Bean Pasole

Everyone needs a few recipes that can come almost entirely from the pantry.  This is one of those recipes - you can basically have everything on hand you need to make it without a shopping trip.  This is something I keep in my hip pocket for a day when I don't feel like cooking, haven't been to the store, or don't have time to babysit the process.  The basics of this soup came to me from my friend Amanda.  She delivered this to my house one day when I was horribly sick.  My whole family loved it and I asked her for the recipe.  It only took minor changes to make this processed free and now we eat it all the time! 

 

2 - 15 oz. cans hominy (rinsed and drained)

2 - 15 oz. cans of beans (pinto, navy, kidney, etc.) I usually choose 2 different kids to look pretty

32 oz. container (4 1/2 cups) reduced sodium chicken or vegetable broth

16 oz. jar of thick and chunky medium salsa (no sugar added)

2 tsp. dried oregano

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream (or 6 Tbsp. milk + 3 Tbsp. butter)

 

optional toppings: cheese, avocado, tortilla strips, chopped cilantro, etc.

 

Put all the ingredients, except the cream, into a crockpot and cook on low 7 to 8 hours or on high for 3 to 4 hours.  30 minutes before serving, pour in the cream, stir, and recover.  Serve as is or add some additional toppings. 

 

Truth be told, I almost never add any other toppings because I haven't been to the store to get them.  Sometimes it's just a sprinkle of cheese.  You could also easily add some leftover roast, pork, or chicken to this if you are looking to use up a small amount of cooked meat.  This is very forgiving and ridiculously fast and easy.  

 

Cauliflower Leek Soup

 

I saw the idea of this soup on pinterest, but there were no exact measurements to recreate it.  I love discovering recipes that include more vegetables and can be processed free, so I played around with this until I figured out a soup I liked and could recreate.  This is super fast and easy, but you don't have to admit that if you don't want to!

3 Tbsp. butter or coconut oil
8 oz. bag of clean leeks chopped, or 2 leeks cleaned and chopped
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 head of cauliflower, cut into smaller pieces
32 oz. package of chicken or vegetable broth (4 1/2 cups)
salt and pepper

In a pot, saute the leeks in the butter/coconut oil until soft.  Add the garlic and saute another minute. Add the cauliflower and chicken broth and cover the pot.  Cook until the cauliflower is soft, about 10 minutes.  Uncover and blend in the pot with an immersion blender or in small batches in a regular blender.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  This will need some salt, so don't forget it!

You can add some toppings if you want.  My suggestions would be a drizzle of olive oil, freshly grated parmesan cheese or cheddar cheese, maybe a sprinkle of bacon or freshly chopped parsley.  This soup is good on it's own, but looks fancier with toppings. 

Zuppa Toscana

I think it's because of the winter chill and snow, but warm soup just seems perfect right now.  I love that it feels like it's thawing  you from the inside out.  This soup has always been one of my favorites.  I love the hearty chunks, creamy soup base, and fresh kale!  I did my homework and worked out how to make this as simple as possible and processed free.  Now, it's my new favorite soup!

1 lb. Italian sausage
1/2 to 1 tsp. red pepper flakes (to your tastes)
4 slices of bacon, chopped
1 large onion, diced or pureed
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 boxes (32 oz.) chicken broth
2 cups water
3 large russet potatoes, unpeeled and cut into small chunks
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
liberal sprinkling of white pepper
1/2 tsp. or more of salt
3 cups of chopped kale

In a large pot, sauté the Italian sausage and crushed red pepper.  Remove and set aside.  If your bacon is uncooked, add it to the pot then add the onions and garlic, If your bacon is already cooked, add the onions and garlic first and cook down, then add the bacon.  Once everything is cooked, add the chicken broth and water and bring to a boil.  Add the potatoes and cook until soft - this will take between 10 and 20 minutes depending on the size of your potatoes.  Add the heavy cream and sausage and heat through.  Add the white pepper and salt.  Check the seasoning to know if you want to add any more.  Stir in the chopped kale right before serving to keep it nice and bright green and stop it from wilting too much.

This soup is also very forgiving.  For instance, you could leave out the bacon entirely or add twice as much kale.  It will still taste great.  I think that might be my favorite thing about soups all together, almost anything works! 

Chicken and Vegetable Gnocchi Soup

I love soup!  It always feels like comfort food to me.  My new favorite thing is to eat at our backyard picnic table with the kids running around in the grass and enjoy the nice weather after the long winter.  This soup was what we had for dinner last night in our backyard and it felt like nature and my taste buds were giving me a big hug!

I first got this recipe from my friend Jeni.  I've since altered it to make it completely processed free and increased the veggies.  I kind of like to think of it more like a vegetable soup with a little chicken rather than the reverse.  I used a packaged gnocchi to make this fast and easy, but you can make them yourself with whole wheat flour or brown rice flour as a substitution for refined white flour.  Either way, it's delicious!

1 chicken breast, diced

1 Tbsp. coconut oil

4 Tbsp. butter

1/2 to 1 cup diced celery

1 onion diced or pureed

2 cloves garlic, minced

4 Tbsp. whole wheat flour/brown rice flour

1 quart half and half

2 carrots finely shredded

1 zucchini shredded

2 containers of chicken broth (14 oz. size) or one 26 oz. container

1 package gnocchi (whole wheat or gluten free made with rice flour)

1 cup fresh spinach, chopped finely

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. thyme

1/2 tsp. parsley

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

In a large pot, cook the chicken in the coconut oil.  Remove it from the pot and set aside.  Add the butter, onion, celery, and garlic to the pot and sauté over medium heat until translucent.  Stir in the flour and cook for one minute before adding the half and half.  Cook the gnocchi and set aside. Add the carrots and zucchini as well as the chicken back into the pot and let it thicken.  Pour in the chicken broth and allow to thicken again.  Add the gnocchi, spinach and seasonings and heat through.  Take a final taste before serving to check the seasoning.

Feel free to add any other leftover veggies to this soup, it will only make it better!  This can also become a vegetarian soup if you leave out the chicken and substitute the chicken broth for vegetable broth.  This pairs nicely with some clean biscuits (here's mine) and/or a nice salad. 

Asparagus Basil Soup with Herbed Goat Cheese

I had the TV on in the background the other day while my son was taking his nap and I was cleaning up some of the toys.  Giada was showing how to make this asparagus soup, and it looked so good, I went out that afternoon and picked up all the ingredients.  We had it with our dinner and let me tell you, it was so delicious!  If you like asparagus, you will flip for how great this tastes and how fast it comes together.  I didn't really have to alter it either to make it processed free, so that was a bonus.  Here it is.

2 Tbsp. unsalted butter (or use coconut oil, which might be my first choice)

1 leak (white and light green parts only) thinly sliced

4 cups low-sodium chicken broth

2 lbs. fresh asparagus (trim the woody ends off and chop into 1 inch pieces)

1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped

salt and pepper to taste

4 oz. (1/2 cup) goat cheese

2 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh basil

salt and pepper to taste

Once you have cut your leaks, put them in a bowl of water and swish them around with your fingers.  This will clean them because they tend to be sandy and no one wants to eat that.  In a large pot, heat the butter or oil.  Add the leaks (not the water) and stir until they have softened - it will only take a few minutes.  Add the broth, asparagus and basil with a little salt and pepper.  Bring it to a boil then reduce it to a simmer and cook for another 15 minutes or so - you want the asparagus to be tender.  Use an immersion blender to blend it right in the pot until it's smooth.  I love my immersion blender and would never be without one!  You could also ladle in small batches into a blender and blend it that way too.  Then return it to the pot and keep it on low until you are ready to serve.  Don't forget to give it another taste to see if it needs anymore salt.

I mixed up the goat cheese, basil, and salt and pepper while it was simmering.  Just combine them in a small bowl and when the soup is done, scoop out a small spoonful and place the dollop in the middle each bowl of soup.  Giada used a cookie scoop and pre-scooped these, then put them in the refrigerator to chill for 30 minutes.  Then she just grabbed one and placed it in the middle of the soup.  My thought was, I don't have time for that, so you get to scoop it yourself and add as much or as little as you want - don't complicate things. 

This was amazing, fresh, fast, and super healthy!  My husband raved about it and how fancy it looked.  I loved the added goat cheese and basil mixture, it gave it a great tang.  This will definitely be part of our regular dinner rotation when I can get asparagus on sale!  It made about 4 servings.