Nutrient Packed Autumn Soups

Fall is without a doubt my favorite time of year.  The vibrant colors of the changing leaves and crisp cool air pair perfectly with running and my favorite autumn recipes.  As the air turns chilly at night, I crave warm and comforting soups.

I love creating healthy, hearty and filling soups.  The ingredients that go into my soups have to be full of flavor, but also packed with powerful nutrients and plant-based proteins.  The food I eat has to keep my body fueled and energized for my role as mother, runner and first grade elementary teacher.

Below are two soups that I recently prepared at home. The soups are full of nutrient rich produce and plant -based protein!  The ingredients also freeze well, so large batches can be made and then put into quart size freezer bags! If the soup last more than a day!

Hearty Red Lentil and Mushroom with Chickpeas

Hearty Red Lentil Mushroom and Chickpea Soup

 Ingredients:

1 cup of Red Lentils-

3 large raw carrots-chopped

1 small yellow onion chopped

3 garlic cloves peeled and chopped

1/2 cup Shitake Mushrooms roughly chopped

2-3 tablespoons olive oil for sauteing

1 can of cherry tomatoes-Pomodorini-cherry tomatoes

1 can of Chickpeas drained-16 ounces or roughly 1 1/2 cups

Trader Joe’s Everyday Seasoning to Taste

Directions:

1. Simmer the red lentils in a pot with two cups water and cook until just tender-set aside
2. In a large heavy saute pan,  on medium heat-saute the chopped garlic and yellow onion until tender in the olive oil
3. add the chopped carrots and saute
4. then add the chopped shitake mushrooms
5. Next add the canned and drained chickpeas
6. Season mixture with Trader Joe’s Everyday Seasoning
7.  add the canned cherry tomatoes with liquid-12 or 14 ounce can
8. Add the red lentils with liquid
9. Cook on simmering heat until all ingredients are tender and cherry tomatoes have split open

Roasted Squash Soup with Crispy Broiled Mushrooms and Arugula 

Roasted Squash Soup with Crispy Broiled Mushrooms and Arugula 

 

This next soup is super rich and creamy.  The flavor comes from roasting all the vegetables!

Ingredients:

1 medium sized butternut squash split in half and seeds removed

1 medium sized delicata squash-cut in half, seeds removed and sliced with skin on

2 tart apples (Mcintosh or Pink Lady), cored and quartered, but not peeled!

3 medium sized carrots-sliced in half, not peeled!

1 half of a yellow onion-peeled

2 garlic cloves-roast these in the skin, do not peel ahead of time

1 vegetable boullion cube

1 1/2 cups of water

Trader Joe’s Seasoning to taste

Directions:

1. Roast the butternut squash by itself on a baking sheet at 400 degrees until fork tender-take out of oven and place on a plate to cool, then scoop out roasted flesh
2. on a baking sheet-bake all other ingredients at 400 degrees-drizzle with olive oil and sea salt
3. You may take the garlic and onion out if it cooks quicker than the other ingredients
4. Place all roasted ingredients, including the flesh from the roasted butternut squash, except for   1/3 of the roasted veggies to add after I puree to create a chunky soup, into a food processor -or   Vitamix-high powered blending machine I love the soup cycle on my Vitamix Pro 750 series
5. add the 1 1/2 cups of water and the vegetable boullion cube
6. Crispy button mushrooms-sliced and drizzled with olive oil and placed under a broiler along with some arugula or kale to create a crispy topping
7. Sprinkle Hemp Seeds – I love Manitoba Harvest Hemp Seeds –Hemp seed is 33% protein; Hemp seed is 35% essential fatty acid (Omega 3, 6, 9 and GLA); Contains all 9 essential amino acids  

 

Fall is a great time to use fresh produce for creating healthy, delicious and comforting soups!

Do you have a favorite fall soup?  

Check out Live Free and Run for a giveaway – Manitoba Harvest Hemp Hearts –