Going Green: Mostly Pureed

It's another installment of our recent favorite vegetable recipes. This post's winners: Roasted Asparagus Soup, Carrot Soup, Summer Squash Soup, and Fried Teriyaki Tofu.

Roasted Asparagus Soup: 1 head of garlic, 1/2 an onion, 1 celery stick, 1 carrot stick, 1 bunch of asparagus, 1 and 1/2 cups chicken broth, 3 Tbsp Olive oil, and a little butter and salt.

We took one bunch of asparagus and chopped the bottoms off of each stalk. We chopped the stalks into 4 pieces, and chopped one carrot stick. After dousing the asparagus and carrot in olive oil and salt, we roasted them in the oven for about 10 minutes at 350 degrees F. We stirred them half way through roasting. While that simmered in the oven, we chopped the garlic, onion, and one celery stick, and sauteed it in a little butter until soft. We added the roasted ingredients to the pan with 1 cup stock and simmered it for 5-ish minutes. We then combined all of the ingredients, plus another half cup of chicken stock, into the blender and pureed it until it was really smooth. We set aside of few of the asparagus tips to garnish our soup. 

It's way yummy. We licked our bowls clean....

Carrot Soup: 4-5 carrot sticks, 2-3 celery sticks, 1 onion, 1 head of garlic, 2 red potatoes, 2 cups of chicken broth, 2-3 Tbsp oil of your choice, and salt to taste.

We chopped all of the ingredients and sauteed them in the oil and a little salt for about 5 minutes. Then we added the broth, brought it to a boil, covered the dish, reduced the heat, and let everything simmer for 20 minutes. We let the concoction cool, and then pureed it in a blender until smooth.

The Best dish by Far?
Summer Squash Soup: 1 Summer Squash, 1-2 carrot sticks, 1 celery stick, 1 onion, 1 head of garlic, 1 and 1/2 cups of chicken broth and 3 Tbsp oil of your choice.

  We minced the garlic and chopped the onion and celery. These ingredients were sauteed in about 3 Tbsp of olive oil for 2-3 minutes. We peeled the summer squash and carrot sticks, chopped them, and added them to the pan. We then added the broth, brought the pan to a boil, and then reduced the heat, covered the pan, and cooked the veggies for about 20 minutes. Once the veggies were cool, we pureed all of the ingredients in a blender until smooth. This dish was surprisingly very flavorful. We did not need any seasonings. And yes, we definitely licked our bowls very clean. We added dashes of nutmeg to the soup before consuming it.

Time for an old family favorite from the wife's side.
Fried Teriyaki Tofu: One block of Firm Tofu, 3 Tbsp or more of olive oil, 1/2 cup or more of your favorite brand of Teriyaki sauce (mine is Very Very Teriyaki Island style), Basil to taste, Onion (either 1/2 of an onion or about 1 Tbsp of onion powder), and 1/2 a head of garlic.

I mince the garlic and onion (when not using powder) and saute it in the oil. I chop the tofu block and add it to the pan, along with the ground basil. I fry the tofu until it begins to get golden brown spots. Then I add the teriyaki sauce. I continue to cook the tofu until it looks golden brown all over.
Tofu is an acquired taste. I grew up with it. But I just thought I'd share this recipe for those who would like to try it. It's an excellent source of protein.