This week's take on soup and sandwiches features an asparagus soup. You use much of the same technique as for last week's broccoli and cheese, but this soup has an entirely different flavor. The smoky TLT sandwiches are a hit even by themselves, and you will absolutely love these healthy fudgesicles.
This soup is so fresh and delicious, especially with the fresh spring and summer produce. Asparagus grows naturally in the early spring, and it has small, springy fresh stalks. “New” potatoes are the first potatoes of the season that have such thin skin that you can often rub it off with your fingers. Wash them very gently and don't bother peeling them.
The rest of the vegetables (carrots, onion, celery, and mushrooms) will all be best if you can find them fresh from local farmers, and the entire soup will be the better for it.
2 lbs. asparagus, chopped (reserve tips)
6 small “new” potatoes, chopped
1 small turnip, chopped
2 medium carrots, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 stalk of celery
1 lb. fresh mushrooms
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves of garlic
1 teaspoon thyme
1 bay leaf
6 - 8 c. vegetable stock
salt and pepper to taste
Boil the potatoes, carrots, turnip, celery, asparagus stems, and the bay leaf in a large soup pot. Remove the bay leaf and transfer everything to a blender. Purée the cooked vegetables, adding the stock in as you go. If the soup is too thick for your tastes, add in more stock, up to 8 cups.
In the empty soup pan, sauté the onions, garlic, and mushrooms in oil for about 10-15 minutes. When the mushrooms have turned brown and the onions and garlic are soft and fragrant, add them to the vegetable purée.
Steam the asparagus spears just until tender, about 3 minutes, and then add them to the purée. Taste for salt and pepper. When everything is well combined, put the vegetable puree back in the soup pot and heat thoroughly, about 10 minutes.
Per serving: 211 calories, 3g fat, 25 calories from fat, 9g protein, 10g dietary fiber, 43g carbohydrates, 0mg cholesterol, 31g sodium, 0.4mg thiamin, 0.6mg riboflavin, 6.5mg niacin, 0.7mg vitamin B6, 123mcg folate, 5.2mg iron, 261mg phosphorous, 1274mg potassium, 0.7mg copper, 0.7mg manganese, 15.7mcg selenium, 4540IU vitamin A, 35mg vitamin C, 71.3mcg vitamin K
Forget BLTs-- you can have your own version in half the time with none of the cholesterol. You'll get the most flavorful TLTs by steaming the tempeh and marinating it overnight, so plan ahead a bit with this dish.
16 oz. tempeh (2 packages)
1 small head romaine lettuce, washed and cut in small strips
2 c. tomato, sliced
1/4 c. olive oil
1 Tbsp. maple syrup
1/2 tsp. sea salt
2 small avocados
8 slices of whole grain bread, toasted
3 Tbsp. olive oil
1/4 c. tamari or shoyu or soy sauce
2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp. maple syrup
1 tsp. smoke flavoring (optional)
Cut the tempeh in long, flat strips about the same size as the sliced tomato. Steam the tempeh for 8 minutes, and then remove and place in an 8x8 baking dish.
Make the marinade by whisking all the ingredients together and then use a little less than half of the marinade to cover the tempeh in the baking dish. This can marinate anywhere from a few hours to overnight, so it's a good idea to do this part the night before. When you're ready to assemble, cook these over medium heat in a pan until they are slightly crispy on the outside, about 4-5 minutes on each side. I also like to baste the extra marinade or simply pour it onto the cooking tempeh.
When you are ready to put the sandwiches together, preheat the oven to 350º F. Arrange the sliced tomatoes on a large flat cookie sheet. Combine the olive oil, maple syrup, and salt and pour it on top of the tomatoes, tossing gently to coat every tomato. Bake for 45 minutes, until the tomatoes have shrunken quite a bit. If you are short on time, skip this step and just use your raw tomatoes.
Just before serving, mash the avocados with a tiny bit of sea salt, and slather them on each piece of sliced bread. Top with lettuce and tomatoes and a few slices of tempeh.
Per serving: 645 calories, 37g fat, 312 calories from fat, 32g protein, 11g dietary fiber, 0mg cholesterol, 56g carbohydrates, 517mg sodium, 5609IU vitamin A, 86.4mcg vitamin K, 3.3mg manganese
These are almost too easy for instructions. Use the ripest bananas you can find because they will be sweeter and better for popsicles. It's a good idea to freeze the bananas first so the freezing process goes quicker and so the texture of your ice cream is smooth, but in a pinch, you can use fresh ones.
4 medium bananas, frozen
2 Tbsp. carob or cocoa powder
4 tsp. maple syrup
pinch of salt
All you need to do is blend all the ingredients in a good blender until they are very creamy. Then pour the mixture into popsicle molds and freeze until firm.
Per serving: 137 calories, 1g fat, 6 calories from fat, 2g protein, 35g carbohydrates, 4g dietary fiber, 15mg sodium, 10.3mg vitamin C, 0.7mg manganese, 0.4mg vitamin B6