Chickpea and Rice Soup

I have a new recipe that I know you are going to love.  This is one my family races to the fridge the next day, and this only if we didn't pig out on it the night before!  I found it on one of my favorite blogs http://www.theppk.com/.  I tweaked it for my needs and it turned out so delicious!  It reminds me of a creamy chicken soup - except there is no chicken.  I made it for my parents and a non-vegan friend of theirs and it was definitely a hit!  My mom is not a big fan of chickpeas, but she loved the soup!  The chickpeas are so creamy they almost seem to melt in your mouth.  And if you are new to kale - this is a good recipe to try.  This is one soup you will want to make over and over again!

Chickpea and Rice Soup
Prep time:  10 minutes
Cook time:  1 hour
Makes:  4-6 servings

Ingredients:
3/4 cup cashews, soaked in water for 2 hours or overnight
1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp dried rosemary
3/4 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp salt
Fresh black pepper
3/4 cup brown rice, rinsed
3 ribs celery, thinly sliced
1 cup carrots, diced chunky
5 cups no chicken broth (Better Than Bouillon)
2 15 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed (about 3 cups)
4 cups chopped kale

Directions:
Drain the cashews and place them in a blender with one cup of fresh water. Blend until completely smooth, scraping the sides of the food processor with a spatula occasionally to make sure you get everything. This could 1 to 5 minutes depending on the strength of your blender.

Preheat a stock pot over medium heat. Sauté onion with a pinch of salt for about 5 minutes, until translucent. Add garlic, rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper and sauté a minute more.

Add rice, celery and carrots and then pour in the broth. Cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, bring down to a simmer, add the chickpeas, and let cook for about 30 more minutes, or until rice is cooked and carrots are tender.

Add the cashew cream and kale, and simmer until kale is wilted, 3 to 5 more minutes. You may need to add water to thin the soup if it seems too thick. Taste for salt and seasonings and let sit for 10 minutes or so to allow the flavors to marry.

It thickens as it cools, so if you have leftovers, just thin with a little water when you reheat.

Vegan Zuppa Toscana

When I used to go to Olive Garden I would love to order the soup, salad, and bread sticks deal!  All of them were so delicious, I felt like I was getting the best of everything.  PLUS it was unlimited so I could pig out.  (It was so hard not too!)  Of course none of those things are vegan (except for one of the soups) unless you arrange it with your waiter/waitress.  One of my favorite soups I'd order is Zuppa Toscana.  SO NOT VEGAN!!  But it was so delicious.  So...one cool, rainy day I decided I NEEDED this soup and I would "veganize" it.

It has been a while since I've had the original now, but I think this recipe is pretty close.  This version is so yummy, it is by far my favorite soup!  We had it for dinner last night, and everyone went back for seconds (even my picky eater)!  It is a good way to incorporate all the kale from my garden too - which by the way is super good for you!  I don't usually eat soy, but we indulge with this soup, because it just adds so much to the flavor and texture.  You could probably substitute beans if you wanted but it just won't be the same. 

Vegan  Zuppa Toscana
Makes 6-8 servings

Ingredients

14 oz. pkg. Gimme Lean Sausage

¾ tsp crushed red peppers
1 cup diced white onion
2 tsp minced garlic
8 cups water
3 Tbsp No Chicken Bouillon
¼ tsp liquid smoke
1 cup coconut milk (or 1 can to make it extra creamy)
3 medium sized potatoes, thinly sliced
5 Kale leaves (approx 4-5 cups), chopped with stems removed

Directions

Saute sausage, crushed red pepper, onions and garlic until sausage is heated through and onions are soft.

Add the water, No Chicken Bouillon  and liquid smoke.  Cook until boiling and then turn heat down to low and let it simmer.  Add potatoes and cook until soft (approx. 15 minutes depending on how thin potatoes are sliced). 

Add coconut milk and kale and cook until thoroughly heated. 

 

No Chicken Noodle Soup

This soup is about as easy as it gets!  So if you are in need of some comfort food and something to warm your soul this is the recipe for you!  It takes maybe 20 minutes from start to finish and the result is very pleasing.  My family loves pasta that comes in various shapes.  They seem to be heartier and brings out the kid in you. Isn't that what chicken noodle soup is all about anyway!?!  My favorite place to get pasta is at Cost Plus, they have shapes for the current holidays and other fun ones.  As you can see in this picture it was March, because of the shamrocks!  It's not the best picture because my camera battery was quickly dieing and I had only a second to take it, but I will update with better pictures in the future!

No Chicken Noodle Soup
Makes: 4-6 servings  (My family of 4 devours the whole thing!)

Ingredients

8 cups water
3 Tbsp. no chicken bouillon
2 medium carrots, sliced (1 cup)
2 medium stalks celery, sliced (1 cup)
¼ c chopped onion
8 oz. favorite pasta (shapes)
Fresh or dried parsley

Directions

Combine the water and bouillon in a large pot.  Add the carrots, celery and onion and bring to a boil.  Add the pasta and turn down to a simmer; cooking until the pasta is al dente.  Add the parsley and stir. 

Dilly Stew With Rosemary Dumplings

The wind is blowing and it is snowing.  On days like this I want something warm and comforting for dinner.  I have discovered a dumpling stew from one of my favorite blogs Post Punk Kitchen.  There are many yummy recipes to be discovered there!  Anyway, this is one of my favorite, newly discovered recipes and it provides a lot of comfort.  In fact my whole family enjoys the comfort from this stew - even the kids!  You don't have to be vegan to fall in love with this.  I encourage you to check out the other recipes from Post Punk Kitchen too! http://www.theppk.com/recipes/  I did make a couple changes, only because I didn't have fresh herbs on hand, but I had dried.  For the fresh thyme I used 1 tsp. dried and for the fresh dill I used 2 tsp. dried.  I didn't have sweet paprika so I just used plain old paprika.

Dilly Stew With Rosemary Dumplings
by Isa Chandra
serves:  6-8
time:  1 hour

For the stew:
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 medium sized sweet onion (like Vidalia or Walla Walla), quartered and thinly sliced
1 teaspoon salt
3 cloves garlic, minced
6 cups vegetable broth, at room temperature
2 stalks celery, tops removed, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 1/2 pounds potato, in 3/4 inch chunks (peel if they’re russets)
1 cup baby carrots (see note)
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
Fresh black pepper
1 15 oz can navy beans, rinsed and drained (about 1 1/2 cups)

For the dumplings:
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoons dried rosemary, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk (or soy)
2 tablespoons olive oil

First we’re going to make a roux, but it has a little less fat than a traditional roux, which means it doesn’t get as goopy. If you’d like a more traditional roux, just add extra oil.

Preheat a large, heavy bottom pot over medium-low heat.
Add the oil and sprinkle in the flour. Use a wooden spatula to toss the flour in the oil, and stir pretty consistently for 3 to 4 minutes, until the flour is clumpy and toasty.

Add the onion and salt, and toss to coat the onions completely in the flour mixture. As the onions release moisture, they will coat more and more. Cook this way for 5 minutes, stirring often. Add garlic and stir for 30 more seconds or so.

Stream in the vegetable broth, whisking constantly to prevent clumping. Add the celery, potatoes, carrot, dill, thyme, paprika and black pepper, then turn the heat up and cover to bring to a boil. Keep a close eye and stir often, so that it doesn’t clump or boil over.

Once boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer and let cook uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the stew is nicely thickened and the potatoes and carrots are tender.

In the meantime, prepare the dumplings.

Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together in a large mixing bowl. Mix in the rosemary. Make a well in the center and add the milk and olive oil. Use a wooden spoon to mix together until a wet dough forms.

When the stew is ready, mix in the beans and plop dough right on top of the stew in spoonfuls. You should get about 14 dumplings. Cover the pot tightly and cook for about 14 more minutes. The dumplings should be nice and firm. Use your ladle to dunk them into the stew to coat.

Ladle stew into bowls, topped with dumplings. And serve!

Recipe Notes:
~If your baby carrots are the plump kind, then slice them in half on a diagonal. If they’re thin, don’t bother. And if you’d like to use adult-sized carrots, peel and slice them in 1/4 inch diagonal pieces.
~I use a Le Creuset Dutch oven for this. You don’t need to use cast iron, but the wider the pot the better, because you need lots of surface area to make the roux and cook the biscuits later. If you don’t have a wide pot, then using a large, deep pan will work, too.

Black Bean-Pineapple Soup Stew Chili

I seem to have a thing for pineapple and black beans.  It just sounds so good AND tastes so good together.  Recently I discovered a new recipe from http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/ and I absolutely had to try it.  It was delicious!  For those of you who think pineapple would be weird in a bean soup - you can't really taste it - the pineapple just adds a nice sweetness.  My kids didn't even notice it.  It is a fun way to make chili, soup or stew - you chose!  Mine turned out like chili and was very good.  Be brave and give it a try, you won't be sorry!  More recipes with black beans and pineapple to come in the future!

Black Bean Pineapple Soup Stew Chili

Cooking time (duration): 40 

Number of servings (yield): 6

Ingredients

1 large onion, diced

1 large red bell pepper, seeded and diced

4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed

1 to 2 jalapeno chiles, stemmed, seeded and finely diced

1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes, preferably fire-roasted

2 16-ounce cans black beans, rinsed and drained

2 cups vegetable broth (or water plus bouillon cubes)

1 tablespoon Ancho chili powder (or other pure, mild chili powder)

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon chipotle chile powder (or to taste)

2 teaspoons Mexican oregano (optional)

generous grating black pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)

1 pound yellow squash or zucchini

1 cup crushed pineapple and juice

Instructions

Heat a non-stick pot and spray with cooking spray if desired. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until golden and beginning to brown (a pinch of baking soda will speed up this process). Add the bell pepper and jalapeno and cook until softened, about two minutes. Add the garlic, stir briefly, and then add tomatoes, beans, broth, and seasonings (but not squash or pineapple). Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.

While the beans are cooking, trim the squash and cut into small cubes.

Add the squash and pineapple, increase the heat a little, and cover. Simmer until squash is just tender. Check seasonings, adding more to taste, and serve.

Add more broth to make this stew more like soup and less to make it more like chili. Or, use even less to make a thick filling for tacos or a dip for tortilla chips

 

Asian Noodle Soup

This has to be one of my family's favorite soups.  It is a little like ramen made from scratch with yummy vegetables.  Only it is way better than any ramen I have ever had!  It is really simple to make also!  For those of you who are meat lovers, you can add a couple of chicken breasts sliced into 1/4-inch strips along with the soy sauce, ginger, garlic, rice wine vinegar and sesame oil.  Once it starts simmering add the broth and bring to a gentle boil, cook at least 10 minutes or until the chicken is no longer pink.  Then just follow the rest of the recipe as is.  You may also want to have fun and put some of your own favorite vegetables in the soup along with or in place of what I have suggested.  This soup is so easy to make and so delicious - you just have to try it for yourself!

Asian Noodle Soup

Prep time:     10 minutes

Cook time:     15 minutes

Makes:           4-6 servings

Ingredients

2 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce

2 tsp fresh ginger, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 Tbsp rice wine vinegar

2 Tbsp toasted sesame oil

8 cups vegetable broth

1 pkg. (6 oz.) soba noodles

¾ cup frozen peas

2-3 cups broccoli spears

1/3 cup red pepper thinly sliced and chopped

1 medium carrot, peeled and grated

4 green onions, thinly sliced on the diagonal

4 generous handfuls spinach

¼ cup dry roasted, lightly salted peanuts, chopped (optional)

Directions

Combine soy sauce, ginger, garlic, rice wine vinegar and toasted sesame oil in large pot.  Over medium high heat begin to heat mixture.  Heat until simmering.

Add broth and bring to a gentle boil. 

Add noodles, peas, broccoli and red pepper.  Cook until broccoli turns bright green and noodles are soft.  Turn off heat.

Stir in carrot and green onion.

Divide spinach among four bowls.  Ladles soup over the spinach in each bowl.  Garnish with peanuts (optional).