Thai Coconut Shrimp Soup, by Cheryl

Whew, what a busy summer! This is a delicious, healthy soup to have on a summer day! It was so tasty and light and I would definitely make it again. It didn't take long at all and makes enough for leftovers for a couple of days. Pair it with a nice white wine! Yum! 

Ingredients (from Paleo Running Momma)

1 tbsp olive or avocado oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 small onion, diced

1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced

1 tbsp minced lemongrass, inner part of one stalk

1 tbsp red curry paste

3 cups chicken broth

1 tbsp fish sauce

2 14 oz cans of full fat coconut milk

8 oz fresh shitake mushrooms, sliced

1 lb medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

zest of one lime grated

1 lime, juiced

Sea salt

Cilantro and/or scallions for garnish

Directions:

1) Heat the oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until fragrant, then stir in the garlic, ginger, lemongrass, and curry paste, and cook for one minute. 

2) Pour the broth into the pot while stirring continually. Then stir in the fish sauce and simmer for 10 minutes. Pour in the coconut milk and stir, the add the mushrooms. Cook and stir until the mushrooms are soft, about 5 minutes. 

3) Add the shrimp and cook for about 5 minutes. Stir in the lime zest and juice. Season with salt to taste. Serve with cilantro, scallions, and/or lime wedges. 

Scrap Stock, by Diane

I keep seeing tricks on instragram to make your own stock, which tends to be far more healthy and less expensive than store bought. One trick I saw was to keep a gallon ziplock bag of veggie scraps in the freezer, adding to it each time you cook, until the bag is full. Then you use those with water and seasonings to create homemade stock. I decided to try it on a night where I was also cooking with lamb and had a lot of bones I was about to throw away, so I combined it all together to get this super savory and extra golden broth! This couldn't have been easier and as you can see it made a ton of stock! I also liked the taste of it way better than store bought, so I'll definitely keep this going. My bag had extra rutabaga I never used, celery ends and leaves, onion and garlic ends and peels, broccoli stems, leek ends, and ginger peels. Yum.

One note- usually when making homemade bone broth you'll want to skim the scum off the top of the water that appears about 20 minutes in. There were so many veggies floating at the top I couldn't do this, but it actually wound up settling at the bottom of the pot at the end so I just strained it out and it was ok! Next time you could start the bones early and then skim it and add the veggies too.

Ingredients:

1 gallon bag of veggie scraps

Optional bones for bone broth

Water (enough to cover the veggies)

Salt (you'll want to salt heavily here, but taste to be sure along the way)

Seasonings: I used 2 bay leaves, celery seed, poultry seasoning, dill, dried oyster mushrooms, and black pepper

Directions:

Toss everything in the pot and bring to a boil then simmer on low for 2-3 hours (the longer you do it the more flavorful!). I kept the lid off so the liquid concentrated down a bit like stock, but you could also keep the lid on to trap condensation and get more liquid! Strain the liquid and toss the veggie scraps and bones if using, then store in the fridge or freezer or sip for immunity and good health!

Leftover Turkey Soup, by Cheryl

We had SO much turkey leftover. After day 4 of eating our way through it I needed to repurpose it in some other way. In comes turkey soup! This is basically just like chicken noodle soup, but with turkey. It was so comforting to eat when it was cold! Yum!

Ingredients:

Leftover turkey, chopped or cubed

Egg noodles

Carrots, peeled and chopped

Celery, chopped

Onions, chopped

Fennel, chopped

Thyme

Other spices

Turkey broth (we had leftover from cooking, but veggie or chicken broth works)

Water

Directions:

1) Saute the vegetables in a pan with olive oil until aromatic. 

2) Meanwhile, put the leftover turkey in a large pot with the broth and some water. 

3) Once cooked, add in the vegetables and simmer for a little bit.

4) Add the egg noodles and cook until done. Serve with some crusty bread!

Easy Matzah Ball Soup, by Cheryl

I love making the matzah ball soup for Passover. This is a relatively quick way to make it. Instead of making the broth from scratch I just use pre-made chicken broth and water, but I cook the veggies and chicken in it to give it a lot of flavor. It's always a big hit! Yum!

Ingredients (makes about 20 servings):

Soup:

1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs 

4 tbsp vegetable or canola oil

3 yellow onion, chopped

9 carrots, peeled and chopped

9 stalks celery, chopped

6 cloves garlic, minced

24 cups chicken broth

2 cups water

Few sprigs of fresh dill

pepper

Matzah balls:

Follow package directions, but will need eggs, oil, matzah meal, salt, and water

Directions:

1) Saute garlic, onion, celery, and carrots in vegetable oil in a large pot over medium heat until onions are transparent, about 5 minutes. 

2) Add the chicken thighs, chicken broth, 2 cups water, pepper, and 2 sprigs dill to the pot. Place lid on pot and let it come to a boil. Turn the heat down to low and let it simmer for 30 minutes. 

3) Meanwhile, make the matzah balls according to package directions. Once made the dough will need to sit for 15 minutes in the fridge before making the balls. 

4) After 30 minutes, remove the chicken thighs from the pot and shred with a fork. Return chicken to pot. Taste soup and add salt if desired. 

5) Form the matzah balls into ping pong size. Drop the balls in the simmering soup and let simmer for 20 minutes with the lid on. 

6) Add a couple of sprigs of dill at the end. 

Ham and Potato Chowder, by Diane

 

I made this for the first week it got cold a few weeks back, and honestly it was one of those dishes that should have come out great but actually turned out just okay. I had some ham that I had made bone broth from to use as the base of this, and chopped up the remaining ham to use in the chowder. Overall I would not make this again, but A for effort!

Ingredients:

2 tbsp coconut oil

5 carrots, sliced (I used rainbow carrots)

2 lbs potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 leek, sliced green parts only

2 cups ham, diced

Seasoning: I used a combo of herbs de provence and poultry seasoning

3 cups broth, I used ham bone broth

Salt as needed

3 tbsp arrowroot flour

Directions:

1. In a large soup pot over medium high heat, add oil, carrots and potatoes into a pot. Stir often and cook until they soften.

2. Add in leeks and ham, cooking until leeks wilt.

3. Add broth and seasoning, let cook for an hour over low heat

4. Taste for seasoning and salt, then add a slurry of flour and some broth whisked together in a small bowl into the soup to thicken.

Buttercup Squash and Carrot Soup, by Diane

 

Tonight I wanted to make a squash soup, and I came across a new type of squash I hadn't seen called buttercup. It's apparently sweeter than butternut, and so I created this recipe with some help from looking at other squash recipes from the internet. This is SO dang good. Really comforting, and fairly easy once you skin and cut the squash! 

Ingredients:

1 large buttercup squash, peeled and cut into large chunks

2 cups baby carrots

1 large shallot, cut in half and skins removed

EVOO

Salt

1 tbsp butter

1 tsp fresh thyme leaves

3-4 cups chicken bone broth

1 tbsp maple syrup

1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 tsp poultry seasoning

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 and grease two baking sheets. Place squash, carrots, and shallots on the baking sheets, drizzle with EVOO and sprinkle with salt, toss, spread evenly, and roast for 45-60 minutes until browned and softened.

2. When the mixture is cooked, add butter and thyme to a soup pot over medium heat and cook for 2 minutes, stirring often. 

3. Add in squash mixture, broth (start with 2 cups and go from there to your desired consistency), and seasonings. Blend with an immersion blender until smooth and adjust seasonings. 

Italian Chicken Meatball Wedding Soup, by Diane

I made this for lunches this week as a fusion of a few recipes I found and had been saving for a chilly week. This is really warming and very easy to make! The meatballs had a ton of flavor and I would definitely make these again on their own. I added too much kale and would reduce this or just use spinach next time. I also left out the pasta here but it could easily be added with more broth. 

Ingredients:

For meatballs

1 lb ground chicken

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 cup breadcrumbs with Parmesan cheese

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1 egg 

1 tbsp dried parsley

1/2 tbsp dried basil

1/4 tsp poultry seasoning

1 tbsp coconut oil

For soup:

1 tbsp coconut oil

3 cups chopped carrots

1 yellow onion, diced

1 large leek, sliced thin

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 stalks celery

3 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp turmeric

6 cups bone broth (I used beef/chicken/Turkey mix)

1 bag spinach

1 bunch kale, stems removed and torn into small pieces

Directions: 

1. Mix all the meatball ingredients in a large bowl except for the coconut oil. 

2. Heat a large pot or Dutch oven on medium, and add in coconut oil when hot. 

3. Drop in meatballs and cook 4 minutes until browned, flip and brown another side. After 4 minutes, mix the meatballs and cover for 3 minutes to steam. 

4. Remove the meatballs and set aside, saving the pan juices. Add in the remaining coconut oil, then carrots through turmeric and cook until tender (cover as needed).

5. Add in the bone broth and bring to a boil, taste and adjust for seasonings. 

6. Add the meatballs and boil for 5 minutes, then reduce heat to simmer and stir in spinach and kale.

Kjötsúpa (Icelandic Lamb Soup), by Diane

 

When I was in Iceland I was obsessed with kjötsúpa, a comforting and filling lamb and root veggie soup that seemed to be served everywhere along with Icelandic butter and bread. So as part of my cooking through the countries in quarantine, I decided to try this for Iceland! I ordered this mix of Icelandic herbs (Villikrydd- go here to order!) for the soup, and I happened to have some salt I had brought back from my trip (you can buy it online- Nordur is the brand I had). I had never cooked with lamb meat before (only ground lamb), and so I really wasn’t sure what to expect.

HOLY MOLY was this out of this world amazing- and the best part is that it tastes EXACTLY like it did in Iceland! How often can you say that you can accurately recreate your favorite dish that you ate in a country from your own kitchen? This soup was easy to make as well, and I already am looking forward to dinners this week! The best part, aside from the delicious broth, is that the lamb literally melts on your tongue it’s so tender! I modified the recipe a little by adding some bone broth I had to use up (I figured a little extra flavor and nutrition couldn’t hurt) and skipping the cabbage since I didn’t have that in Iceland. I added a cup of barley to thicken it up (some recipes use this and others don’t- but this is how I had it most on the trip), but it just took all the broth away overnight and didn’t thicken it at all so I wouldn’t do this again. This will be on repeat this winter!!!

Ingredients:

2 lb lamb shoulder, bone in, cut into bite size pieces and trimmed of fat (save the bones)

8 cups water

2 cups bone broth

1 large leek, sliced 

2 tbsp Villikrydd

1 tsp pepper

2 tbsp salt

1 cup carrots, sliced

1 medium rutabaga, chopped into bitesize pieces 

1/2 lb Yukon gold potatoes, chopped into bitesize pieces (I left the skin on)

Directions:

1. In a large soup pot, add lamb, bones, water, and broth and bring to a boil.

2. Skim the scum off the top and add in leeks, salt, pepper, and herbs. Simmer partially covered for 45 min.

3. Add in remaining veggies, stir and cook until veggies are soft.

4. Adjust seasonings, then refrigerate overnight to allow the flavors to come together. 

Grandmother’s Chinese Egg Drop Soup, by Diane

 

This week in cooking through the countries is China! I recently found a blogger I love, @iheartumami, and she shares her family recipes and how to make them Whole30 as well! This was the first course of my China meal. 

Growing up, I loved egg drop soup! But I didn’t realize until I began traveling that the thick gelatinous consistency of egg drop soup I was used to is actually the Chinese-American version. The authentic Chinese version is a bit thinner, with whisps of eggs rather than big chunks. The Chinese version also has a lot more aromatics like ginger, scallion, and sesame oil. 

This was seriously easy to whip up, and tastes as good as any authentic Chinese restaurant I’ve had! I’ll definitely keep this on rotation for winter.

Ingredients:

1.5 lbs chicken thighs, skin on and bone-in

Coarse sea salt

1 tbsp avocado oil (I used coconut)

4 scallions, bulbs separated from stems

1/2 inch ginger, sliced into coins

6 cups chicken bone broth

2 tbsp soy sauce (coconut aminos for Whole30)

2 tbsp cornstarch (arrowroot powder for Whole30)

1/4 tsp white pepper

1/8 tsp turmeric

2 tbsp water

4 eggs

Toasted sesame oil

Directions:

1. Pat the chicken dry and rub with some salt.

2. Heat a large soup pot to medium high heat. Add in oil and chicken thighs. Sear for 3 min per side.

3. Crush the scallion bulbs with a knife and add them into the pot along with ginger.

4. Add in broth and bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 20 min.

5. While the soup cooks, make a slurry of cornstarch/arrowroot, pepper, turmeric, and water. Set aside.

6. Whisk the eggs in a measuring cup and set aside.

7. After 20 min, discard the scallion bulbs and ginger. Remove the chicken and shred the meat, add back to the pot. 

8. Taste and season the broth, adding in soy sauce/aminos. 

9. Add the slurry slowly and stir constantly for 30 seconds. Make sure to stir the slurry before you add it as it will separate.

10. Using a pair of chopsticks or a fork, constantly stir the soup at the same time as you pour the eggs in a slow stream from high above. Leave the eggs to sit for a few seconds after this is done, then break up lightly with chopsticks.

11. Serve hot topped with sliced scallion tops and a drizzle of toasted sesame oil. 

Gazpacho, by Diane

This is not my photo- I threw the soup out and forgot to take a photo!

This was our next dish for our summer Spain dinner. I have never really had gazpacho before and was excited to try it. We used an Alton Brown recipe, and I have to say I was not a fan of this one either- but my friend who loves gazpacho loved it! So it’s possible I just don’t love gazpacho... either way I’ll stick to salsa :)


Ingredients:

1.5 lbs tomatoes, skinned and chopped and deseeded
1 cucumber, peeled sliced and seeded
1 small red onion, diced
1 small jalepeno, diced
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 lime, juiced
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt
Tomato juice
2 tbsp basil leaves

Directions:

1. Place all ingredients except basil into the blender and pulse on high for 20 seconds. Add tomato juice if desired, and save some of the veggies for a garnish or for a chunkier gazpacho if desired. Chill for 2 hours before eating.

Creamy Wild Mushroom Soup with Herbs, by Cheryl

Another recipe from Once Upon a Chef! This soup was fairly easy to make and was tasty! It was a good appetizer to our meal. If I made it again I would increase the number of mushrooms used in order to have more chopped ones in there. Otherwise each bite without them was good, but needed more oomph. That being said, it was a great compliment to the meal and warming on a cool night. Yum!


Ingredients:

4 tbsp unsalted butter
1 cup chopped shallots
4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1/4 cup flour
1.5 lb mixed wild mushrooms (shitake, oyster, portobello), stemmed and roughly chopped
1/2 cp dry white wine
5 cups chicken broth
1.25 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tsp finely chopped fresh thyme
1 tsp finely chopped fresh sage
1 tbsp finely chopped fresh chives, for garnish
croutons, optional

Directions:

1) In a large pot, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic, and cook 2 minutes more. Stir in the flour and cook 1 minute more, then add the mushrooms, 1/4 cup of wine, the chicken broth, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes, until the mushrooms are tender.

2) Using a slotted spoon, remove about 2 large ladlefuls of the mushrooms and set aside. Using a handheld immersion blender, puree the soup until smooth.

3) Stir in the cream, the remaining 1/4 cup wine, the thyme, the sage, and the reserved mushrooms. Bring to a simmer, then taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, if necessary. Ladle into bowls and top with the chives and croutons.

Garifuna Hudut, by Diane

We were recently blessed with the presence of this amazing chef in Belize, Ivy Flores. We loved her cooking so much we went back breakfast, lunch and dinner for 3 straight days, and on the 4th day she taught us how to cook some of her cultural specialties. This was one of the dishes, and I have been craving it since I got back a few weeks back. This is EASY to throw together and the flavors are out of this world! I was afraid mine wouldn't turn out like hers, but I'm happy to report that it was spot on!!

Ingredients:

2 ripe plantains, cut into 2 inch cubes
2 unripe plantains, cut into 2 inch cubes
1 can coconut milk, full fat (we made our own with her, but I have since found it doesn't taste the same or have the same consistency, so canned is easier!)
Water
Chicken bullion or consume, about 2 tsp
3 green habanero peppers, whole
4 okra, whole (I couldn't find these in season so I bought frozen sliced)
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/4 small white onion, chopped
2 tbsp. crushed oregano
Salt to taste
2-3 fish filets (tilapia, flounder, or snapper), cut into chunks
Garlic powder
Black pepper
Coconut oil
Optional: yams or sweet potatoes

Directions:

1. Boil water and add plantains, boil until fork tender. Let them cool completely and then mash with one clove crushed garlic. Set aside.

2. Pour the coconut milk into a soup pot, then fill the can back up with water and add to the pot. Add in bullion/consume, habaneros (keep whole- you don't want them to burst), okra, onion, remaining clove of garlic, and oregano to boil. Add in the sweet potatoes/yams now too if using. Reduce to a simmer uncovered.

3. Meanwhile, coat the fish in salt, pepper, and garlic powder, then fry in coconut oil until just cooked. Add into the soup along with pan drippings.

4. Simmer together for another 5-10 min, adjust seasonings (I found Goya works best).

5. To serve, grab a small ball of the plantain mixture and dip in the soup, or you can create dumplings out of the plantains and drop them in. All good!!!

Italian Vegetable Soup, by Diane

I came across this recipe on Facebook and it looked really good, and it was simultaneously 20 degrees outside so I thought this would be the perfect weekend to make it! This soup was really, really good after a few seasoning changes (I'll post my version below). I also wish I used way less cabbage than listed (also posted the appropriate amount below). Definitely a good one to have on rotation this winter, and it came together REALLY fast! This would be very good with sausage, which I'll try next time!


Ingredients:

1 lb. lean ground beef

EVOO
1/2 yellow onion, diced
4 medium size carrots, thinly sliced (2 cups)
3 stalks celery, thinly sliced (2 cups)
4 cups low sodium beef broth
1 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes with juices
1 15 oz. can tomato sauce
1 15.5 oz. can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon garlic powder

2 teaspoon onion salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup frozen corn, thawed
1/4 head green cabbage, roughly chopped (1 cup)
Shredded Parmesan cheese for serving (optional)
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley for serving (optional)

 

 

Directions:

 

1. In a large soup pan, brown and crumble the beef and set aside. 

 

2. Leaving the juices in the pan, add the EVOO and cook the carrots, onions, and celery until translucent. 

 

3. Add the beef back into the pan and all other ingredients except cabbage, bring to a boil. Adjust the broth level if needed (this soup works better when thicker and the cabbage will take up liquid). 

4. Bring to a simmer by lowering heat and cook uncovered for 20 min.

5. Adjust seasonings, and add cabbage. Cook until the cabbage is wilted.

Split Pea and Ham Soup, by Diane

If I've said this once on this blog I've said it a million times, it is incredibly hard to get a good photo of soup. Especially thick, green soup that isn't clear so you can't see the delicious ingredients below the surface (I tried putting some of them on top and they sank...). So you're going to have to trust me that this was amazing and total comfort food. I made it as part of my post-surgery recovery, and only 6 days out of surgery so you know it's super easy to make :)

What made this soup so good was the smoky ham flavor. Whenever I come across an occasion where there is a spiral ham, I save the bone and boil it in water for a few hours. After straining the broth and skimming the fat when it cools, I freeze it so I have it to add for soups just like this. The original recipe called for a ham bone, so I just used some old bone broth from a spiral ham that we had at Chrismukkah this year instead. For the ham in this soup, I would highly recommend using an actual spiral sliced ham in this, as it seriously enhances the flavor, but a store bought ham steak or two is also fine. I also added carrots and sweet potatoes to this for some extra veggies, and some bay leaf and garlic for extra comfort soup flavor.


Ingredients:

2 tbsp oil (I used coconut oil)
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 bag carrots, chopped
2 small sweet potatoes, chopped
2-3 cups ham, cubed or shredded
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1lb bag dried split peas
1 bay leaf
1 large ham bone (or leftover ham bone broth if you have that)
Water or broth (definitely recommend broth, I used chicken bone broth!) to cover all ingredients


Directions:

1. Add oil to a large soup pot, and cook the onion until translucent.

2. Add in the carrots and sweet potatoes, cover and cook until the veggies begin to soften- about 5-10 min. Stir often so they don't brown.

3. Add in the ham, garlic, peas, bay leaf, and ham bone. Add in enough liquids (water or broth) to cover all ingredients.

4. Cover and reduce heat to low, stirring occasionally, until the peas dissolve and the soup becomes thick and green (approx. 2 hrs). Remove ham bone and bay leaf, and season if needed (mine didn't need a thing).

5. Remove from heat and let thicken until cool.

Healthy Chicken and Dumplings, by Diane

This Sunday I am going on day 13 of being sick with a devil cold, and I've been having a really hard time wanting to eat anything except broth, which I am frankly sick of by this point! So I created this version of chicken and dumplings in an attempt to convert what I would normally put in a healing chicken soup into an actual meal that I would be tempted to eat. I borrowed the dumpling idea from this website, but converted it into a quinoa flour dumpling boosted with fresh thyme to get some extra protein and healing herbs in here too! I used coconut oil throughout this recipe for it's antibacterial and antiviral effects, but other oils can be used as well. Finally, I used bone broth since it's renowned for it's healing properties, which I usually make but ran out of- and I was surprised to see that my grocery store carried a brand called Pacifica which makes it!

I can't write enough words in here to describe *just* how freaking amazing this turned out. I have never attempted chicken and dumplings before, and at the beginning before I let it simmer it looked like it was just going to be a clear, thin soup with lots of veggies and chicken in it with the occasional dumpling. But once I stirred it after an hour, I saw that it was transformed into a thick and creamy consistency very much like the chicken and dumplings I've had at restaurants in the past! I have no idea how this magic happened! The dumplings turned out to be soft, airy, herby pillows of goodness too! The combo of the texture and the flavors had me eating bowls of this stuff- my first real meals in weeks! Now if that isn't a testament to how good this is, I don't know what is. Make this NOW. Like, yesterday. Go!!!



Ingredients:

3 tbsp coconut oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
4 large carrots, sliced
2 large celery stalks, sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
10 small baby bella mushrooms, diced
1.5 cups frozen green peas

2 cups quinoa flour
1 tbsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3 tbsp coconut oil, melted
1 cup milk (any type- I use unsweetened almond milk which accidentally was vanilla flavored but it still worked!)
1 tbsp dried thyme
3 chicken breasts, cubed
5 cups chicken broth (bone broth preferred)
1 tbsp poultry seasoning
Salt and pepper


Directions:

1. In a large soup pot over medium high heat, add in 3 tbsp coconut oil, onion, carrots, celery, garlic, mushrooms, and peas. Cook for 10-15 minutes until veggies are softened and onions are translucent.

2.  While the veggies are cooking, whisk together flour, soda, and salt in a mixing bowl. Add in 3 tsp melted coconut oil, milk, and thyme, and stir together well until combined. Set aside.

3. After the veggies are cooked, add in the chicken and stir well. Add the broth and bring to a boil.

4. When the soup is at a boil, drop in the dumplings by small spoonfuls (like making drop cookies or biscuits- they don't need to look nice!). Cook uncovered for 45 minutes, do not stir.

5. After 45 minutes, cover and cook for 15 more minutes.

Chicken Zoodle Soup, by Diane

It's been colder here, so my next two posts are my lunches and dinners for the week in an attempt to warm up! This first recipe is from one of my favorite blogs, The Body Book, and is a healthy comfort food that is packed with nutrition. Using bone broth instead of regular store bought chicken broth really helps to amp up the nutritional factor as well. The zoodles are zucchini noodles, and I made them really thin here so the whole bowl taste like pho. I also added in cilantro, which made it taste even more authentic!


Ingredients:

2 organic chicken breasts
2 tablespoons organic butter
1 tsp herbs de provence
1/2 onion
3 carrots
2 cloves garlic
4 cups homemade chicken bone broth (I used my recipe)
1 cup frozen peas
2 teaspoons lemon zest
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 zucchini
Optional: chopped basil


Directions:

1. Cook chicken as desired and shred
2. Chop onions, carrots and garlic
3. Heat pan and melt butter in large soup pot or dutch oven.
4. Saute onions, carrots until onions are clear, then add garlic and herbs and sauté until fragrant (few minutes)
5. Add broth, peas and simmer until vegetables are soft (10-15 minutes)
6. Meanwhile, use a spirlizer to make the zucchini noodles
7. Add shredded chicken and zucchini noodles
8. Let simmer for 10 more minutes
9. Add lemon juice, zest and basil (optional)
10. Season with salt and pepper and additional lemon wedge

Onion Soup (Luxembourg), by Cheryl

Another small European country! Luxembourg is another country that's heavily influenced by it's bordering countries when talking about cuisine. We commonly know this recipe as French Onion Soup, but in France, Luxembourg, Switzerland, etc. it's just called onion soup. This was a great appetizer and I would definitely make it again! I didn't put the bowls in the broiler at the end to make the cheese bubble because I was just so done with just the whole day in general that I didn't bother. The cheese melted nicely though and it was still great. Yum!

Ingredients:

3 onions, sliced
2 slices bread, toasted
50 grams cheese, grated
3 cups vegetable stock
1 tsp caraway seed
1/2 tbsp sunflower seeds (I didn't use these)
30 grams butter
1 cup white wine

Directions:

1) Stir fry the onions for 5 minutes in the butter. Add the stock, bring to a boil, and simmer for ten minutes.

2) Add the wine and the caraway seeds and simmer for five more minutes.

3) Distribute the soup over four cups. Put some pieces of bread in each cup and sprinkle with sunflower seeds and cheese. Put the cups under a hot grill until the cheese starts to bubble.

Mastava (Uzbeki Soup), by Diane

This soup is the first thing I order at a local Uzbeki restaurant. It is hearty and filling but also light and aromatic at the same time. You can use either beef or lamb in this, and the traditional way is to finely chop cooked meat to use in the soup. All the veggies are finely chopped as well. You top this amazing soup off with a sour cream sauce, which at my local restaurant is a mixture of sour cream and cream (its a thick liquid).

I never thought to make it because I thought it must be so complicated since it was so many flavors all together, but as it turns out it could not be easier to make at home. It also uses barely any ingredients! This is so good!!! I did add in turmeric and garlic, for anti-inflammatory purposes, but also because I love the flavor of both. I'm really excited to devour it this week!


Ingredients:

1 tbsp EVOO
1 lb beef or lamb, finely chopped (I cheated and used lean ground beef)
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 cup finely chopped carrots
1 sweet pepper, finely chopped
2 medium tomatoes, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup white rice, uncooked
6 cups water
1 potato, peeled and finely chopped
1 tsp cumin seeds (you can use ground cumin here if needed, 1/2 tsp)
fresh dill, chopped (about 2 tbsp)
1 tsp turmeric
Salt to taste
Sour cream (add in heavy cream to make a sauce if desired)

Directions:

1. Heat a large soup pan to medium high and add in EVOO. After the oil heats, add in the meat and onions and fry until the meat is cooked through and the onions are softened.

2. Add in carrots, pepper, tomatoes, and garlic and cook until carrots and pepper are softened.

3. Add in rice and fry for 30 seconds, then add water.

4. Add potatoes and bring to a boil, skimming off any foam from the potatoes.

5. Reduce to a simmer, add in cumin seeds and dill and cook uncovered until rice is done.

6. Serve with sour cream, add in until creamy.

Tomato-Basil Soup, by Cheryl

Poor Jon got his wisdom teeth out yesterday so I've taken a break from my country theme in order to make some soups and other liquid/soft food for him. Aside from making some of the soups from our blog I tried my hand at making some good ole tomato soup. When I went to the store I bought all of the ingredients except for the heavy cream (not on purpose) so I had to find this recipe from Cooking Light that uses milk instead. The result was still good, but I think the heavy cream would have made it a lot creamier and richer. Nonetheless, it was so delicious with some grilled cheese dipped into it and it really hit the spot on a cold day like today! Yum!

Ingredients:

4 cups chopped, peeled, seeded
4 cups low-sodium tomato juice
1/3 cup fresh basil leaves
1 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper
1/2 cup softened cream cheese
basil leaves, sliced (optional)
french baguette (optional)

Directions:

1) Bring tomatoes and juice to a boil. Reduce heat, simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes.

2) Put the 1/3 cup basil leaves in with the tomato mixture. Using an immersion blender, blend until smooth. Stir in milk, salt, and pepper.

3) Add cream cheese, stirring well with a whisk. Cook over medium heat until thick (about 5 minutes).

4) Ladle soup into individual bowls, garnish with sliced basil leaves, and serve with bread.

Butternut Squash, Turnip, & Apple Soup, by Cheryl

So good! 

This soup was so easy to make - it doesn't have many ingredients and there was basically no hands-on time. It turned out better than I thought it would and it's so healthy! I changed a couple of things from the original recipe. Instead of cooking the vegetables/fruit on the stove, I roasted them in the oven. I also doubled the amount of broth since it was way too thick with the original recipe amount. So delicious, so healthy, and so easy! Yum!

Ingredients (original recipe):

1 medium butternut squash, cubed
3 medium turnips, peeled and chopped
2 medium apples, peeled and chopped
4 tbsp olive oil
2 cups broth
salt/pepper
fresh cilantro (for garnish)

Directions:

1) Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.

2) Add chopped butternut squash, turnips, apples, salt, and pepper to the pot and cook on medium for 5-10 minutes, then reduce heat to medium-low and continue to cook for about 45 minutes until everything has softened (again, I roasted them all for 45 minutes at 400).

3) Once ingredients are softened add broth and continue to cook for another 5-10 minutes on medium heat until soup is warm.

4) Using an immersion blender, blend the soup.

5) Garnish with fresh or dried cilantro and serve.