Make-ahead vegan green bean casserole! While turkey tends to get all of the attention, I’m a HUGE fan of a good ol’ green bean casserole. They’re simple yet savory and are among the many healthy dishes you can prepare for any meal or gathering. Sometimes at Thanksgiving, it’s a rare vegetable amongst the indulgent spread, and it feels good to eat a vegetable. 😉 Plus, it’s super easy to sneak even more veggies into this recipe (it’s great with added mushrooms and spinach) and this dairy-free side dish doesn’t use ANY of the canned stuff. You can also make this recipe ahead, which makes it super convenient for busy weeknights and special occasions.

Are you getting excited for turkey day?! I can’t wait! I would love to hear what you’re cooking this year! Today I’m excited to share a vegan green bean casserole you can make ahead of the big day. Be sure to check out the bottom of this post for more of our go-to Thanksgiving recipes!

Make-Ahead Vegan Green Bean Casserole

This make-ahead vegan green bean casserole can be assembled in less than 20 minutes and baked the day of your event or gathering. All you have to do is sauté some mushrooms and garlic, make a simple roux, and stir in the remaining ingredients. As a non-vegan who loves vegan recipes, this one is a home run. It’s super simple and so delicious! Pin this for your next Thanksgiving feast.

Ingredients

– 8 oz sliced mushrooms

– 4 cloves of garlic, minced

– salt and pepper to taste

– 1/4 cup all purpose flour and 1/2 cup vegetable broth

– 2 (14.5oz) cans of green beans. You can also use fresh green beans if you would like. Just trim, boil for 5 minutes, and blanch in cold water.

– 1/2 cup coconut cream (if you don’t want this to have a slight coconut flavor, use 2 tablespoons Kite Hill cream cheese and 1/3 cup almond milk, or other non-dairy milk). We’re making our own vegan version of cream of mushroom soup.

– Salted crispy onions (make sure they’re vegan and/or gluten-free if needed)

Sharing my favorite daily detox vegetable soup recipe. 

Hi friends! How are ya? Hope you’re having a lovely morning so far. The Pilot is off work today (!) so I’m looking forward to a morning hike and breakfast and coffee date. (You know, if both kids go to school. I feel like any time one of us books the day off, a kid stays home sick lol.)

While Tucson is still warm and toasty, it’s official soup season. TBH, for me, all year is super season. It can be a blistering 115 outside, and I’m still inside eating a scalding bowl of soup. I LOVE soup, especially for lunches, because you can make a ton in advane and pack in a ton of nutrients. You can customize them depending on what you have on hand, add extra protein (like an egg on top, or shredded beef or chicken), and it’s one of my 3 s’s: a salad, soup, or smoothie every day.

Detox vegetable soup recipe

I’m also a fan of making *detox soups.* I call it this because they’re light and easy to digest, but they also fit in with my favorite Dr. Cabral detox requirements. Soups are my EquiLife detox go-tos, for the reasons I mentioned above. I also call it that for The Man aka Google, so if you searched for “detox soup recipes” and found this page, YAY and welcome the blog 😉

This particular recipe is super simple, made in the Instant Pot, and ideal for meal prep or a cozy, nutrient-dense lunch or dinner.

Benefits of Detox Vegetable Soup

Packed with Nutrients:

Sweet potatoes, zucchini, and bell peppers provide vitamins A, C, and antioxidants to support your immune system.

Rich in Fiber:

Beans like garbanzo and kidney beans promote digestive health and can help with detoxification by improving gut function.

Hydration:

Veggie broth is hydrating, which is essential for detox functions.

Supports Weight Loss:

Soups can be lower in calories, but also satisfying, which can improve satiety and reduce cravings.

Anti-inflammatory:

Herbs like thyme, rosemary, and oregano have anti-inflammatory properties and also make it taste delicious.

Meal Prep Tips

Batch Cooking:

This soup freezes well! Make a large batch and store portions in the freezer for quick meals during the week. (I love these Souper Cubes!)

Topping Ideas:

Prep your toppings (avocado, herbs, and lemon juice) in advance and store them separately for easy assembly when serving.

Versatility:

Swap out beans for your preferred legumes, or use other veggies like spinach or green beans,  depending on what you have on hand.

Sharing a quick and delicious recipe for a healthy salad dressing: honey balsamic!

Hi friends! Happy Monday! I hope you’re enjoying the day so far and that you had a great weekend! We had an amazing dinner at our friends’ house and spent the rest of the weekend doing chores and relaxing. I took a three-hour nap on Saturday which was everyyyytthing. After a couple of weeks of travel and the Pilot’s work weekend, it was our first *normal* weekend at home in a month, so it was very appreciated.

Today, I wanted to share my go-to salad dressing with ya. I can’t believe that I’ve been blogging this long and haven’t dedicated an entire post to this dressing. This is my go-to. I use it for dinner parties, make it in advance to enjoy throughout the week, and it’s always so easy and delicious. I don’t typically love the dressings that come with salad kits, so this is what I’ll often use to replace it. I like the taste and ingredients so much more!

If you don’t already make your own salad dressing, definitely give this one a try. You’ll see how simple and delightful it can be 🙂 Let me know if you decide to add it to your rotation!

Honey Balsamic Dressing Recipe

Crafting your dressing ensures transparency about the ingredients, helping you make informed choices about what you consume. The Honey Balsamic Dressing is a prime example of a flavorful yet health-conscious option. With just a handful of pantry staples, you can whip up a dressing that’s sweet, tangy, and incredibly versatile.

Ingredients:

1/3 cup balsamic vinegar

2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons honey

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 minced garlic clove

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

Step 1: The Foundation

Begin by combining the balsamic vinegar with extra virgin olive oil in a bowl. This dynamic duo forms the foundation of your dressing, delivering a perfect balance of acidity and richness.

Step 2: Add the sweetness

Introduce 2 tablespoons of honey into the mix, providing a natural sweetness that harmonizes with the balsamic’s acidity. Adjust the quantity based on your desired level of sweetness.

Sharing the details about the Sakara January reset and what to expect. 

Hi friends! How’s the week going for you? I’m definitely feeling the pressure of the last-minute scramble. I got a lot finished early this year, but still find myself with the tiny things left on the to-do list. I’m really trying to get through everything over the next couple of days so I can lower the stress level a bit for Christmas.

If you’re feeling like me, and already looking forward to January, I thought I’d share the details of the Sakara reset if you’d like to join in.

There are a LOT of resets/detoxes/cleanses floating around this time year, and this is one of my very favorites. I’ve had a taste of their reset programs multiple times, and am really looking forward to nourishing Sakara eats, especially after the holidays and a Disneyland trip!

I’ll be sharing more in an upcoming post with my wellness/healing plan, but here’s a bit of what I’m doing as we head into the new year:

– Sakara reset, followed by a 14-day Dr. Cabral detox to open up liver pathways, straight into the CBO protocol

– I’ll do a full post on the CBO protocol, but in a nutshell, when I started to do some digging and functional testing with my eye issues and allergies, I learned that as expected, my gut health is completely out of whack. I have major candida, yeast, and bacterial overgrowth, which could be contributing to my inflammation and allergies.

With these results, for a client, I would recommend a detox to open up liver pathways (along with pre-protocol support), into the CBO protocol. This protocol is designed to kill the *bad* bacteria in the gut, rebuild the beneficial bacteria, and heal/seal the gut wall. It’s 12 weeks, and I knew there was NO way I was going to attempt it over the holidays and the avalanche of family birthdays. I figured I’d wait until January, when I could really commit to the eating plan and healing. I’ll definitely share more about the entire process.

As far as Sakara goes, this is a treat I order for myself each month. It’s packed with nourishing, organic eats that I didn’t have to cook, and the meals are always beautiful, filling, and vibrant. Of course, they’re doing a little something special for the new year!

Sakara January Reset details

Here’s how the Sakara January reset works:

– You can choose between one of two plans: Read more

Sharing my version of the amazing Whole Foods red lentil dal soup, which is one of my very favorites. It’s gluten-free, dairy free, and a plant-based source of protein and nutrients.

Hi friends! How’s the week going so far? I’m in full elf mode over here; baking cookies, wrapping gifts, and even though I feel like I was prepared, there are a lot of last-minute errands to run. To k(partially) preserve my sanity, I’m spending some time in the sauna blanket tonight and have a yoga class booked for tomorrow.

For now, how about a cozy bowl of soup?

I have a mental list of quick grab-and-go meals that I can swoop in a pinch, are healthy, and that I really enjoy. Thankfully, Tucson has a lot of amazing healthy restaurants (and we just got a True Food!!), which makes it pretty easy. If I find myself in a bind and hangry in between picking up kids and running errands, it’s nice to know I have some faves I can easily pick up.

Whole Foods Red Lentil Dal Soup (copycat recipe)

This is one of my favorite easy healthy pickup meal options. I’ve had this lentil soup so many times this fall season already, I knew I needed to try to recreate it at home. The result is a super hearty, flavorful soup, with lots of nutrients, and is great with a large salad for lunch. It also freezes beautifully.

Here’s the recipe if you’d like to give it a try!

Ingredients:

One yellow onion, diced

2 carrots, peeled and chopped