Category: Soup

Keto Ramen

Keto Ramen Recipe from Oregon Valley Farm

Ok, your first thought is probably: “How would you do the noodles for a keto friendly ramen?” Right??

Well, if you have never tried shirataki noodles, go do it!! These noodles are made from the root of the konjac plant. What’s special about the konjac plant? This plant offers very few digestible carbs which is what makes it great for the ketogenic diet or any low carb protocol. Konjac grows in Japan, China and Southeast Asia. The name “Shirataki” is actually Japanese for “white waterfall,” which is kind of what they look like with their translucent appearance.

You can find these noodles which are made up of about 97% water and 3% glucomannan fiber (from the konjac plant) in the form of fettucine noodles, spaghetti or angel hair as well as riced! I personally love them with a thai sauce, fettuccine cream sauce and of course in ramen! I don’t love them with marinara sauce….but maybe you will!

Aside from being low carb, glucomannan fiber offers some pretty great health benefits!

Probiotic foods get all the fame and glory when it comes to gut health. However, PREbiotic foods are necessary to essentially feed probiotics (this doesn’t get enough attention!). Prebiotics are non-digestible fiber compounds (a few other forms are garlic, jicama, artichokes)

Dr. Josh Axe explains prebiotics this way: that it “passes through the upper part of the gastrointestinal tract and remains undigested because the human body can’t fully break it down. But once prebiotics reach the colon, where they are fermented by the gut microflora, they create probiotics.”

Optimal intake of prebiotics offers benefits such as:

  • Lower risk for cardiovascular disease
  • Healthier cholesterol levels
  • Better gut health
  • Improved digestion
  • Lower stress response
  • Better hormonal balance
  • Improved immune function
  • Less risk for obesity and weight gain
  • Lower inflammation and autoimmune reactions

Moving on from the noodles (I’m telling you, go try them!)…this ramen is super nutrient dense if you make it using bone broth especially! Bone broth has amazing health benefits. I make it frequently and use it in recipes. However, some people love to just drink it straight (which is awesome!). We do have bones available on our site for purchase. Whether or not you buy them from us, please do yourself a favor and make sure they are sourced from grass fed and finished cattle or pasture raised animals that have had no added hormones or antibiotics. You don’t want that stuff leaching into the broth as the bones cook. For bone broth they are cooked long and slow in order to really draw out all the good stuff like collagen and minerals. However, this also means any of the stuff you don’t want will come out as well.

You can make bone broth in a slow cooker or even an instant pot (hello! Game changer!!). We also offer these veggie and spice kits that are from organic ingredients that make the process that much easier!

You can clearly use regular beef stock for this, but I am personally always looking for opportunities to make my meals and snacks as healthy and nutrient dense as I can! This is why even the kind of salt you use is important (please do not use regular table salt as it is highly processed and stripped of the amazing minerals our bodies need).

I did not use soft boiled eggs in this recipe simply because I forgot (kicked myself for that). However, what a great addition for even more protein, and healthy fat plus essential nutrients like choline! We were done such a disservice when we were told to stay away from saturated fat and eggs in particular!! Head here to listen to my podcast (episode from March 12) where I talk about some of this (namely why cholesterol is NOT evil) Vibrant Life – Living a Holistic Lifestyle for Optimal Health.

Okay! On to the Keto Ramen recipe:

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 lb top sirloin steak (I used tenderloin because I had it on hand and it’s my favorite cut. It was delicious!), cut into 1⁄4-inch-thick slices
  • Pink Himalayan or sea salt and black pepper
  • 4 (8-ounce) packages spaghetti-style or angel hair shirataki noodles
  • 5 cups beef broth (here is our bone broth recipe)
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp grated fresh ginger
  • 1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
  • 1 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
  • 1 Tbsp fish sauce
  • Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
  • 5 Tbsp coconut aminos, divided (I avoid soy due to thyroid and hormone impact but if you prefer you can use soy sauce)
  • 12 cremini mushrooms, sliced thin
  • 4 green onions, sliced (white and green parts separated)
  • 4 soft-boiled eggs

DIRECTIONS

Season the steak well with salt and pepper and set aside and then cook according to how you like yours (obviously this will be different depending on what cut you choose. Have it cooked and set aside while you prepare the rest of the dish).

Rinse the shirataki noodles by soaking them in water for about 10 minutes, then drain them in a colander.

In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, add the beef broth and bring it to a simmer over medium heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Dry fry the noodles in the skillet for about 3-4 minutes, tossing them as they cook.

To the noodles, add the garlic, ginger, sesame oil, vinegar, fish sauce, red pepper flakes, and 4 tablespoons of the coconut aminos. Stir-fry for 5 minutes (the noodles should turn brown from the sauce). Add the noodles and sauce to the pot with the beef broth.

For the skillet, turn the stove to medium and add the mushrooms, the white parts of the green onions, and the last tablespoon of coconut aminos. Stir-fry until the mushrooms are tender and the onions are soft.

Divide the noodle mixture among 4 bowls. Top each bowl with the steak, cut into ¼” slices, and the mushroom mixture. Pour the broth over each bowl, dividing it evenly among the bowls. Optional: finish each bowl with an egg, sesame seeds, and the green parts of the green onions.

Buy Ingredients for this Recipe

Beef Bones are chalked FULL of micronutrients, minerals, good healthy fat, & restorative amino acids such as glycine, alanine, proline, and hydroxyproline in the gelatin.

Top sirloin steak is flavorful and somewhat tender and can be cut into almost any size portion, made into kabobs, fajitas, and makes great steak sandwich recipes.

Keto Cabbage Beef Soup

Keto Cabbage Beef Soup Recipe from Oregon Valley Farm

I LOVE easy but SUPER nutritious soups! The base of this is homemade bone broth. Head here for directions and some specifics on the benefits!

This is great if you like to make soup ahead of time and have it for the next few days. It’s a very filling and flavorful soup! I made some keto cheddar and jalapeño bread to go along with it. Perfect combo!

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 Tbsp olive or avocado oil
  • 6 cups cabbage, shredded
  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 15 oz canned, diced tomatoes (I like fire roasted)
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 tsp pink Himalayan or sea salt
  • ½ tsp ground black pepper
  • 5 cups beef bone broth
  • ½ tsp thyme
  • ½ tsp paprika
  • ½ tsp oregano
  • 1 bay leaf

DIRECTIONS

Heat olive oil in a large soup pot. Add the chopped onion and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring until translucent.

Add garlic, ground beef, and pepper; cook on med-high until beef is cooked through and crumbled.

Add tomatoes, cabbage, herbs and spices and broth.

Simmer for about 25 minutes, until the cabbage starts to soften.

Add additional salt and pepper as needed.

Buy Beef for this Recipe

Since we only sell premium steaks & roasts in our boxes, our ground beef is a combination of other quality roasts & steaks, such as sirloin. This gives our ground beef a superior taste compared to other grass fed/finished ground beef.

Bone broth is FULL of micronutrients, minerals, good healthy fat, & restorative amino acids such as glycine, alanine, proline, and hydroxyproline in the gelatin. It’s super easy to make but there are also a lot of good bone broth on the market these days.

Cheeseburger Bacon Soup (Low Carb/Keto)

Cheeseburger Bacon Soup in Cream Sauce (Low Carb) Recipe from Oregon Valley Farm

This soup recipe is one I make often at our house! It is filling, delicious and so good for you with our grass fed and finished beef but I also love to use homemade bone broth in the recipe (full of micronutrients, electrolytes, collagen, etc). Plus, it’s great to make a bunch of and heat up throughout the week if you are busy and want something easy that everyone loves!

INGREDIENTS

  • 5 slices of bacon, cooked
  • 2 lbs ground beef
  • 1/2 cup onion, chopped
  • 1 Tbsp garlic, minced
  • 15 oz diced canned tomatoes, drained
  • 2 tsp garlic powder
  • 2 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp pepper
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 32 oz beef broth
  • 3 Tbsp tomato paste
  • 2 tsp mustard
  • 8 oz cream cheese
  • 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

DIRECTIONS

Cook your bacon, let it cool then chop and set aside. (I prefer to cook my bacon on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper at 350F for 15-20 minutes, depending on how crispy you like your bacon.) Save one Tbsp bacon grease for your ground beef.

In a large soup pot add the ground beef, bacon grease, onion garlic; cook over med-high heat until the meat is browned. Drain off excess grease.

Add the tomato paste, mustard, broth, tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, and spices; stir and bring to a simmer. Let simmer, uncovered, over medium heat for 10 minutes.

Reduce the heat to low and stir in the cream cheese, cheddar cheese and cooked bacon. Once the cheeses have completely melted, it’s ready!

Buy Meat for this Recipe

Since we only sell premium steaks & roasts in our boxes, our ground beef is a combination of other quality roasts & steaks, such as sirloin.

1 pound of delicious bacon from pasture raised pigs with no added hormones or antibiotics! All vegetarian feed. Smoked and thick sliced!

Keto Minestrone Soup

Keto Minestrone Soup Recipe from Oregon Valley Farm

You will NOT miss the noodles in this soup! It is SO flavorful and filling! Made with chicken bone broth, it is the perfect immune booster as well during the colder months.

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 cup chopped onion
  • 1 cup shredded carrots
  • 1 Tbsp minced garlic
  • 20 oz Italian sausage, cooked, drained
  • 8 oz white mushrooms, sliced
  • 3 stalks celery, sliced
  • 1 green bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 4 cups chicken bone broth (more if you want yours more “soupy”)
  • 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes (do not drainI like using fire roasted!)
  • ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
  • 2 Tbsp chopped basil
  • ½ tsp pink himalayan salt or sea salt
  • ½ tsp pepper

DIRECTIONS

In a large pot, heat olive oil over med-high heat on the stove.

Add onion, carrots and garlic. Cook for a couple minutes. Add cooked sausage. Combine well and cook for another 5 minutes.

Add remaining veggies and cook for another 5 minutes.

Add remaining ingredients: oregano, bay leaves, chicken bone broth, tomatoes, red pepper flakes, basil salt & pepper. Cook 10 minutes and serve!

Low Carb Lasagna Soup (Keto)

Lasagna Soup recipe from Oregon Valley Farm

I made this soup with chicken bone broth that I made the day before. As I post this we are in the height of cold and flu season. Bone broth is a go-to at our house for immune boosting! Here’s some details in case you aren’t already on the bone broth train:

BENEFITS OF BONE BROTH

  • Boosts immunity
  • Great for gut health & gut repair (think leaky gut)
  • Fights systemic inflammation
  • Promotes weight loss
  • Good source of Electrolytes which are essential for good health!
  • Boosts mood due to influence on the microbiome
  • Supports insulin regulation
  • much more…

Bone broth is FULL of micronutrients, minerals, good healthy fat and restorative amino acids such as glycine, alanine, proline, and hydroxyproline in the gelatin.

It’s super easy to make but there are also a lot of good bone broth on the market these days (Bonafide and Kettle and Fire are two great ones). If you buy yours be sure it’s from grass fed, no hormone, no antibiotic sources like ours! Toxins are stored in fat and bones and then released as they are cooked and consumed so it is critical you pay attention to this detail.

Here’s an example of what I used before: a whole onion, 2 garlic cloves, a bunch of rosemary, sea salt, ground pepper, red wine (Pinot Noir due to the high levels of Resveratrol) NOTE: the alcohol burns off so it’s just the flavor and it’s amazing!

To really get the nutrients out of the bones its important to slow cook them for 12-24 hours! Also, it’s typically important to use apple cider vinegar in bone broth to help draw the nutrients out of the bones. On to the delicious Low Carb Lasagna Soup recipe.

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 Tbsp Avocado Oil
  • 1 Onion, medium, chopped
  • 1 lb Mild Italian Sausage
  • 4 cloves Garlic, minced
  • 2 Tbsp Tomato Paste
  • 32 oz Chicken Bone Broth, separated
  • 29 oz diced Fire Roasted Tomatoes
  • 2 tsp dried Oregano
  • 1/2 tsp crushed Red Pepper
  • 2 dried Bay Leaves
  • 1 cup Mozzarella, shredded
  • 1/3 cup fresh grated Parmesan
  • * optional extra cheese for garnish

DIRECTIONS

Heat Avocado Oil in a large pot over medium-high heat.

Add chopped onion. Cook about 3 minutes.

Add Sausage and cook until browned.

Add minced garlic and cook for about one minute.

Add tomato paste and stir until smooth.

Use 1/2 cup of the chicken broth to deglaze the pot.

Add the rest of the chicken broth, tomatoes, oregano, crushed pepper and bay leaves.

Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for 20 minutes, covered.

Cook longer if you’d like a little thicker soup. When you are ready to serve the soup, stir in the cheese until it’s melted. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with additional cheese on top as an option!

Recipe from farmsteadchic.com

Wine Coffee Beef Stew (Low Carb/Keto)

Wine Coffee Beef Stew recipe from Oregon Valley Farm

Wow. THIS is a really delicious stew that is a nice twist when you want that hardy, soul filling meal on a cold day, but you don’t want the “same old stew”. Also, HELLO keto! Very low in carbs with no starchy ingredients in this stew.

The flavor from the wine and coffee give it this nice bold taste that compliments the beef wonderfully. It is really a very simple recipe (which I LOVE because I am all about drawing out the flavor of the meat rather than covering it up with too much of a lot of other things!).

Plus, how could you go wrong with wine and coffee???

INGREDIENTS

  • 2.5 lbs stew meat
  • 3 cups coffee
  • 1 cup beef stock
  • 1 ½ cup baby bella mushrooms
  • 2/3 cup red wine
  • 1 medium onion
  • 3 Tbsp coconut oil
  • 2 Tbsp capers
  • 2 teaspoons garlic
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon pepper

DIRECTIONS
Season stew meat with 1 tsp. Salt and 1 tsp. Pepper (our stew meat comes already cubed!)

Slice onions, mushrooms, and mince garlic.

Melt 3 Tbsp. coconut oil in a pan on the stove.

Brown your beef and brew 3 cups of coffee

Once the beef is finished, start sautéing the onion, mushrooms, and garlic in the remaining fat.

Once the onions are translucent, add the coffee, beef stock, wine, and capers.

Mix everything together well, then add your beef. Bring the mixture to a boil (we cooked ours in a crock pot)

Once mixture is boiling, turn temperature to low and cover the pan with a lid. Let cook for 3 hours.

For a little thicker sauce you can let this simmer without a lid for 30 minutes after the 3 hour mark to reduce the liquid a bit.

Recipe adapted from ruled.me

Un-Stuffed Pepper Soup (Low Carb)

Un-Stuffed Pepper Soup recipe from Oregon Valley Farm

You can make this Un-Stuffed Pepper Soup low carb/keto or not, depending on if you use rice or riced cauliflower (which is what I used). In the picture I added siete chips which are not typically part of a ketogenic diet, however they are gluten free (made with cassava flour) and, if you are following a “carb cycle” protocol or just allow yourself a little more from time to time (I do and am a big fan of this! It really seems that the metabolism responds well to this if you’ve been following a ketogenic protocol for quite some time 2+ years for me!).

This was so perfect after a hike and visit to the pumpkin patch today! It is full on FALL here in Oregon and we are just LOVING IT!

INGREDIENTS

  • 1/2 medium onion chopped
  • 1 Tbsp butter (for sautéing the onion)
  • 3 cups riced cauliflower
  • 2 pounds grass fed & finished ground beef
  • 1 red bell pepper chopped finely
  • 1 green bell pepper chopped finely
  • 1 (13.5 oz) can tomato sauce
  • 1 (28 oz) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes (with juices)
  • 4 cups organic chicken broth
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • Pink Himalayan Salt & Fresh Ground Pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

Sauté the onions in butter in a large soup pot (you’ll just add everything to the one pot…yay for not dirtying extra dishes!!). Once they start to brown, add the beef and cook until browned and nicely crumbled.

While the beef is cooking, steam the riced cauliflower, just lightly. It should still have a bit of a crunch, we don’t want it super mushy in the soup! Set this aside, it will be the last ingredient you add.

Once the beef is done cooking, add the diced peppers,tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, chicken broth, garlic, Italian seasoning, paprika, salt and pepper to the pot and stir well.

Bring the soup just to a gentle boil and then turn down to simmer for about 15 minutes.

Add the riced cauliflower and simmer for another 10-15 minutes. Add more salt & pepper as needed.

SO easy!! Enjoy!

Ham Bone and Cabbage Soup

Ham Bone & Cabbage Soup recipe from Oregon Valley Farm

This is such a good, healthy soup especially for this time of year when kids are back in school, and all the germs are running amuck! Plus, there’s nothing quite like soup in a crockpot on a Fall Day!

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 cups chopped onion
  • 2 cups chopped carrot
  • 2 ham hocks, from pasture raised pork of course!
  • 2 Tbsp minced garlic
  • 1 Tbsp fresh Rosemary, chopped
  • 1/2 tsp fresh ground Black Pepper
  • Pinch crushed red pepper flakes
  • 8 cups chopped cabbage
  • 1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes (include the juices)
  • 6 cups Chicken Bone Broth
  • 2 Bay leaves
  • Pink Himalayan Salt, to taste
  • 1/2 lemon, sliced (optional for taste and as a garnish)

DIRECTIONS

Add all ingredients, minus the sliced lemon, into your crockpot and cook on high for 6 hours (clearly you can cook it longer at a lower setting). Add more salt as needed.

Garnish with lemons slices and enjoy this immune boosting, antioxidant rich soup!!

Italian Basil Beef Stew with Zucchini and Mushrooms

Italian Beef Stew

This recipe has amazing flavor!! I was looking for a simple recipe for this cold Winter day, but also didn’t want to have just the usual stew. Bingo! It’s delicious!! Also, this is a great way to get some nutrient dense bone broth into your system (especially if you are like me and prefer it in a soup or stew rather than just drinking it).

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 lbs. stew meat
  • 2 tsp. + 3 tsp. olive oil
  • Pink Himalayan salt and fresh ground black pepper to season meat
  • 3.5 cups of bone broth
  • 2 cans (14.5 oz.) petite diced tomatoes with juice (we used fire roasted)
  • 1 Tbsp Italian herb blend
  • 1 tsp. ground fennel seed
  • 1 large onion, chopped into large chunks
  • 1 large green pepper chopped into large chunks
  • 2 small zucchini, ends trimmed and then cut into half lengthwise and sliced into thick slices
  • 1/2 lb. mushrooms, washed and cut half
  • 3-4 T chopped fresh basil (I use a very high quality essential oil that is safe to consume, so a drop or two of basil works well when I don’t have fresh basil on hand)
  • Balsamic vinegar to drizzle on your stew once it’s dished up, optional

DIRECTIONS

Heat the 2 teaspoons of olive oil in a large pan and brown the beef over medium-high heat until the meat is browned on all sides, about 10-15 minutes.

Season the meat with salt and fresh-ground black pepper as it cooks.

Add the browned meat to the stew pot.

Add half of the bone broth to the frying pan and cook a minute, scraping with a turner to loosen the browned bits of meat that stick to the pan, then add that to the stew pot along with rest of the broth.

Add the diced tomatoes with juice, Italian Herb Blend and fennel and stir.

Turn heat to low or medium-low and simmer 60 minutes, or until meat feels tender when you pierce it with a fork.

While the stew simmers, peel and chop the onion and cut out the stem and seeds of the green pepper and chop. Cut ends off the zucchini, cut in half lengthwise, and cut into thick slices.

Wash and cut mushrooms into thick slices or half slices

When you’re ready to finish the stew, heat 1 tsp. olive oil in the frying pan, add the onions and green peppers and cook a few minutes over medium-high heat, then add them to the stew.

Heat the second teaspoon of olive oil, add the zucchini and cook until it’s slightly browned on both sides, then add to stew. Then add the mushroom slices, cook until they have released their liquid and are starting to brown, then add to stew.

Simmer about 15 minutes, then add the basil and cook a few minutes more.

Serve hot, with balsamic vinegar to drizzle on top if desired.

ENJOY!

Recipe adapted from kalynskitchen.com