No Added Sugars Vegetarian Lunch Ideas: Homemade Tangy Cream of Broccoli Soup, Cheese and Crackers, and Fruit

Homemade Tangy Cream of Broccoli Soup, Nairn's Gluten-Free, Added-Sugar-Free Oatcakes with Cilantro Hummus and Cheddar Cheese, Apple and Pear - a Vegetarian, Added Sugar Free Lunch

This lunch was so tasty and nutritious, I just had to "blog my lunch."

Nairn's Oatcakes for Gluten-Free or Added-Sugar-Free Crackers

If you eat gluten-free or you are going without added sugars, I recommend Nairn's oatcakes. They aren't full of flavor, but take well to any flavor you add. They're filling and the crunchy, sturdy, heavy mouth-feel is good if you're missing out on bread or other carbs with added sugar and gluten. Here, I spread cilantro jalapeno hummus spread with slices of cheddar. But they're also good with all-natural peanut butter and Crofter's Just Fruit SuperFruit Spread.

Homemade Tangy Cream of Broccoli Soup Recipe

1 tbs coconut oil and butter or 2 tbs of either
1/2 c chopped onion
1/2 c finely chopped carrots
2-3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 bag of frozen broccoli, slight thawed and well chopped
2 tsp Bragg's liquid aminos
2 1/2 c stock or water with bullion
1/4 tsp red pepper
1/2 tsp paprika
1 tsp coriander powder
2 sprigs fresh thyme
salt and pepper to taste

1 c plain yogurt
1/4 c chopped bleu cheese
2 tbs chopped fresh parsley

In a large cooking pot, melt the coconut oil/ butter then heat the garlic, carrots, and onion over medium high heat and season, stirring occasionally until carrots are tender. Add the broccoli, Bragg's, spices and 1/4 c of stock. Stir all together until well incorporated, season again (careful on salt as Bragg's has good amount of salty flavoring). Pour in the rest of stock and add the sprigs of thyme. Stir well and bring to a boil then simmer until broccoli stem bits are fork tender. Remove from heat. Remove thyme sprigs from pot. Scoop 2 ladle-fulls from pot into blender to puree (or bowl to puree with hand mixer). Let sit for about 15 minutes to cool. Return puree to bowl, stir to incorporate. Add yogurt, cheese, and parsley and stir well. Season to taste. Soup should still be hot but if it is too cool, reheat for a bit over lowest heat to warm up. Serve and enjoy!