The Secret To My 4 easiest Homemade Soups: Use Salsa as Your Base

It's soup season 🍅🥕🥔🍠 and a hot nourishing bowl of homemade soup may be just what you are craving to warm up and get cozy on a cold winter night. 

I'm reposting 4 of my easiest homemade soup recipes which use a jar of salsa as my soup base. Using salsa as a soup base is a great kitchen hack. 

There are quite a few reasons that I use salsa for making soups

• Salsa is a time-saving, healthy, and flavorful idea that can elevate your cooking game with minimal effort. Salsa, packed with fresh vegetables such as tomatoes, onions, and peppers, and provides a natural, low-calorie, low-fat foundation for soups, eliminating the need for lengthy chopping and simmering of ingredients.
•  It has a zesty kick brings immediate depth to your dish, while offering a variety of essential vitamins and antioxidants, thanks to its veggie-packed content.

• It saves time without sacrificing taste or nutrition. Plus, it’s a versatile base that can be customized to suit any flavor profile, making it a go-to shortcut for busy weeknights when you want a healthy, delicious meal in no time.

• Onions, garlic, bell peppers, tomatoes, hot peppers, spices - all of the ingredients that make a good base for many soup recipes. You choose from mild, medium, or hot salsa.

•  I always use organic salsa which contains all organic vegetables. Organic vegetables may otherwise be hard to find, may be expensive, or difficult to always have on hand. This is a game changer.  

If you are busy, don't like to cook, or just want a fast and easy recipe, you may yourself falling in love with my four easiest ever soup recipes using my simple "salsa" method. 

Choose from any or all of these healthy soups:

• Easiest Black Bean Soup  
• Spicy Cabbage Soup
• Sweet Potato (or butternut squash) Spicy Soup
• Red Lentil Vegetable Soup 

All four soup recipes start with the same base- a jar of organic salsa. 

My Fast and Easy Method: 

1. Open the jar of salsa and pour into Instant Pot liner.

2. Add remainder of ingredients to the liner and close lid. Set timer. When done, in under a half hour, enjoy a bowl of homemade, healthy, fiber rich, soup!!

Easiest Black Bean Soup  link to recipe)

Sweet Potato (or butternut squash) Spicy Soup-link to recipe)

Red 

Spicy Cabbage Soup - a staple and favorite in our home. 

Red Lentil Vegetable Soup  (link to recipe)

My Notes: 

1. All of these soup recipes meet gluten-free, dairy-free, kosher-parve, and vegan standards. All can be made oil-free as well. 

2.We love cabbage and use cabbage in the following delicious  recipes: 

• unstuffed easy cabbage rolls
• red and orange coleslaw 
•  red cabbage potato salad, 
•  my flu fighting winter soup  
•  Asian Quinoa Slaw  
• red lentil golden borsht. 
• Follow the links for the recipes. 

3 Simple Healthy Holiday Recipes to Impress Without the Stress

Although the holiday season is frequently laden with sweet and rich indulgences, it doesn’t mean we can't find snacks and sides that are light, healthy, or uncomplicated. 

On this post today, I'm sharing 3 interesting recipes that I found on other blogs that I thought were perfect for entertaining now and during the holidays. 

I had a dinner party last night with 15 guests. I tried two different recipes that I found on Pattie's blog ( A blog that I follow) called Olla-Podrida.  Both recipes were well received.

Cannellini Bean Dip with Black Olive (vegan) calls for just a handful of healthy ingredients. The dip is savory and creamy with the delicious taste of olives. It's perfect for scooping with crisp veggies or your favorite chips or crackers (all gluten-free of course). It's an easy recipe to keep on hand. Follow the link to find her recipe. Cannellini Bean Dip with Black Olive

Next, an interesting Artichoke Salad with Hearts of Palm features hearts of palm, marinated artichokes, a variety of olives, and cherry tomatoes- a delightful mix of textures and delicious flavors. Light, refreshing, and festive, it’s perfect for balancing out all those rich holiday meals. Follow the link to see her recipe. I did make some personal taste changes. See my notes at the bottom of the post for my personal changes.Artichoke Salad with Hearts of Palm

The third recipe I found on another blog that I follow, Jeff the Chef's blog - Make it Like a Man. I have not made this incredible looking food design recipe yet, so I don't have a photo to share with you - but click over to his blog to see this beautiful Caprese holiday wreath made of cherry tomatoes, mozzarella balls,  (vegans can substitute vegan feta cheese) and edible greens. So creative, and definitely is cheerful, festive, and makes a great presentation during the holidays. I think it's a show stopper!! 

 Whether you're wanting a festive appetizer or a light, colorful salad, these simple dishes are the perfect balance of healthful ingredients and holiday cheer.

My Notes: 

Re: Artichoke Salad with Hearts of Palm. 

I made a few changes when I made the recipe. 

First, I used a jar of marinated artichoke quarters. I used some of the marinade from the jar in place of the suggested dressing for the recipe.

Re;Cannellini Bean Dip with Black Olive . I left out the oil and I thought it was still very creamy. Next time, I might try using green olives or Kalamata olives in this easy bean dip recipe. 

No Fuss Red Lentil Patties : Quick, Easy, and Protein-Rich

 

If your cholesterol is high and your doctor has suggested cutting back on meat, including more high fiber plant-based foods in your diet, such as these easy red lentil patties, may be something you and your doctor may like. 

Home For Thanksgiving - and Back

We flew home from Florida to Philadelphia for Thanksgiving to be with our kids, grandkids, and family.  The weather was relatively mild (40' and 50's) until the last day when it was 28 degrees in the morning.

My husband took a picture with the Eagles display at the
Philly airport

I loved the crisper weather ( for the week) but most of all I enjoyed the lights and festive decorations on all the houses. In South Florida, there are mostly condos where I live and the personal decorating is at a minimum. However, the streets and condo building are highly decorated. Maybe it just doesn't feel like the holiday season in South Florida because it' still so warm (70's and 80's).