjoy your freedom!

 

A super important trick for quick and easy soups is a good quality vegetable broth base.  My absolute favorite for a flavorful, delicious broth is Seitenbacher Vegetable Broth Powder.  It’s all natural, instant, and allows you to customize how strongly flavored you want your broth.  I use it for all of my soups!  Pacific Organics and Imagine Organics make ok ones too, but in my opinion, nothing beats the natural broth powder!

Your other tools for whipping up a dinner soup in no time at all are canned veggies.  Stock up your pantry with canned organic beans and canned organic tomatoes.  Other pantry staples include yellow onions, garlic, greens, and olive oil.

Check out our delicious quick and easy dinner soup recipes!

Quick Vegan Creamy Tomato Basil Soup

Quick White Bean and Kale Soup

Raw Summer Gazpacho

Chilled Cucumber Soup with Mint

Any Root Vegetable Soup

Acorn Squash & Apple Soup

Split Pea, Fennel & Spinach Soup

Thai Sweet Potato Soup

 

Quick Raw Summer Gazpacho

By: Friday, June 28, 2013 Diet and Foods, Healthy Cooking, Healthy Eating, Nutrition, Recipes , , , , Permalink 0

By: Natasha Uspensky, CHHC

This delicious raw gazpacho is an amazingly detoxifying dinner for a hot summer night.  The garlic, onion, and jalapeño add some bite, while the fennel and bell peppers bring out even more sweetness from the fresh tomatoes.

Quick Raw Gazpacho

Serves 4

Cooking time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

4 large tomatoes, cut into chunks

2 yellow bell peppers, cut into chunks

1 red onion, chopped

2 stalks of fennel (not the bulb), with leaves, chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

1/2 jalapeno pepper (optional)

3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped

1/4 cup raw apple cider vinegar

2 tbsp olive oil

1 cup water, low-sodium vegetable stock, or water with 1-2 tbsp of Seitenbacher vegetable broth powder

Sea salt to taste

Directions:

Blend or food process all the ingredients, add a little water if you need it for consistency.  Garnish with basil or cilantro.  Serve chilled.

Quick Vegan Creamy Tomato Basil Soup

By: Friday, June 28, 2013 Diet and Foods, Healthy Cooking, Healthy Eating, Nutrition, Organic Beauty, Recipes , , , , Permalink 0

By: Natasha Uspensky, CHHC

This creamy tomato soup is going to become a fast favorite for the whole family.  The quinoa and coconut milk lend the soup and delicious rich creaminess that’s so good, you won’t even miss the dairy!  Plus, the cooked tomatoes are loaded with tons of lycopene, which is an amazing antioxidant.

Quick Vegan Creamy Tomato Basil Soup

Serves 4
Cooking time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 yellow onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped

1 (28 oz.) can organic diced tomatoes with juice

2 tbsp fresh basil, chopped, plus a bit more for garnish

1 tsp raw organic apple cider vinegar (or more, if you’d like a little more acidity)

1 cup low sodium vegetable broth, or 1 cup water with 1-2 tbsp Seitenbacher vegetable broth powder

1/2 cup organic coconut milk (you can also use almond milk)

1 tbsp cooked quinoa or millet (optional)

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Directions:

Heat olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat.  Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes.  Add garlic and cook for another minute.  Add tomatoes and juice and apple cider vinegar, and bring to a boil.  Once boiling, add broth, quinoa, and basil.  Bring to a boil again.  Simmer for 5 minutes.  Add coconut milk, stir, and remove from heat.  Blend with immersion blender or in standing blender, in batches if necessary.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Garnish with a bit of basil, and serve with a slice of whole grain bread.

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Quick White Bean and Kale Soup

By: Friday, June 28, 2013 Diet and Foods, Healthy Cooking, Healthy Eating, Nutrition, Recipes , , , , Permalink 0

By: Natasha Uspensky, CHHC

This quick and delicious soup makes for a hearty and healthy dinner.  A rainbow of colors tells you you’re getting tons of yummy vitamins, and the beans mean everyone will feel full and satisfied from a vegetable protein that won’t weigh you down!

Quick White Bean and Kale Soup

Serves 4

Cooking time: 30 min

Ingredients:

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 yellow onion, chopped

4 large garlic cloves, roughly chopped

1 (32 oz) carton of low-sodium organic vegetable broth, or 4 cups of water seasoned with Seitenbacher broth powder

4 cups packed chopped kale

2 large carrots, peeled and sliced into rounds

1 (14.5 oz) can of organic, unsalted cannelini beans

1 (14.5 oz) can of organic diced tomatoes

Directions:

Heat oil over medium heat in a soup pot.  Add onion and cook 3 minutes.  Add garlic and cook another two minutes.  Add carrots and cook another minute.  Add broth, tomatoes and their juice and bring to a boil.  Cook about 5 minutes, or until carrots are tender. Add beans and kale and cook until kale is tender, about another 5-7 minutes. Season with freshly ground pepper to taste.  Serve with rye or multigrain toast.

Tonight’s Supper: Split Pea, Fennel and Spinach Soup!

By: Monday, March 11, 2013 Diet and Foods, Healthy Cooking, Healthy Eating, Nutrition, Recipes , , , , Permalink 0

This delicious soup is perfect for the season.  Combining yummy, vibrant, and nutritious late winter ingredients, this warming super green concoction will satisfy even the pickiest palates!

Split Pea, Fennel and Spinach Soup

Serves 8

This vibrant soup makes great use of leftover fennel stalks.  Enjoy with a slice of dark rye toast to make it a meal!
  • 2 cups chopped fennel (1 bulb or 
5 fennel stalks, fronds removed)
  • 1 large onion, chopped (2 cups)
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced (1 Tbs.)
  • 1 cup dry white wine, divided
  • 15 oz. dried green split peas
  • 1 tsp. fennel seeds, divided
  • ½ tsp. dried thyme
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 5 oz. baby spinach leaves

1. Heat saucepan coated with cooking spray over medium heat. Add fennel and onion, and sauté 8 minutes. Stir in garlic, and cook 30 seconds. Add 1/2 cup wine, and simmer 2 minutes. Add split peas, 1/2 tsp. fennel seeds, thyme, bay leaf, and 7 cups water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer 50 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2. Add remaining 1/2 cup wine, and cook, uncovered, 10 minutes, or until split peas are tender. Stir in spinach, and cook 2 minutes, or until spinach is wilted.

3. Remove bay leaf, and purée soup with immersion blender until smooth. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Toast remaining 1/2 tsp. fennel seeds in small skillet 2 minutes, or until fragrant. Serve soup garnished with toasted fennel seeds.

{Recipe and photo from Vegetarian Times}