Six Winter Soup Recipes

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my Disclosure Policy for details.

January is National Soup Month, which is perfect, isn’t it? A bowl of steaming hot soup is the perfect antidote for those chilly, overcast days of winter.

Celebrate all month with your favorite soups. Start a meal with a cup of soup or make a hearty stew the main course. Volunteer at your local soup kitchen. Or create your own soup recipe to share with others.

Need some soup inspiration? Try one of these six winter soup recipes!

Six Winter Soup Recipes title meme

Six Winter Soup Recipes

Is there any food more nurturing and nourishing than a bowl of homemade soup? Truly, I feel I can live solely on soup! It’s such a versatile meal as well. Use the following recipes to inspire your next pot of soup.

Click underlined title links for recipes.

Easy Vegan Tortilla Soup

Before embracing a plant based lifestyle, I loved chicken tortilla soup. However, I discovered this yummy vegan tortilla soup and I don’t miss the chicken one bit!

The richly flavored soup comes together in minutes and uses items commonly found in the pantry. Canned goods speed up the cooking process, lentils add protein and heartiness and canned coconut milk makes the soup creamy. And no worries, the coconut milk does not add coconut flavor to the soup.

In less than 30 minutes, this soup is ready to eat. Add non GMO corn tortilla chips and top with shredded vegan cheese if desired.

Six Winter Soup Recipes tortilla
Six Winter Soup Recipes – vegan tortilla soup

Vegan Pot Pie Soup

Although I no longer eat traditional pot pie, this crustless version provides the same comfort! Rich with veggies, a creamy, thick broth and a DIY seasoning blend, this soup makes a great Sunday brunch meal or a special treat for guests.

Plus pot pie soup is a great way to use up leftover veggies, fresh or cooked. Simply chop or dice and add them to the broth.

Six Winter Soup Recipes pot pie
Six Winter Soup Recipes – vegan pot pie

Aloo Matar Soup

If you enjoy the Indian dish aloo matar, you’ll love this soup version. I made up this recipe, as one of my birthday activities when I turned 62. (What’s that all about? Check out the most recent birthday activities HERE.)

This soup makes a delicious meal, robust with potatoes, peas, tomatoes, garam masala and curry. I love it!

Six Winter Soup Recipes aloo matar
Six Winter Soup Recipes – aloo matar

Easy Vegetable Noodle Soup

Looking for a nourishing, health boosting soup to replace traditional chicken and noodle soup? This is it. When I feel a bit under the weather, this is my go to soup. It soothes stuffy heads, sore throats and body aches and pains. And thanks to using a pressure pot, it’s ready to eat in under 30 minutes.

If you are gluten sensitive, like I am, use brown rice noodles. Not sure if gluten is affecting you negatively? Read the symptoms of gluten intolerance HERE.

Six Winter Soup Recipes vegetable noodle
Six Winter Soup Recipes – vegetable noodle

Quick Bean Chili

Winter time and chili just naturally go together. Those spicy seasonings help to warm us up and they have health benefits as well.

This quick bean chili comes together in a flash. It’s perfect for those evenings when the day has been full and busy. Having recipes available that quickly provide a hot meal lessens the likelihood of grabbing fast food on the way home.

Use canned beans, instead of dried, to save time. This is a moderately spicy chili. Adjust the heat level by adding or reducing the cayenne pepper. And use a small vegetable chopper to make quick work of prepping veggies.

Six Winter Soup Recipes chili
Six Winter Soup Recipes – quick bean chili

Black Bean and Sweet Potato Stew

This colorful, hearty stew cooks up quickly using a pressure pot or it’s easily prepared on the stove top. Substitute canned black beans for dried, if cooking on the stove.

This sweet and savory soup is full of nutrients that help protect body. It’s the perfect meal for a cold winter night.

What’s Your Favorite Soup?

What’s your go to soup for frosty winter nights? I’m always looking for new vegan soup recipes, to enjoy in January…and the rest of the year as well. Share a link to your favorite soup in the comments below!

Six Winter Soup Recipes stew
Six Winter Soup Recipes – black bean and sweet potato stew

 

Journey With Healthy Me is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. This affiliate program provides a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com, all at no extra cost to you.

Soda’s Negative Impact on the Body

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my Disclosure Policy for details.

Normally I stress the positive impact of good health practices, rather than focus on negatives. However, I feel so strongly about this topic that I’m willing to depart from that practice.

I stopped drinking soda, in my case diet soda, more than a dozen years ago. Before that time, I was known as the woman who always had a diet soda with her. Always. If it wasn’t a 20 ounce bottle, it was a 32 ounce happy hour drink from Sonic.

One reason for carrying a soda with me was thirst. I felt parched all the time. Little did I know that my diet soda addiction contributed to my thirst rather than satisfying it.

I stopped drinking diet soda for several health reasons, including constant indigestion, joint pain and dehydration. That decision became the first step toward better health.

Soda’s negative impact on the body is huge and far reaching. Don’t believe me? Check out these 18 reasons to stop drinking soda now.

Sodas Negative Impact on the Body title meme

Soda Facts

Almost half the adult populations, 49%, drink at least one soda a day. A 12 ounce can contains at least 39 grams of sugar. That’s equal to nine and a half teaspoons of sugar, in ONE can. A 20 ounce bottle of soda packs in 65 grams of sugar, or 13 teaspoons. And those happy hour drinks that offer 32 ounces of soda for a great price contain a whopping 91 grams of sugar, which is the same as 21.6 teaspoons.

Imagine stirring that much sugar into a glass of iced tea. The thought literally churns my stomach.

And diet soda is no better, health wise. Diet soda drinkers up their risk for weight gain, increased belly fat and certain types of cancer. Plus it’s not only the sugar that’s detrimental to health. Additives, preservatives and artificial coloring and flavors contribute to increased risks for diseases and disorders, such as the following.

Sodas Negative Impact on the Body sugar
Soda’s negative impact on the body – sugar

Diabetes

Both diet soda and the regular stuff are linked to an increase in type 2 diabetes. Drinking soda creates a sugar spike that forces the body to convert that sugar into fat. And that fat gets stored in the liver.

In just six months, the fat deposits in the liver can increase by 150%, greatly raising the risk for diabetes.

Additionally, diet soda actually increases sugar cravings, contributing to the chances of developing diabetes.

Obesity

One of the greatest risks from consuming soda is obesity. A 20 ounce bottle of soda provides 150 empty calories that do nothing to stave off hunger. Consuming a bottle of soda with every meal for 30 days can add three or more pounds a month and more than 36 pounds in a year.

Extra Belly Fat

Linked with obesity is excess belly fat. Because the sugar in soda quickly converts to fat, and triggers the production of insulin in the process, the body accumulates fat in the belly.

Soda's Negative Impact on the Body belly fat
Soda’s negative impact on the body – extra belly fat

Kidney Stones

One of the most painful medical conditions, often compared to childbirth, kidney stones form when minerals accumulate in the kidneys. Soda drinkers increase their risk for these excruciating stones due to the excess consumption of sugar, phosphoric acid and chronic dehydration.

Fatty Liver

The excessive amount of sugar in soda is linked to a condition called non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. The body is not able to process all that sugar. Instead it converts the sugar into fat that is stored in the liver. This leads to fatty liver, a serious disorder that increases the risk of early death.

Joint Pain

Not all joint pain is caused by drinking soda. However, those sugary drinks may be aggravating joint pain. Plus the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggests that women who regularly consume soda increase their risk of rheumatoid arthritis.

Additionally, sugar “feeds” inflammation of all kinds in the body. Soda certainly contributes to ongoing inflammation and the pain that accompanies it.

Sodas Negative Impact on the Body joint pain
Soda’s negative impact on the body – joint pain

Cardiovascular Disease

Regularly drinking soda contributes to a greater risk for cardiovascular diseases, including heart failure, lesions and strokes.

Heart failure is linked to diabetes, obesity and high blood pressure, all associated with consuming sugary drinks.

Strokes result from increased fat in the body which contributes to hardening of the arteries including those in the brain. Excess sugar is converted to fat.

Soda drinkers are at greater risk for heart attacks, even when controlling other factors such as smoking, poor diet and lack of exercise.

And an additive in citrusy sodas that maintains flavor and appearance, called brominated vegetable oil or BVO,  is linked to an increased risk for heart lesions in rats. BVO is used to create a longer shelf life for soda.

High Cholesterol

Eliminating soda from the diet contributes to a longer life by lowering cholesterol. That can of soda contains more sugar than the body needs in a whole day. High sugar levels are linked to high bad cholesterol and low levels of good cholesterol.

Poor Gut Health

The good gut bacteria inhabiting the intestines affects digestive health and even mental stability. Gut health is vitally important to overall health and wellbeing.

Sugar in soda provides an excellent food source for the bad bacteria that lurks in the intestines as well, while starving good bacteria.

Diet soda is no better. Gut bacteria reacts negatively to the artificial sweeteners in soda and creates metabolic changes. Those changes increase the risk for obesity, memory impairment and digestive disorders.

Sodas Negative Impact on the Body - gut health
Soda’s negative impact on the body – gut health

Infertility

The brominated vegetable oil that extends shelf life has a negative impact on fertility. BVO is banned in Japan and Europe but not in the US. It is linked to early onset puberty and infertility. Avoiding soda can help increase the chances of conception, if infertility is an issue.

Central Nervous System Disorders

Excessive consumption of citrus sodas containing BVO increases the risk of bromism as well, a condition that affects the central nervous system. Bromism contributes to memory loss, muscle weakness, fatigue and mental health issues.

Migraines

Both regular soda and diet soda can trigger the onset of migraine headaches. In addition, the chronic dehydration caused by soda consumption increases the risk of these debilitating headaches.

Sodas Negative Impact on the Body migraines
Soda’s negative impact on the body – migraines

Bloating

Those bubbles that seem so satisfying in carbonated soda settle in the intestines. That gas build up creates uncomfortable bloating resulting in an extended abdomen and even pain.

Heartburn and Ulcers

The bloating that carbonated drinks cause can negatively affect the stomach, causing bloating there as well. This can result in a build up of acid that backs up into the esophagus, creating the condition known as heartburn. The caffeine in soda is acid producing also. All this stomach acid not only causes indigestion but can also increase the risk of digestive tract ulcers and cancers.

Dehydration

Dehydration while drinking a steady supply of sodas seems unusual. However, sugary drinks do nothing to quench thirst. The caffeine in soda has a diuretic effect, causing dehydration that becomes chronic when soft drinks are the primary source of liquids.

Chronic dehydration causes electrolyte imbalance, water retention, heart arrhythmia and a slower metabolic rate that contributes to weight gain.

Always thirsty? Drink more water, not soda.

Sodas Negative Impact on the Body dehydration
Soda’s negative impact on the body – dehydration

Accelerated Aging

Can drinking soda age you? Yes. Sodas are full of phosphates and sugar, which accelerate the aging process at a cellular level. And the preservatives and artificial sweeteners in diet soda increase the growth of cancerous cells.

Plus, dehydrating caffeine negatively affects the skin, creating puffiness under the eyes, dryness, wrinkles and fine lines.

Cola consumption is associated with a loss in bone density, making the body more susceptible to fractures and mobility issues as it ages.

Increased Risk for Cancer

Did you know that a soda addiction can lead to greater risks for certain cancers?

The caramel coloring found in colas and other drinks such as root beer, created from ammonia, causes cancer in mice. Even clear sodas increase the risks of cancers, such as colorectal cancer, due to sugar, preservatives and artificial flavors.

The chemical found in plastic bottles and even aluminum cans, known as BPA, is linked to reproductive issues including cancers.

And artificial sweeteners in diet soda contribute to an increased risk of lymphoma, a cancer of the lymphatic system, and bladder cancer.

The chemicals in sodas contribute to neurological disorders such as seizures. While artificial sweeteners can convert to formaldehyde in the body, leading to a higher risk for brain tumors.

Insomnia

A 20 ounce bottle of soda can contain up to 53 mg of caffeine, while the same size container of diet soda jumps to 70 mg. It can take a whole day or more for the body to metabolize that much caffeine. Drinking soda throughout the day may be contributing to sleepless nights, restless legs syndrome and chronic fatigue.

Sodas Negative Impact on the Body insomnia
Soda’s negative impact on the body – insomnia

Kicking the Soda Drinking Addiction

My intention, as a health advocate and blogger, is not to instill fear but encourage health and wellness. If you are serious about improving health, eliminating soda from your diet is a must.

I know how difficult it feels. It took me several tries before successfully kicking the addiction, and trust me, soda drinking is an addiction.

Here a few tips for stopping the soda drinking habit.

  • recognize that soda IS addictive
  • make the choice to stop, for your health
  • wean yourself away from soda slowly
  • start with replacing one soda a day with a glass of water
  • over the next 30 days, replace all sodas with water or unsweetened tea, preferably herbal teas
  • add fruits and veggies to water to boost taste and nutrients
  • carry a metal water bottle full of water everywhere you go
  • avoid foods/situations that create a craving for soda
  • reward yourself for kicking your addiction with a fun event or new outfit

You can do it…I know you can! From experience I know that you CANNOT go back to having “just one soda a day” or “one for a special occasion”. That’s the way back to addiction.

For your health and wellbeing, for increased vitality and energy and for your children and grandchildren and their health, stop drinking the soda. Get past the cravings…and the heartburn, insomnia and joint pain. You won’t regret it.

No More Soda

Encourage water consumption with these finds:

 


 

Journey With Healthy Me is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. This affiliate program provides a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com, all at no extra cost to you.

I am not a medical practitioner. I study health and wellness related topics and share experiences from my own personal healing journey.

 

 

 

 

Earth Day Activities to Practice at Home Every Day

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my Disclosure Policy for details.

I’ve carried awareness about protecting the earth, the environment and wildlife from early childhood. However, a remarkable thing happened after I took responsibility for my own health. As my health improved, I naturally focused outward on the health of others. And going farther, my desire for a healthier planet increased as well.

Today is the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, an annual event celebrated world wide on April 22, that supports environmental protection. With the stay home orders and sheltering in place, many Earth Day celebrations cancelled this year.

Here instead are Earth Day activities to to practice at home, not just today but every day. Let’s make every single day about protecting the earth and protecting our futures.

Earth Day Activities to Practice at Home Every Day title meme

The First Earth Day

Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin launched the first Earth Day April 22, 1970. Growing concerns about the environment, spurred by the alarming impact of pesticides, inspired 20 million Americans to participate in rallies and clean up campaigns across the US.

That first Earth Day birthed the environmental movement. Today Earth Day is celebrated each year by an estimated 1 billion people around the world.

Make Every Day Earth Day

Earth Day Activities to Practice at Home Every Day

Although this year we can’t gather in parks to pick up litter or ride our bicycles together to work, we can still take part in activities that benefit the earth. And because we are at a critical point, in protecting the earth and our resources, I encourage others to practice the following activities daily. Let’s make every day, earth day. Let’s teach ourselves and our children how to lessen our impact on the earth.

Try any of these simple activities.

Recycle

Set up boxes or bins to collect items for recycling, rather than throwing them in the trash. Glass, paper, cardboard, metal containers and plastics are all recyclable. Many cities have a curbside recycling program or at least have a recycling center for dropping items off. Benefits of recycling include less trash going into landfills, less pollution, the conservation of natural resources and energy savings.

Repurpose

While recycling is a wonderful start, repurposing and reusing existing materials is an even more effective way to save energy. Before tossing an item, consider how it might function in a different way. Can it be repaired? Is there another purpose for this item? Get creative. Repurposing is one of my favorite things to do. I love finding new ways to use items, from decorating with them to using them in the garden to fulfilling a practical need with them.

If you can’t find a use for an item, consider donating it to someone who can.

Recycle, Reuse, Repurpose
Earth Day activities to practice at home every day – recycle, reuse, repair, repurpose.

 

Limit Plastic Use

This is an area I’ve focused on the past year. One use plastics that are then tossed are overrunning the earth. They are affecting marine life, clogging waterways and beaches and impacting our health.

Stop using plastic straws. At restaurants I simply return them to the server or lay the paper covered straw aside. At home, drink from glass or metal water bottles, rather than plastic bottles. Use glass storage containers in the kitchen rather than plastic baggies. Shop with reusable bags, and yes, right now disinfect those bags when you return home.

Read this post, for more simple ways to reduce plastic use.

Eat More Fruits and Veggies

One of the greatest negative impacts on the planet comes from livestock farming. It contributes to land and water degradation, biodiversity loss and deforestation. And livestock farming contributes 18% of human produced greenhouse gas emissions worldwide, causing climate change.

Plan more meals around a plant based diet. Have meatless Mondays, eat meatless two or three days a week or eat fruits and veggies only every day until dinner time.

Eat More Fruits and Veggies
Earth Day activities to practice at home every day – eat more fruits and veggies. Try this vegetable noodle soup.

Create a Garden

Even if you can’t participate in tree planting ceremonies this year, you can still contribute by planting at home. Create a veggie garden, plant a flower bed, plant a tree, shrub or bush. Tuck herbs into the ground for culinary and medicinal uses. Creating a garden draws butterflies, bees, birds and small wildlife to your yard, making it a sanctuary for many.

Check out this post on creating a bee and butterfly garden.

Build Houses for Those Visitors

Have fun building bird houses, bug hotels, frog hideouts and spider havens for the critters drawn to your yard. Try this one board bird house. Turn clay flower pots upside down and scatter throughout your garden for spiders to inhabit. Trust me, they are good for your garden. Dig out a shallow hole and cover with a rock, leaving an entrance for frogs and toads to find. And make your own bug hotel by watching this video.

Earth Day Activities to Practice at Home gardening
Earth Day activities to practice at home – gardening.

Shop Sustainable Brands

If you want to get serious about making a difference for the planet, begin shopping sustainable brands. No matter the category, there are amazing companies creating change.

In the US alone, we send 21 billion pounds of clothing waste to landfills EVERY year. Exciting changes are taking place in the fashion industry. Check out these 26 sustainable fashion brands.

Reduce Energy Use

Check out this graphic, for easy ways to cut energy costs at home.

Easy Ways to Save Energy
Earth Day activities to practice at home every day – energy conservation.

Pick Up Litter

Pick up litter in your yard, the alley way, the vacant lot next door. Text your neighbors and encourage a block wide pick up litter party. If you walk at a park or through your neighborhood, while practicing social distancing, pick up litter along the way.

Create a Compost Box

Rather than tossing vegetable scraps, paper, cardboard and fruit peels, compost them. You can create an elaborate composting system or use a simple box. Freeze most vegetable scraps to create DIY vegetable broth. Save potato skins, banana and orange peels, tea leaves, leftover food that’s gone bad, shredded paper and other food scraps in large container that is emptied daily into the compost bin outside.

Add leaves, wood chips, grass clippings, dead plants and deadheaded flowers to the compost too. In time, the result is rich soil for your garden.

Sustainability
Earth Day activities to practice at home every day – sustainability.

Other Earth Day Activities to Practice at Home

Try these ideas as well:

  • watch Our Planet on Netflix
  • do a nature scavenger hunt in your yard
  • share posts about the environment or ecological tips on social media
  • enjoy virtual tours of national parks, botanical gardens, aquariums and museums
  • learn to identify trees, flowers, birds and animals
  • sponsor or “adopt” a wild animal in a refuge
  • stargaze at night
  • take nature photos, in your yard or neighborhood
  • do science experiments with the kids
  • draw and color pictures of plants and flowers, animals and marine life
  • learn new skills such as gardening, sewing, making rag rugs, DIY cleaners, etc.
  • make a terrarium
  • grow a salad garden
Earth Day Activities to Practice at Home Every Day go green
Earth Day activities to practice at home – learn new skills.

Get Involved

For Earth’s future, our future and the well being of future generations, please take action. Visit the Earth Day organization HERE, for many, many ideas on how you can make a difference on this planet.

And consider signing this Pledge, located at Wild Earth Guardians. I did. And I made a financial contribution.

“If Earth and its natural systems are to thrive in the next 50 years we need a deep recommitment to the bold vision that inspired the first Earth Day. It is a time for action. It is time to reweave the threads of the environmental, public health, and economic safety nets, which ensure that the public welfare and the common good are each protected.” Wild Earth Guardians

I’m a guardian, of Earth, of the environment, of wildlife, of human life. My health is connected to the health of the planet. I’m still learning and growing on my healing journey. Please learn and grow with me. And share with me what you are doing to protect this place we call home.

Earth Day Activities to Practice at Home guardian
Earth Day activities to practice at home every day – be a guardian.

Check out these Amazon finds:


 

Journey With Healthy Me is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. This affiliate program provides a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com, all at no extra cost to you.

Raw Cranberry Relish

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my Disclosure Policy for details.

It’s Thanksgiving Week! Today I offer a super simple and healthy substitute for one of those traditional Thanksgiving foods, cranberry sauce. If you’ve only tried cranberry sauce out of a can, you are in for a treat! This raw cranberry relish is delicious and comes together in minutes. Make it the day before you serve it, so it can chill and the flavors can combine.

This recipe comes to you by way of Anthony William, aka the Medical Medium! His book containing the recipe is at the end of the post.

Raw Cranberry Relish title meme

Raw Cranberry Relish

Cranberries are a powerful food. That power comes from the cranberry’s ability to fight the streptococcus bacteria and other infections.

Most of the world’s cranberries are grown in the US, Canada and Chile. And the majority of those cranberries are processed into products such as juice, sauce, jam, and sweetened dried cranberries, with the remainder sold fresh to consumers. Cranberry sauce is a traditional accompaniment to turkey at Christmas dinners in the United Kingdom, and at Christmas and Thanksgiving dinners in the United States and Canada.

Canned cranberry sauce was my introduction to this tart fruit. It has been a joy to create my own cranberry relish for the holidays, and find other uses for fresh cranberries.

Raw Cranberry Relish

Raw Cranberry Relish

This simple recipe uses fresh ingredients to create a traditional favorite.
5 from 1 vote
Prep Time 15 minutes
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 6 servings

Equipment

  • Food Processor

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup fresh cranberries
  • 2 cups apples, coarsely chopped
  • 1/2 cup orange segments
  • 1/4 tsp orange zest
  • 4 tbsp raw organic honey

Instructions
 

  • Combine all ingredients in a food processor. Pulse until roughly combined. Chill in refrigerator for at least one hour before serving. Garnish with mint if desired. Makes 6 servings.
Keyword Raw Cranberry Relish

 

Raw Cranberry Relish
This raw cranberry relish is amazing.

 

Enjoy Your Raw Cranberry Relish

This is such a simple recipe and the results are amazing. I love serving raw cranberry relish alongside a big chopped salad and stuffed acorn squash. Add it to your feast, whether you are plant based or not, and enjoy the flavors and the health benefits that cranberries provide.

May you have a blessed Thanksgiving this week. And among your gratitudes, may health and wellbeing be at the top of your list!

Raw Cranberry Relish Plant Based Thanksgiving

Pick up Life Changing Foods below, by clicking on photo.

 

Life Changing Foods by Anthony William
Find Raw Cranberry Relish and other wonderful recipes in Life Changing Foods by Anthony William.

 

Journey With Healthy Me is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. This affiliate program provides a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com, all at no extra cost to you.

Easy Vegetable Noodle Soup

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my Disclosure Policy for details.

As we enter cold and flu season, I love having an arsenal of health boosting soups that I can prepare quickly and easily. Nothing soothes a scratchy throat or comforts an achy body quite like a bowl of steaming hot soup. That old standby, chicken noodle soup, is no longer a suitable choice for me. However, I wondered if I could find a plant based option.

I did.

This easy vegetable noodle soup is nourishing and soothing. And, using an instant pot, it’s ready in under 30 minutes.

Easy Vegetable Noodle Soup Title Meme

Plant Based and Gluten Free

This recipe is adapted from one in Vegan Pressure Cooking. I changed the seasonings and used gluten free Pad Thai noodles made from brown rice. You can use sobo noodles or regular Pad Thai noodles, if you are not gluten sensitive.

This hearty soup is full of veggies and made using my DIY vegetable broth, which I absolutely love. You can substitute store bought vegetable broth if desired.

Easy Vegetable Noodle Soup

This hearty soup is packed with veggies and gluten free noodles for a healthy alternative to chicken and noodle soup.
5 from 1 vote
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 8 minutes
Course Soup
Cuisine American
Servings 6 servings

Equipment

  • Pressure Cooker

Ingredients
  

  • 1 tablespoon coconut oil
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 1 cup carrots, chopped
  • 1 cup celery, chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 cups green beans, fresh or frozen, cut into pieces may substitute organic canned green beans
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 tsp Herbs de Provence
  • 1/2 tsp dried sage
  • 1 cup dried brown or green lentils
  • 4 ounces noodles, pad Thai or sobo
  • 4 cups vegetable broth
  • 1 1/2 cups water

Instructions
 

  • In uncovered pressure cooker, saute onions, garlic, carrots, green beans and celery for 3 minutes. Add seasonings and stir and cook for 2 more minutes.
  • Add lentils, noodles, vegetable broth and water to pressure cooker. Lock on lid. Cook for 8 minutes. Use a quick release. Remove lid.
  • Test noodles and lentils. If not quite done, simmer in uncovered pressure cooker until done, adding more water if necessary. If using canned green beans, add at this time. Remove bay leaf and serve. Makes 6 servings.
Keyword vegetable noodle soup, vegetable soup

Easy Vegetable Noodle Soup

This wonderfully fragrant soup cooked in minutes. And the added brown rice pad Thai noodles created a meal that’s perfect for a chilly evening or comforting when combating the sniffles.

If you don’t have a pressure cooker, you can prepare the easy vegetable noodle soup on the stove top. Saute veggies then combine all the ingredients in a large pot. Bring soup to a boil, then lower heat. Simmer until vegetables are tender. Add the noodles during the last five minutes of cooking time.

This soup inspires me to see if gluten free ramen noodles exist. If so, watch for an easy and healthy ramen soup you can make yourself.

It’s soup season! I’m so glad.

Do you have a favorite soup?

Easy Vegetable Noodle Soup Ready to Eat
Easy Vegetable Noodle Soup, ready to eat.

 

Try these nourishing plant based soups as well:

Easy Soups for Cold Days

This pressure cooker is available on Amazon:

And I used these Pad Thai noodles. Amazon sells them in packages of six.


Journey With Healthy Me is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. This affiliate program provides a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com, all at no extra cost to you.

Purple Hull Beans and Vegetables

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my Disclosure Policy for details.

In a recent post, I mentioned that I looked for hull beans at the farmer’s market, without success. I have a recipe I’m eager to try and hull beans are a late summer crop.

However, on the next visit, I scored! One market vendor offered purple hull beans for sale. I purchased a large container of the beans, excited to create a hearty meal from them.

Purple hull beans and vegetables are another perfect end of the season treat, using fresh produce. For another great recipe, check out Summer Succotash.

Purple Hull Beans and Vegetables Title Meme
Background template created by my blogging friend, Lisa Mitchell.

What are Purple Hull Beans?

These staples of the south are closely related to black eyed peas. They thrive in warm, sunny environments. Other names for this bean are southern peas or cowpeas. Purple hull beans originated in Africa and came to the United States by way of Egypt, Asia and Europe.

The outer pod, or hull, turns a deep purple color as the seeds inside mature. Peel back the hull and snap out the beans, which are a pale green color when fresh. Purple hull beans are considered creamier, smoother in texture and sweeter than black eyed peas.

My cousin, Michael Lauderdale, used to grow purple hull beans in his garden. I loved visiting his farm and dining on a big bowl of freshly prepared beans. My favorite summer meals continue to be simple ones made from garden produce. I couldn’t wait to try my new recipe featuring a mix of purple hull beans and vegetables.

Purple Hull Beans and Vegetables In the Shell
Purple hull beans in the pod.
Purple Hull Beans Shelled
Shelled beans.

Purple Hull Beans and Vegetables

The recipe is adapted from the wonderful book, Vegan Under Pressure. I used garden fresh tomatoes, onions, green bell peppers and hull beans along with canned non GMO corn. The pressure cooker creates a healthy meal in minutes.

Purple Hull Beans and Vegetables

Purple Hull Beans and Vegetables

Enjoy end of the summer produce with this savory dish.
5 from 3 votes
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine American

Equipment

  • Pressure Cooker

Ingredients
  

  • 1 small yellow onion, diced
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 small bell pepper, diced
  • 2 tsp ground cumin
  • 2 cups shelled hull beans
  • 1/2 cup vegetable broth
  • 3/4 cup tomato, diced
  • 1 1/2 cups corn, fresh or canned, non GMO

Instructions
 

  • Heat pressure cooker (I use the meat setting). Saute onion and garlic in small amount of vegetable broth, for 2 minutes. Add bell pepper and continue to stir and cook, for another minute.
  • Add hull beans, vegetable broth and cumin. Lock on lid and bring to pressure. Cook for 5 minutes. Let pressure release naturally. Carefully remove lid.
  • Taste to make sure hull beans are tender. If not, cover and return to pressure and cook for 1 - 3 minutes more. Carefully remove lid.
  • Stir in diced tomatoes and corn. Simmer in open pressure cooker for 5 minutes, until tomatoes begin to break down. Or replace lid and allow to sit for 5 minutes. Makes 4 servings.
Keyword Purple Hull Beans and Vegetables
Purple Hull Beans and Vegetables Before Cooking
Purple Hull Beans and Vegetables before cooking…
After cooking purple hull beans
…and after.

Savoring an End of Summer Meal

This pot of purple hull beans and vegetables completely satisfied my craving for a hearty end of the season meal. The combination of beans and vegetables was perfect. I used my own DIY Broth from Vegetable Scraps for the stock. And the cumin lent a hint of spice to the mix.

Greg and I enjoyed a steaming bowl of this delicious meal, without adding anything else. However, purple hull beans and vegetables are excellent as well served over brown rice, quinoa or a plain baked potato.

I’ll be looking for more hull beans on my next trip to the farmer’s market. This is a meal I can enjoy well into fall, as long as the beans are available.

Purple Hull Beans and Vegetables
A bowl of summer goodness.

Pick up a copy of Vegan Under Pressure and get your own Pressure Pot. They are so handy to have in the kitchen.

 

 

 


 

Journey With Healthy Me is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. This affiliate program provides a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com, all at no extra cost to you.