Lettuce Soup With Radish Salsa
Serves 4.
Note: This soup is a summer salad turned into liquid. The intensely green soup comes together in a blender, which means there is no cooking involved. Feel free to adjust the amount of onions to your personal taste. Adapted from "A Beautiful Bowl of Soup: The Best Vegetarian Recipes," by Paulette Mitchell.
• 4 c. torn butterhead lettuce leaves
• 2 c. (about 2 oz.) stemmed baby spinach
• 1 c. fresh flat-leaf parsley sprigs
• 1/3 c. coarsely chopped shallot
• 3/4 c. plain yogurt
• 2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
• 2 c. vegetable stock
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• 1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp. red wine vinegar
• 1/2 tsp. sugar
• 1/8 tsp. dry mustard
• 1/4 c. red radish matchsticks
• 1/4 c. seeded-cucumber matchsticks
Directions
To make soup: In a blender, purée lettuce, spinach, parsley, shallot, yogurt, lemon juice and vegetable stock until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Refrigerate in a covered container until chilled, at least 3 hours, before serving. Taste and adjust seasoning.
To make salsa: In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, vinegar, sugar, mustard and dash of salt and pepper. Stir in radish and cucumber strips. Cover and refrigerate.
Serve soup in shallow bowls with a mound of salsa spooned atop each serving.
Nutrition information per serving:
Calories100Fat4 g
Sodium530 mgSaturated fat1 g
Carbohydrates11 gTotal sugars7 mg
Protein4 gCholesterol3 mg
Dietary fiber2 g
Exchanges per serving: 2 vegetable, 1 fat.
Chilled Watermelon-Basil-Gazpacho
Serves 6.
Note: Although it's called a gazpacho, in this variation the tomato shines faintly in the background leaving center stage for the watermelon. From "Happy Cooking: Make Every Meal Count ... Without Stressing Out," by Giada De Laurentiis.
• 1 (5-lb.) seedless watermelon, rind removed and flesh chopped (6 c.)
• 1 medium heirloom tomato, chopped
• 2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 limes, divided
• 3/4 c. fresh basil leaves, finely chopped
• 1/4 c. fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
Directions
In a blender or food processor, combine watermelon, tomato and olive oil.
Zest 1 lime and squeeze juice; add zest and juice to the blender and purée until mixture is smooth. Pour soup into a large bowl and stir in the basil, mint, salt and pepper. Chill soup for at least 3 hours before serving.
To serve, pour soup into chilled bowls. Cut remaining lime into wedges and use to garnish the bowls.
Nutrition information per serving:
Calories110Fat5 g
Sodium160 mgSaturated fat1 g
Carbohydrates18 gTotal sugars13 mg
Protein2 gCholesterol0 mg
Dietary fiber2 g
Exchanges per serving: 1 vegetable, 1 fruit, 1 fat.
Almond Gazpacho With Grapes
Serves 4.
Note: Bread replaces the tomatoes found in a traditional gazpacho. The almonds in this soup give it a creamy nuttiness. Adapted from "Big Vegan: More than 350 Recipes No Meat / No Dairy All Delicious," by Robin Asbell.
• 3-in. white baguette, crust removed
• 1/2 c. slivered almonds, plus more for topping
• 1 tbsp. sherry vinegar
• 1 garlic clove, peeled
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 c. ice water
• 1/4 c. extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 c. seedless green grapes, halved
• 1 c. finely diced cucumbers
Directions
In a food processor, combine baguette, almonds, vinegar, garlic and salt. Process, adding ice water gradually to make a smooth purée.
With machine running, drizzle in oil. Transfer purée to a medium bowl, then stir in grapes and cucumber. Refrigerate for up to 3 days until serving. Before serving, top the soup with a few slivered almonds for an additional crunch.
Nutrition information per serving:
Calories300Fat22 g
Sodium350 mgSaturated fat3 g
Carbohydrates24 gTotal sugars13 mg
Protein5 gCholesterol0 mg
Dietary fiber3 g
Exchanges per serving: 1 fruit, ½ carb, 1 high-fat protein, 3 fat.
Chilled Minted Peach and Prosecco Soup
Serves 4.
Note: Pleasantly fruity and sweet with a boozy punch of prosecco, this dessert is a palate cleanser. From "Big Vegan: More than 350 Recipes No Meat/No Dairy All Delicious," by Robin Asbell.
• 2 lb. fresh peaches, peeled and pitted
• 1 1/2 c. dry prosecco (Italian sparkling wine)
• 1/2 c. fresh mint, finely chopped
• 1/2 c. coconut milk
• 2 tbsp. agave syrup, plus extra if needed
• 1 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice, plus extra if needed
• 4 sprigs fresh mint
Directions
Chop peaches and put them in a 4-quart saucepan with prosecco. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cook until peaches are breaking down, about 30 minutes. Remove from heat, then stir in mint and let cool.
In a blender or food processor, purée peaches with coconut milk, agave syrup and lemon juice.
Refrigerate soup up to 4 days. Taste and adjust lemon juice or agave. Serve in bowls with mint sprigs.
Nutrition information per serving:
Calories190Fat7 g
Sodium10 mgSaturated fat6 g
Carbohydrates30 gTotal sugars25 mg
Protein2 gCholesterol0 mg
Dietary fiber3 g
Exchanges per serving: 1 fruit, 1 carb, 1 ½ fat.
Ukrainian Sorrel Soup
Serves 6 to 8.
Note: This recipe calls for sorrel, an herb that looks like arugula, but has a somewhat sour taste. If you can't find it, use baby spinach and add a few extra tablespoons of fresh lemon juice. The soup can be served cold, but it tastes just as delicious when hot. It can be prepared up to 2 days in advance and refrigerated, tightly covered. Stir well before serving. From "Soup of the Day: 150 Delicious & Comforting Recipes from Our Favorite Restaurants," by Ellen Brown.
• 2 tbsp. unsalted butter
• 1 lb. fresh sorrel leaves, stemmed
• 1 bunch green onions, white parts and 4 in. of green tops, sliced
• 6 c. vegetable or chicken stock
• 1 tbsp. chopped fresh tarragon
• 2 tbsp. sugar
• 3 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
• 2 egg yolks
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 3 to 4 diced hard-cooked eggs, for garnish
• 1/2 c. sour cream, for garnish
• 1/4 c. chopped fresh dill, for garnish
Directions
Heat butter in a 4-quart soup pot over medium heat. Add sorrel and green onions, and cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes, or until the sorrel wilts. Add stock and tarragon and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes. Stir sugar and lemon juice into the soup.
Beat egg yolks in a mixing bowl with a whisk until thick and light yellow in color. Slowly beat about 1 cup of the hot soup into the egg yolks so they are gradually warmed up, and then return the egg and soup mixture to the pot. Place pot over medium-low heat, and stir constantly, reaching all parts of the bottom of the pot, until mixture reaches about 170 degrees on an instant-read thermometer. At this point it will begin to steam and thicken slightly. Do not allow mixture to boil or the eggs will scramble. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Refrigerate soup until cold, at least 4 hours but preferably overnight. Adjust seasoning if necessary.
To serve, ladle into bowls, topping each serving with diced eggs, sour cream and dill.
Nutrition information per each of 8 servings:
Calories140Fat9 g
Sodium170 mgSaturated fat5 g
Carbohydrates10 gTotal sugars7 mg
Protein5 gCholesterol130 mg
Dietary fiber2 g
Exchanges per serving: 2 vegetable, 2 fat.
Cucumber-Yogurt Soup
Serves 8.
Note: Adapted from "The Soup Club Cookbook," by Courtney Allison, Tina Carr, Caroline Laskow and Julie Peacock.
• 5 medium cucumbers (about 2 1/2 lb.), divided
• 1 1/2 c. walnuts, toasted and roughly chopped, divided
• 2 1/2 c. plain Greek yogurt, divided
• 1 green onion, green and white parts, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 c. fresh mint leaves
• 1/2 c. fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
• 1/4 bunch fresh dill, plus 1/4 c. minced
• Grated zest of 1/2 lemon, plus 1/4 c. freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 3/4 c. ice-cold water, or cold vegetable broth, plus more as needed
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Splash of hot sauce
Directions
Peel, seed and roughly chop 4 cucumbers. Peel remaining cucumber. Cut it lengthwise, then seed and slice it into half-moons and set aside for garnish.
Add 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped cucumbers, 2 cups yogurt, green onion, garlic, mint, parsley, dill, lemon zest and juice and 3/4 cup water or broth in a stockpot. Using an immersion blender, blend until very smooth. Add additional chilled water as needed to blend. Season with salt and pepper.
Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving, or until thoroughly chilled.
To serve, stir 1/2 cup walnuts into the soup. Top with dill, a dollop of yogurt, finely sliced cucumber and 1/2 cup walnuts. Add a splash of hot sauce.
Nutrition information per each of 8 servings:
Calories200Fat14 gSodium40 mg
Carbohydrates10 gSaturated fat2 gTotal sugars6 g
Protein12 gCholesterol6 mgDietary fiber2 g
Exchanges per serving: 2 vegetable, 1 medium-fat protein, 2 fat.
Okroshka
Serves 4.
Note: Kefir is a fermented milk that is similar to a liquid yogurt. You could serve 1 cup of chilled cooked beef along with the vegetables if you want to please meat-lovers. From Kavsar Restaurant in Pittsburgh.
• 4 hard-cooked eggs
• 2 medium boiled potatoes
• 2 medium cucumbers
• 4 small radishes
• 2 c. chopped mixed greens such as dill, parsley, green onion and fresh green garlic
• 6 c. kefir, chilled (see Note)
• Chilled water if you prefer a thinner soup
• Freshly ground black pepper and salt to taste
Directions
Finely dice eggs, potatoes, cucumbers and radishes. Chop greens.
Mix everything in a bowl and pour chilled kefir over mixture. Add water to adjust consistency. Season with pepper and salt.
Serve immediately to preserve freshness of the ingredients.
Nutrition information per serving:
Calories410Fat19 gSodium260 mg
Carbohydrates37 gSaturated fat9 gTotal sugars18 g
Protein21 gCholesterol230 mgDietary fiber4 g
Exchanges per serving: 1 ½ milk, 1 vegetable, 1 carb, 1 medium-fat protein, 3 fat.
