Coconut Saffron Shrimp Soup

So good.  So good.  This was another ‘no leftovers’ meal.  With having a perpetual stock pot always brewing up tasty stock, we’ve been trying to add more soups to our diet.  For my pot of soup, I did leave the skins on (thought maybe some of the nutrients might leach out into the soup).  Before eating, I just pulled the shrimp out, peeled them and popped them back in.  You can use peeled shrimp if you want to save a step.

Coconut Saffron Shrimp Soup

• 2 tbsp butter
• 2″ knob of ginger, grated
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 can coconut milk
• 1 quart chicken stock
• 2 med carrots, julienned
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (adjust amount for more or less spice)
• a small pinch of saffron threads
• 1 lb shrimp
• scallions, chopped for garnish
• sea salt to taste
• Juice of 1 lime

In a large saucepan, melt butter and saute garlic and ginger for about 1 min.  Add coconut milk, stock, carrots , red pepper flakes and saffron.  Let simmer for about 10 mins or until carrots are soft.  Add shrimp and simmer until shrimp are pink.  Stir in lime juice and serve.

Part of Sunday Night Soup Night

Cream of Broccoli Soup

Obviously broccoli is not in season this time year so if you can’t get fresh, frozen will do. I was in the mood for Cream of Carrot Soup when I saw a pretty head of broccoli in the fridge that needed to be used soon.  I like broccoli, I like soup so why not Cream of Broccoli soup.  In this recipe, I use my fermented garlic paste which I add to the individual cups along with sour cream so you are getting some probiotic goodies with each cup.

According to nutritiondata.self.com, broccoli has no saturated fats and no cholesterol.  You can easily remedy that by adding sour cream because we all know many vitamins are best used by the body when they are accompanied with fat.  Mmm, fat.  Silly nutritiondata.self.com!  Someone should let them know saturated fat is good for them.

Cream of Broccoli Soup

• 1 medium head of broccoli, chopped up stalk and all.
• 1 quart chicken stock (fresh made from a pastured bird is best!)
• 1 tsp garlic paste or 2 cloves garlic, minced
• salt to taste
• sour cream to taste (or cultured cream using piima, kefir or yogurt cultures)

In a medium sized sauce pan, add stock and broccoli.  Bring to a boil, turn down and let simmer until broccoli is tender, about 10 mins.  Using an immersion blender, puree soup to a smooth consistency.  Add salt to taste.  In each bowl stir in a spoonful of sour cream and about 1/4 tsp of garlic paste.  Easy peasy lemon squeezy and my 11 yo says.

Part of Sunday Night Soup Night

Meatball Soup

This was an on-a-whim soup that turned out awesome!  Meatballs are inspired by Food Renegade’s meatball recipe, only these are grain free.  Use only about 1/3 of the meatballs for the soup and save the rest for later (they freeze well).

Meatballs

• 3 lbs grassfed beef
• 3 eggs from pastured hens, beaten
• 3/4 cup almond flour
• 1 tbsp Italian seasoning (basil, oregano, marjoram, rosemary, parsley)
• 2 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp ground pepper

Heat oven to 400F.  Mix all ingredients thoroughly, using your hands to really work it all together, in a large bowl.  Form into balls, about 2 tbsp per meatball.  Place on cookie sheets and bake for about 10 mins or until cooked through.

Meatball Soup

• 2 tbsp butter
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 small onion, sliced thin
• 1 quart beef stock
• 2 cups pureed tomatoes (or crushed if you want more texture)
• 2 tsp Italian seasoning
• Sea salt to taste
• 2 cups kale, chopped and stems removed
• 1/3 recipe of meatballs (save the rest for spaghetti)

Heat butter in soup pot and saute garlic and onions until tender.  Add stock, tomatoes and seasoning.  Bring to a boil. Add meatballs and kale.  Heat through.

Cream of Carrot Soup

Nothing hits the spot like a warm creamy soup on a snowy winter day.  We’re experiencing our first snow of the season today but all is well here.  I’m cuddled on the couch with my sleeping toddler, my knitting nearby and a bowl of soup.  Perfect.

I actually made this soup on accident. I was just boiling up some carrots in chicken stock (we’re doing the GAPS intro diet right now).  I thought it would be yummy pureed into a soup and I couldn’t resist a big dollop of cream.  So good!  Only 4 ingredients so it doesn’t get easier than this.

Cream of Carrot Soup

• 1 quart chicken stock
• 8 medium carrots, roughly chopped
• 1 tsp sea salt (or to taste)
• sour cream (I culture my own farm fresh cream with kefir grains or piima culture)

Place stock and carrots in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Simmer for about 30 mins or until the carrots are very soft.  Remove from heat and puree with an immersion blender right in the pot or in a blender. Add salt to taste.  Serve with a generous dollop of sour cream.

This also tastes great if you add a bit of leftover shredded chicken or beef pot roast and a splash of hot chili sauce.

Part of Sunday Night Soup Night.

Cheeseburger Soup

Mmmm… it’s funny how if you give a food a “junk food” name, the kiddos are so much more interested in it.

Try asking them, “Would you like some veggie, cheese and beef soup?”

Them, “Uh no.”

Or you can aks, “Would you like some Cheeseburger Soup?”

Them, enthusiastically, “Heck yeah!”

I know cheeseburgers normally do not contain celery and carrots, but I thought this was the perfect base to sneak in some veggie goodies.

Cheeseburger Soup

• 1 med. onion chopped
• 1 cup carrots, chopped
• 2 celery ribs, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 5 tbsp butter, divided
• 1 lb grassfed ground beef, browned
• 3 tbsp gluten free all-purpose flour
• 2 qts beef stock
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (sharp is the best)
• salt to taste

In a medium saucepan, melt 2 tbsp butter. Saute onions, celery, carrots and garlic until onions are soft. Set aside.

Melt remaining 3 tbsp of butter. When foamy, whisk in 3 tbsp GF flour. Cook flour over medium heat until bubbly and starting to brown. Slowly whisk in stock. Add veggies back in and simmer until carrots are very soft.

Blend soup with a handheld blender or in a regular blender.

Add cheese, stir until melted. Add beef.

A few drops of chili sauce tastes great in this. Top with popcorn for an extra treat.

Toscana Soup and Sausage in a Pinch

The smells coming from the kitchen are almost too much to take.

• 1 lb bulk pork sausage (pasture raised if you can get it, otherwise make your own sausage. Recipe below.)
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 medium onion, sliced thin
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 qts chicken stock
• 3-4 medium potatoes, cubed into 1/2″ bites
• 1 bunch kale, stems removed and chopped roughly
• 1/2 fresh cream or sour cream

In a large saucepan/small stockpot, melt butter and brown sausage. Add onions and garlic and saute until soft.
Add stock and potatoes. Simmer until potatoes are tender, about 20 mins. Add kale and cream and heat through.

Sausage in a Pinch (Spicy Italian)
Sausage isn’t something I normally keep on hand and I haven’t found any pasture raised sausage here so I make this instead.

• 1 lbs ground meat (I’ve used turkey and beef)
• 1/4 cup red wine (use broth if you don’t want to use alcohol)
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 clove, minced
• 1 tsp ground pepper (less if you want less spice)
• 1/2 tsp cayenne (less if you want less spice)
• 1 tbsp fennel
• 1 tbsp smoked paprika

Either mix all the spices into the meat in a bowl or you can mix it as you are sauteing the meat.