RECIPES soups

When i first started blending i was trying to get a whole days variety of food in one 'meal'. Even though i can't truly taste - these concoctions were just sludgy, EWW. Lightbulb, people have been making liquid meals for thousands (?) of years, its called SOUP. Why reinvent the wheel? Why put a burger in a blender. Not to mention most bread isn't very healthy for you, meat certainly isn't and the idea of blended meat makes me want to gag. So does the idea of blended lettuce!

Oddly I never had cooked actual soup before from scratch!!! Turns out its VERY easy. Generally speaking i use a soup recipe that is already smooth or one that seems like it will blend up nicely. As i've gotten more comfortable i will sometimes just go off script and create my own soups with whatever veggies i have on hand as well!

Bonus, those-who-hath-tongues also enjoy soups...well when you are willing to share!

Picadillo

Picadillo is actually a Cuban stew made with ground beef and served over rice. Papi, my father-in-law, cooked the bomb picadillo. When we moved to California i sat with him and took careful notes, as his recipe was all from muscle memory, so i could recreate it.

I was pleasantly surprised when i came across a vegan take on it on the minimalistbaker.com site. This is my hybrid of Papi's and Minimalist Bakers recipe. It's better in its true form, not blended, so make it for the whole family and just blend up your portions. I also have to delete the onion and garlic now, sadly, as i cant tolerate those flavors.

2 tbsp olive oil

1 medium/large yellow onion, chopped.

1 green bell pepper, chopped.

1 1/2 c roughly chopped shitake mushrooms

6 cloves minced garlic

1 cup dry green or brown lentils

3 russet potatoes, cube into smaller bite size pieces, i leave the skin on.

1 tbsp oregano

1 tbsp cumin

1 pinch chili powder

1 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

1 15 oz can tomato sauce

20 oz water

1/2 c roughly chopped pimento stuffed green olives

1/4 c raisins (don't get me started - if you don't put raisins you are NOT a real Cuban...

whatever! I know i'm not Cuban!)

2 tbsp capers (i like the smaller ones)

2 cups (dry) brown rice, cooked.

instructions

Make simmer sauce. Blend thoroughly green pepper, 3/4 onion, garlic, cumin, oregano, chili powder, salt, pepper, tomato sauce, water.
Add olive oil to a large cast iron pot or dutch oven oven. Chop finely 1/4 the onion and add to oil. Sauté, stirring frequently 3-4 minutes.
Add in mushrooms, sauté stirring frequently for 7-8 minutes, until golden brown. Turn down heat if browning too quickly.
Add in simmer sauce, mushrooms, lentils, potatoes, green olives, raisins, capers. Bring to a boil then reduce to a low simmer and cover. Stir every 10 minutes or so and cook for 40 minutes.
Serve over brown rice.

blended version

i eliminated the garlic and onion, because the tastes dont work well with my new anatomy.
I blended the picadillo and then blend the rice SEPARATELY, adding a small portion to my meal prep servings.
Per serving, use immersion blender and add nut milk to achieve desired viscosity.

Favorites Soups

Here are a few of my favorites. I always use a premade vegetable broth, call me lazy! I also usually add a handful of mushrooms to every soup, just because they are so good for you!

Split Pea Soup

Swiss Chard Lentil Soup

Curry Sweet Potato and Red Lentil Soup

Creamy Potato Leek Soup

Butternut Squash Soup

Cabbage Lentil Fennel Soup

Zucchini Edamame Miso Soup i add bok choy, and use a premade miso broth!