Tag: dairy-free

Posted on

Oatmeal Chocolate Cookies

Sugar is not the devil, but it’s no secret that most of us overindulge in it – sometimes without even realizing. In moderation, sugar can (and likely will) be included in a healthy diet. The problem is that most of us get our sugar from processed foods like candies, cookies and soda. True, homemade treats aren’t necessarily as convenient as store-bought, but 9 times out of 10 they’re better for you and your family. These Oatmeal Chocolate Cookies take it to the ‘alternative’ extreme of gluten-free and vegan, but even a homemade batch of buttery chocolate chip cookies is a healthier options than Chips Ahoy. Take baby steps first if you’re kicking a processed sugar habit before making your way to the wild side of chia seeds and raw coconut sugar in your baked goods. For those of you that are already on the natural foods path, these cookies are a tasty treat that you can get away with eating for breakfast every now and again. That’s right, chocolate for breakfast.

Oatmeal Chocolate Cookies

Vegan Oatmeal Chocolate Cookies

{makes 12 cookies}

What You’ll Need:

  • 1 medium banana (really ripe)
  • 1/4 cup apple sauce
  • 2 Tbs almond butter
  • 1 cup gluten-free rolled oats
  • 2 oz 100% cocoa dark baking chocolate
  • 2 Tbs coconut palm sugar (or 1 Tbs raw cane sugar)
  • 2 Tbs chia seeds
  • 2 Tbs dried, unsweetened cherries (optional)
  • 2 Tbs unsweetened, finely shredded coconut (optional)
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt

How to Make Them:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a baking mat and set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, add wet ingredients and mix until smooth. In the same bowl (no need to make two messy for this one), add your dry ingredients and mix until well-combined.
  3. Roll 1 Tbs of the mixture into 1″ balls and place onto prepared baking sheet, using your finger to press down the center of each one. Make sure there’s at least 1″ of space between each cookie.
  4. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5-10 minutes before transferring to a baking rack to cool completely.

Store in an airtight container counter-top for up to a week, in the fridge for up to two, or in the freezer for up to three months.

 

Posted on

Fennel “Cream” Sauce with Blackened Tomatoes

This week’s recipe for a gluten-free, vegan pasta sauce features hearty, healthy fennel. Fennel is packed with dietary fiber, vitamin C, potassium and manganese, and provides a good amount of folate–a B-vitamin critical for proper function of your nervous system. When munched on raw, it has a light anise flavor that mellows out when cooked.

Fun fact #1: I learned from some family friends who grew up in Europe that the Swiss use raw fennel on veggie platters in place of celery.

Fun fact #2: fennel is one of the primary flavors in absinthe.

I adore the flavor of fennel, raw or not, and always have it on hand during the winter months for frittatas, stir-frys and snack time. What follows is my take on a vegan Fennel “Cream” Sauce. I paired it with gluten-free, quinoa pasta, blacked tomatoes (also included in the recipe) and cast-iron grilled chicken. If you’re aiming to keep this vegan, steer clear of the meat and opt for some cannellini beans instead.

Fennel “Cream” Sauce with Blackened TomatoesFennel "Cream" Sauce with Blackened Tomatoes

What You’ll Need –

For the Fennel “Cream” Sauce:

  • 1 tbs grapeseed oil
  • 1/2 fennel bulb,  plus 1/4 c fronds
  • 1/2 white onion
  • 2-3 cloves garlic
  • 2 tbs sherry or raspberry vinegar
  • Juice of one lemon
  • 1/4 c nutritional yeast
  • 1/4 c olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne
  • Sea salt and ground pepper to taste

Directions:

  1. Heat grapeseed oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Add onions (coarsely chopped) and cook 1-2 min. Add fennel (coarsely chopped) and cook another 4-6 min. Once the onion and fennel have softened (the onions will appear translucent and both vegetables will start to brown around the edges), add your garlic–the cloves can remain whole as you’ll be blending this in a food processor–and cook another minute or so. You should start to see brown bits sticking to the bottom of your pan. So as to keep all that yummy flavor in your sauce, splash a couple tablespoons of sweet vinegar into your pan to deglaze. Give the mixture a stir and remove from heat.
  2. Add mixture to your food processor with the lemon, nutritional yeast. olive oil, turmeric, cayenne, and salt and pepper to taste. Pulse until it’s blended to your preferred sauce consistency.
  3. Pour over cooked, gluten-free pasta or go grain-free with a bowl of hearty winter vegetables or sauteed kale.

For the Blackened Tomatoes:

  • 1 tbs olive oil
  • 1 cup grape tomatoes
  • Sea salt

Directions:

  1. Pre-heat a cast-iron pan over medium-high heat (if you don’t have cast-iron opt for your heaviest frying pan).
  2. Cut tomatoes in half. On the rounded (uncut) side, make a small “X” cut. Drizzle “X” sides with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt.
  3. Place the tomatoes “X” side down in your preheated pan and let them cook without turning.
  4. After about 2-3 minutes, peel up the edges and look for blackened skin with a little red showing through–and if you aren’t quite there yet, cook them a little longer.
  5. Remove from heat and add to your pasta and sauce mix.

To complete the meal:

  • 1 cup gluten-free pasta
  •  12 oz (or 3/4 lb) protein of choice (I went with free-range chicken)

Directions:

  1. Cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.
  2. Fillet the chicken, coat it in some olive oil, salt and pepper (or your favorite marinade), and cook it in the same cast-iron pan (if you have one) as your tomatoes over medium-high heat for about 5 min per side.
  3. Combine pasta with sauce and blackened tomatoes, then top with slices of your chicken (3 oz per person/serving).

{serves 4}

Posted on

Pumpkin Spice Bread for your Meatless Monday (DF)

If you missed my last Meatless Monday post for Vegan Pumpkin Soup, then you also likely missed me gushing over this fall gourd’s health benefits. Pumpkins get their orange hue from beta carotene which your body converts into vitamin A–essential for good eye sight and a healthy heart–as well as disease fighting vitamin K and powerful antioxidants. Like last week, the recipe I’ve created for you today uses canned organic pumpkin. According to  Greatist, one cup of  the canned stuff has 7g of fiber and 3g of protein—that’s more than two times the fiber and 50% more protein than pulling it fresh from the pumpkin patch. Mixing in a hearty portion of raw pumpkin seeds will add a powerful dose of essential minerals including zinc, potassium and magnesium—great for muscle recovery and healthy bones, hair and skin!

IMG_5309

I don’t have to tell you how tasty Pumpkin Bread is, but mine amps up the health factor without compromising on texture and flavor. I made some simple swaps, including coconut oil and apple sauce instead of butter, to make it dairy-free and more figure-friendly. The result is a moist, seasonal bread that can be treated like dessert or a special breakfast treat.

IMG_5305

What You’ll Need:

  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/4 tsp ground cloves
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 cup raw cane or coconut sugar
  • 1/3 cup molasses
  • 1/2 cup liquid coconut oil
  • 4 oz apple sauce
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cans (15-oz each) pureed organic pumpkin
  • 3/4 cup toasted pumpkin seeds

How to Make It:

  1. Preheat the oven to 325 F.
  2. In a large bowl, thoroughly mix the flours, spices, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together.
  3. In your mixer’s bowl, beat together the sugar, molasses, coconut oil, apple sauce, eggs, and vanilla. Add the pureed pumpkin and mix until combined. Lastly, add the dry ingredients a little at a time, whipping until smooth.
  4. Fold in the toasted pumpkin seeds by hand then transfer the contents into a non- stick 8.5″ x 4.5″ loaf pan and 4 small ramekins or 12 cup cupcake pan, filling two-thirds of the way in whichever pan(s) you choose. If your pan is not non- stick coat it with butter and flour.
  5. Bake for 1 h 20 min, at which point a toothpick stuck into the middle of the loaf should come out clean. Let cool for at least 20 min before slicing. If you went with muffin tins, up the temperature to 325 F and bake for only 35 min (the same clean toothpick test applies).
Posted on

Raspberry Rose Water Popsicles

Many moons ago, I was having afternoon tea in Paris with one of my dearest friends. This particular cafe was known for its incredible desserts so who was I to turn down a golden opportunity for indulgence? The treat I selected was an oversized raspberry macaroon filled with rose water cream and adorned with fresh ripe raspberries. It has lingered on my palette in some small way ever since, bubbling up into my memory from time to time and bringing a smile to my face and hankering to my stomach.

IMG_4631

Years later I am finally honoring that moment of gastronomic bliss with a healthier nod to my all-time favorite. My Raspberry Rose Water Popsicles are packed with antioxidant-rich raspberries and are gluten and dairy-free. Summer is winding down so enjoy these chilled delicacies before fall settles in!

What You’ll Need:

  • 2 tbs rosewater
  • 6 oz plain unsweetened coconut yogurt
  • 4 oz coconut milk
  • 1 heaping cup frozen rasberrries
  • 1 really ripe banana

How to Make Them:

Blend all ingredients together and pour into popsicle molds. Leave in your freezer overnight and enjoy!

Posted on

Dairy-Free Banana Bread Muffins

If you liked my Banana Bran Muffins and Blueberry Banana Muffins, you’ll definitely dig my healthy Banana Bread Muffins. Like both of those recipes, this one is made dairy-free by using banana, vegan butter, rice milk and apple sauce. They are soft, moist and a much healthier alternative to most bakery muffins which can pack a serious caloric punch at an average of 450 calories a pop. My version come in at under half that number.

IMG_4303

Above being waistline-friendly, these muffins feature folate-full garbanzo bean flour, potassium-packed bananas and nature’s own multivitamin, raw honey. Raw honey contains Vitamins B1, B2, B3, B5, B6 and C, as well as minerals like magnesium, potassium, calcium, sodium chlorine, sulphur, and phosphate.

What You’ll Need:

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1/4 cup garbanzo bean flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 cup raw honey
  • 1/4 cup cane sugar
  • 1/2 cup coconut oil or Earth Balance “butter”
  • 2 large eggs
  • 3 very ripe bananas
  • 8 oz unsweetened apple sauce
  • 1/2 cup rice milk (or almond/coconut)
  • 1 tbs vanilla extract
  • Optional: 1/2 cup of any of the following–dark chocolate bits, walnuts, dates

How to Make Them:

  1. Pre-heat oven to 350°F; spray 12-muffin pan with oil or line with fun paper liners
  2. In a bowl, mix together dry ingredients (flours, baking soda and powder, spices and salt)
  3. In a separate, large bowl (or KitchenAid mixer if you have one), vigorously whisk together sugar, honey and vegan butter until smooth. Add eggs and whisk again on high until mixture stiffens. Add in your mashed banana, apple sauce,  rice milk, and vanilla extract.
  4. Slowly fold dry ingredients into wet ingredients.
  5. Once combined, gently mix in optional treats (dark chocolate bits, walnuts, dates)
  6. Evenly distribute batter across muffin pan; bake for 45 min (or until a toothpick comes out clean)
Posted on

Zucchini Flower Fritters (Dairy-Free)(Gluten-Free)

With summer in full swing, farmers markets are overflowing with delicious produce and fresh cut flowers. What could be better than a farmers market find that is both food and flower? Nothing, clearly. So when I locked eyes on the beautiful and edible zucchini flowers last weekend, I knew immediately I had to have them. These vibrant orange blossoms can be eaten raw or cooked and are a favorite in Mediterranean cuisine. Into the tote they went, merrily whisked back to the MOARyoga shoebox test kitchen. Equipped with the best of nature’s bounty, I set out to prepare a fun finger-food hearty enough for a meal but still light enough on the palette for a hot summer night.

…the result…

IMG_4430

Zucchini Flower Fritters

What You’ll Need:

  • 2 tbs olive oil
  • 1 shallot, minced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 red bell pepper, finely chopped
  • 1/2 roasted poblano, finely chopped
  • 1 jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup cooked quinoa
  • 1/3 cup garbanzo bean flour
  • 3 tbs nutritional yeast
  • 1 tsp adobe chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
  • Lemon wedges (for garnish)

For the Beer Batter:

  • 1/2 cup garbanzo bean flour
  • 1tsp salt
  • 1 tbs olive oil
  • 1/3 cup chilled gluten-free beer
  • 1 egg
  • Canola or grapeseed oil for frying

IMG_4443

How to Make Them:
  1. In a medium frying pan, saute shallots in olive oil over medium heat until translucent. Add garlic, red pepper, poblano and jalapeño. Saute another 3-5 min. Remove from heat and let cool.
  2. In a separate bowl, mix cooked quinoa with nutritional yeast, salt, pepper, chili powder and garbanzo bean flour.
  3. Add cooled veggie mix to your dry ingredients and mix to combine. Add eggs (whipped up in a separate bowl first) until everything comes together.
  4. Take zucchini flowers and use your fingers to remove any stamens from the inside of the blossoms. Rinse the flowers and pat dry.
  5. Using your fingers and/or a teaspoon to work a dollop of the quinoa mixture inside the blossom. Leave enough room at the top to twist the petals together, creating a neat little package with the flowers.
  6. Chill stuffed zucchini flowers in the fridge for at least 30 min.
  7. While that’s happening, prepare your batter. Mix garbanzo bean flour, salt, oil and gluten-free beer together in one bowl. In a separate bowl whip your egg vigorously until frothy. Combine the contents of the two bowls and stir until smooth.
  8. Remove flowers from fridge. Line a tray with paper towels.
  9. Fill a deep saucepan 1/3 of the way with canola or grapeseed oil, then heat on medium-high until a drop of water makes the oil hiss and spit (stand back!).
  10. Working in batches of four, slide the flowers one-by-one into batter. Allow any excess batter to drip off, then deep-fry for 4 min (flipping once) or until golden. Using a slotted spoon or tongs, transfer to paper towel-lined tray. Repeat until all flowers are frittered!
  11. Scatter with salt and serve with lemon wedges.
These fritters are light, gluten-free, dairy-free and delicious. Try dipping them in my Tomatillo Spicy Green Salsa for some added kick!
Posted on

Zucchini “Fettuccine Alfredo” (Vegan) (Gluten-Free)

Growing up in a half-Italian household, there was no shortage of ricotta stuffed shells, eggplant parmesan, and creamy pasta dishes at family gatherings. You’d think I’d be naturally endowed with the ability to digest all that deliciousness. Sadly, like so many others, over the years I have lost the ability to properly digest lactose (a.k.a. I am dairy defunct). According to the NIH, “approximately 65% of the human population has a reduced ability to digest lactose after infancy.” So what’s an Italiana to do?

Thanks to creative cooks across the web and world, there are thousands of recipe alternatives out there for some of your favorite cheese and cream-heavy dishes. Ever since noshing on an amazing dish of dairy-free Fettuccine “Alfredo” in Austin, TX back in February I’ve been angling to make my own version that was both vegan and gluten-free. After reading countless recipes and making several attempts to fuse what I saw as the best elements of each, this is what I came up with…and it’s super tasty if I do say so myself!

Zucchini “Fettuccine Alfredo”

IMG_4359

What You’ll Need:

  • 1 cup raw cashews
  • 8 oz boiling water
  • 3-4 cloves garlic
  • 1/3 cup nutritional yeast
  • juice of half a lemon
  • 2 tbs olive oil
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 4 small or 2 large zucchinis

How to Make It:

  1. Soak cashews in water overnight.
  2. Drain cashews and add to a blender or food processor. Add 8-oz of boiling water and blend until mostly smooth.
  3. Add remaining ingredients and blend until smooth and creamy.
  4. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Let cool and store in the fridge for up to a week or use immediately (continuing to steps 5 and 6).
  5. Using a vegetable peeler, shave long slivers of raw zucchini into a bowl until you’ve used up the entire veggie. The strips should look like thin ribbons (see below).
  6. Toss zucchini with “Alfredo” sauce until well coated.
  7. Let marinate for at least 30 min so the sauce seeps into the “fettuccine.”

This can be served hot or cold. It makes for the perfect summer meal: very light, very healthy and, to top it off, very satisfying!

IMG_4363

Posted on

Avoid the Travel Trap & Pack Your Snacks

If you have a job like mine where you travel regularly, it can be hard to maintain a healthy diet when it comes time to hit the road (or skies). You no longer have the guarantee of a refrigerator to store fresh food, a good grocery store to purchase fruits and veggies, or a stove to prepare your own meals. Most of the time you will be forced to eat out and make the best choices possible. One way to avoid ordering a massive meal every time you sit down is to bring along your own snacks. Keeping tasty and nutritious snacks on hand will help keep you satisfied in between meals so you don’t become blinded by hunger, throwing your normally healthy habits out the door. Below are some of my favorite snacks to pick up before a long plane ride (such as the one I’m on as you’re reading this) or a day of racing around to different meetings with no time for a break.

photo

To honor spring and healthy, beautiful skin, I packed these tasty detoxifying snacks:

1. Pepitas: Also known as pumpkin seeds, pepitas are one of my go-tos for skin detox. Pumpkin seeds are packed with the beautifying mineral, zinc, and essential fatty acids including omegas 3, 6, and 9. They also help reduce inflammation in the body.

Go for the raw, unsalted variety to get all the benefits without any added down-sides.

2. Edamame Hummus w/ Baby Carrots and Radishes: Baby Carrots are plentiful in skin-beautifying Vitamin A in the form of beta-carotene. Vitamin A is found in many skin creams and treatments in the form of retinol, but ingesting it is still the best way to get that glow from the inside out.  Radishes are high in sulfur, silicon, and Vitamin C, which work together to boost collagen, strengthen skin, and stimulate the circulatory system. And Edamame Hummus from Trader Joe’s? Well that’s just darn tasty.

3. KIND Bars: I love KIND Bars because they are gluten-free, and most varieties are also wheat- and dairy-free. They are non-GMO, have simple and natural ingredients, and boast at least 5g of dietary fiber (approximately 20% of your RDA). They are delicious and more satisfying than chalky protein bars with a million ingredients.

So before your next trip, stock up on the good stuff and arrive at your destination feeling a heck of a lot better than if you’d gone for that blueberry muffin or five-dollar foot-long.

Posted on

Food Allergy-Friendly Dinner Party

Times have changed and now it seems that almost everyone I know has a food allergy or sensitivity of sorts. Personally, I’m a card-carrying lactard. Despite my handicap, I’d still call myself a foodie – I just have to work harder on occasion! Due to my dietary shortcomings, all of the recipes on my blog are dairy-free, many are vegan, and from time-to-time they’re also gluten-free. The recipes below fall under all three categories and, as always, involve ingredients thoughtfully selected to boost your immune system and improve your overall health. Some of the nutritional rockstars in these recipes include:

Ginger: alleviates menstrual cramps; relieves an upset stomach; and has many other natural beauty and homeopathic applications

Coconut Milk: vitamins C, E and many of the metabolism-friendly Bs; magnesium, phosphorous, iron and potassium; may help combat heart disease and age-related diseases because of its high antioxidant content (for more info click here)

Garbanzo Bean Flour: see my post on Sweetly Salted Nut Butter Power Cookies

Turmeric: may prevent and slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease, melanoma  and many other kinds of cancer; is a natural liver detoxifier (aka a hangover must); and may even play a role in fat metabolism. Need more convincing? Here’s a list of 20 benefits of this superspice.

THE MENU

Starter: Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad w/ Pine Nuts

Entrée: Red Lentil Coconut Soup with Shiitake Mushrooms and Spinach, served with Thyme-Infused Garbanzo Bean Flat Bread

Dessert: fresh seasonal fruit topped with shredded unsweetened coconut and dark chocolate bits

Wine Pairing: Vouvray or your favorite white wine

I wrote a blog on the first recipe earlier this week – click on the link above for details. As for the entrée, keep on reading.

**************

Red Lentil Coconut Soup with Shiitake Mushrooms and Spinach

 IMG_3333

What You’ll Need:

  • 2 cups red lentils, well washed
  • 1 tbs coconut oil
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 inch fresh ginger, grated
  • 2 tsp turmeric
  • 2 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1 (28 ounce) can tomatoes w/ juice
  • 2 large carrots, peeled and chopped
  • 1 tbs fresh lemon juice
  • 6 cups vegetable broth
  • 1 (14 ounce) can light coconut milk
  • 2 cups shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced
  • 1 shallot, minced
  • 1 tsp coconut oil
  • 1 bag spinach
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped green onions (to garnish)

How to Make It:

  1. In a large skillet, sauté onions in coconut oil until soft. Add garlic, turmeric, cumin, ginger, cayenne and salt and pepper. Cook, stirring for 1-2 min until aromatic. Add tomatoes with juice and bring to a boil, breaking up any large chunks as you stir.
  2. Add carrots, lentils, coconut milk and broth to your slow cooker. Spoon skillet mixture into slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Stir in lemon juice and spinach leaves and continue cooking on high for last 20 min.
  3. Just after adding the spinach, in a medium skillet, sauté shallots in 1 tsp of coconut oil and a pinch of seas salt over medium heat for 3 min. Add shiitake mushrooms and cook for 2 min at medium heat then turn heat to low and cook another 8-10 min until tender and golden brown.
  4. Spoon soup into bowls and top with 1 tbs of thinly sliced green onions and 2 tbs of sautéed shiitake mushrooms.

Thyme-Infused Garbanzo Bean Flat Bread

IMG_3334

What You’ll Need:

  • 1 1/3 cups garbanzo bean flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • 1 tbs dried thyme
  • 2 cups water
  • 2 tbs olive oil

How to Make It:

  1. In a large bowl, combine flour, salt and thyme. Slowly whisk in water. Let  mixture sit at room temperature for 30 min while oven pre-heats to 350 F.
  2. Place 9″ x 16″ cast iron griddle in oven while it heats. (You can also use a 10″ cast iron skillet here to make a more doughy version, akin to pizza crust).
  3. When batter is ready, whisk in 1 tbs of olive oil. Use the other 1 tbs to coat the griddle. Pour batter onto griddle and bake on center rack for 45 min to an hour (depending on the oven). The flatbread should be firm but chewy. Be careful not to burn. Carefully loosen flatbread from griddle with a spatula and let cool. Cut into strips and serve alongside your soup.

Finally, a great big thanks to my good friends and fellow yogis, Caroline and Jess, for being my test kitchen guinea pigs and great company!

IMG_3338

Posted on

Tri-Color Potato Leek Soup (V)

Earlier this week I shared a hearty and healthy winter soup recipe. If you liked that one, I’m pretty sure you’ll dig this one too. Potatoes are a low-calorie carb, high in fiber and fat-free. According to the USDA, we should be getting 45-65% of our total calorie intake from carbs. On a 2,000-calorie diet that translates to about 225 to 325g of the often-demonized nutrient per day. For the carbophobes out there, keep in mind that carbohydrates act as your primary source of energy–essential for those of us leading an active lifestyle. A 1 cup serving of the potatoes used in this recipe contains 26g of carbs and 2g of fiber. Fiber is a powerful tool for weight control as it’s your best friend when it comes to staying full and satiated.  For my ladies out there, adult women need around 25g of fiber a day. Our male counterparts need to up the ante to around 35g of fiber a day.

The real superstars in this recipe, however, are leeks. One cup of raw leeks contains 52.2% of your daily value for vitamin K, 29.6% for vitamin A, 21.5% for manganese, 17.8% for vitamin C, 14.2% for folate, 10.5% for vitamin B6, and 10.3% for iron. Talk about a secret weapon!

Knowing how good this soup is for you, you’ll feel even better when you realize it actually tastes good too. Pair it with a hunk of my Easy Multigrain Bread and voilà, lunch is served!

Tri-Color Potato Leek Soup

IMG_2351

What You’ll Need:

  • 6 cups reduced-sodium vegetable stock
  • 3 leeks, cleaned and cut into 1/4-inch rounds
  • 14-16 small tri-color potatoes, cubed
  • 1 shallot, diced
  • 1/2 onion, diced
  • 3 cloves of garlic, crushed
  • 2 tbs olive oil
  • 1 tbs fresh thyme
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/2 tsp cayenne
  • salt and pepper, to taste

IMG_2337

How to Make It:

  1. Heat oil in a large (5-6 qt) saucepan over medium heat. Add onions, shallots and leeks, sautéing 5-7 min or until tender and translucent.
  2. Add garlic, thyme, oregano, cayenne and salt and pepper, cooking for another 2-3 min.
  3. Add tri-color potatoes, making sure to coat them in the spices and onion, shallot, leek mixture.
  4. Add vegetable stock, bring mixture to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for about 15 min. The potatoes should be easy to pierce and pick up with a fork.
  5. Finally, using a hand blender if you have one, purée the mixture in your saucepan until smooth. (If you don’t have a hand blender a standing blender does the trick).
  6. Adjust your seasoning for spice and saltiness. Serve hot and enjoy!

Note: if you aren’t vegan or dairy-free, I highly recommend adding a tablespoon or two of your favorite shredded cheese. I have a dairy sensitivity but can handle goat and sheep’s milk cheeses, so I added some grated manchego–yum!