Options galore! Make zucchini soup. Make lentil soup. If you    

want, serve them together in one bowl - as the Yin-Yang Special. 

Bragg Liquid Aminos is a health food soy sauce substitute that’s available at both chains like Whole Foods and small stores. Without the sugar and salt of regular soy sauce, this soybean-only product has a lighter, more nuanced flavor that can jazz any dish. Like many Bragg fans, I don’t view it as an Asian seasoning but as a salt substitute.

As for the weird-looking thing in the foreground, it’s a Cuisinart QuikPrep hand-blender that’s on sale lately for about $30. You’ll need something for pureeing the soups. Anything will do, from an electric blender to an electric or hand mixer. But I like the QuikPrep because it’s lightweight, portable and a breeze to wash. And now, onto the recipes!

Zucchini Soup

Makes 1 quart, or, 4 1-cup servings

Basic Ingredients:

3 whole zucchinis (about 1.5 pounds)

2 cups water or chicken broth

1 tablespoon Bragg (taste soup when cooked and add more, to your taste)

Dash of sea salt (again, add more at the end, to taste)

Directions:

Peel zucchinis and cut into 1/2-inch rounds. 

Add the water or broth.

Bring to a boil and then lower flame to a steady simmer.

Cover with a lid that’s partially ajar so soup won’t boil over.

Cook for 30 minutes or until slices are completely mush.

Remove from stove and puree soup until smooth.

You can treat this soup like a basic canvass and add other ingredients.

For instance, to make it more Italian, try a drizzle of olive oil, with or without a sprinkle of parmesan cheese.

And a few dashes of cumin takes the base in an Indian direction.

Lentil Soup

Makes 1 quarter, or 4, 1-cup servings

Basic Ingredients:

1.5 cups dried lentils, soaked overnight

3 cups water or chicken broth

1.5 tablespoons Bragg (you can add more at the end, to taste)

1 tablespoon olive oil or butter (butter makes for a wonderfully rich flavor)

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar (add more at the end, to taste)

Directions:

Rinse and drain lentil. Put in a pot.

Add the water or broth.

Bring to a boil, then lower the flame to a steady simmer.

Cover with a lid partially ajar and cook for 30 minutes.

Remove from stove and blend soup to desired texture.

This soup also makes for an even stronger canvas. Experiment with adding chopped veggie and meat leftovers. Pasta and rice work well too.

Enjoy! And please let me know how things turn out.

Nourishing soups -- quick, cheap, delish

These recipes are:      

          cheap

      fast & easy

         healthy

      vegetarian

    can be vegan

        low carb

      gluten-free

soup lends itself to the addition of chopped-up leftover veggies, meat or pasta to make a substantial, one-bowl meal. Both recipes can work for vegetarian tastes too. And they both require very few ingredients.

I also like these soups because of what I learned in my years of studying Chinese herbal medicine. Zucchinis, according to the traditional masters,  are great for the blood. Meanwhile lentils are good for the lung and spleen, helps the body with respiratory disorders and constipation, and gets rid of mucous. To reap their full nutritional value, I soak the beans overnight; that way, they cook up really fast too.

The zucchini soup, which is basically just stock or water plus a touch of  seasoning, purees into a rich, velvety soup that doesn’t contain a drop of cream or carb-laden thickener. The lentils make for a heavier, heartier puree. I usually blend the beans just enough to create a creamy base for all those inviting flecks of lentils. But a totally smooth blend has a foamy elegance.

And here’s a party trick: hold a container of each soup in each hand. Then very gently and slowly, pour them into opposite sides of a serving bowl, preferably one that’s rather shallow. The result is the yin-yang effect in our featured photo. Your guests will enjoy mixing the two soups together. And yes, the combo tastes great!

Before we get to the recipes, I’d like to introduce two of my kitchen essentials in this next photo...

Recipe Scorecard

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