Vegetable Soup Puree

My sister, Nancy, shared how she prepared her food ahead of time so that she had healthy food on hand when she became hungry. She had made a couple different soup recipes and brought them with her. These soups were gluten free and healthy for you, too, since they consisted mostly of vegetables.

Because I have a difficult time figuring out what healthy food I can bring to work for sack lunch, I decided that these soups would work out perfect for me since you can make a large batch, freeze them in smaller containers, and thaw them when needed.

I based my soup off the recipe found here: Oh She Glows. I gathered the ingredients I had similar to the ones in the recipe. Since I didn't have any broccoli, I used the bag of cauliflower that I had frozen a few weeks previously. I also used two baggies of celery that I had already chopped and frozen, along with half a large onion from a fresh salsa recipe.

Not knowing what to use for the vegetable broth, I questioned my daughter who was home for the weekend. She reminded me that we had this jar of vegan broth mix in the cupboard. Well then, I'm all set!

I started placing the olive oil along with the garlic and celery in a large pot on medium heat. Then I measured out the carrots and threw them in the food processor for a few seconds. I followed this format with the remaining vegetables adding a teaspoon of vegan broth base to each cup of water used in the soup.

I brought the soup mixture to a boil, then simmered for about 30 to 45 minutes until the vegetables were soft. I added the cayenne, and some sea salt and pepper to taste. I poured a small amount of the soup into the blender and pureed until smooth.

I continued to puree the soup mix for the rest of the batch.

I poured the soup into smaller containers that I could take out for my lunch and then placed them into the freezer.

Soup ... mmm, mmm good.

I absolutely love this soup! My husband said it reminded him of the Gerber baby food you buy in the small jars full of vegetables that are pureed. All I know is that it tastes great! I wondered, too, if by using the cauliflower instead of the broccoli that it has more of a mild tasting flavor and maybe why I love it so much. I will definitely be making this again!

I also wonder if you couldn't use just about any left over vegetable on hand in this soup to use them up.

Vegetable Soup Puree

1 T. olive oil

1-1/2 t. minced garlic

1 c. celery, chopped

2 c. carrots, chopped
1 head of cauliflower, chopped

1/2 large onion, chopped

1 large sweet potato, chopped

1 Delicata squash, chopped

8 c. water

8 t. vegan broth base seasoning

1/2 t. cayenne

Sea salt and pepper, to taste

Saute garlic in oil over medium heat in large pot. Clean and cut all vegetables, then put in food processor to chop into small pieces. Place vegetables into pot. Add water and remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 to 45 minutes or until vegetables are soft. Puree soup mixture in a blender. Store in smaller containers and freeze. Reheat when needed.


Disclosure: The Excalibur Dehydrator link under "Other Sites" is an affiliated link. If you make a purchase using this link ~ you will receive free shipping, along with other specials. I also earn a small percentage to help support my blog. Thank you, your support is appreciated!!

Soaking Nuts

This was my first attempt at soaking nuts and it was a lot easier than I had expected. Well, I suppose when I say easier, what I really mean is convenient because I've never been a great planner when it comes to preparing food.

I found a recipe I wanted to try that called for raw almonds and I purchased the raw almonds. But when it came time for me to make the recipe, the directions required you to soak the raw almonds first.

When looking for how long to soak almonds, I learned you soak them for about eight to twelve hours! And then dry them for another twelve to fifteen hours! Like I said, I'm not a great planner when it comes to preparing food. Argh!

So last night around 8:00 p.m., I gathered the almonds I had and poured them all into a bowl. I covered them with water and placed the cover on. By the time I went to bed, I had completely forgotten about them.

This morning I woke up and after making my breakfast and busying myself with a few other things, I noticed the bowl of almonds sitting on my kitchen shelf. When I removed the cover, the almonds were almost to the top of the bowl and the water no longer covered them. Looking at the count-up on the timer, it had been close to twelve hours.

I placed the almonds on the four racks of my dehydrater and once again started my timer's count-up. I will leave it run until I am ready for bed before I remove them and freeze them for future use in that recipe I wanted to try. All-in-all this was very time consuming but very easy peasy. And definitely needs to be planned ahead of time. Happy soaking!

Update:

I have to admit that before I soaked and dried the almonds, I didn't expect them to taste any different. Actually, I had anticipated not even bothering with it at all to save time by using them raw. However, after reading that they are harder to digest raw, I decided to give it a try. Guess what? They taste awesome! In fact, my husband has been eating them steady and I'm afraid by the time I get around to making that recipe, they will all be devoured!


Disclosure: The Excalibur Dehydrator link under "Other Sites" is an affiliated link. If you make a purchase using this link ~ you will receive free shipping, along with other specials. I also earn a small percentage to help support my blog. Thank you, your support is appreciated!!