Butternut soup is nourishing, cozy, dense and lightly sweet. It’s great on its own or it can be used as a base for more flavours. Here I used curry powder to add a big dose of exotic flavour (plus many of the spices are warming and help with digestion) and some coconut oil and coconut yogurt for a tropical touch. Pretty much any kind of Indian, Middle Eastern or Northern African spice mix will work nicely with butternut squash but my favourite is a homemade curry powder Continue Reading →
Butternut Squash and Chestnut Soup
Butternut squash and chestnuts are both sweet, dense and full of nutrients. Butternut squash, with its vibrant orange flesh is a good source of many nutrients, in particular it contains significant amounts of the antioxidants that maintain vision. Chestnuts are high in fiber and a good source of monounsaturated fats- an ideal combination for combating LDL (bad) cholesterol. They are also high in B vitamins and vitamin C as well as several minerals including potassium and manganese. Continue Reading →
Thai Salad Stuffed Avocado
Topping a salad off with avocado always makes it better, flipping it around and using a whole half of the buttery fruit as a base to build upon is a good way to mix it up. When it comes to eating seasonally, a salad can be appropriate and satisfying even during the winter months if it has enough substance. Here, the avocado, brown rice and creamy peanut sauce add lots of fiber, complex carbs and healthy fats to weigh down the vegetables, but the Thai inspired flavours keep it light and refreshing. Continue Reading →
Potato Leek Soup
Potato leek soup is a classic option perfect for crisp fall afternoons and evenings. It often has cream and butter added in but using smaller, yellow potatoes which are naturally sweeter and creamier, results in a soup that tastes rich and still has a velvety texture without the heavy dairy. Continue Reading →
Chicken Tomatillo Soup
Tomatillos are a staple ingredient in Mexican cuisine and were used as far back as 800 B.C. by the Aztecs. Their more authentic name is “tomato verde”, Spanish for “green tomato”, and they make up an essential part of the famous green Mexican sauce called salsa verde. They are similar to regular red tomatoes except that their taste is less sweet and more tart and their texture is firmer and meatier. Their seeds are really tiny and their skins are very thin so they neither need to be peeled nor de-seeded like regular tomatoes often do for soups and sauces. Continue Reading →
Sugar Pumpkin Soup
Sugar pumpkins are a small, sweet variety of the famous round orange squash synonymous with autumn. They fall into the hardier winter squash family (unlike lighter summer squash like zucchini) filling bins and tables at all the markets and grocers this time of year. Cooking with winter squash can be very rewarding or very disappointing, especially with the simpler dishes like soup. Continue Reading →
Tomato Chipotle Soup
Soup is not the most summery dish but this is the best possible time to get tomatoes. The market shelves are full of plump, firm and incredibly flavourful tomatoes just waiting to be eaten. On a slightly cooler, ideally rainy, lazy afternoon or evening this is a nourishing meal to put together and leftovers can be frozen until the temperatures take a dive and the leaves start to turn. Tomatoes are famous for their lycopene content, a carotene that acts as an antioxidant in our bodies. Continue Reading →
Roasted Celeriac Carrot Yam Soup
Celeriac also goes by the name celery root and while it is closely related to the crunchy, light green celery stalks commonly cultivated it is grown particularly for the root rather than the stalks. When raw it smells just like fresh celery but the flavor is more subtle and I find it tastes like a cross between celery, parsley and apples, making it the perfect accompaniment for soups made with other more richly flavored root vegetables like carrots and yams. Continue Reading →
Chunky Minestrone Soup
Minestrone is a really easy, healthy and low cost soup. It is basically a tomatoey broth filled with an assortment of vegetables, pasta and beans. Normally the tomato flavor comes from a can of crushed tomatoes but I have a secret trick- use marinara sauce instead for a more rich texture and depth of flavor. Continue Reading →
Ginger Yam Butternut Soup
I never ate ginger much growing up, except for in gingerbread cookies at Christmas time. Since learning about its health properties I have been experimenting with it more and more and a trip to the market grocery store is no longer complete for me without grabbing some fresh ginger from the produce section. Even just throwing a couple small pieces in a cup with hot water makes a nourishing tea that helps with digestion and is very soothing for sore tummies. This soup is very simple but it features some of the best foods for fending off and recovering from colds and flus Continue Reading →