Saturday, December 12, 2020

Spicy Vegan Panera Creamy Tomato Soup

No-Vodka Pasta meets Panera Bread Creamy Tomato Soup! This idea sprang from the previous soup post, which mentioned No-Vodka Pasta. The vodka sauce is such a hit, so making a delicious tomato soup was easy! My son took one bite and said “Wow! Is this from Panera?!” I should be a little sad because my boy is more excited about Panera than his mom’s cooking. However, to be honest, both of my hands immediately went up in the air as I beamed with victory!

How can you tell a food is healthy? One way is by the beautiful COLORS! Blueberries, sweet potatoes, kale (bright green after one minute of cooking!), red kidney beans! FLAVOR is another way to tell a food is healthy! We can detect the most nutritious foods in the world with our eyes and taste buds!

Naturally, spices add flavor. This soup contains tasty OREGANO, abundant in antioxidants! Loading your meals with extra spices immensely boosts healthiness! Feel free to add even more to this soup with marjoram and/or basil.
Look up and compare the ORAC value (antioxidant power) of some of your favorite foods and spices at superfoodly.com While you are at it, search a few animal foods to make clear the fact you pretty much only get antioxidants from plants.

Daily Dozen Checkmarks! 1) beans (white), 2) spices (red pepper, oregano), 3) other vegetables (tomatoes), 4) fruit (dates), 5) nuts (cashews), 6) greens (fresh basil)

Note: Panera Creamy Tomato Soup is NOT vegan (contains cream and milk).



Spicy Vegan Panera Creamy Tomato Soup

2 Tbsp minced garlic
1 tsp crushed red pepper
1 tsp oregano 
2 cans crushed tomatoes 
½ cup cashews
1 can white beans, drained
4 pitted dates
2 cups water
Fresh basil to garnish!
  • Fill blender with cashews, beans, dates, and water. 
  • Heat a large pan to medium-high to cook garlic and spices, adding a little water at a time, as needed, for around 5 min. (Optionally: cook 1/2 c chopped onions with garlic and spices to add a tiny bit of something to chew in your soup)
  • Add tomatoes to pan and bring to a boil, then simmer for 20-30 min.
  • Blend cashew mixture well to form plant-based cream.
  • Stir in cream and when soup is heated through, garnish with basil, and enjoy!
Crushed red pepper give soup it’s spicy kick – if spice isn’t your thing, you can omit or decrease from recipe.

Saturday, December 5, 2020

Recipe Highlight: Soups!



Recipe Highlight: Soups!

Did you ever notice that "soup" is a funny word if you keep looking at it and saying it? Anyway, don't you just love soup on a cozy, winter day? Fitting with all of my recipes, they are EASY and NUTRITIOUS. Looking here, it seems we like three types: stews, chilis, and creamy soups. Remember, cashews, white beans, and even cauliflower provide satisfying creaminess. Stews really fill us up and warm us up! Finally, chili always seems to be a crowd pleaser! When I ask patients "do you like beans?", and they reply NO, when I remind them about chili, they almost always say they do like the beans in chili. Anyway, here are several soup recipe links all in one place. Enjoy!

SOUPS

Easy Creamy Cauliflower Soup


Also, today I made an old favorite: Spicy "Vodka" Pasta. It's healthy and delicious version with no cream, oil, vodka, or salt!

All these recipes have plenty of Dr Greger's Daily Dozen Checkmarks. My daughters (14 and 12 yr old) recently came up with a challenge to themselves to get all their checkmarks for a week. To my absolute elation, they did it! Well, the younger one has a few more days, but she will get there! It was so amazing to hear them ask me for their turmeric tea, or a cup of beans, or B12! Any day that my kids come close to getting all those checkmarks is a day that I am assured that they have been fueled with wonderful nourishment. Their bodies function properly, they feel great, and thrive!

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