Cream of Spinach Soup

Spinach is one of my favorite super foods. I love it in salads, and in soups like this. Since the spinach gets added towards the end of the soup, it stays a great vibrant green color. This also means it retains most of its nutrients. 

This soup is great hot or even cold, with a dollop of sour cream or yogurt or on its own!

 

What you will need: 

2 tsp olive oil 

2 tbsp butter 

1 medium potato, peeled and cubed 

1 medium onion, finely chopped 

1 stalk celery, finely chopped 

2 cloves garlic, minced 

2 cups vegetable broth 

2 cups almond milk or fat free milk 

1 (6-ounce) bag baby spinach, divided 

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste 

Kosher salt, to taste 

Optional- sour cream or plain Greek yogurt and dill 

Directions: 

In a large pot, heat the oil. Sauté the potato, onion, celery, and garlic for 5 minutes. 

Add the vegetable broth and milk. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer on low for 10 minutes. 

Stir in half the spinach, cover, and simmer for 10 more minutes. 

Use an immersion blender and blend the soup in the pot. Add the remaining fresh spinach to the soup and blend until smooth. 

Taste for seasoning and serve as is or top with a dollop of Greek yogurt or sour cream and fresh dill. Enjoy!

Butternut Squash Soup

I love a hearty soup in the winter months. This soup could even be a meal on its own and freezes well. I usually make a big batch of it and freeze it in quart containers for another day!

What you will need: 

One 2 lb butternut squash, peeled and cut into cubes 

1 large apple, peeled, cored and cut up 

1 medium yellow onion, cut into 4 wedges 

 2 tbsp olive oil 

 1 tsp salt 

 ½ tsp black pepper 

 1 garlic clove 

 1 tsp dried thyme 

4 cups low sodium vegetable or chicken broth 

Directions: 

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with foil. 

Place the squash, apple, garlic and onion on the baking sheet. Drizzle with the olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and toss to combine. Roast in the oven until fork tender, about 40 to 45 minutes. 

In a large pot, bring the chicken broth and spices to a low boil over high heat. Add the squash, apple, garlic and onion. Lower the heat to a simmer, with the lid cracked, and cook for about 20 minutes. 

Remove from the heat. 

Use an immersion blender and blend until smooth and creamy. Season the soup with additional salt and pepper to taste. 

Enjoy!

Mushroom Barley Soup

I absolutely love the hearty taste of mushroom barley soup. It was on the table for many dinners in my house growing up. I had always thought it was difficult and time consuming to make. Boy was I wrong! 

The whole process is all done in the same pot! Yay for me, less dishes to wash too! 

What you will need:

1/4 cup olive oil 
1 cup chopped onion
3/4 cup diced carrots
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 pound sliced fresh mushrooms
6 cups chicken broth
3/4 cup barley
salt and pepper to taste

Heat the oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and garlic; cook and stir until onions are tender and transparent.

Stir in mushrooms and continue to cook for a few minutes.

Pour in the chicken broth and add barley. 

Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer until barley is tender, about 50 minutes. Season with salt and pepper before serving.

Enjoy!

French Onion Soup

There is nothing better than homemade soup during the winter! I love French onion soup and would always get it at restaurants growing up. It has great flavors, with layers of croutons and toasted mozzarella cheese. I always thought it was so difficult to make, and would only be able to enjoy it if I went out to a fancy shmansy restaurant.

You are not going to believe how easy this is to make! And, it costs way less to make a whole pot of it than one bowl at a restaurant. I always make a GIANT pot of it and freeze part of it to enjoy later.

What you will need:

4 large onions
2 tbs. butter
2 tbs. sugar
4 tbs. flour
1 envelope of onion soup mix
1 tsp. salt
4 tbs. paprika
4-6 cups water (or you can use vegetable stock to give richer flavor)
1 package mozzarella cheese
Any leftover bread

In a large pot, melt the butter on medium heat. While the butter is melting, slice up 4 large onions. Once the butter is melted, add the onions to the pot. Let the onions sweat for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. I add the sugar halfway through.

Once the onions have a nice brown sheen to them add the flour, onion soup mix, salt, and paprika. Stir the mixture until it’s all incorporated and is a thick paste consistency.

Slowly add the water. I start with ½ cup at first so that the water mixes with the thick paste mixture. Once the water mixes completely, I add the remaining cups of water and stir it all together.

Let the soup simmer on medium heat for an hour with the lid propped on top, but slightly open to let steam out.

While the soup is making, cut any bread you have up into medium size squares. Sprinkle some paprika on the top. Toast on 350°F for 10 minutes.

Once the soup is ready, it’s time to assemble it in the bowls! I love using these little handled crocks like they do in the restaurants to get the full effect!

Ladle the soup into your bowls; sprinkle some mozzarella cheese, then a layer of croutons, and finally another {heaping} layer of cheese. Bake in the oven at 350°F until the cheese bubbles and turns brown.

I let the remainder of the soup cool down, then I pour into freezer safe containers to enjoy when I just don't feel like cooking.  They can last months in the freezer like this.

Enjoy!