Soups Archives - Page 3 of 7 - The Nourishing Home

Creamy Pumpkin Soup with Crispy Bacon Bits (dairy-free)

Warm . Savory . Delicious!

A big bowl of creamy, hearty soup on a cool autumn evening is such a comforting and satisfying meal. That’s why this time of year, I love to create delicious new soup and stew recipes and include them in my weekly meal plans.

I’ve always loved the idea of pumpkin soup, but to be honest I haven’t really enjoyed the recipes I’ve tried that call for pumpkin pie type spices in the soup. Maybe it’s just me, but when I sit down to a warm bowl of soup, I really want something S A V O R Y! … Mmm!

So I set out to create a creamy pumpkin soup that combines the subtle sweetness of this classic fall favorite with the savory bold flavors of bacon, onion, sage and thyme with just a hint of spicy ginger.

I cannot even begin to describe to you how incredibly wonderful this soup is … suffice it to say, “This soup is SOOOOOOO… GOOD!

Plus, it’s so easy to make! And, it’s dairy-free, which you simply will not believe because it’s so creamy and rich! It truly is savory, satisfying and delicious! Enjoy!

P.S. The lovely fall-inspired napkins featured in these photos are courtesy of my friends at Hen House Linens. I just adore their beautiful table linens, and even more so, their mission to make mealtimes special by adding a touch of warmth and beauty to the table.

Creamy Pumpkin Soup with Crispy Bacon Bits

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

2 tbsp ghee (or butter)
4 slices bacon, diced (see tip below)
1/2 cup fine diced sweet onion
1 1/2 cups homemade chicken stock
3 1/2 cups homemade pumpkin puree (or two 15oz. cans)
2 14 oz cans pure coconut milk
1 tbsp minced fresh sage, plus extra for topping soup
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 1/2 tsp sea salt

Instructions

In a large stockpot (or dutch oven) over medium-high heat, add the ghee and bacon pieces. Sauté until bacon is crispy. Use a slotted spoon to remove the bacon bits; place on a paper towel and set aside.
Reduce heat to medium, add the fine diced onion to the stockpot and sauté until translucent and golden in color. Then add the chicken stock, pumpkin, coconut milk (make sure to reserve 1/4 cup to create decorative pattern, if desired), sage, ginger, thyme and salt.
Bring soup to a gentle simmer, cook uncovered for 15 minutes. Use immersion blender to blend the onion into the soup. Or use a blender and transfer the soup in batches until well blended.
Ladle soup into bowls and drizzle top with the reserved coconut milk, if desired. Then top with crispy bacon bits, and minced fresh sage. YUM!

Notes

Tip: Using kitchen shears is an easy way to cut bacon slices into bite-size pieces.

Recipe Variation: Substitute the pumpkin puree with butternut squash puree for an equally delicious Creamy Butternut Squash Soup! YUM!

https://thenourishinghome.com/2014/10/creamy-pumpkin-soup-crispy-bacon-bits/

Looking for more delicious pumpkin recipes? Be sure to check out my “35 GF Pumpkin Recipes“ post over at Keeper of the Home.

Disclosure: Some of the links in this post include affiliate links, providing The Nourishing Home a small percentage of the sale at no additional cost to you. Of course, you are not obligated to use these links to make a purchase, but if you do, it helps to support this site and ministry. Thank you!

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Easy Crockpot Black Bean Soup (GF, DF)

By Kelly · 20 Comments

Note from Kelly: I’m so pleased to have my sweet friend Beth joining us today to share her simply delicious recipe for Crockpot Black Bean Soup. Beth is the humorous and talented author of the natural living blog, Red and Honey where she writes about real food recipes, natural living DIYs, alternative health topics, and motherhood. So without further ado, take it away, Beth …

Guest post by Beth at Red and Honey

Black bean soup is the sneakiest meal ever; it’s basically like a ninja. It’s super frugal and ridiculously easy. There’s no main meat feature. There’s not a plethora of fancy ingredients to be deemed gourmet. One might think that it shouldn’t even taste very good with that introduction. But BAM! It’s a party of deliciousness with its warm and smooth black bean taste; notes of bacon, fried onion and peppers; plus sea salt, and my personal favorite – ground cumin! (Pretty much anything Tex-Mex-related is the best, including my family’s all-time favorite Southwest Taco Soup.)

You can top this hearty black bean soup with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkling of chives. Or maybe a little grated sharp cheddar and crumbled organic corn chips? I sometimes serve it over rice, which my kids enjoy. Avocado would be awfully nice, too. Mmmm, now I’m hungry!

I love meals where meat is not the main player because they’re easy on the budget, but to be honest – I’ve tried a lot of frugal recipes that have disappointed me in the taste department. I may be on a tight budget, but I like GOOD FOOD! I don’t believe that you have to sacrifice taste when you’re on a budget. In fact, I believe that plain and simple meals can be amazing. You just have to find the magical combo of ingredients (and maybe add a little bacon) …

Easy Crockpot Black Bean Soup (GF, DF)

6 servings

Ingredients

8 slices nitrate-free bacon
1 cup diced bell pepper (yellow, red, or orange)
1 medium onion, diced
5 cloves fresh garlic, finely chopped
5-6 cans of black beans, drained (or 8-10 cups soaked and cooked black beans)
4 cups homemade chicken broth
3 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons salt

Instructions

Fry bacon in a pan (I love my cast-iron!) Remove cooked bacon and set aside.
Using the bacon grease in the pan, sauté peppers, onions, and garlic until mostly translucent.
Add cumin and salt to the pepper mixture, and stir to combine for about a minute.
Add the pepper mixture and all remaining ingredients to a 6-quart slow cooker set on low heat.
Crumble up the bacon, and add to crockpot as well.
Cook for 6 hours on low (or 4 hours or high).
Use an immersion blender to partially puree the soup, according to your preference. I like mine just shy of all the way blended, but you blend to whatever consistency you prefer.
Serve with your favorite toppings, and enjoy!

Notes

Note from Kelly: We love Beth's delicious black bean soup topped with a huge scoop of my fresh mango-pineapple salsa and a side of grilled shrimp kebobs! It's a real Caribbean delight!

https://thenourishinghome.com/2014/08/easy-crockpot-black-bean-soup-gf-df/

Beth is the creator and editor at Red & Honey, a lifestyle blog for the naturally-minded homemaker. She recently began a passionate love affair with coffee and her life will never be the same. She has had three babies in less than four years, is a professional laundry-avoider, and loves to stay up way too late making weird stuff from scratch that normal people tend to just buy in a store. Hence, the coffee. You can follow Beth at her blog Red and Honey, as well as join the Red and Honey Facebook Community.

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Roasted Chicken Chili (GF, Whole30 option)

By Kelly · 17 Comments

We love us some good chili and this recipe is a tried-n-true favorite! It’s especially great for making use of leftover roasted chicken, or cooked chicken meat from making your own homemade stock. (You can also use leftover roasted turkey as well!)

By the way, if you’re not making homemade stock (i.e. bone broth), can I seriously beg you to give it a try? Please, pretty please! Not only is it far, far superior in taste to any boxed or canned stock on the market, it’s so much more nutritious too!

In fact, homemade bone broth is considered a true super food. The cooking process breaks down bones and connective tissues – including proteins, minerals and fat – that help to heal the body in various ways. One of the greatest benefits is how bone broth promotes digestive health through healing the gut, as well as reducing inflammation and inhibiting infection.

Okay, so back to the recipe … it is SO simple and delicious that I often serve this with a side of Grain-Free Chile-Cheese “Cornbread” as an easy meal for entertaining guests. Cause seriously – who doesn’t love chili? Now, now, don’t comment if you’re a chili-hater, because that will just ruin my delusion that everyone’s a chili fan just like me, right? And likewise for the chili-purists out there, yes, this is more of a chili-style stew, but again, let’s not split hairs, let’s just eat!

So, join the fan club and go make some roasted chicken chili! Trust me, your family will be happy you did.

Roasted Chicken Chili (GF, Whole30 option)

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil
1 large yellow onion, diced
1 medium red onion, diced
1 poblano pepper, seeded and diced
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced
1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced (or 3 medium carrots)
1 tbsp chili powder
2 tsp sea salt
3-4 cloves garlic, smashed and diced
4 cups chicken stock (homemade is best!)
2 (15oz) cans white beans, drained (omit for Whole30, see recipe note below)
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
3 cups shredded roasted chicken (or leftover roasted turkey)

Optional Toppings:

Sliced limes, diced avocado, green onions and fresh cilantro

Instructions

Add olive oil to Dutch oven (or stock pot) over medium heat. Add the onions and peppers, stirring occasionally, until onions are translucent (about 8-10 minutes).
Next, add the diced sweet potatoes (or carrots), seasonings and chopped garlic. Stir well to combine. Cook about about one minute, until garlic is fragrant.
Then add the chicken stock, beans, apple cider vinegar and shredded chicken.
Bring chili to a boil over high heat and then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered for 20-25 minutes, until sweet potatoes (or carrots) reach desired tenderness.
Serve with a side of grain-free chile-cheese "cornbread" and your favorite toppings such as diced avocado, green onions and fresh cilantro. Yum!

Notes

Whole30 Recipe Variation: To make this delicious chili Whole30-friendly, simply omit the white beans and add diced zucchini and/or sweet bell pepper instead! (And of course, you'll have to pass on the "cornbread" at least for now. Enjoy!

https://thenourishinghome.com/2014/03/roasted-chicken-chili-gf/

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