With us all being home, I thought it would be fun to pull up some Seriously Soupy soups from the archives.
These soup recipes have been favorites since I started that site in 2009, which have also been some of my go-to healthy meals during quarantine. Check out some of our favorites below:
Some of Our Favorite Comforting Soups
Butternut Squash Soup
Ingredients:
1 butternut squash, cubed
1 yellow onion, peeled and diced
2 -3 cloves of garlic, minced
Drizzle of olive oil
2-3 cups of water or broth
2 teaspoons of tumeric, approx.
2 teaspoons of cinnamon, approx.
2-3 carrots cut up or 1 whole sweet potato
Salt and pepper, to taste
Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees.
Bake the sweet potato (if using).
Cut squash open, lengthwise and scoop out the seeds.
Coat squash in garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper. Let cook for 45 minutes or so until soft.
Boil water or broth and cut up the onions and garlic.
Add the cooked squash and sweet potato, along with the cinnamon, turmeric, nutmeg and salt and pepper to the pot.
Let cook for 20-30 minutes.
Let cool for 10 minutes and blend.
Hummus Soup
Ingredients:
2-4 cups of water
1 large can of organic chickpeas
3-4 tablespoons of Joya sesame tahini
1-2 tablespoons of pre-choppped garlic or 1/2 clove of garlic, chopped
1 whole lemon, cut up and squeezed into the soup or lemon juice
sprig of fresh dill, chopped up (I pulled a handful)
sprig of fresh parsley, chopped up (I pulled a handful)
pinch of curry powder
*pinch of cumin
*pinch of turmeric
pinch of sea salt and black peppercorn
*amount of seasonings can be adjusted to your taste preferences
Directions:
Place water and garlic into a medium-sized pot. Chop up the dill and parlsey and add them to the pot, cover, and let boil for 10-15 minutes. Add the chickpeas and tahini and let cook for another 30 minutes. Add the salt, pepper, cumin, curry, and tumeric. Turn off the flame and blend (I used a hand blender). Top off with parsley and a drizzle of tahini for a garnish. Pour into a bowl and enjoy.
Lentil, Sweet Potato and Spinach Soup
Ingredients:
6 cups of water
2 cups of dry lentils
1 teaspoon of chopped garlic
1 whole sweet potato, chopped up
1 yellow onion, chopped up
bunch of carrots, cut up
1 tablespoon of smooth organic peanut butter (optional)
5-8 whole bay leaves
bunch of spinach
pinch of cumin
pinch of curry
pinch of pepper
pinch of sea salt
Directions:
Let the dry beans soak for a 2-3 hours before you start the soup. When ready to cook, pour the water in a pot, let boil and add the onions and garlic. Add the lentils, peanut butter, and bay leaves when the water comes to a steady boil. Cover the pot and cut up the potatoes and carrots. Let the lentils cook for an hour or so, checking on it periodically (adding water is common). Then add the potatoes and carrots, along with various seasonings (curry, salt, pepper and cumin) and cover. Make sure to taste as go and let cook for about another 45 minutes to an hour. Turn off the flame and place a bunch of fresh spinach on the bottom of a bowl, pour in the soup and enjoy!
Potato Leek Soup
Ingredients:
3 cups of vegetable broth
2 cups of water
1 cup of heavy cream
5 leeks, thinly cut up (using whole leek, including dark part)
1 yellow onion, chopped up into small squares
3 pounds of potatoes, peeled and cut into squares
1 green onion, thinly cut up
1/2 clove of garlic, chopped up
salt and pepper, to taste
Servings: 6
Directions:
Add the broth and water to a pot and set to a medium heat. Chop up the leeks and the onions into thin slices and the place it into the slightly boiling pot. Peel the potatoes and cut them into squares and place them in the pot, along with the scallions and the garlic (about 20 minutes later). Cover and let cook for 30 minutes. Place a fork through the potatoes, if soft add heavy cream, salt, and pepper. Blend together with a hand blender, where you should end up with a puree. I found that my mixture was way too thick, so I ended up adding 1/2 cup more of water and a splash more of heavy cream. Remove from the heat and serve in your soupy bowls. Enjoy!
Vegetable Stock Recipe
Ingredients:
8-10 cups of water, approx.
Bunch of dill
3-5 stalks of scallions, chopped up
1/2 red onion, chopped up
cloves of garlic
5-6 red and white potatoes, chopped up
1 head of broccoli
1 zucchini, chopped up
2-3 carrots, chopped up
1 clove of garlic, chopped up
Other ingredients for vegetable broth:
Celery
Mushrooms
Corn (right on the cob)
Spinach
Squash
Peppers
Sweet potatoes
Peas, corn
green beans
fresh herbs
Directions:
Add eight to 10 cups of water to a large pot and let boil. Cut up vegetables of your choice (skins and all), and add them to the boiling water. Consider some fresh herbs (my favs) and salt and pepper to flavor your stock. Cover the stock and place on a low flame, letting it cook for two to three hours. Check on it periodically to taste and stir. Turn off flame and strain veggies in a soup strainer (can also be used for a soup). Freezer half or use your stock for another soup! Enjoy.
Chicken Stock
Ingredients:
1 whole chicken cut into 1/4’s (I used a small organic chicken)
1 large pot almost completely filled (75%) with water
4 carrots
2 stalks of celery, cut up
2 small parsnips or 1 large parsnip, cut up
1 small yellow onion, diced into small cubes
1 small bunch of dill tied tied together with white thread
1 small bunch of parsley tied together with white thread
Approximately 2 tablespoons of salt, tasting throughout the simmering process, adding more if needed
Directions:
Fill up a pot with water and bring to a boil. Add the chicken and cover. While that is cooking cut up, tie the thread around the dill and parsley, and the clean the vegetables. When the water/chicken starts to boil, clean any bubbles or dirt that acclimates to the surface. Add all of the vegetables and the salt to the pot. Set to a very low flame and allow the water to simmer slowly for two hours. Periodically check the pot and taste the concoction, adding salt if needed. After three hours let the vegetables sit in the pot until they cool.
Ribollita (Bread Soup)
Ingredients:
2 cups of Northern white beans, soaked (or one 15-oz can of Northern white beans)
6 cups of water, approximately
2-3 tablespoons of olive oil
1 15-ounce can of organic stewed tomato sauce (or 2-4 fresh tomatoes, diced)
1 zucchini, cut up
1 bunch of red kale, cut up
2-3 carrots, cut up
2-3 stalks of celery, cut up
1/2 red onion, peeled and chopped
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
bunch of fresh basil, chopped up
2 teaspoons of dried rosemary
2 teaspoons of dried thyme
1 tablespoon of bread crumbs
Crunchy Italian or French bread
parmesan cheese
salt and pepper
Directions:
1. Soak the white beans for 2-3 hours.
2. When ready to cook, cut up the onions, carrots, zucchini and garlic.
3. Add the vegetables to the pot, along with some olive oil and one cup of water. Let cook for 10 minutes.
4. Add the tomatoes, fresh basil, beans, rosemary, thyme and the rest of the water and cover. Let cook for an hour (checking and stirring the soup periodically).
5. After an hour (or so), add the bread crumbs and kale and let cook for another 5 minutes.
6. Cut up the bread into small squares and add them to the soup.
7. Serve and top with parmesan cheese (optional).
Garlicky Green Soup
Ingredients:
1 yellow onion, peeled and chopped
2-3 cups of water
1/2 cup of frozen peas
1/2 cup of broccoli
2 ribs of celery, chopped up
Bunch of spinach, rinsed
1/4 tablespoon of dried thyme
1/4 tablespoon of dried rosemary
2-3 potatoes, cut up
1/2 cup of green peas
1 tablespoon of Garlic Gold with Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
1/4 tablespoon of Garlic Gold Nuggets
dollop of Greek yogurt (optional)
salt and pepper, to taste
Directions:
Add water to a medium-sized pot and let boil on a low heat. Cut up the onions and potatoes and add them to the pot, along with the garlic, rosemary and thyme when the water boils. Cover and let cook for 10-15 minutes. Add in the green vegetables, salt and pepper and cover for another 15 minutes. Blend the mixture and top with yogurt. Enjoy!
