This recipe is sponsored by Know Diabetes by Heart, a joint initiative of the American Heart Association and American Diabetes Association.  The opinions and text are all mine. The end.

I love making soups especially around this time of the year not only because my family loves them but because most soup recipes tend to be simple, don’t require much preparation and they are very versatile. I have been wanting to try this tomato basil bisque soup for a while so today I am glad I got around to doing it. It turned out fabulous.

For my tomato basil soup version I was able to shorten the preparation time and steps require to make it, so I hope you get to try it. My family enjoyed it quite a lot. I kind of wish I doubled the batch to be honest.

I am collaborating with Know Diabetes by Heart a collaboration between the American Heart Association and American Diabetes Association to bring to your recipe ideas. This tomato basil bisque not only is heart healthy but great for people living with diabetes. 

People living with type 2 diabetes are 2x more likely to develop and die from heart attacks, heart failure and strokes, than people who do not have diabetes.  But it doesn’t have to be that way, reduce your risk. 

It’s time to prioritize your health – do it for yourself and those who love you.

Time to cut your risk of heart disease and stroke and fight for the amazing life you’ve made for yourself.  To get started, visit Knowdiabetesbyheart.org/resources/recipes/, check out even more recipes and resources. Then talk to your doctor to learn how to lower your risk.

You’re ready to say, “Now I know, and now I’m changing my story.” It’s time to change your story and reduce your risk.

Visit Knowdiabetesbyheart.org/  for more information lowering your risk for heart disease and stroke. If you are new to diabetes type 2, if you are managing your diabetes type 2 or helping someone with diabetes type 2, there is a lot of useful information.

You will be able to learn how to best prevent your risk of developing heart disease and stroke. Having the right information is always key.

You can begin your healthier you in the kitchen with heart healthy recipes great for people living with diabetes.

Enjoy!

tomato basil bisque

Yield: 8 servings

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 25

Total Time: 30

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp canola oil
• 2 medium leeks (white part only), thinly sliced, or 1/2 cup sliced onion
• 2 small rib of celery, diced
• 4 medium garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 2 lb tomatoes
• 2 cups of water
• 1/2 cup loosely packed fresh basil
• 1/2 cup fat-free half-and-half

Directions:

In a large saucepan, over medium to high heat, heat oil and add stir leeks, celery, garlic, salt, and pepper for 3 minutes. Add tomatoes and stir. Cook for another 2-3 minutes.

Add water to the pan. Reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered, for 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Turn heat off and add chopped basil and half and half. With an emersion blender, blend ingredients until desire consistency.

Serve warm or refrigerate in an airtight container until chilled.

Recipe source: KnowDiabetesbyHeart

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You see, I have never owned a pressure cooker because for some reason I was afraid of them. Not anymore. I have had my InstaPot in the box for over 3 months and I really don’t know why it took me so long to put it to work.

Canned beans are going to be out of the picture from now on. I have already bought enough beans where I don’t have to buy any canned variety. I just have to make sure to soak the beans overnight and then just cook them for a mere 20 minutes.

If you pre-soak the beans, this recipe will only take you about 20 minutes to make. While pre-soaking the beans is optional I prefer to do so since the cooking time gets cut by half so instead of taking about 40 minutes with dried beans it will take you just 20 for them to cook.

I am going to post the other chickpea curry recipe I made twice already in the blog. Super easy as well. I also wanted to make a video of this recipe so that you can see how easy it is to make. If you don’t have a pressure cooker I urge to get one. This brand that I have is rather easy to use and does different things.

I hope you like this caribbean black beans. I couldn’t believe how delicious it was since the recipe was so simple.

Enjoy!

Caribbean black beans

Miryam's original recipe

Yield: 8 servings

Total Time: 25-30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 lb black beans, pre-soaked over night
• 14 oz coconut cream, or coconut milk
• 1/2 large onion, chopped
• 2 large peppers, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 tbs tomato paste
• 2 tsp dried thyme
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp celtic salt
• Fresh cilantro, chopped
• 4 cups hot water

 

 

 

Directions:

In your InstaPot, or any pressure cooker, add all the ingredients. No need to mix it through. I did a bit but no need.

Close the lid and set the pressure cooker to 20-25 minutes. Enjoy with some brown rice or by itself.

NOTE: You can serve this with brown rice, I did!

The post Caribbean black beans appeared first on Eat Good 4 Life.

This is one of my favorite soups I have been making for a long time. I tend to double the batch each time I make it so that I can freeze half the batch. It is so good and so easy to put together. I have even made a VIDEO RECIPE so you can see for yourself how easy it is to make. So flavorful and delicious. If you like Thai food you are going to love this Thai coconut broccoli soup recipe.

WHAT IS IN THE HEALTHY MATCHA COOKBOOK?

1. A comprehensive introduction guide that includes: History of green tea, Green tea basics, Health benefits of matcha powder and lists of the major ingredients used in my pantry.
2. 4 chapters which includes energizing breakfast (10), healthy snacks (10), lean green meals (23), decadent desserts (16).
3. Many recipes are gluten free, vegan, vegetarian and dairy free. Substitutions for recipes that are not vegan or gluten free are also given.
4. Recipes that are full proof.
5. A total of 59 recipes with colored photographs.
6. 2 week meal plan.

You can learn more about the cookbook here, as well as be able to purchase it.

I hope you get to make this simple Thai coconut broccoli soup. If you like Thai food you will love this recipe.

Enjoy!

Thai coconut broccoli soup

Miryam's original recipe

Yield: 4 servings

Total Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1 tbsp green curry paste, more if you like
• 1 14 oz coconut cream, or milk
• 1 tsp matcha powder
• 12 oz fresh broccoli, more if you like
• 1 tsp celtic salt
• 4-5 cup water

Directions:

In a 6-qt dutch oven, over medium to high heat, add the garlic, onions and olive oil. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the matcha powder and curry paste and stir over medium to low heat for one minute.

Add the coconut cream and stir. Add the water and broccoli and let the mixture cook for 6-8 minutes. Turn the heat off.

With an emersion blender blend the soup until smooth. Serve while still warm.

Recipe source here

The post Thai coconut broccoli soup appeared first on Eat Good 4 Life.

I love making recipes on my slow cooker. Ever since I discovered to cook on a slow cooker I like taking advantage of this piece of equipment. It is so easy to to use and most of the recipes I have done in them have been excellent, case in point this slow cooker orca bean soup.

I have never used orca beans before but I know it will not be my last. Orca beans, also known as calypso beans, are a small and tasty heirloom bean, gorgeously dappled in black and white. High in fiber and iron, orca beans are terrific in salads, soups and side dishes. Unlike many beautiful beans, Orca beans hold their lovely markings after cooking, making them a lovely addition to your dishes. Our orca beans are grown in Moses Lake, Washington, exclusively for Bob’s Red Mill.

If you like to purchase some they are now 25% off on their site.

I like using spices with most of my soup recipes. This is what gives them distinctive flavors. I used cumin for my recipe but If you don’t like it you can use any other type of spice of your choice. Basil, oregano and garlic powder will work really good as well. I also like to use tomato paste because it gives my soups a thicker consistency and body.

I hope you like this slow cooker orca bean soup. I have some leftover in the freezer right now which I will keep for my busy days ahead and have when ever I need something comforting, and healthy.

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by Bob’s Red Mill. This post contains affiliate links. All opinions are my own and I speak from personal experience. The end :-)

Slow cooker orca bean soup

Miryam's original recipe

Yield: 8 servings

Total Time: 4 hours

Ingredients:

• 1 lb dried Bob's Red Mill Orca beans, soaked overnight
• 8 oz organic frozen corn
• 6 oz tomato paste
• 12 oz fresh kale
• 48 fl oz vegetable stock or water (1.5 liters)
• 1 tsp Himalayan salt
• 2 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp pepper

 

Directions:

Add all the ingredients, except the corn and kale into the slow cooker and cook for 3 30 minutes on high or until beans are almost tender. At this time add the kale and corn and cook on high for another 30 minutes. If you like the soup to be more liquid like you may add more water or vegetable stock if you like.

Keep soup warm or serve immediately. You can add some grated cheese over each serving if you like. You can also freeze leftovers covered on glass hermetic containers for up 3 months.

The post Slow cooker orca bean soup appeared first on Eat Good 4 Life.

I have just came up with this recipe and I think the magic ingredients was the pesto and kale. I love kale and since I figured this recipe would be a bit bland I decided to add some pesto sauce.

I have made a little bit more of this vegetable tortellini soup than I needed to so that I could freeze a big portion of it for the upcoming busy days. Since I started school a couple of weeks ago I tend to cook 2-3 meals on Sunday and make extra for during the week. This way is much easier to still eat healthy and feeling meals during the week!

Has any of you made tortellini soup before? I was surprise to learn how much my kids like tortellini and after finding out I wanted to make different types of recipes using this ingredient. My kids for sure loved it so I am sure they will be happy to know that I made extra for the upcoming week!

I love soups and since they are so easy to put together I rely on them all during the fall and winter.

Ever since I bought my 6 qt dutch oven I always make all of my soups on this pot. I remember one time when I went to the Lodge outlet and found the same exact piece I got from Amazon doubled the price. It really didn’t make any since since I was at the outlet store but either way I was happy that mine cost $59 instead of almost $100 at the store. For sure I felt good about my purchase!

If you like tortellini this vegetable tortellini soup recipe would be a great one to add to your collection. So easy, filling and healthy.

Enjoy!

Vegetable tortellini soup

Miryam's original recipe

Yield: 8 servings

Total Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 4 carrots, sliced
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 tbsp pesto sauce
• 16 oz of vegetable tortellini
• 2.5 qt vegetable stock
• 1 tsp Himalayan salt
• 10 oz fresh mushrooms
• 2-3 cups fresh kale

Directions:

In a 6 qt dutch oven, over medium to high heat, add the olive oil, garlic and carrots. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the pesto sauce and salt and stir followed by the vegetable stock. Bring the mixture to a boil and add the tortellini. Cook for 3-5 minutes and add the mushrooms.

Cook the soup until the tortellini is fully cooked, an extra 3-5 minutes. Turn the heat off and add the kale. Cover the pot and let it sit for 5 minutes until the kale wilts.

The soup may look like it has a lot of liquid but the tortellini will absorb more of the liquid as the soup sits.

The post Vegetable tortellini soup appeared first on Eat Good 4 Life.

I am lucky enough that I have an Asian market 10 minutes from where I live. Getting the Thai pastes and curries allows me to make all of the different types of Thai dishes. This Thai noodle soup is an example.

While I used different vegetables for this Thai noodle soup you can also use which ever you like best. I used mushrooms, onions and carrots but since this soup is very versatile you can use whatever.

I added noodles to make it more dense and filling. If you like to make it gluten free you can add gluten free noodles as well.

For this Thai noodle soup version I mixed red thai curry paste with tom yum paste. I love them both. You may see tom yum paste used right by itself when making Thai soups but for me mixing them both are much better.

When using lemon grass, make sure you get the meaty part that is in the center. You will have to discard the outside of it. It has taken me quite a bit of time to lean this and sometimes I have cooked with it without knowing eating the hard part and chewing what I should have discarded.

If you can’t find lemon grass you may use lime zest instead. It is not quite the same but at least it will give you some extra lime/lemon flavor.

I hope you like this soup. I have been making a few soup recipes lately and freezing half of it. It is really convenient to freeze and have for future consumption so whenever I make soups I make it an effort to do this.

I hope you like this recipe. If you get to try it let me know.

Enjoy!

Thai noodle soup

Miryam's original recipe

Yield: 4 servings

Total Time: 20-30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 10 oz egg noodles
• 2 quarts water
• 3 stalk lemon grass, chopped edible part, you can use lime zest
• 2 tbs fish sauce
• 10 oz sliced mushrooms
• 1 cup shredded carrots
• 6 green onions, chopped
• 1 cup fresh cilantro
• 2 tsp celtic salt
• 1 tbsp red thai curry paste
• 3 tbsp tom yum paste
• 3 limes, juice

Directions:

In a large 5qt dutch oven add the water, lemon grass, and fish sauce. Bring to a boil. Add the veggies, pastes, salt and noodles and cook for 8-10 minutes or until noodles are cooked through. Add the green onions, lime juice and cilantro. Mix through and cook for another minute or so. Taste the soup and adjust seasonings.

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