Going Brothless

I used to think that a good soup needed good broth and I’m learning that that’s just not the case. While pre-made broth (whether store-bought or homemade) will always be a delicious base for a soup, I’ve grown tired of its requirement.

I’m not thrilled about the plastic cartons of broth at the store or the bouillon cubes made with preservatives. I don’t have the fridge space, the containers, or the time to make my own broth at home. Because, the truth is that soup will taste delicious if you season it right.

Why do we want soup anyway? We crave something warm and comforting. Something light yet filling and nourishing.

Here is a quick and delicious vegetable soup that doesn’t require a predetermined broth and can be thrown together with the veggies in your fridge/freezer. It can also be altered with a different set of seasoning (e.g. fresh dill and a splash of white vinegar).

Ingredients

2 medium tomatoes, quartered

2 medium yellow potatoes, diced

2 medium carrots, diced

1/4 yellow onion, diced

1 cup frozen corn

1 cup frozen green beans

1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder or to taste

1 teaspoon harissa seasoning or to taste

3 bay leaves

Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Fill pot with 2 quarts of water and bring to a boil.

2. Add the seasoning, potatoes, carrots, onion, and tomatoes; cook until the vegetables are tender.

3. Add the corn and green beans.

4. Let simmer for 20 minutes.

5. Enjoy!

Cauliflowah in Chowdah

It’s chilly out, and all I want is comfort food. Comfort food to me means carbs and cream. Pasta, pastries, chowder, chocolate. I could go on.

Last week, I inhaled two bowls of clam chowder at work and immediately felt sluggish the rest of the afternoon.

Sigh, my craving for comfort food completely contradicts my desire to eat healthy.

Until this week.

I found a delicious and nutritious substitute for cream in my soups, stews, and chowders: pureed cauliflower.

One serving of cauliflower has 100% of our daily recommended amount of vitamin C and is high in fiber (source). Not to mention, cauliflower is super versatile to cook with and can often be found in grocery stores plastic-free. So many wins.

Here’s how I used pureed cauliflower this week in my chicken pot pie chowder:

Ingredients

• 1 small head of cauliflower

• 1 small yellow onion

• 3 cups of chicken broth

• 2 cups of shredded chicken

• 2 cups of frozen corn

• 2 cups of frozen peas

• 2 cups of diced carrots

• 2 cups of diced potatoes

• 1 cup of almond milk

• 1 tablespoon of ghee

• 2 teaspoons of thyme

• 2 teaspoons of chili powder

• 1 teaspoon of turmeric

• Salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Side note: I roasted a whole chicken the day before, made broth from the bones, and shredded the breasts for the chowder.

2. Cut the cauliflower into large pieces.

3. Bring the broth and cauliflower to a boil in a large pot; cook until the cauliflower is tender. Let cool.

4. Dice the onions, carrots, and potatoes.

5. Blend the broth and cauliflower until smooth. Keep it in the blender for a moment.

6. In the empty pot, heat up the ghee. Soften the onions, carrots, and potatoes until the onions are translucent.

7. Add the pureed cauliflower and almond milk to the pot.

8. Bring the mixture to a simmer. Add the seasonings, frozen corn, and frozen peas.

9. Chowder is done once the potatoes are tender.

10. Enjoy!