Easy Vegan Healthy Eating on the Go! by Deb Powell

#3 SOUP TIME!!!

Fall TIME, save TIME, turn back our clocks TIME…our whole lives are about TIME. This month’s recipe is about saving TIME by using our TIME wisely.

Who’s ready for a nice warm delicious bowl of soup? The cold weather starts soup season in my house. I could live on soup all winter long and not get tired of it because I never make it the same twice. The options are endless. Many of my soups are hearty enough to be the whole meal and this means prep time is quicker and simpler too. You can add almost anything to soup, so it’s a great way to use up last little bits, that one of, or leftovers you never know what to do with. (Start a container in the freezer for these things, add the cooking water from your veggies, and you’ll have soup without even trying.)

There are 2 main ways of making soup: the short way, and the long way, but the results are totally different.

The short way is to put everything in a pot or slow cooker and cook it slowly.
The long way starts with you being treated to one of the best aromas in the world: Onions frying. Fried onions have a totally different flavor than when they’re just cooked in liquid.

No matter which way I make soup, I make a large batch and freeze some. Then I have ‘instant’ homemade soup ‘on the go!’ Mmmmm…

Occasionally I have crackers or bread with some soups but they’re not needed to feel satisfied with hearty soups.

If you don’t want bread or crackers, remember last month’s recipe for veggie patties, they go well with soup too, just warm them up!

So, get creative and you’ll come up with your own versions. Enjoy!

Harvest Soup (long way, but it’s worth it)

• 1 large onion
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 large carrots
• 2 large potatoes
• 1 medium sweet potato
• 1cup kale
• 1 can black beans
• 1 tsp each dried basil & parsley
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 4 – 6 cups vegetable soup stock or water (depends on how thick you like it)

Method:

1. Chop all 6 veggies into bite size pieces
2. Saute onions in oil for a couple of minutes in a large pot on medium 
3. Add garlic and cook until browned (add a little bit of water if it’s too dry)
4. Add liquid, carrots and basil. Simmer for 5 minutes
5. Add potatoes and sweet potatoes and simmer until all veggies are cooked
6. Add kale, beans, parsley and cumin. Simmer for 5 minutes until kale is soft
7. Season to taste

My 15 year food journey has caused my taste buds to come alive and to anticipate new foods. I have lost weight, corrected health issues, (more in a later article), and I’ve learned how important diet really is. Reading everything I could get my hands on truly opened my eyes to the evils of the food industry and how it is making us overweight and sick. I am in my 50’s and I am healthy, I take no medication, and I look more than 10 years younger than I am (so everyone says). The healthier we are now, the healthier we’ll be in our later years. 

I got to where I am one step at a time. I gave up: sea food, meat, fowl, fish, then eggs and dairy, all the while cutting out most processed foods, and eliminating pop. Then I went mostly raw, learned about juicing and smoothies, cut out most sugars, and I am now gluten free.

What’s left you ask? Mmmm….. I saved the best for last: lots and lots of vegetables with sides of legumes and grains, nuts and seeds, and fruit. I never go hungry.

Scripture says:Proverbs 31:27: She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.

So…until next TIME…

Tip #3: Make good use of your TIME, it’s precious.

Check out other Easy Vegan Healthy Eating Recipes on the Go!

Veggie Patties

Salad