Avocado Panini & Easy Tomato Soup

It's Wednesday, my dudes! Hope you've had a great week so far. Remember on Monday when I said I had late spring allergies? HA. Turns out it was the flu.

So, my apologies for not posting yesterday! For one, I have not been up to cooking much lately (I'll share what awesome plant-based foods I've been surviving this flu with, though!), and for another, I have about enough energy to

1. Manage my symptoms
2. Watch How I Met Your Mother

. . . and that's about it.

I'm feeling better today, though, and would love to share a comforting and super easy Tomato Soup & Avocado Panini recipe with you.

I promise I'll get back to my kitchen tips tomorrow, but since I got struck by the flu, I see no better opportunity than today to share some plant-based tips for colds and sickness.

This flu has come in stages for me. It started with a sore throat, shifted to sinus pressure and headache, then continued on to coughs and nausea. So basically everything. With that being said, I have thrived off of:

1. Soup
2. Smoothies
3. Oatmeal
4. Mild stir-fry
5. Dairy-free ice cream

Soup

As you'll see today, if you feel well enough to cook, slow cooker soups are very easy and doable. However, I found some amazing, low-sodium, organic, and vegan soups at the store that have been my heroes. They've varied from veggie soup, to lentil soup, to my most recent No Chicken Noodle soup by Amy's Soups (made with tofu). I would 10/10 recommend stocking up on soups like this. They are easy on the stomach and throat.

Smoothies

I cannot speak highly enough about smoothies. I will dedicate a whole post to making my favorites smoothies later on in the blog! They are also easy on the throat and a great way to make sure you're getting the essential vitamins to fight off a cold or flu, such as vitamin C (found in every fruit, especially strawberries), vitamin D (fortified into almond milk), and magnesium (found in many smoothie additions, such as avocado, banana, spinach, almonds, and dark chocolate). 

Oatmeal

Again, easy on the throat and stomach. During this flu, if my stomach is uneasy in the morning, some plain oatmeal with unsweetened almond milk settles it. Much like smoothies, oatmeal is a great way to get your vitamins as you can add things like fruit and almonds to the top.

Mild stir-fry

Can't forget to get your vegetables! A mild stir fry is, can you guess? easy on the throat and stomach, and another great way to get vitamins. Chinese takeout was a dear friend in this time :)

Dairy-free ice cream 

We've already discussed some reasons I believe dairy is unethical, but that aside, dairy on a congested throat and upset stomach just doesn't sound good. For one, it makes phlegm thicker, and 65 percent of the human population has a lactose intolerance. I've found since virtually cutting all dairy, I have way less digestive issues. 

Nonetheless, who doesn't want ice cream when they're sick?? This time around, I tried Ben & Jerry's new dairy-free ice cream, and, let me just tell you, it is incredible. The two flavors I've had this past week are cookie cough, and cookies n' cream with peanut butter. I cannot tell you how happy the existence of this ice cream makes me. Even if you're not sick, give it a try! As a loyal ice cream eater most of my life, after a couple bites, you can't tell any difference!!

Now that you're jazzed to get sick so you can try this all, here's another tool for your toolbelt. An Avocado Panini and Easy Tomato Soup.

Serves: 2 (will have leftover tomato soup)

Time: 15 minutes prep, 6 hours in slow cooker

What you'll need:

For Panini

1 Avocado
4 slices of wheat bread
1/4 of a 14 oz packet of firm tofu
1 tbsp. lemon juice
Salt & pepper to taste

For Soup

1 can of crushed tomatoes
1 can of diced tomatoes in juices
1 can of vegetable broth
1/2 white onion, diced
2 cloves garlic
2 tbsp. tomato paste
1/2 cup plain plant-based milk
3 oz (approx. 1/4 cup) basil chopped
1 tbsp. oregano
Salt & pepper to taste

What you'll do:

For soup:

1. Combine all ingredients into a slow cooker
2. Cook on low for 6 hours
3. Enjoy!

For Panini 

1. Wait until about 20 minutes before soup is done
2. If you have a panini presser, start to warm to a medium heat. Otherwise, use a pan at a medium heat
3. Mash the avocado and tofu until mostly smooth
4. Add lemon juice, salt, and pepper
5. Load up each panini with the mixture, there should be plenty for each 
6. Place in panini presser for approximately 10 minutes, or until at your desired level of crunchy (note: all panini pressers are different, so keep an eye on yours and check it after a couple minutes to make sure you don't burn it). 
7. If you don't have a panini presser, cook this on the stove top on a medium-high heat. It will require less time. Brush each side of the panini with olive oil and cook for a few minutes on each side. 
8. Enjoy!