Soups

Meatball and Spaghetti Squash Soup

What you need: For Meatballs 1 slice of whole grain bread, crusts removed and torn into pieces ¼ cup milk 2 lbs (1 kg) ground veal, pork or chicken 2 tsp. dry parsley 2 eggs 2 cloves garlic, crushed with a garlic press or ¼ tsp. dry garlic 2 tsp. paprika Salt and pepper For Soup 2 onions, chopped 1 tbsp. olive oil 3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped or ½ tsp. dry garlic 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste 5 cups low sodium chicken broth 24 veal meatballs, fresh or frozen 2 cups spaghetti squash cooked and shredded with a fork (about 1/2 squash) 2 cups lightly packed spinach Salt and pepper How to: With the rack in the middle position, preheat the oven at 375 degrees. Line one baking sheet with parchment paper. With the rack in the highest position, preheat the oven’s broiler. Line two baking sheets with aluminum foil. Cut the squash in half and remove the seeds with a spoon. Cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour, depending on its size, or until tender. Let cool. Shred the flesh with a fork. Set aside. In a large bowl, mix the bread with the milk and let soak for 5 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients from the meatballs section and mix well with your hands. Season with salt and pepper. With a small ice cream scoop or with lightly oiled hands, shape each meatball with about 1 tbsp. of the meat mixture. Place on the baking sheet. Grill the meatballs in the oven, one sheet at a time, for about 10 minutes or until cooked and golden brown, stirring halfway through cooking. Set aside. In a large saucepan, brown the onions in the oil. Season with salt and pepper. Add the garlic and pepper flakes and cook for 1 minute. Add the broth and meatballs and bring to a boil. Simmer for about 10 minutes. Add the squash and spinach. Bring to a boil and serve. Note: To freeze the remaining meatballs, place them (cooked) on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cover and freeze for about 4 hours or until the meatballs are frozen. Then place the meatballs in sealable freezer plastic bags. Adapted from: http://www.ricardocuisine.com/recipes/5546-meatball-and-spaghetti-squash-soup

Pumpkin Soup

What you need: 1 can (16 oz/540 ml) solid pack pumpkin, unsweetened 1 tbsp. soy sauce 2 tbsp. honey* 1 tsp. garlic salt ½ tsp. powdered ginger 3 cups milk or soy milk * Do not serve to children younger than 12 months old. How to: Put the pumpkin, soy sauce, honey, garlic salt, ginger and milk into a saucepan. Stir soup together well with a whisk. Cook on low heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon. Serves 10 children. *Source: LEAP Food Flair, Legacies Now, p. 144

Sweet Potato, Carrot, Apple, and Red Lentil Soup

One of our centres shared this recipe with us. Every time they make it, the kids gobble it up! Perfect for lunch on a cold winter’s day. What you need: 1/4 cup butter 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped 3 large carrots, peeled and chopped 1 apple peeled, cored, and chopped 1 onion, chopped 1/2 cup red lentils 1/2 tsp minced fresh ginger 1/2 tsp ground pepper 1 tsp salt 1/2 tsp cumin 1/2 tsp chili powder 1/2 tsp paprika 4 cups vegetable broth Plain yogurt How to: Melt the butter in a large, heavy bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Place the chopped sweet potatoes, carrots, apple, and onion in the pot. Stir and cook the apples and vegetables until the onions are translucent, about 10 minutes. Stir the lentils, ginger, ground black pepper, salt, cumin, chili powder, paprika, and vegetable broth into the pot with the apple and vegetable mixture. Bring the soup to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the lentils and vegetables are soft, about 30 minutes. Working in batches, pour the soup into a blender, filling the pitcher no more than halfway full. Hold down the lid of the blender with a folded kitchen towel, and carefully start the blender, using a few quick pulses to get the soup moving before leaving it on to puree. Puree in batches until smooth and pour into a clean pot. Alternately, you can use a stick blender and puree the soup right in the cooking pot. Return the pureed soup to the cooking pot. Bring back to a simmer over medium-high heat, about 10 minutes. Add water as needed to thin the soup to your preferred consistency. Serve with yogurt for garnish. *Recipe from: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/sweet-potato-carrot-apple-and-red-lentil-soup/    

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