Who doesn’t love a warm cup of soup during the cold winter months? Here are two of my favorites:

Vegan Cream of Cauliflower Soup (from The Blender Girl)

I have a client who use to HATE vegetables. She hated cooking them, she hated eating them. Her joke was that she left home at 18 and never ate another vegetable. We worked on finding recipes that she would enjoy, and this was one of them. Super easy to make, with only 6 ingredients, and so YUM. Cauliflower is packed full of vitamins, antioxidants, phytonutrients, and is known for its anti-inflammatory effects.

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 2 teaspoons minced garlic (2 cloves)

• 2 cups sliced leeks (white parts only)

• 1 teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste

• 1 large head cauliflower, roughly chopped

• 7 cups vegetable broth

• 1/4 cup raw unsalted cashews (you can also use blanched slivered almonds)

• 3 tablespoons chopped chives, to serve

Instructions:

1. In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat and sauté the garlic, leeks, and 1/4 teaspoon of salt for about 3 minutes, until the vegetables are soft. Add the cauliflower and sauté for another minute.

2. Add the vegetable broth, increase the heat to high, and bring just to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, until the cauliflower is completely tender.

3. Remove the saucepan from the heat and allow the soup to cool slightly; stir in the nuts.

4. Pour the soup into your blender in batches and blast on high for about 1 minute, until smooth and creamy.

5. Return the soup to the saucepan and warm it over low heat. Stir in salt to taste.

6. To serve, ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with either chopped chives or grated nutmeg.

   Curried Red Lentil Soup with Lemon (from Vegetarian Times)

   The name alone makes me hungry! I love a good lentil soup. This is by far my favorite, and is the easiest to make! As you can see, I am all about easy when it comes to the kitchen. With protein packed lentils, a few servings of veggies, and lots of great spice, this makes for a nutrient packed meal.

   Ingredients:

   • 2 cups red lentils, sorted and rinsed

   • 1 qt. low-sodium vegetable broth

   • 1 large onion, finely chopped (2 cups)

   • 4 celery stalks, finely chopped (1 1/2 cups)

   • 2 large carrots, finely chopped (1 1/2 cups)

   • 2 cloves garlic, minced (2 tsp.)

   • 1/4 cup chopped cilantro

   • 1 Tbs. curry powder

   • 1 tsp. ground cumin

   • 2 Tbs. lemon juice

Instructions:

1. Bring lentils, vegetable broth, and 4 cups water to a simmer in large pot. Skim away foam that rises to top. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2. Add onion, celery, carrots, and garlic; simmer, uncovered, 20 minutes. Add cilantro, curry powder, and cumin, and cook 20 minutes more, or until lentils are soft.

3.Season with salt and pepper, if desired, and stir in lemon juice.

*** I like to put at least half of the soup (in batches) in the blender before giving it the final seasoning. If you like a slightly creamier texture, I recommend giving it a try!

Enjoy!