Parsnip and Red Lentil Soup

I am completely obsessed with parsnips and so is G. So I just used anything I can find in my cupboards and made this delicious soup.  It's a combination of the carrot parsnip bisque I make in the crock pot and my mom's red lentil soup. 

Parsnip Red Lentil Soup

3 parsnips, peeled and sliced
1 yellow onion, diced
3 cups red lentils, green lentils, or split peas, rinsed
5 cups vegetable broth, I used 1 package of Imagine No-Chicken broth (vegan/gluten free)
5 cups water
1 bay leaf
1 can crushed tomatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil

1. Start with a large stock pot and heat the olive oil over medium heat.  Add the diced onion and parsnips and cook until soft and starting to brown, about 10 minutes.
2. Add broth, water, lentils/peas, and bay leaf. Simmer until cooked thoroughly, about 35 minutes.
3. Add in the can of crushed tomatoes, then cook an extra 5-10 minutes.
4. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Red Lentil Coconut Curry Soup

I was looking for something I could make on the weekend and take with me to work for lunch the whole week. I definitely struck gold. This coconut curry red lentil soup has been amazing and I haven't gotten sick of it yet. It is definitely being added to my list of recipes to make all the time.  It took under 30 minutes to make, I even had time to do the dishes and put away clean laundry while it was cooking. What a time saver. I also really wanted to start getting into the fall spirit. The weather is turning and I can smell fall in the air, so it's definitely soup time. 

I started it off in a dutch oven like it recommended, but then quickly realized that it wasn't going to hold all the liquid, so I switched it to my reliable soup pot.

I found this recipe on Pinterest. Here's the link: red lentil coconut soup.

I followed the recipe exactly except I left out the jalapeno seeds. I was scared, but having left them out, the soup isn't spicy at all. I also miscounted how many limes I needed for this week's menu and had already used the allotted lime for my kale chips. Sooo, I left that out, it still tastes amazing though.

I have this horrible guilt from not cooking my own chickpeas this week. Is this a form of eco-guilt? I used canned chickpeas which I should feel okay about since they were a can that was given to me by a legume-intolerant friend. Maybe it's a form of possible BPA guilt? Either way, I wish that I didn't let it bother me all the time. A little guilt is good, it helps to motivate. As much as I experience, you would think I was Catholic. I will cross my fingers that this week's chickpea guilt will pass and I can go on enjoying life. There's another chickpea recipe coming up this week though, so I won't hold my breath.

Zucchini Soup

I've been trying really hard to use all the produce from the garden. But when all those zucchini come and become the size of a baseball bat overnight, it's hard to figure out what to do with them all. Last week I made zucchini fritters and I made a crock pot zucchini lasagna earlier this week. I finally had to leave some in the garden because I couldn't keep up with them and their crook neck counter parts that are also growing out of control.

Crook neck from our garden and one patty pan from a friend's garden.

What inspired me for this zucchini soup recipe was G's simplistic broccoli soup. He only uses boiled broccoli, the water you boil it in, and some salt. He blends it up to create a deceptively delicious soup. You would swear he used vegetable broth or something to get the different levels of flavor.  I use one humongous zucchini and one crook neck for this recipe. But after pitching the idea to G, he convinced me that since zucchini get a little less flavorful the bigger they get, that I should make this soup with a tad more ingredients. 

Zucchini Soup

1 large zucchini

1 large crook neck or other summer squash of your choosing

3 cloves garlic, sliced

1 shallot, sliced

2 cups vegetable broth

2 cups water

1 Tbs Bragg's liquid aminos

1 tsp tapatio or other hot sauce, plus more for garnish

1 Tbs olive oil

salt

fresh ground black pepper

1. In a large stock pot over medium heat, add olive oil, shallot, and garlic. Cook until softened about 5 minutes.

2. While the garlic mixture is cooking, wash and quarter length wise both squash. Cut out the large seeds if using large squash because they have become too tough. Roughly chop the squash into 1 inch chunks and add to pot.

3. Add in the broth, water, Bragg's, and 1 tsp of tapatio. Cover and increase heat to medium high, letting it boil for about 30 minutes.

4. When all squash is tender, move to blender and liquefy. Be careful to hold the lid on tight with a towel, despite my best efforts some still spouted out. Taste and add salt to your liking.

5. Dish and garnish with fresh cracked black pepper and more hot sauce.

I haven't tried this dish chilled yet. But I have a feeling it will be really nice on hot days sitting in the garden.