By Debbie Scally, TSI Office Guru

Are you a winter lover? Or are you counting the days till spring? Personally, I’m a little tired of the cold and looking forward to warmer days, but either way, with the wintry weather still in full swing up here in the PNW, nutritious warming meals are a must.

We love to make delicious soups at this time of year- they are such a versatile addition to our meal rotations. I put a big pot of soup on to simmer slowly on a chilly afternoon, it fills the house with a delightful scent, and cooks all by itself while I am working on something else. We enjoy it for supper by the fire, and then use the leftovers for workday lunches. Sometimes we are even lucky enough to be able to fill a couple of Stanley food jars with hot soup and go off for a walk on the beach, or up a mountain trail – what could be more lovely than hot soup and a stunning view?

I have a fresh batch of butternut squash soup in my fridge right now, and the last portion of tomato bisque is waiting to be eaten for lunch. We pretty much always have some sort of soup or stew on the go around here for a quick and nutritious meal. As I was putting the squash soup away yesterday, I was thinking about all of you, and how I really should share some recipes with you, so that we can all feel warm and well fed!

So here are three favorites, to suit three different diets – a vegetarian/vegan tomato bisque, a paleo butternut squash ginger soup, and a low FODMAP chicken and veggie soup, with variations for other diets.

 

Tomato Bisque – Vegetarian/Vegan

2 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, minced
2 ribs celery, diced
1/2 teaspoon salt + more to taste
1/8 teaspoon black pepper + more to taste
1 teaspoon basil – dried
3 cloves garlic. minced
5 cups vegetable broth (chicken broth can be substituted for non-vegetarians)
28 ounces crushed tomatoes
1 cup heavy cream (use full-fat coconut milk if you prefer a vegan soup)

Add olive oil to a large pot over medium heat and add in diced onion, diced celery, salt, pepper, and basil for about 5-6 minutes or until the onions are translucent.

Add in minced garlic and stir an additional 45 seconds before adding in the broth and tomatoes.

Lower the heat to a simmer and cook for 30-40 minutes. Add heavy cream or coconut milk.

Taste and add extra salt, pepper and basil if needed. Blend until perfectly smooth with an immersion blender. Or blend in batches with a standard blender.

 

Butternut Squash Ginger Coconut Soup – Paleo (Vegan)

3 pounds butternut squash, cut in half with seeds removed
1 onion, minced
3 tablespoons ginger, minced
1 tablespoon coconut oil
7 ounces coconut cream
4 cups chicken stock or vegetable stock
2 teaspoons salt + more for taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Slice the butternut squashes in half, remove the seeds and place in a large baking dish, skin side up with approximately an inch of water on the bottom. Bake at 400 degrees for about 40 minutes or until tender when pierced with a fork. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

Meanwhile, peel and mince the onion and ginger. Using a large stock pot, place a tablespoon of coconut oil on the bottom and allow it to melt. Add the onions and ginger and sauté on medium heat until the onion is caramelized.

Remove the squash from the outer skin and place into pot with the onions and ginger. Add enough stock until the liquid level comes up ¾ of the way to the top but does not cover the squash. Add coconut cream. Cover and heat on medium heat until the liquid starts boiling and the coconut cream dissolves.

Using an immersion blender or regular blender, blend well and add salt to taste. If the soup is too thick, add more water until it reaches a creamy thick yet pourable consistency.

Chicken Veggie Soup – Low FODMAP (with non-low FODMAP variation)

1 tablespoon olive oil
5 scallion greens (green parts of scallion only)(or 1 onion and 3 cloves garlic if non-low FODMAP)
1 tablespoon rosemary, minced
1 tablespoon thyme, minced
1 tablespoon sage, minced
1 bay leaf
1 celery root or rutabaga (add 3 stems celery if non-low FODMAP), diced
4 carrots, diced
2 potatoes, diced
6 cups low FODMAP chicken stock (365 brand chicken stock is a good option)
3 pounds chicken breast – boneless, diced into bite-sized pieces
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper

In a large soup pot, add olive oil and add minced scallion greens (or onion and garlic). Sauté until caramelized. Add finely minced herbs, bay leaf, diced celery root (and celery if not low-FODMAP), potatoes and diced carrots and cook for 10-15 minutes covered over low heat until vegetables are partly tender. Add chicken stock, chopped raw chicken and enough broth to cover the chicken. Simmer for 30-40 minutes until the chicken is cooked through. Fish out the bay leaf after cooking.

Taste check and add salt or pepper if needed.