Six Tips To Make Delicious, Healthy Soups and a 20 Minute Vegan Cream Of Spinach Soup
We are in the thick of “bug-in-a-rug” soup season! For me, soup is the ultimate comfort food. It nourishes body and soul. Soup also levels the playing field in the kitchen. Soup can be as simple as “chop, simmer, and devour.”
Vegetarian soups make a quick healthy meal, and are a great way to utilize left over vegetables. Soups also freeze really well for last minute meals later, and are relatively inexpensive.
I wanted to share some of my top tips for making quick easy show stopping vegan soups every time!
1. Use good quality vegetable stock / broth.
Not all stocks are created equal. If I don’t make my own veggie stock, I use Massel vegetable stock, which is superior in quality and flavor. Massel stocks are vegan, gluten free, lactose free, kosher, and free of MSG. I prefer Massel stock cubes so I can control the strength. As a general rule, I use 1 stock cube for every 2 cups of filtered water.
2. Create a simple flavor base at the beginning and season to taste at the end.
I start almost all soups with a base of chopped onion or leeks, raw or roasted garlic, olive oil, Celtic sea salt, and fresh or dried herbs. This gives the pot a nice flavor boost that blends with any vegetables that are added. I only add a small amount of salt at the beginning, and season to taste once the flavors have had a chance to infuse.
Keep reading for more tips & Tess’ Creamy Vegan Spinach Soup recipe!
Mighty Minestrone Soup
Never underestimate the power of a humble bowl of vegetable soup.
On bone-chilling winter days, nothing says comfort like a steaming bowl of warm broth and vegetables. A treasure-chest of nutrients, this easy minestrone soup packs loads of vitamins and minerals into every spoonful. If, like me, you’re continually making an effort to incorporate more fresh produce into your diet, than you’ll definitely want to add this nourishing one-pot meal to your arsenal!
With colds and flus spreading like wildfire through our communities this time of year, we have all the more reason to support our immune systems with megawatt nutrition so that our bodies can combat whatever bug comes their way. Vegetables are the foundation of an immune-boosting diet.
Let’s take a look at a few of the vegetables you’ll find in this soup and just what it is that they do for our bodies:
Keep reading for health benefits and Hallie’s recipe!
TBP’s Friday Favorites: Healthy Oils
Now that the big day of chocolate and sweets has passed, I thought you might like to see how to use some of TBP’s favorite healthy oils.
Coconut Oil
I love, love, love coconut oil. My favorite brand is Omega Nutrition Organic Coconut Oil
Try your hand at some of these gluten-free recipes using coconut oil:
Keep reading for more info on healthy oils…
Comforting Chicken Pot Pie & the Benefits of Coconut Oil
As I mentioned last month, one way I simplify my life (as a family who sometimes goes for weeks without eating out) is by making double batches of everything. Leftovers are a beautiful thing 
At this time of year, when it’s cold (and often snowing) outside, I love to make a double batch of chicken pot pie. Chicken pot pie was one of the first comfort foods I made as an adult. I have fond memories of cooking chicken pot pie in our first townhouse, the winter after we were married. It felt so cozy.
I still get that cozy feeling every winter making chicken pot pie for my family. Only now I make it much healthier. One way I make it uber-healthy is by using coconut oil in the crust. Have you heard that coconut oil is unhealthy? It’s a common misunderstanding. Dr. Mercola explains how this misunderstanding happened here: Is Coconut Oil REALLY Healthy?
Keep reading for more tips and recipes from The Balanced Platter…
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