Easy Creamy Carrot Tomato Soup

Today was cold (by Southern California standards). And I had about 20 minutes to prep dinner before taking the kids to TaeKwonDo. And it's Meatless Monday. And I haven't gone grocery shopping in a while. Instant Pot to the rescue!

Easy Creamy Carrot Tomato Soup


Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 4 carrots, cut into quarters
• 2 (15oz) cans of diced tomatoes
• 2 cans vegetable broth (or chicken broth)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• a few dashes of worcestershire sauce
• a generous sprinkle of dried basil
• 1 (15oz) can of light coconut milk
• more salt and pepper to taste
• stuff to garnish

Directions:

• Set the Instant Pot to sauté. When hot, add coconut oil and onion. Cook, stirring frequently until translucent. Then add the garlic and stir for 30 seconds until fragrant.
• Add carrots, tomatoes, broth, salt, basil and worcestershire sauce. Close lid and turn vent knob to "Sealing." Set on Manual for 15 minutes, at least 10 minutes Natural Pressure Release.
• After 10 minutes of NPR, release the rest of the pressure and open the lid. Stir in the coconut milk, and add more salt as needed.
• Blitz with an immersion blender until smooth.
• Ladle into bowls and add black pepper as well as any other garnishes you'd like (shredded cheese, avocado, pumpkin seeds, croutons, sour cream, etc.).  Serve with crusty bread.

If you don't have an Instant Pot, you can simmer the soup, covered, on the stove top until the carrots are soft, about 25-30 minutes.

Dill Gazpacho with Grilled Mahi Mahi and Shrimp

It's been HOT all week so far.  Highs in the mid-80s.  I'm glad it's not snow, but I'd love it to cool down a little bit.  My ideal is high-60s to low-70s.  I think that's in the forecast for this weekend, so yay!

Last night I made a hot soup (Lentil and White Bean Soup with Arugula) for dinner and we were all sweating bullets.  DUH.  So tonight we're having cold soup.

I don't think dill is typical of gazpacho, is it?  All the gazpacho I've had to date have typically been with parsley or basil.  Or herbless.  But I love love love how dill complements seafood, so that's what I used here.

Dill Gazpacho with Grilled Mahi Mahi and Shrimp


Ingredients:

• 2 cups canned crushed tomatoes
• 2 cups tomato juice
• 2 persian cucumbers, chopped and divided
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/4 onion, chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh dill
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 pound grilled mahi mahi, cubed
• 1/2 pound grilled shrimp

 Garnish:

• diced avocado
• roasted and salted pepitas 
• chopped fresh dill 
• extra virgin olive oil
• Tabasco sauce

Directions:

• In a blender, pulse the crushed tomatoes, tomato juice, half the cucumbers, garlic, onion, dill, red wine vinegar, and salt and pepper until almost smooth.  Or chunky.  Or however you like it.  I added about 1 teaspoon of Pink Himalayan Salt, but how much you add will depend on how sweet/tart your tomatoes are, what type of salt you use, and your taste preference.
• Add in the other half of the chopped cucumbers and buzz for another split-second (the newly-added cukes should still be slightly chunky).
• Pour into a lidded container and refrigerate to chill for at least a couple of hours.
• When ready to serve, ladle cold soup into 4 bowls and add in some warm grilled mahi mahi and shrimp.  I like the warmth of the fish and shrimp in contrast with the cold soup, but you can certainly use cold fish and shrimp.  Top with diced avocado, pepitas, fresh dill and a drizzle of olive oil.  Add a dash of Tabasco if you're feeling frisky.

I like to use persian cucumbers because they're firmer than regular or hothouse cukes, and this gives the soup a little more texture.

I chose to add pepitas because I'm gluten-free.  Otherwise you could certainly add croutons.  :-)

Tomato and Roasted Red Pepper Soup

Sprouts has beautiful vine-ripened tomatoes on sale.  And I have a ton of roasted red peppers from their sale a couple weeks ago.  Pair that with some fresh homemade bread and you've got a yummy Meatless Monday meal.

Tomato and Roasted Red Pepper Soup

Ingredients:

• 4 large tomatoes
• 2 red peppers, roasted, seeded and peeled
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• salt & pepper
• 1 can evaporated nonfat milk

Directions:

• In a large pot, bring some water to a boil.  Put the whole tomatoes in and boil for a few minutes.  Transfer the tomatoes to an ice bath.  This will help you to peel them.  Peel and chop the tomatoes, remove seeds.
• Place the chopped tomatoes into a clean pot.  Add the roasted red peppers, onion, water, dried basil and some salt to taste.  Bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer.  Cook for about 20 minutes until the tomatoes are tender/soft.  (Cook longer if you want a really smooth soup.  I like mine with texture so the tomatoes are soft but do not disintegrate.)  Puree with a stick blender.
• Add the evaporated nonfat milk and continue to simmer until the soup is heated through again.  Add salt and pepper to taste.