soup

Sweet Corn & Veggie Soup

What started as an attempt at chicken soup, soon turned into vegetable soup, which naturally took another turn and became (one of) the best mistakes I've ever made... 

Sweet Corn & Vegetable Soup!! 

But really. This soup combines the best flavors of a winter veggie soup with the natural sweet flavor from corn. Per usual, this soup IS NOT difficult to make. It takes a total of approximately 30 minutes, most of which does not require you to stand in the kitchen. Here's how to make it: 

Ingredients (serves 3):

  • 4 large carrots, chopped
  • 3 long celery stalks, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 parsnips, chopped
  • 1/3 cup yellow onions, chopped
  • 1 can yellow corn kernels, in water
  • 1 quart low sodium vegetable stock
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon turmeric

Directions:

  1. In a large pot, combine all vegetables except for corn, and turn heat to medium-high. Add a bit of vegetable stock to prevent veggies from sticking to bottom of pot. Place lid on pot and heat for about 5-8 minutes.
  2. Add the rest of the vegetable stock, remove the lid, and continue to cook on medium heat for another 20 minutes. Mix vegetables occasionally. 
  3. Add can of corn and allow some of the water from the can into the soup. Add pepper and turmeric, and allow to cook for another 5 minutes. Enjoy!

Post for Zola: Healthy Zoodle Recipes for your Spiralizer

In case you haven't heard, Zola is an innovative wedding registry site that is transforming how couples and guests share, buy and ship wedding gifts. This week we collaborated with the Zola team to provide some healthy zoodle recipes for their blog readers who need some inspiration for how to put their new spiralizer to use. 

Read our fave zoodle recipes below!

Green Goddess Zoodles

This recipe is a Tovita favorite. It’s a new way to get your greens on when you just can’t eat another salad. The edamame adds a plant-based source of protein to help keep you satiated, along with the high fiber content with the mix of veggies. The almonds also have a bit of protein and add a nice crunch factor. If this recipe looks a little overwhelming, you can take the shortcut and buy store-made pesto, we promise we won’t tell!

kale zoodles

Ingredients:
For Kale Pesto:

  • 10 kale leaves, stems removed
  • 1 tablespoon pine nuts
  • ½ clove garlic, chopped
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese

You will also need:

  • Large bowl of water
  • Ice cubes

For Zoodles (serves ~3)

  • 4 zucchini
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • ½ teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 cup shelled frozen edamame
  • 1 cup broccoli florets (fresh or frozen)
  • 1 cup kale leaves
  • ½ cup sliced almonds

Directions:
For Kale pesto:

  • Fill a large bowl with ice and water
  • Wash the kale and remove the ribs.
  • Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
  • Blanch the kale for about 3 minutes, remove and place in the ice bath to stop the cooking process.
  • Drain, place the leaves on paper towels and blot away the moisture.
  • In the bowl of a food processor, put the kale, garlic, pine nuts, parmesan
  • and pulse until coarsely chopped.
  • Add the extra virgin olive oil and continue to pulse until the kale pesto reaches the desired consistency.

For Zoodles:

  • Defrost the edamame and broccoli
  • Wash the zucchini and spiralize into noodles.
  • Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
  • Add the garlic and chili powder
  • Add the zoodles, broccoli and kale and saute for 2 minutes or until tender
  • Add the the edamame, season with salt and pepper and saute for another 1 or 2 minutes.
  • Remove from heat, toss the zucchini noodles in the pesto until it’s evenly coated
  • Top with almonds and enjoy!

Chicken Zoodle Soup

As sweater and soup season approaches, we want to give you an easy and healthy way to warm up. Take it from us, bringing a loved one a cup of chicken zoodle soup will win you major brownie points, especially with our gluten-free friends. Replacing noodles with zoodles slashes the carbs and calories of your traditional childhood favorite. This dish will warm your soul while watching your waistline.

chicken zoodle soup

Ingredients (serves ~4):

  • 6 cups chicken broth or stock
  • 2 medium onions, diced
  • 1 cup of baby carrots, sliced into ~1/2-inch pieces
  • 1 cup celery, sliced into ½ inch pieces
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • Dash of salt and pepper (to your liking)
  • ½ cup of chopped parsley
  • 2 Chicken breasts, cooked and shredded (~3 oz per serving)
  • 4 medium zucchini

Directions:

  • Heat chicken stock over medium heat with onions, carrots, celery, and garlic for about 30 minutes, or until the veggies are tender.
  • Season soup with salt and pepper and parsley.
  • Run the zucchini through the spiralizer to make “noodles.” Chop them in half to make them more manageable
  • Add chicken and zucchini to the broth and heat through.