Chef Doug’s Soups
Six Soups
Warm, plant-based soups for the cooler months, each paired with a Shy to Shine value. Make a pot together, fill the house with something good, and tap a card to jump straight to a recipe.
- Recipe 01 Tomato and Sweet Potato Bisque I Choose Kindness
- Recipe 02 Red Beet and Quinoa Borscht I Am Brave
- Recipe 03 Cheesy Broccoli Quinoa Soup I Grow Strong
- Recipe 04 Avgolemono Soup Let's Begin to Breathe
- Recipe 05 Tom Yum Soup I Can Try New Things
- Recipe 06 Miso Soup with Arame and Mixed Vegetables I Choose Calm
This week’s value: I Choose Kindness
Tomato and Sweet Potato Bisque
A classic tomato soup, made smooth and creamy with sweet potato.
“Kindness makes the world a more beautiful place.”
Tomato soup is a hug in a bowl, and this one hides a secret: sweet potatoes, which make it silky without any cream. It's the soup you bring to a neighbor, a grandparent, a friend who needs cheering up. Make a big pot with your child this week and ask who you might share a jar with. Kindness tastes even better when it's warm.
Makes about 6 cups (1.5 L) · Immersion blender · Blender
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp neutral oil, such as sunflower
- 1/2 cup chopped carrot
- 1 cup thinly sliced onion
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
- 4 to 6 cloves garlic, minced (see tip, below)
- 2 cups chopped peeled sweet potatoes
- 2 cans (each 28 oz/796 mL) diced tomatoes, with juice
- 1 cup water
- 1-1/2 tbsp wheat-free tamari
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Method
- In a large pot over medium heat, heat oil. Add carrot, onion and salt; cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables are softened, 6 to 7 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until fragrant. Add sweet potatoes, tomatoes, water, tamari and vinegar; stir to combine. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, stirring frequently, until sweet potatoes are tender, about 25 minutes.
- Using immersion blender, add olive oil in a slow, steady stream, blending soup until oil is emulsified (you shouldn't see any floating on top).
- Fill blender halfway with soup. Blend at high speed until smooth and creamy. Transfer puréed soup to a clean pot. Repeat with remaining soup. Place pot over medium heat and bring soup to a simmer. Serve immediately or let cool, transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 1 week.
Chef’s little tip
To mince garlic: Place a whole clove on a cutting board. Using the butt end of a chef's knife, press firmly but gently on the clove to loosen the skin. Using your index finger and thumb, gently squeeze clove out of skin. Chop coarsely, then sprinkle with a bit of sea salt. Using the butt end of the knife, rub garlic into board (the salt will act as an abrasive and help to mince the garlic). Chop until fine.
This week’s value: I Am Brave
Red Beet and Quinoa Borscht
The brightest, boldest bowl of the season.
“It's brave to try. You are stronger than you think.”
Few foods are as dramatic as a beet — that deep magenta that stains everything it touches. For a hesitant eater, a bowl this red can look like a dare. That's the fun of it. Let your child stir the pot and watch it change color, then swirl in a spoon of cashew sour cream and a little dill on top. One brave spoonful is all it takes.
Makes about 2L
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp neutral oil, such as sunflower or grape seed
- 1/2 cup finely diced white onion
- 1/2 cup finely diced celery
- 1/2 cup finely diced carrot
- 4 to 5 minced garlic cloves
- 1 to 2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves, divided
- 1/2 cup diced tomato
- 1 cup peeled medium dice sweet potato
- 2 cups peeled medium dice beets
- 1/2 cup quinoa
- 3L water
- 1/4 cup wheat free tamari
- 3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Method
- In a medium pot, heat grape seed oil on medium heat. Add onion, celery and carrot and sweat for 5 to 7 minutes stirring with a wooden spoon. Add minced garlic and 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves and continue to cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until fragrant.
- Add tomato, sweet potatoes, beets and quinoa and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes stirring frequently.
- Add 8 cups water, tamari and 1 tbsp of balsamic vinegar, bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer, cook on medium heat for about 15 to 20 minutes.
- Remove from heat and add remaining 1 tbsp thyme and taste for seasoning. Add more vinegar and tamari if necessary.
- Serve immediately, garnish with cashew sour cream and fresh dill weed, or, allow to cool and store refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks.
This week’s value: I Grow Strong
Cheesy Broccoli Quinoa Soup
Green, cozy, and cheesy without any cheese.
“You are growing every day. You are becoming YOU.”
Broccoli is one of those foods kids are told to eat "so you grow big and strong" — so let's make it something they actually want. Blended smooth with nutritional yeast, it turns rich and cheesy, and the quinoa makes it hearty enough for dinner. Let your child pull the florets off the stems like little trees. Every spoonful is helping them grow.
Makes about 2L · Large soup pot · Blender
Ingredients
- 2 to 3 tbsp grape seed oil
- 1 cup finely sliced onion
- 1/2 cup diced carrot
- 1/2 cup diced celery
- 3/4 tsp fine sea salt, divided
- 1/4 cup minced garlic
- 2 to 3 tbsp chopped fresh thyme leaves
- 1 head broccoli, cut into stems and florets (see tip, below)
- 4 to 6 cups water
- 1 cup nutritional yeast, divided
- 1/4 cup quinoa, rinsed
Method
- Heat a pot on medium heat and add grape seed oil, sweat onion, carrot, celery and 1/4 tsp salt until soft, stirring frequently, about 5 to 6 minutes. Add garlic and thyme and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
- Add broccoli, water, remaining 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 cup nutritional yeast, bring to a boil and reduce to simmer, cook until all vegetables are soft, about 15 minutes.
- Using a ladle, fill blender jar half way full. Blend soup until smooth, put back in pot with quinoa, bring to a boil and reduce to simmer, cook for about 10 minutes or until quinoa is soft. Stir in remaining nutritional yeast and serve immediately or allow to cool and store refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.
Chef’s little tip
Discard the bottom two inches of the broccoli stem as it is tough and the fiber does not break down.
This week’s value: Let's Begin to Breathe
Avgolemono Soup
Lemony, bright, and gentle — a Greek classic made creamy with tahini.
“Breathe in… going up. Breathe out… going down.”
Lemon and dill are two of the most calming smells in the kitchen. Before you start, cut a lemon in half and breathe it in together — slowly, in and out. This soup is quiet and simple: soften the vegetables, simmer the quinoa, whisk the lemon and tahini, stir it all together. Serve it with crusty bread on an evening when everyone needs to slow down.
Makes about 8 cups (2 L)
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp grapeseed oil
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 1/2 cup chopped carrot
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- 3 to 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 5 cups water
- 1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained
- 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 tbsp tahini
- 1 tbsp unpasteurized miso (see tip, below)
- 1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh dill
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
Method
- In a large pot over medium heat, heat oil. Add onion, carrot and salt; cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables are softened, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until fragrant. Add water and quinoa and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until quinoa is tender, about 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together lemon juice, tahini and miso until no lumps remain.
- Remove pot from heat and stir in lemon juice mixture, dill and nutritional yeast. Serve immediately or let cool, transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 5 days.
Chef’s little tip
I like to use unpasteurized miso because it is living and contains healthy bacteria; do not boil it or you will kill the bacteria. Choose brown rice or chickpea miso for a gluten-free version (always check the labels, as some brands add barley).
This week’s value: I Can Try New Things
Tom Yum Soup
A creamy coconut soup full of lemongrass, ginger and lime.
“You are stronger than you think!”
Lemongrass, ginger, lime, coconut — for a lot of kids, these will be brand-new smells. Lay them out on the counter and let your child sniff each one before it goes in the pot. Which is their favorite? This soup is a little adventure in a bowl. Keep the chiles mild for small tasters (or leave them out), and let the curious ones try a spicier spoonful from yours.
Makes about 8 cups (2 L)
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp grapeseed oil
- 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
- 1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
- 1/4 cup chopped celery
- 3 tbsp minced peeled gingerroot
- 2 red chiles, chopped (see tip, below)
- 2 cans (14 oz/400 mL) full-fat coconut milk
- 2 cups water
- 1/2 cup chopped lemongrass (see tip, below)
- 3 tbsp wheat-free tamari
- 3 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
- 2 tbsp raw agave nectar
- 1 tsp organic coconut sugar
- Pinch cayenne pepper
- 1 package (12 oz/375 g) firm tofu, cut into small cubes
Method
- In a large pot over medium heat, heat oil. Add onion, red pepper, celery, ginger and chilies. Cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables are softened, 6 to 8 minutes. Add coconut milk, water, lemongrass, tamari, lime juice, agave nectar, coconut sugar and cayenne; stir to combine. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Add tofu and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until heated through. Serve immediately or let cool, transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 1 week.
Chef’s little tip
Typically bird's-eye chiles are used to make this soup, but any red chile peppers will do. If you like it spicier, add more chiles — up to 5 or 6, seeds and ribs included. When chopping lemongrass, remove the outer fibrous layer and discard. Cut away the top of the stalk, leaving only the bottom 3 or so inches. Discard the rest.
This week’s value: I Choose Calm
Miso Soup with Arame and Mixed Vegetables
A warm, simple bowl you build yourself.
“I am calm. I am safe. I am enough.”
There's no stove-top simmering here — just hot water, miso, and a bowl of colorful vegetables waiting to be filled. Let your child build their own bowl: a nest of noodles, a handful of kale, carrots, broccoli. Then pour the warm broth over together and watch the steam rise. Hold the bowl with two hands, breathe in, and take the first sip slowly.
Makes about 4 portions
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup dried arame
- 6 cups hot water, divided (see tip, below)
- 1 cup unpasteurized miso
- 4 cups kelp noodles
- 1-1/2 cups thinly sliced kale
- 1-1/2 cups thinly sliced peeled carrots
- 1-1/2 cups broccoli florets cut in 1-inch pieces
- 1/4 cup thinly sliced scallion, divided
Method
- In a bowl, combine arame and 2 cups hot water. Cover and set aside to soak for 10 minutes. Drain, discarding water. Set aside.
- In a deep mixing bowl, combine miso paste and remaining 4 cups hot water. Whisk until well combined and no lumps of miso remain.
- Divide kelp noodles, kale, carrots and broccoli between four bowls. Pour hot miso broth over vegetables, stir to combine. Sprinkle with scallion and serve immediately.
Chef’s little tip
To heat the water for this recipe, place in a pot or use a kettle. Bring to a rapid boil. Remove from heat and allow to sit for 30 seconds to 1 minute to cool slightly. I like to use aged brown rice miso for this recipe but any type of miso in the same amount will work.
