Spring Mushroom Soup (Instant Pot or Stovetop Recipe)

What's in my soup pot right now? 

With the first signs of spring beginning to appear, my trusty soup pot naturally starts to feel a little lighter, and I start to think about making my light spring mushroom soup.  

Transform The Way We Feel

We’re learning more every day just how much real, whole foods—such as fresh fruits, vegetables, and beans—may help transform the way we look and feel. The truth is, we can’t keep relying on processed foods and expect to feel our best. Far too many people are walking around with high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, and heart disease. Isn’t it time we made the connection between the way we eat and our overall health?

Embrace The Spring Season With Delicious Plant-based Foods

 

Who doesn't look forward spring and delicious seasonal spring vegetables? 

As winter fades away and nature begins to awaken, spring brings with it a burst of colors, flavors, and fresh produce. It's a time of renewal and rejuvenation, making it the perfect opportunity to embrace lighter, plant-based meals that celebrate the season's bounty. 

Whether you're a seasoned vegan or simply looking to incorporate more plant-based foods into your diet, there's no shortage of delicious options to explore. From vibrant salads to hearty gluten-free grain bowls, here are some must-try vegan spring foods to add to your repertoire:

Planning A Vacation

Next week I'll be leaving to take a cruise to Europe. It is a transatlantic cruise which means we will be at sea for 7 days before we begin making stops in Ireland, Belgium, and UK. 

Definitely a long time to be at sea on a ship before we make stops!  

We are leaving from Miami 

It is my understanding that the staff keeps the passengers busy and entertained with speakers, exercise classes, and many programs for a variety of interests during the many sea days.  

 I'll be taking my iPad and I have downloaded about 5 books to read.

I'm starting with one of my favorite authors: Kristin Hannah. She writes mostly historical fiction. I downloaded The Four Winds. 

I just read her new book called The Women which was about women's roles in the Vietnam War. It was excellent. Her books usually focus on people and their experiences and feelings.  Back to the cruise. 

At the conclusion of the cruise, we are planning to travel to and spend 5 days exploring London and then 5 days in Paris with family. 

We will navigate to the take a train from the cruise port in Southhampton, UK to London, UK and then 5 days later, we will take the fast train from London to Paris before we fly back to Miami. All carrying our luggage.

The dilemma for me right now it how do I pack? My inclination is to pack as smart and light as possible because we will be carrying our luggage to and from the trains. Smart and light to me means color coordinating my clothing (mostly blacks, whites, and blues) so I can cross match outfits and wear them multiple times. 

Laundry? We will not have any on the 2 week cruise unless we decide to pay an outrageous fee ($14- for one pair of jeans) or $75 for a very small bag of our clothes to send to their cleaning service. 

Hopefully when I get to Paris, we will be able to do wash at our cousin's house. In London, perhaps we will find a laundry facility. 

I am planning to wear gym clothes during the day on the cruise. The weather should be moderate with temps in the high 60's. 

In the evening for dinner, I will need to dress- but not dress up.  I plan to bring white pants, black pants, 2 dresses, 8 tops, and nice jeans. I'll repeat and mix and match. 

It will be challenging but I can't carry too much when we are navigating to and from the trains- it will be too heavy and bulky for me. 

In my next post I should be able to share how I packed. 

If anyone has any suggestions - I am open.  I would like to pack more things!!!!

I can't end without sharing a recipe . It is one of my favorites. I make it in the Instant Pot but it can be made on the stove top. 

Yellow Split Pea and Spinach Soup 

Carrot Soup With Cilantro and Ginger

Are you a cilantro lover or hater? This easy carrot soup is for cilantro lovers because it does contain a noticeable amount of this tasty herb. The soup is simple to make, full of protective health giving antioxidants, and delicious. (you can substitute parsley for the cilantro).

Happy May and Joyful Flowers

                April showers bring May flowers. 

Hopefully all the rain has passed and we will be enjoying some nice sunny warmer dry weather 

Being in Florida, I miss the blooming of all my spring flowers back in Pennsylvania such as lilacs, crocuses, daffodils, hyacinths, peonies, etc. 

Today I'm posting floral photos from the past when I was home in the spring and a link to some foods I cooked last May. 

Veganized Gefilte Fish -Fun and Healthy!

Why did I veganize this gefilte fish recipe? I do not eat fish!!!!

But gefilte fish is traditional holiday food of German and Eastern European origin that is popular to serve on Jewish holidays such as the Jewish New Year, (Rosh Hashanah), Passover and the Sabbath. 

AND Passover is a few weeks away! Read more 

Spring Potato Salad -no mayo

Looking to eat more vegetables? Spring is almost here, and so is the desire for lighter eating. Spring potato salad makes a great side dish for any meal or get-together with friends or family. It's healthy, low fat, and delicious. 

Beet and Cardamom Soup

Calling all beet lovers! I made a gorgeous deep pink beetroot soup that is mixed with apples, walnuts, cardamom, ginger, and cinnamon. 

Yard Sales are Relaxing and Therapeutic

I like to shop at yard and garage sales. I find it therapeutic and so relaxing. Why?

Yard and garage sales take me into close-by neighborhoods where the flowers, shrubs, trees, and landscaping are in full bloom. Everything is colorful, prolific, and so fragrant. It's simply beautiful to just take the time to ride through the neighborhoods and take in the beauty as a locate my destination.
Look at all my finds.

Brie with a Fruity Topping

I

Brie is one of those appetizers that everyone seems to love and  gluten free.I don't know about you, but when I entertain I like to make delicious food that is as easy as possible to prepare and serve. It doesn't get easier than brie and a delicious fruit topping! 

Brie requires very little preparation and can be made at the last minute. It tastes great with fresh fruit, jams, and nuts.

Spring Salad with Orange Cashew Dressing

This colorful spring salad calls for seasonal dark greens and sweet strawberries and the citrus dressing adds an interesting touch- all naturally gluten free of course!

Fresh Greens are prevalent in the spring and fall. If you belong to a CSA ( Community Agriculture) or frequent the farmer's markets, a variety of fresh greens should be available right now. 
Otherwise, local supermarkets are usually well stocked.

Broccoli Raab and Potato Soup-vegan and healthy

Broccoli raab, small red or white potatoes, and carrots make an unusual yet interesting soup that is naturally gluten free and vegan.  The rich green vegetable can be a tad bitter, but the potato and sweet carrot balance out the flavors making this an excellent way to enjoy eating your greens.

Portobello Spinach Stacks- A Plant Based Entree

This Portobello mushroom entree makes a "meaty" tasting dinner that is low calorie, low in fat, but has a significant amount of protein. In addition, this entree is plant based, gluten free, and nut free. Regardless, it tastes absolutely delicious. (updated Nov 2023)

My Trick to Spice Up Lentil Soup - Perfect Cinco De Mayo Recipe

I always try to come up with a recipe for Cinco de Mayo! This year I'm making a spicy salsa lentil soup that is easy, tasty, plant based, gluten free and healthy. Since I retired, "easy" is the main ingredient in my recipes.

Pumpkin Chocolate Pudding Mousse

Want to satisfy your sweet tooth without any refined sugars? Do you love rich dark chocolate and creamy spicy pumpkin? This delicious ( gluten free and vegan) pudding/ mousse contains both!!

Horseradish Soup ( Perfect for Passover)

Who ever heard of horseradish soup? Not I .. but once I tasted it , I was hooked.

This intriguing soup is creamy, flavorful, and can be made in 20 minutes ( my kind of soup) .

It is a delightful vegan spring soup made from cauliflower, onions, garlic and potatoes.  The horseradish is added at the end ( if you want to) and adds a little kick and lots of flavor.

Soup for Vegetarian/vegan Passover Seder

For those of us who are vegetarian/vegan, it is always an interesting challenge to find holiday foods that feel traditional, are healthy, taste good and are easy to make. This soup works for Passover!

Having a vegetarian/vegan Passover Seder? I love starting the meal with soup, and this soup is perfect! After all, horseradish is one of the foods on the ceremonial Seder plate and bitter herbs are traditional to eat on Passover. Horseradish commemorates the "bitter tears" that our ancestors shed in Egypt when they were slaves unto the Pharaoh! My mother used to use fresh horseradish root and grated it herself. It was so strong; it really brought out the tears! Today's jarred horseradish is milder and easier to eat. 

The root of the horseradish looks like this; some people make their own horseradish

If you are not a vegetarian or vegan, you can use your leftover horseradish ( from the Seder) to make this soup for lunch during chol hamod .

You won't be disappointed with this soup! It's unusual and delicious!

Horseradish is a Powerhouse of Immunity

In addition, horseradish soup is packed with high antioxidant vegetables ( garlic, onion, cauliflower)  and horseradish itself is a winner when it comes to immunity! Horseradish is high in nutrients and phytochemicals which are known to be immune protectors. No wonder my Russian grandmother lived to 107! Her daily diet included fresh horseradish!

Whether celebrating a holiday or not, this soup is a tasty addition to any meal. I have to admit that I love horseradish, and it is particularly delicious in this flavorful horseradish soup!

Author: Judee Algazi of Gluten Free A-Z blog

Adapted from: A Virtual Vegan
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Serves: 4 -6 ( depends on size of bowl) 

Ingredients: 

1 medium cauliflower , broken into flowerettes ( I used a large bag of frozen cauliflower) 

1 large potato, chopped 

1 medium onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, chopped in half

4 cups of vegetable broth

1 cup water
1 cup of almond milk ( how to make your own from just almonds) 

sea salt and cracked pepper to taste

1 teaspoon of white jarred horseradish to taste

Optional: garnish each bowl with radish slices

Directions:

In a large soup pot add potatoes, cauliflower, onion, garlic, water, and vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 15 minutes until potatoes and cauliflower are soft. Add almond milk, salt,  and cracked fresh pepper to taste. Blend with an immersion blender or transfer to a blender. Taste and add the horseradish ( or don't)  to taste.

My Notes: 

1. I eat this soup without the horseradish- it still tastes good- just different! 

I then call it Creamed Cauliflower soup. If you add the horseradish, go easy- a little goes a long way!

2. Originally, I thought I would leave out the almond milk - it sounded strange to me in this soup, but to my surprise it enhanced the soup and it was better with the almond milk than without it!

3. The original recipe at A Virtual Vegan called for 2 potatoes - I wanted my soup to be less caloric so I substituted a cup of celery and used only one potato. You could add more chopped potato if you like.

4. This is a great cold of flu busting soup as well. Horseradish has powerful antioxidants so make it when you are under the weather as well. I read that horseradish has natural antibiotic properties and helps clear mucos!!!

5. Substitute kohlrabi for the potato. Kohlrabi is a vegetable that tastes very much like a potato, but with much fewer carbs! Kohlrabi would be a great substitute in this soup. I usually get kohlrabi in the fall at my co-op . If you want to read more about kohlrabi, check out my previous post. Kohlrabi ; The low carb potato 

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Riced Cauliflower- the easy way

If you are grain free, want to eat less carbs, or eat more healthy vegetables , then you MUST try
" riced cauliflower"- You can make your own or now you can buy it frozen in Trader Joe's. It's also available in lots of other stores now- so look for it in bags fresh or frozen.

Do you love "cauliflower rice", but hate to make it?  Problem solved!
Trader Joe now sells bags of organic cauliflower rice in their frozen section.
Maybe I'm late getting on the band wagon, but I just discovered it, and I just can't get enough.

How do I prepare it? I take a skillet , spray it with olive oil, add the package of frozen cauliflower rice and allow it to cook down until nice and hot. I then serve it as " rice"

or sometimes, I sautee some onion first and then add the cauliflower rice-

How else can you use it?

If you are a regular reader on my blog, you know that I've posted quite a few "mock" ideas using the low carbohydrate, low calorie vegetable..:

 click for the following recipes: 


Cauliflower Pizza,  

Cauliflower breadsticks ,

Cauliflower snow patties.-

Cauliflower Pilaf

The crust is made from cauliflower rice Cauliflower Pizza,

These are made from cauliflower rice- Cauliflower Bread Sticks  YUM

Great Pilaf from Cauliflower rice!!! Less Carbs, more veggies  Cauliflower Pilaf

 All the taste without the carbs!  If you have not made cauliflower rice before, it's time you tried it.

Riced cauliflower is absolutely a fabulous substitution for rice.
It tastes delicious, and it is uncanny how much this low carbohydrate vegetable tastes and has the texture of high carbohydrate rice.

Make Your Own Cauliflower Rice

Yes, I know that I can make my own. 
I've been making it for years.
But it was time consuming and messy.  I had to I've take out the food processor , place in the metal blade, cut the cauliflower into flowerettes, add the cut up cauliflower to the bowl, process it with 2-3 blasts to have perfect riced cauliflower. Easy right? Yes,  but it took 5-10 minutes to prepare and then I had to clean up the processor and the counter.
Click for : Recipe to make your own cauliflower rice

 Not doing that any more- I have found a better way.
 Thank you Trader Joe's !

Why I like this frozen organic cauliflower

•  It is comes frozen, so I can load up and use the bags at my convenience
•  It's organic
•  It's reasonably priced at $1.99/bag
• There is no mess
• It cooks up in 5 minutes 
• It is delicious in a recipe or just heated in a pan with a little oil spray

End of story! 

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Creamy Zucchini Soup in 20 minutes ( vegan)

Calling all weight watchers, health conscious eaters, and bearers of too much zucchini!

This quick and easy simple creamy zucchini soup is a great choice . It is quick and easy to make, nutrient dense, and high in fiber- It's light taste is appealing to even fussy eaters. 

If you are concerned about your weight, this soup is considered a soup that doesn't count as any points on the Weight Watcher program. That means you can eat it and not have to subtract any points from you daily point allotment. 

It is so easy

The six key vegan ingredients are just literally thrown into a soup pot, covered with vegetable broth, brought to a boil , simmered for twenty minutes, blended ( immersion blender is easy) and served.

This wonderful summer soup has a mild but soothing flavor that fits well with most meals. If you want to add additional nutrients (and points ) to it try one of these two options.

1. Blend each bowl with 1/4 of a fresh avocado just before serving or 

2 .Blend each bowl with 2 Tbsp. Greek yogurt before serving. 

Either of the choices adds just 2 smart points to each serving but then produces a richer, creamy, satisfying soup that is still naturally gluten free ( what does naturally gluten free mean? ** see my notes below)  . I

In a hurry , but want to eat something healthy? 
It cooks in just 20 minutes and freezes well.
So eat some: Freeze some .
If you grow an abundance of zucchini in the summer, you now have another recipe to make and freeze. Pin it now for later.

Author: Judee Algazi at Gluten Free A-Z Blog

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Serves: 6 bowls


Ingredients:

1/2 large yellow onion, chopped or quartered

2 garlic cloves, chopped

2 med-large zucchini

3 stalks of celery, sliced

1 and half cups of water

4 cups of vegetable broth

Optional: top with an 1/8 of an avocado per bowl or 2 Tablespoons of Greek yogurt per bowl

Other garnishes: chopped cucumber, tomato, or red onion chopped small

Directions:

In a medium soup pot, add the onion, garlic, zucchini, celery, water and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil and then lower the heat to a simmer and cover the pot. Simmer for 20 minutes or until vegetables are soft. Blend the soup with an immersion blender and eat it just the way it is which is the way I like it ! 

Another option is to blend in an 1/8 of an avocado into the soup with immersion blender just before serving per bowl. I don't care for the taste of heated avocado - so after my soup is hot, I blend in the avocado just before serving. If you prefer to use the Greek yogurt add 6 Tablespoons of Greek yogurt to the soup and blend just before serving. Top with the chopped cucumber, tomato, and red onion. 

My Notes: 

Most unprocessed foods are naturally gluten free

1. Naturally Gluten Free **
Gluten is in only 3 ingredients : wheat, barley, rye and any processed products made from these ingredients ( ex: soy sauce, ) .

All Vegetables, fruit, meat, chicken, eggs, milk in their natural state are all "naturally gluten free". Therefore many real food recipes like this one are naturally gluten free because they are not processed and don't have anything added to them,. ( oats are gluten free, but because of processing factories- it is essential to buy only oats or oatmeal that is labeled certified gluten free) .

Weight Watchers? 

2. Are you following Weight Watchers? The basic soup recipe is Zero Smart Points

When you add the avocado or Greek Yogurt it becomes 2 Smart Points!!

Perfect for Passover

3. Looking for healthy Passover Recipes? Everything in this recipe is Kosher for Passover.. Perfect for a Passover spring brunch! It's also parve, making this recipe permissible for a regular Seder or the perfect choice for a vegetarian or vegan Passover Seder.


This post will be shared on my list of blog carnivals including 
Food on Friday : zucchini - featuring 47 interesting recipes for zucchini

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Creamy Broccoli Soup- Vegan

I like broccoli, and I have always wanted to make a good creamy broccoli soup, but I don't particularly like cream or milk based soups.

I finally created a recipe that is simple and healthy too.  
The creaminess comes from the blended vegetables.

It's a perfect gluten free soup because it doesn't call for any flour. Its relatively fast and easy to make and can be made from ingredients you already have in your kitchen.

Since it is so easy to whip up, I make a small batch that serves 4 generous cups.

Broccoli soup is light, so I can enjoy it in the winter or in warmer weather. It's a great way to eat more greens!

top with vegan cheese or grated cheddar cheese

Author: Judee Algazi @ Gluten Free A-Z Blog
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes total
Serves 4-6


Ingredients

2 Tbsp of coconut oil or olive oil
1/2 cup finely diced onion
1 leek, sliced
1 carrot, peeled and finely diced
1 single rib of celery, finely diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 cup of fresh parsley
1 large head of broccoli cut into florets or (16 oz. bag of frozen broccoli florets)
4 cups vegetable broth
1 cup water
salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste


Directions

Add the coconut oil and onion into a 3 quart soup pot. Saute until onions and leeks until begins to get translucent. Add garlic, celery, and carrot and sautee until vegetables are tender ( about 5-7 minutes) . Add broccoli, parsley, water and vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Cover the pot and lower the heat to a simmer for 20 minutes. Use an immersion blender to  puree the soup. Season to taste with salt, black pepper . Serve hot.

 ***can be made for Passover because this recipe is grain free

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My Notes: 
1. A good broth or vegetable stock is essential for good tasting soup
2. See my updated version that I now make using the Instant Pot

  may be shared on a few of the following blog carnivals

Every Sunday Deb in Hawaii sponsors Souper Sunday.
Whenever I make soup or a salad, I always share it on  Souper Sundays.