Italian Peasant Baked Vegetable Soup

5 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes, halved and sliced ¼ inch thick
1½ teaspoons salt, divided
2 medium zucchini, halved and sliced ½ inch thick
2 medium leeks, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced
4 medium stalks celery, thinly sliced
10 ounces baby bella mushrooms, quartered
4 cups (18 oz) artichoke hearts, thawed, if frozen, quartered
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley, plus more for garnish
1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes, with their juice
Shredded Parmesan for garnish
6 cups water
½ teaspoon ground pepper

Preheat oven to 350°F. Pour oil into a large ovenproof pot (about 6-quart) and arrange potato slices in an even layer over the oil. Sprinkle with ¾ teaspoon salt. Layer in zucchini, leeks, celery, mushrooms, artichoke hearts and ¼ cup parsley; sprinkle with the remaining ¾ teaspoon salt. Pour tomatoes over the vegetables. Add water (the vegetables will not be completely submerged), cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, transfer the pot to the oven and bake, covered, until the vegetables are tender, but still firm, 1 to 1¼ hours. Season with pepper and serve garnished with parsley and Parmesan, if desired.

Serving size: about 1¾ cups
Per serving: 204 calories; 10 g fat(1 g sat); 7 g fiber; 26 g carbohydrates; 5 g protein; 149 mcg folate; 0 mg cholesterol; 5 g sugars


Tip: Clean leeks well to be sure they're grit-free: After slicing, place in a bowl filled with water and swish around to release any sand or soil trapped between the layers. Scoop the leeks out of the bowl with a slotted spoon, leaving any sand or soil behind in the bowl. Drain well. Repeat as needed

Spicy Tomato Soup

1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2-1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. ground coriander
1-2 Tab. tomato paste
28-32 oz. canned tomatoes (I used diced)
1/2 cup red lentils
2 cups stock, vegetable or chicken
Optional: yogurt or sour cream, chopped parsley or basil

Heat oil in a pot and add onion and garlic and cook until onions are soft. Add red pepper flakes, cumin, coriander and tomato paste. Stir well. Add canned tomatoes, lentils and stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Set aside to cool enough to safely blend. Puree the soup until smooth. Season to taste and reheat, if necessary. Serve with a spoon of yogurt or sour cream, chopped parsley or basil and additional red pepper flakes, if desired.

Butternut Squash and Chives Soup

1 Onion, chopped
2 Garlic cloves, minced
4 cups Butternut squash. diced
2 cups Potato, diced
33 oz. Vegetable Stock
Sour Cream and Chives, for garnish
Optionally:
1 Tab Curry powder
1 tea. Red Pepper flakes

Heat oil in a pot and add chopped onion and garlic. Cook until onion has softened. Add Butternut squash and potato and cook for 5 minutes. Add stock and salt and pepper to taste. Cover and bring to a boil. Simmer until potato is tender.  Cool soup a bit so that the heat does not make pressure in the blender to blow the top off. Blend soup and reheat, if necessary. Top with sour cream and chives.

Simple.Chicken and Asparagus Soup

12 cups chicken broth or water
4 chicken breasts
2 leeks, chopped
2 Tab. Parsley, minced
Salt and black pepper, to taste
2 bunches asparagus, chopped into bite-sized pieces

In a large pot, put broth or water on to boil. Add breasts and cook until done (@10-15 minutes). Shred breasts.
Add leeks and cook 5 minutes. Add parsley, salt, black pepper and asparagus and cook 2 minutes. Serve with crusty bread. Serves 6-8.

Quick and Simple Italian Soup

1 (32 oz.) box (4 @cups) Vegetable broth
1 can (@15 oz.) diced tomatoes (with basil, garlic and oregano is best)
1 Tab. Italian seasoning
1 large bag (@ 12 oz.) frozen Italian vegetable mix (Cauliflower, Broccoli, Zucchini, Italian Green Beans, Red Peppers, Carrots, Baby Lima Beans)
1-9 oz. package tortellini
Heat broth and tomatoes to boiling. Add frozen vegetables according to package directions (or @ 8 minutes) minus the time it takes to cook the tortellini, (or @3 minutes) according to that package's direction. Add tortellini and finish cooking the soup.

Serves 4, @323 calories per serving, 6 g. Fat, 51 g. Carbs.

Source: modified slightly from the recipe at Giant food store via Brenda

Mushroom-Tomato Bisque

• 
• 1/2 cup sliced leeks or chopped onion (1 medium)
• 1/2 cup sliced celery (1 stalk)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons butter or margarine
• 1 1/2 cups sliced mushrooms
• 1-14 1/2 ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1-14 ounce vegetable broth
• 1/2 cup whipping cream
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• Sauteed mushrooms, a few fresh basil leaves (optional)

• In a 3-quart saucepan cook and stir leek, celery, and garlic in hot butter until tender. Add mushrooms; cook and stir about 5 minutes more or until mushrooms are tender. Stir in undrained tomatoes, broth, whipping cream, and pepper. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 30 minutes.
• Let soup cool slightly. Transfer soup mixture, half at a time, to blender or food processor. Cover and blend or process until smooth. Return all of the soup mixture to saucepan; heat through. To serve, ladle soup into bowls. If desired, top each serving with additional mushrooms. Makes 4 servings.

source: bhg

Pumpkin-Black Bean Soup

2 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 cups canned vegetable stock
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes
1 can (15 ounces) black beans, drained
2 cans (15 ounces) pumpkin puree
1 cup milk or milk substitute
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Coarse salt

Saute onions in the olive oil about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, black beans and pumpkin puree. Stir to combine ingredients and puree in a food processor. Return to pot and add broth, milk, curry, cumin, cayenne and salt, to taste. Bring soup to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low. Simmer 5 minutes, adjust seasonings and serve.

Adapted from: Plant Based Diet Recipes

Quick and Easy Cream of Tomato Soup

2 (15-ounce) containers, chicken or vegetable stock
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 cup heavy cream
salt and black pepper
optional: about 20 leaves fresh basil

Combine broth and tomatoes and about 15 of the basil leaves, if using, in a medium saucepan over moderate heat. When soup bubbles, transfer to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Return to pan and stir in heavy cream and reduce heat to low. Season with a little salt and pepper and simmer gently 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve with the remaining basil leaves, finely chopped, on top.

Spicy Black Bean Soup

This super fast and easy soup from Mom's Budget also has the bonus that it can be stored in your freezer and warmed up to use when you want it.

2 16-oz cans black beans, drained and rinsed

1 1/2 cups vegetable broth

1 cup chunky medium (or mild) salsa

1 tsp ground cumin

Combine ingredients in a blender, and blend until the soup is your desired consistency. Warm on the stove and serve or freeze as a bach or in single serving sizes.

To use from frozen: Defrost soup, and heat in saucepan over low heat. Serve immediately.

Cream of Brussels Sprout Soup

This recipe comes from Twelve Months of Monastery Soups.

2 Tab. Butter

1 pound Brussels Sprouts, sliced into quarters

1 pound potatoes, peeled and diced

2 leeks or onions, sliced

3 garlic cloves

8 cups of water

salt and pepper to taste

1 bay leaf

2 cups of milk or cream

Melt the butter in a saucepan and saute the Brussels Sprouts, potatoes, onions and garlic for 1-2 minutes, stirring continuously. Add the water and seasonings and cook slowly over low-medium heat for 40-45 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. Remove the bay leaf. Add milk and stir well. Blend the soup in a blender and serve hot.

If desired, cook separately some Brussels sprouts sliced into quarters to be used as a garnish on top of the soup.

Garbanzo Bean (Chickpea) Soup

This recipe is modified from the recipe in Tweleve Months of Monsatery Soups.

2 cups dried chickpeas*

10 cups water

1 large onion, chopped

1 stalk celery, minced

2 carrots, sliced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 red bell pepper, diced

4 Tab. olive oil

1 bouillon cube

1 bay leaf

salt and pepper to taste

Soak chickpeas overnight.

Boil them in the water and add the remaining ingredients and cook slowly over medium heat for one hour or until the peas and all the vegetables are tender. Add salt and pepper.

Simmer the soup, covered for about 15 minutes. Remove the bay leaf before serving. Serve hot.

*In a pinch, you can use already cooked garbanzo beans. In that case, you will need 6 cups of already cooked beans (drained). Cook the vegetables in the water for one hour without the beans and then add the beans and cook, covered for 15 minutes.

Crockpot Baked Bean Soup

2-15 oz can Pinto Beans, undrained

1/2 Onion, finely diced
1 cup Carrots, slivered or diced
3 tsp Dijon Mustard
2 Tbsp Molasses
1 Tbsp Soy Sauce
2 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar
1 tsp Chili Powder
1 14.5 oz can Fire Roasted Tomatoes
2 cups Water

Place all ingredients in a crockpot and stir. Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours, or on high for 4-5.

Red Onion Soup

source

3 Tab. olive oil
6 large red onions, sliced
pinch salt
2 tea. fresh thyme (or 1 tea. dried thyme) or 2 tea. fresh marjoram
1 cup red wine
6 cups vegetable broth
pinch of nutmeg

In a large pot, heat the oil and add onions and salt and stir. Cook on med-low heat for 25 minutes to caramelize. When the onions have turned a deep golden brown. Stir in the herbs and deglaze with the wine. Add broth and nutmeg and simmer 15 minutes.

If desired, you may serve with Parmesan Crostini floating on top the soup.
Slice a baguette into 1/4 inch rounds and place on a baking sheet. Brush the top of each slice with olive oil and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake 350 oven until lightly toasted and cheese has melted.

Source: modified slightly from the recipe at One Bite at a Time, Rebecca Katz

Chickpea, Kale and Fire Roasted Tomato Soup

Source: Tori Avey

2 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, diced
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 can fire roasted, diced tomatoes
1 1/4 cups water
2 cups vegetable stock
4 tsp smoked paprika
2 tsp granulated garlic
2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 bunch kale, de-stemmed and chopped or torn into bite sized pieces

optional: You can add, if desired: 1 fennel bulb, diced
1 leek, rinsed and diced

Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium high heat. Add the onion (fennel, leek) and salt. Cook until soft and translucent. Add remaining ingredients, except for the kale. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and let cook for 15-20 minutes, uncovered, until soup reduces and thickens and the flavor is more pronounced. Stir in kale. Once it is wilted and warm the soup is ready to serve. Taste and adjust seasonings as desired.

Source: Tori Avey