Meatless Monday - Soup's On

It's time for another Meatless Monday. Today's Meatless Monday deals with homemade soups.

I've always associated homemade soup with autumn and winter. While there are many summery soups out there, a pot of home-made soup heating on the stove always seems perfect for fall and summer.

Here are six yummy soup recipes to help you through the day, including two pumpkin soup recipes and Black Bean Soup. Enjoy!

HEALTHY TOMATO BASIL SOUP

This is from Kaleigh McMordie, MCN, RDN, LD who, besides running Lively Table, writes for Very Well.

For this recipe, Kaleigh wrote, “Most canned soups—even the reduced-sodium versions—are very high in sodium. Making your own is a great solution. Homemade soup is a great way to use up fresh vegetables and add a serving of blood pressure friendly foods to your meal.

“Tomatoes are naturally high in the antioxidant lycopene, which is a carotenoid that could help prevent cancer and cardiovascular disease. Using fresh summer tomatoes and basil makes this healthy tomato basil soup extra flavorful without the use of salt. Roasted red peppers add a nice subtle sweetness, and milk a little dose of protein. Add a pinch of freshly cracked black pepper and serve with a fresh green salad for a light and healthy lunch.”

To view this online, click here.

Total Time: 45 min; Prep: 5 min, Cook: 40 min; Yield 4, 1.5 cup servings (82 cals)

Ingredients

6 large tomatoes

1 large red bell pepper

4 cloves garlic

3/4 cup skim milk (or milk of choice)

1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

1/4 cup fresh basil leaves

Preparation

Heat oven to 400F. Line a baking sheet with parchment.

Cut bell pepper in half and remove seeds and stem.

Place tomatoes, red pepper, and garlic on the baking sheet and roast 10 minutes.

Remove garlic and flip pepper and tomatoes. Return to oven for another 20 minutes.

Remove from oven and let vegetables cool. Peel skins from pepper and tomatoes.

Add all ingredients to a high-powered blender and blend until smooth. Heat soup to desired temperature in a saucepan over low heat.

Ingredient Variations and Substitutions

Use 1/2 tablespoon dried basil in place of fresh basil if you you don’t have fresh.

Cooking and Serving Tips

Serve with a salad or half a sandwich for a balanced lunch. Reheat leftovers on the stove over low heat. You can also enjoy it cold as a refreshing meal.

BLACK BEAN SOUP

This is from Rian Handler on Delish. The recipe begins, “A warm and spicy black bean soup.”

Total Time: 35 minutes; Prep Time: 15 minutes; Level: Easy; Serves: 4 servings

To view the recipe online, click here.

Ingredients

2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium red onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp. minced jalapeños

1 tbsp. tomato paste

kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 tsp. chili powder

1/2 tsp. cumin

3 (15-oz.) cans black beans, with liquid

1 qt. low-sodium vegetable stock

1 bay leaf

sour cream, for garnish

Sliced avocado, for garnish

Chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish

Directions

In a large pot over medium heat, heat oil. Add onion and cook until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add jalapeños and garlic and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add tomato paste, stir to coat vegetables, and cook about a minute more. Season with salt, pepper, chili powder, and cumin and stir to coat.

Add black beans with their liquid and vegetable broth. Stir soup, add bay leaf and bring to a boil. Immediately reduce to a simmer and let simmer until slightly reduced, about 15 minutes. Remove bay leaf.

Using an immersion blender or food processor, blend the soup to desired consistency.

Serve with a dollop of sour cream, sliced avocado, and cilantro.

CREAM OF BROCCOLI SOUP

This is from Kraft, and begins, “Follow this Cream of Broccoli Soup Recipe — you won't be disappointed! This velvety soup with chopped broccoli and creamy cheeses is a real crowd favorite!”

Prep Time: 30min.; Total Time: 30min.; Servings: 5 servings, about 1 cup each.

Ingredients

1/4 cup chopped onions

1 Tbsp. butter or margarine

1 Tbsp. flour

2 cups milk

4 oz. (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, cubed

1/2 lb. (8 oz.) VELVEETA®, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen chopped broccoli, cooked, drained

1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

1/8 tsp. pepper

Directions

Cook and stir onions in butter in medium saucepan on medium-high heat 3 to 5 min. or until onions are crisp-tender. Whisk in flour until blended.

Stir in milk; cook on medium heat 2 min., stirring occasionally. Add cream cheese; cook and stir 2 to 3 min. or until melted.

Add remaining ingredients; mix well. Cook 5 min. or until heated through, stirring occasionally.

PUMPKIN SOUP

This recipe is from an article on WebMD titled "Three Tasty Reasons to Move Pumpkins From the Porch to the Pantry," by Jeanie Lerche Davis. It can be found athttp://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/pumpkin-recipes-packed-nutrition.

Makes 6 Servings

1 tablespoon butter

1 cup chopped onion

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon curry powder

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 cup peeled and cubed (1/2-inch) sweet potato

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 14 1/2-ounce cans fat-free, low-sodium veggie broth

1 15-ounce can pumpkin

1 cup 1% low-fat milk

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives (optional)

1. Melt butter in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion; sauté 3 minutes. Stir in flour, curry powder, cumin, nutmeg, and garlic; sauté 1 minute. Add sweet potato, salt, broth, and pumpkin; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, partially covered, 20 minutes or until potato is tender, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; cool 10 minutes.

2. Place half of pumpkin mixture in a blender or food processor; process until smooth. Pour pureed soup into a large bowl. Repeat procedure with remaining pumpkin mixture. Return soup to pan; stir in milk. Cook over medium heat 6 minutes or until thoroughly heated, stirring often. (Do not boil.) Remove from heat; stir in juice. Garnish with chives, if desired. Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 1 cup).

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION:

CALORIES 121 (21% from fat); FAT 2.8g (satfat 1.6g, monofat 0.7g, polyfat 0.2g); PROTEIN 5.1g; CARBOHYDRATES 19.7g; FIBER 3.5g; CHOLESTEROL 7mg; IRON 1.5mg; SODIUM 565mg; CALCIUM 85mg.

PUMPKIN SOUP

Not sure where this recipe is from. Possibly from a long-since-forgotten emailing list...

Prep Time: 10 minutes; Cooking Time: 20 minutes; Serves 6

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 tablespoons chopped onion

2 tablespoons flour

6 cups veggie broth

one 15-ounce can unsweetened pumpkin puree

one 8-ounce jar applesauce

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 cup heavy cream

freshly ground pepper, to taste

croutons, optional

Heat the butter in a large saucepan and saute the onions over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes until softened. Sprinkle the flour over the onions and stir until mixed. Add the chicken broth and pumpkin and stir until smooth.

Add the remaining ingredients except the cream, pepper, and croutons. Stir well, cover and simmer gently for about 20 minutes until hot and the flavors have blended.

Stir in the cream and heat until hot. Garnish with freshly ground pepper and serve immediately with crisp croutons, if desired.

VEGAN SWEET POTATO CHOWDER

This was in an email from TheKitchn. I absolutely love TheKitchn, as well as its sibling site, Apartment Therapy. If you haven’t checked out either site, I highly recommend them. (Go ahead, I’ll wait…tap, tap, tap.)

Anyway, Kelli Foster, Assistant Food Editor for The Kitchn, wrote, “This vegan sweet potato chowder delivers everything you want in a warm fall soup. It has a velvety broth laced with seasonal spices like sage and paprika, and chunks of tender root vegetables. It's delicious the day you make it, but like most soups, it's even better the next day. So make a big batch of this plant-based chowder and enjoy it all week long.

“We're calling this soup a chowder, given the fact that potatoes are the key to both its velvety base and its hearty texture. And thanks to the silky-starchy contents of sweet potatoes, you'll get the creaminess expected in a chowder without a drop of cream.

“After a quick simmer on the stovetop, a few cups of soup, both broth and vegetables, are whirled through the blender, then stirred back into the pot. Purée a little extra if you're after an even thicker soup, or less for a bowl that's more brothy.”

To view this online, click here. Serves 6.

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, diced

2 medium celery stalks, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 pounds sweet potatoes (2 to 3 medium potatoes), peeled and diced

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon sweet paprika

1/2 teaspoon dried sage

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

4 cups vegetable stock

Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion and celery and cook until the vegetables are soft and tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Add the sweet potatoes, coriander, paprika, sage, salt, and pepper; stir to combine; and cook for 1 minute.

Add the stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer and cook until the sweet potatoes are tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer about 2 cups of the soup, broth, and vegetables to a blender or food processor and purée until smooth. Stir the purée back into the soup and serve immediately.

Recipe Notes

Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.