What are some yummy (and easy) vegetarian soup recipes?
I'm in a soup-cooking craze. Anyone have yummy recipes, cookbooks, online resources for easy veggie soups? I just bought an immersion blender, so blended soups are fun too.
Easiest lentil soup ever: Heat 2Tbs of oil in a large saucepan. Chop 1 med. onion and 2-3 celery stalks. Saute in the oil for 5 min or so, until softened. Add 3/4 cup red lentils. Let cook for a minute or so. Add 4-5 medium fresh chopped tomatoes (or 1 can diced tomatoes), and 4 cups veggie or chicken broth. Bring to a boil then simmer for 20-25 minutes, until lentils are tender. Season with salt, pepper, and LOTS of fresh parsley. Turn off heat. Blend with your immersion blender or in a cuisinart. Enjoy.
Side note: A chopped carrot or two, sauted with the onion and celery, adds a nice orange color and good flavor.
Side note 2: you can play with the spices. Sometimes I add oregano, sometimes a bit of cumin and cayenne if I want it spicy...it's fun to experiment.
You can take sarahsugs basic beginning (sauting diced onions, garlic, celery, in oil) and add anything...can diced tomatoes,black beans, white beans, adzuki, corn, diced carrots, broccoli-, barley, (if feeling lazy some good salsa). Thickening from diced sweet or white potato, polenta, quinao, amaranth.... blend some or none. Just let soup cool a bit before blending ( from bitter personal experience.(
and veggie broth or water w. spices and Bragg or Tamari if you want to keep it all vegan.
*quinoa. For carrot or squash soups, some grated ginger (use side of spoon to peel and scrape) enhances the flavor.
lately i've been adding miso to *all* my soup recipes. it rounds out the flavor somehow.
Caveat about miso. It is a soy product and thus contains phytoestrogens; that is contraindicated in post-menopausal women or women w. a personal or family history of breast cancer.
Here is an easy one:
take 1 large leek and saute in butter (or oil for vegan) with a medium onion
add 1 large potato and cook a few minutes
add stock (whatever kind you like best) and cook until potato creams
throw in immersion blender and enjoy!
UPDATE: thanks for all the great recipe tips! I just finished making that potato leek soup right now and I can't believe how easy it was! I didn't even use broth, just water. The secret to soup is really the immersion blender. I highly recommend buying one!