Simple Carrot Soup

Today my daughter wanted to make carrot soup because of a picture book we read. The recipe in the book called for lots of butter, which I can't eat anymore. So we invented this instead. It was delicious! 

Ingredients: 

16 oz shredded carrots
3 cups water
1 stalk celery, sliced 
1 small onion, chopped 
1 teaspoon dry dill
Bay leaf 
Salt and pepper to taste 
1/2 cup of plain non-fat yogurt

Instructions: 

1.) Saute the onion and celery for 5 minutes in some water. 

2.) Add the rest of the water, carrots, and spices, and simmer for 15 minutes. 

3.) Take out the bay leaf and puree in the blender or with a hand blender. 

4.) Stir in the yogurt and serve. 

Potato Kale Soup

My five year old liked this so much I had to make it again the next day. 

Ingredients: 
4 cups water 
Five medium potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 cup chopped kale
3 drops liquid smoke
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 package instant miso soup
1/4 cup walnuts
1/2 cup nonfat plain yogurt
Salt and pepper 

1.) Boil the potatoes and kale in the water for 10 minutes. 

2.) Add the liquid smoke, soy sauce, miso soup, walnuts, and blend either in a blender or with a hand blender. 

3.) Stir in the yogurt. Salt and pepper to taste.

Serving suggestion: Garnish with an additional dollop of plain yogurt. 

Creamy Green Gazpacho

2 pints of tomatillos
2 avocados
1 cucumber with just the ends chopped off
1 green bell pepper
1 small yellow onion
4 cloves of garlic
1/2 cup fresh mint leaves
1/2 cup fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons lime juice
1/2 teaspoon salt

Blend it all together in either a blender or food processor (I had to do it in 2 batches) then put in the fridge to chill for at least an hour.

This gazpacho is smooth and very refreshing.