Crockpot Sweet Potato Soup

This is a wonderful fall recipe; the color, aroma, and taste are all the best autumn has to offer. It’s the perfect way to warm up on a crisp cool evening. This soup can either be made on the stove or in a crockpot. I like to throw all the ingredients in the crockpot just before leaving for work — what a stress reliever to come home to the smell of dinner only minutes from serving!

Ingredients:

1 c. celery, chopped

1/2 c. onion, chopped

1 Tbsp. olive oil

4 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed

32 oz. Imagine “No-Chicken Broth”

1 bay leaf

1/2 tsp. dried basil

1/2 tsp. sea salt

1 tsp. honey or maple syrup

Method:

Saute celery and onion in olive oil until tender. Put sautéed mixture in crockpot and add all other ingredients. Cook on High for 8 – 9 hours (until you return home).

Remove bay leaf. Puree cooked mixture with a submersible stick blender. (Or if you have extra time, cool cooked mixture and puree in batches in blender.)

Add: 16 oz. rice milk, 3 scoops rice “Better Than Milk,” 3/4 tsp. cinnamon and puree again until creamy. Add more rice milk if soup is too thick.

Serve hot topped with chopped walnuts, a sprinkle of cinnamon, croutons, or chopped scallions.

Potato-Leek Soup

This recipe is from “The New Enchanted Broccoli Forest,” by Mollie Katzen (an excellent cookbook).

The important thing to know here is how to clean a leek, because they grow like an onion and collect dirt in each layer. If you don’t clean them properly you will be eating a lot of dirt!

First of all, cut off and discard any of the tough, hard, or dry green ends of the leek that you don’t want to use. It’s okay to use the tender young green part near the bulb. Then trim off the root end and slice lengthwise all the way up the leek. You will wash one half at a time, gently folding back each layer to expose and rinse out any dirt you find. Drain, and you are ready to chop.

Ingredients:

3 medium sized potatoes

3 cups cleaned and chopped leeks

1 medium stalk celery, chopped

1 large carrot, chopped

4 cups water

1 1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup unsweetened soymilk

freshly ground black pepper

optional: snippets of fresh herbs
(thyme, marjoram, basil)

1) Scrub potatoes and cut them into chunks (I always peel them first) Place them in a soup pot or dutch oven with the leeks, celery, carrot, water, and salt. Bring to a boil, cover, and cook until potatoes are tender (about 20 minutes). Remove from heat and cool.

2) Puree the soup in batches in a blender or food processor. (I just use my immerseable stick blender and puree it in the pot while it’s still hot — what a time-saver!) Return the puree to the pot, and stir in the soymilk.

3) Add black pepper to taste, and adjust salt if necessary. Can be served hot or cold (hot is delicious), with a sprinkling of fresh herbs, if desired.

Creamy, low fat, wonderful!

*Creamy Herb Dressing, from “More Choices” by Cheryl D. Thomas-Peters, RD and James A Peters, MD, DrPH, RD

Ingredients:
1/2 cup 1 percent tofu, soft
2 Tbsp. tofu or soy or nonfat milk
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 – 3 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. honey
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. fresh dill or 1/2 – 1 tsp dried dill

1. Combine all ingredients except the dill in the blender and blend until smooth. Scrape the sides of the blender as needed. Add more milk as needed to get a consistency that is quite thin and pourable.*

2. Pour into bowl and stir in dill. Add more lemon juice if a tangier taste is preferred.

Makes 1 cup
prep time: 5 minutes

*This dressing can be made thinner so it’s pourable, or thicker if used for a dip. It can be made with a variety of herbs, preferably fresh herbs for the best flavor.