Soup 101 Chop-Boil-Saute-Puree-Season-Serve-enjoy!

Soup is a great way to add lots of nutrition into your diet and it doesn't have to be difficult.

I always us this same method of making soup and then I just change up the ingredients like I do with my baking. If you have a good base you can be creative with whatever you are making.  I don't like to use flours in my soup too thicken them. I use potatoes, yams, lentils and squashes to make my pureed soups instead of the gluten.


Soup Base

Fill a large pot 1/2 way full of potatoes, you don't even need to peel them or cut them, you can use any kind you like. fill the pot up with 3/4 full of chicken stock or vegetable stock. Boil for about 30 minutes on high until potatoes are soft. You can add lentils right in the pot with potatoes if you are using lentils. In a pan add 1 tbsp of vegetable oil, add diced celery, onion and 1 tsp of grated garlic. In the pan is where you add your seasoning, tsp of salt and pepper, a couple teaspoons of sugar helps to balance the flavors. Saute for about 5 minutes. Add whatever spices you want if you are making the soup too have curry flavor add 1 tbsp of curry powder. If you are making a Autumn soup like a pumpkin spice soup, you would add your chopped pumpkin to the pot of potatoes and cinnamon and nut meg to the pan, with vegetables. Add your seasoned vegetables to the pot of potatoes and lentils, continue to boil. Once everything is soft get your hand held blender and puree until smooth. adjust seasoning, add chopped herbs if you like.

Recap
All soups start with boiling potatoes, yams, squashes and other hard vegetables like carrots in a pot
of stock, vegetable or chicken. Low sodium!
Lentils take time to break down, so they should be cooked with the potatoes.
A pan of sauteed vegetables, onion celery as well as the spices you want to use.

Once potatoes become soft add your vegetables and seasoning.

Puree, until nice and smooth, serve and enjoy! 

  Use this base for all your pureed soups and be as creative as you like!

 Try using sweet potatoes chopped carrots and grated ginger    Carrot Ginger Soup

 Use white potatoes, corn and dried chickpeas                           Potato Corn Chowder

 Yams, squash and carrots with a hint of cinnamon                   Autumn Spice Yam

 White potato, broccoli and dried peas and grated carrot           Creamy Potato Broccoli

  Add coconut milk if you like to the carrot curry soups.
  Add Cheese to the broccoli and the chowders to make the extra tasty!

 No matter how you make your soup, have fun, be creative and add lots of vegetables!!!