Favorite easy-to-swallow soups & purees?

[readingredhead]

We just found out that my grandfather has esophageal cancer, and while the prospect of chemo & radiation is bad enough, he's also frustrated that he can't eat most of his favorite foods! His tumor makes swallowing painful, so while he wants his "meat and potatoes," soups are pretty much the only things he can eat without pain. My mom has been

Comments

[leatherfemme]

What I made last night: squash soup. Real simple to make and easy to hearty up by adding in some good quality (minimally no rBST, preferably organic from grass-fed cows) cream or buttermilk. You can also add in some tofu for protein if you want

[leatherfemme]

Miso is another great option. Really healthy and can be added to pretty much any soup (stir in just before serving for best benefits) or as a quick and easy soup in its own right.

[stryck]

Potatoes and roasted red peppers, cooked tender in broth and pureed.
Carrots and parsnips (sweetish taste)
Carrots and turnips
Squash soup - just about any squash can be cooked tender, pureed, and flavored to suit. Either cayenne and pepper for savory soup, or cloves and cinnamon for sweeter squashes.

[bitemetechie]

The best high calorie, comfort food-y soup I can think of is Wisconsin Beer Cheese Soup. (There are other soup recipes at that page as well, like French Onion and...um...Dill Pickle, I'm not sure if those would be useful but yay for bonus recipes!)

Everyone I've made this soup for has polished it off in short order and it's a really simple soup that you don't have to watch much. Also, I suggest using a dark beer like Guinness rather than a lighter beer; it gives the soup an almost meaty flavor.

[readingredhead]

Ooh, this sounds like it would be right up his alley, thanks!

[moonstrucky]

I make batches of both of these pretty regularly. Just made the curry one today!
Really easy: roast veggies in oven, add to stock, blend: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/roasted-butternut-squash-soup-and-curry-condiments-recipe2/index.html

More work, but very flavorful and rich. High calorie peanut butter!
http://www.food.com/recipe/west-african-peanut-soup-134219

[yui_hime]

Oh my god I have everything for that second one except the sweet potatoes and it looks delicious. BRB Central Market.

[mangosorbet007]

If he enjoys more "exotic" flavors, anything that riffs off Thai or Indian cooking can be made a whole lot richer by adding coconut milk, and many curries could probably be pureed. Satay sauce has peanuts and coconut milk and can be made to be as mild or spicy as he likes.
Sweet potatoes, red peppers, roasted, pureed, with a bit of ginger and garlic. Delicious, and the ginger might help with chemo nausea.
Lentils, in all combinations - if you let them cook long enough they'll practically fall apart by themselves.

My granduncle who lived next door to us all through my childhood had esophageal cancer. I wish your grandfather all the best.

[tmiftm99_01]

Coconut cream is also really yummy to add to many things.

[readingredhead]

Thanks for the suggestions and the sympathy :)