Baked Potato Soup

Today is Saturday, which of course means that I ran a lot. 12 miles to be exact. And it always seems that in those last few miles my mind and conversation drift to two things: 1. I am ready to be done running, and 2. Food. Today's food conversation turned to baked potatoes. I always said that if there was ever a food that I could eat every day for the rest of my life, it would definitely be a baked potato. Potatoes in the last decade definitely have been given a bad wrap. Deep fried they are horrible for you, but in their beautiful baked state they can offer up to 18% of your daily value of potassium. So the dish du jour is Baked Potato Soup, loosely based on a recipe from Cooking Light Magazine.






Baked Potato Soup
2 1/2 pounds of baking potatoes
2 Tbs Earth Balance

2/3 cup whole wheat pastry flour
3 cups unsweetened almond milk
3 cups veggie broth
1/2 cup of cooked pureed cauliflower
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 c of Nutritional Yeast
1 1/2 cups of cooked broccoli
10 slices tempeh bacon, cooked and crumbled

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400°.
Pierce potatoes with a fork; bake at 400° for 1 hour or until tender. Cool. Peel potatoes; coarsely mash. Discard skins.
Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Melt butter in a large pot. Add flour, whisking to combine with the butter. Gradually add milk and veggie broth, stirring with a whisk until blended. Cook over medium heat until thick and bubbly (about 8 minutes). Add potatoes and pureed cauliflower. Transfer 1/3 of the mix to a blender and blend until creamy (this step is optional, but it will give you a creamier soup). Transfer back to your pot and add salt, pepper, and paprika. Remove from heat.
Stir in nutritional yeast and 1/2 cup onions. Cook over low heat 10 minutes or until thoroughly heated (do not boil). Add additional salt and pepper to taste.  Sprinkle each serving with onions and veggie bacon.
For added nutritional boost, pour soup over steamed broccoli for a potato/broccoli soup that's out of this world. I know two broccoli recipes in a row? What can I say? Organic broccoli was on sale for 99 cents a pound :)

Tempeh Bacon, aka "Facon" as seen in Vegetarian Times

Makes 24 slices

• 1 8-oz. pkg. tempeh, sliced into 24 very thin slices
• 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
• 2 Tbs. apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp. light brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp. ancho chile powder
• 2 tsp. liquid smoke, optional (but highly recommended)
• 1 Tbs. canola oil
• Smoked paprika, optional

Directions

1. Lay tempeh slices in 2 13- x 9-inch baking dishes. Bring soy sauce, vinegar, brown sugar, cumin, ancho chile powder, and ½ cup water to a boil in small saucepan. Boil 1 minute, then remove from heat, and stir in liquid smoke, if using. Pour over tempeh slices. Let cool, then cover and chill 2 hours, or overnight.
2. Preheat oven to 450°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Carefully transfer tempeh slices to prepared baking sheet, and discard marinade.
3. Brush slices with canola oil, and sprinkle with paprika, if desired. Bake 10 to 15 minutes, or until beginning to brown. Flip tempeh slices, brush with oil, and bake 5 to 7 minutes more, or until crisp and dark brown.
 



Nutrient Round up:
Potato: a good source of Vitamin C, Vitamin B6, Potassium and Manganese.
Tempeh: a good source of Protein, Riboflavin, Magnesium, Phosphorus and Copper, and a very good source of Manganese.

Cauliflower: a good source of Protein, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Phosphorus and Potassium, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Vitamin B6, Folate, Pantothenic Acid and Manganese.

Broccoli: a good source of Protein, Thiamin, Pantothenic Acid, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium and Phosphorus, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin E (Alpha Tocopherol), Vitamin K, Riboflavin, Vitamin B6, Folate, Potassium and Manganese.

Now go enjoy your soup knowing that you are enjoying all of the taste of a baked potato with none of the guilt!