Week 46 -- Apple Sweet Potato Stew

Hopefully this will be the last soup from my parents' kitchen.  I am moving into my new house and new kitchen as I write this.  In fact, after I post, I have to go dig and find my teapot. 

With my allergies, apples are like gold.  And my usual apple supplier was not in business this year (not to mention they are now two hours away from where I'm living).  Luckily, the tree outside mom's office had an amazing harvest for the first time ever.  We have eaten hundreds of apples off the tree this year, literally.  It's not an easy tree to pick from, so we adopted the habit of going out every day to see what dropped.

This stew makes use of some of those glorious miracle apples.

Mom picking some of these magical beauties.

Hot stew after cold apple picking.

Apple Sweet Potato Stew

1 cup red lentils
1 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
7 cups water
3 sweet potatoes, diced
3 carrots, sliced
1 Tbsp arrowroot
1 tsp each ginger, allspice, cinnamon, cardamom, turmeric
dash ground black pepper
3 apples, diced
1 Tbsp miso
1/2 cup coconut, (reduced fat, unsweetened)
1/4 cup cashews
2 dates

1. Saute onions and garlic in water.  Add sweet potatoes, carrots, red lentils, and half of the water.  Let simmer until all are tender.  Add spices and apples.

2.  In a blender, combine miso, coconut, cashews, and dates with some of the water.  Blend until smooth.  Add to soup.

3. Dissolve arrowroot into a little water that's left.  Add to soup.  Continue simmering until arrowroot is cooked and stew has thickened.

Makes about 6 servings.

Week 42 -- Creamy Butternut Soup

I'm still at my parents' house for just a few more weeks (my new kitchen is getting so close I can almost taste it!).  This week Mom and I decided together to make a butternut squash soup, but she started on it before I got to the kitchen, so it's a little rich and quite miso-heavy.  But it is a really nice, soothing soup for a fall evening.

We like to steam our squash in the microwave.  This is really easy.  Use a knife to carefully poke a few holes in the squash, then microwave it until it's soft.  Make sure you let it cool quite a while before cutting into it.  If I know I'm having squash with dinner, I get it steaming as soon as I get home and then let it cool for at least half an hour before I cut in.  Still, be careful of steam.

If you don't do microwaves, steam or cook the squash however you like.  Keep in mind that raw butternut squash, especially if it's freshly picked, has a substance in its skin that will make your hands dry out and peel.  Be careful and don't say I didn't warn you.  You can get around this by cooking it some before you try to peel it or by wearing kitchen gloves.

Creamy Butternut Soup

1/4 cup cashews
1 Tbsp coconut
1/2 large butternut squash cooked
1 tsp sage
1 tsp thyme
1 Tbsp miso
2 1/2 cups water

1. Steam the squash.  Let cool until safe to handle.

2. Blend the cashews and coconut with about 1/2 cup of water.

3. Scoop the squash out of its skin.  Add it to the blender with the seasonings and more water.

4. Blend until smooth.  

5. If the squash has cooled, you may want to gently reheat the soup.

Makes 2 large servings.

Week 38 -- Cream of Mushroom Soup

This week's soup almost didn't get made.  It was super busy at my new job, and I am missing my own kitchen (along with my soup equipment: slow cooker, stock pot, immersion blender, etc.).  And then I wasn't feeling well this weekend. 

So late at night Mom helped me make one of her regular soups.  She uses this cream of mushroom as a base for green bean casserole, stroganoff, and other casseroles, but it's also good on its own, even though it's pretty rich.

Cream of Mushroom Soup

1 onion, minced
4-5 cloves garlic, minced
about 1/2 lb mushrooms, diced
2/3 cup cashews
1 tsp each savory, sage, and thyme
1 Tbsp miso
1 tsp molasses
1 Tbsp arrowroot
2 cups water
1 Tbsp parsley

1. Saute the onion and garlic in a little water until cooked.  Add mushrooms and cook until dark and softened.
2. Put cashews, savory, sage, thyme, miso, molasses, arrowroot, and water in blender and blend until smooth.
3. Pour cashew cream over mushrooms.  Heat until arrowroot thickens.  Add parsley.

Makes about 4 small servings.

Week 19 -- Cream of Asparagus

I had a guest chef again!  Mom and I made this cream of asparagus on a very cold and wet spring day, and it was just what we needed to warm up.

The photos don't do justice to how pretty and green this soup is.  This is a great fancy soup that's surprisingly simple to make.  It doesn't have many spices so the flavors of the veggies really shine through.

This is a great soup for anyone trying to eat less salt.  The celery and asparagus are both naturally salty vegetables.  If you're used to lower salt, you may want to omit the miso paste.

A word about asparagus.  If you are worried about some, ahem, side effect from the asparagus, you might be interested to know that, through the fun of genetics, some people get "asparagus" pee and some people don't.  Also, some people are able to smell asparagus pee, and some people aren't.  So if you're one of the people who think it doesn't affect you, it could be just that you can't smell it.  I'm one of those who can't smell it, so I have no idea if mine smells or not.  More on that fascinating topic can be found at Nutritionfacts.org.

Back to the soup.  Dad wanted to buy some processed biscuits to go with it, but I suggested we make some of my corn-free cornbread instead.  To make them taste more processed, I added a tiny bit of miso.  It does make them taste buttery, but they taste just as good without.

It takes so much willpower to do a photo before digging in!

Grind the millet to a cornmeal-like texture.  Do this BEFORE you blend any liquids for the soup.

Most of the veggies are getting a head start cooking while we prep the asparagus.

Pile of corn-free cornbread biscuits.

I couldn't get a good picture of the amazing color.

Ready to eat!

Cream of Asparagus Soup

1/2 cup cashews

Add water to make 1 cup
4 tsp arrowroot
2 tsp miso (optional)

1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, diced
3 stalks celery, diced
1 bunch asparagus, bottoms removed, chunked, tips reserved
Water to cover

1. Blend the cashews, water, arrowroot, and miso.  Set aside.

2. Cook onions, garlic and celery.  Add water to just cover. 

When mostly cooked, add asparagus chunks except for tips.  

3. When veggies are tender and bright, remove from heat and puree.

4. Gently steam asparagus tips.

5. Mix cashew cream and veggie puree.  Return to gentle heat until hot throughout.  

Top with asparagus tips.

Biscuits

1/2 cup millet
1/2 cup garbanzo flour
1 tsp baking soda
2 Small bananas
1 tsp miso (optional)

1. Grind millet in blender to a coarse meal texture.
2. Mix millet, garbanzo flour, and baking soda.

3. Blend bananas (and miso) until smooth.  Mix into dry ingredients.

4. Plop onto parchment with spoon or cookie scoop.  Bake at 350 F for 15 minutes.

Week 3 -- French Onion Soup

I have to admit, I have never eaten French Onion Soup.  Even though it always looked good -- who doesn't love bread covered in melted cheese? -- I couldn't stomach the idea of beef broth.  The smell of it has always turned my stomach, even before I became vegan.

Still, I've been enchanted with the idea of this soup, and it was finally time to try my hand at making it.

I have no idea if this tastes like the French Onion Soup you remember.  I do know that it tastes delicious and I had a hard time stopping at one serving!

I made my own bread and cheese, but you can take a shortcut with a whole grain or sprouted grain bread and plant-based cheese.

It starts with onions, so many beautiful onions.

 Did I mention my kitchen smelled amazing while this was cooking?

This buckwheat bread is made from whole grains.  It's yummy, but takes a little effort.

I usually make two batches at once.

Goopy melty cheese is perfect for this recipe.  

I made a double batch to have some on hand for grilled cheese and pizza.

There's the soup, just about done.  It's not the prettiest soup, but it's the taste that matters.

Yummy onion soup topped with crouton and cheese.  

French Onion Soup 

3 large sweet onions

2 cloves garlic

1 tsp thyme

2 Tbsp molasses

1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar (ACV)

1-2 Tbsp miso, to taste

4 slices whole grain bread (recipe follows)

non-dairy cheese (recipe follows)

1. Put a thin layer of water in a large soup pot.  Thinly slice onions and add to the pot.

Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until soft and golden.  Make sure the bottom of the pot doesn't get dry.  Add tiny bits more water if needed.  This will take forever, about an hour.

2. Chop garlic and set aside. (You want to give it time to sit to get the full nutritional benefit.)  When the onions are ready, add the garlic and thyme.  

3. Add molasses, ACV, and about 5 cups of water until it looks like just a little too thick for a good soup density (I am not good at measuring water).  You'll be adding a little more in a minute.  Let the soup come up to a simmer.

4. Make cheese.  Spread cheese on sliced bread and broil.

5. Mix miso with a small amount of water in a cup.  Add to soup.  Do not boil after miso is added (you don't want to lose the beneficial cultures).

6. Ladle soup into bowl.  Top with cheesy bread.  Enjoy!

Makes 4 servings.

Buckwheat Bread

This bread is based on the recipe from this blog: 

 http://www.wholeheartedeats.com/2016/06/unbelievable-buckwheat-bread/

1 3/4 cups raw buckwheat groats

2 Tbsp chia seeds

2 Tbsp psyllium husk 

1 cup water

3 Tbsp date syrup (dates blended with water) or maple syrup

2 tsp baking powder (Hain is corn free)

1. Soak buckwheat several hours or overnight.

2. Preheat oven to 320F.  Drain and rinse buckwheat.  Put it into the bowl of a food processor.  

3. Rinse the bowl you had the buckwheat soaking in.  Add chia, psyllium, and water.  Let it sit for a few minutes.

4. Process the buckwheat until it makes a smooth batter/paste.

5. Put buckwheat batter back in the bowl with chia/psyllium gel.  Add date syrup and baking powder.  Mix well.

6. Put a strip of parchment in a loaf pan.  Pour the batter into the pan.  

Bake for 90 minutes.  Let bread cool completely before slicing.  

Note: Wash your food processor immediately before the batter dries into cement.

Cashew Mozzarella

Based on the recipe here:

http://www.onegreenplanet.org/vegan-recipe/how-to-make-fresh-vegan-moxarella-cheese/

1/4 cup cashews (can substitute sunflower seeds for nut free)

1 cup water, divided

2 Tbsp + 1 tsp tapioca starch 

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp - 1 Tbsp lemon juice, to taste

1 tsp miso

1. Blend cashews with 1/4 cup water until smooth.

2. Add the rest of the water and all other ingredients.  Blend again.

3. Pour mixture into a small saucepan.  Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly.

It will get thick and goopy.  Turn off the heat when it is totally goopy and no longer runny.

Note: If you are used to saltier foods, add more lemon juice.  

Sour tastes trick the tongue into thinking foods are saltier.

This cheese is also fantastic for grilled cheese, quesadillas, pizza, casseroles, etc.

Week 2 -- Broccoli Cheese Soup

I wasn't raised eating a whole-food plant-based diet.  I spent the first two and a half decades of my life eating a relatively healthy version of the Standard American Diet.  We enjoyed occasional junk food, yes, but we generally ate what we thought was healthy: lean meat, low-fat dairy, and, of course, lots of fruits and vegetables.  Like most families, we relied on fast food on busy days, and one of my favorites was broccoli cheese soup.  The sub-zero temperatures this weekend made me nostalgic for that creamy, cheesy, "it has a vegetable so it's healthy" soup.

Today's soup is not as healthy as last week's.  I would consider it WFPB junk food.  But it is so much healthier than traditional broccoli cheese soup, you can't even compare them.  I do make an even healthier "cheezy broccoli" soup with white beans that I'll share another day, but this weekend I wanted the junk food taste.

This soup starts with a veggie-based "cheese" sauce.  It's the same sauce I use for mac and cheese, but thinned out a little.

Add lots of steamed broccoli in tiny bits.

Let it simmer for the true "this sat in the restaurant kitchen all day until someone was
foolish enough to order it" taste.

Sprinkle a little extra paprika on top for a fancy lunch.

Broccoli Cheese Soup

2 heads of broccoli

2 cloves garlic

2 medium or 3 small gold potatoes

2 carrots

1 medium onion

1/2 cup cashews

water

1-2 Tbsp miso (to taste)

1 Tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp mustard powder

1 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp paprika

fresh black pepper

1. Chop the broccoli and set aside (this gives the enzymes time to activate).  

Chop the garlic and do the same.

2. Chop the other vegetables.

3. In a saucepan, steam the garlic, potatoes, carrots, and onion in a bit of water until tender, 

about 8-10 minutes.

4. Blend the cashews with 1/2 cup water.  Add the steamed vegetables and enough water

to make a smooth cheese sauce.  Blend in the miso and seasonings.  Return this to the saucepan and keep warm but don't boil.  Add water to get to desired thinness.

5. Steam the broccoli separately.  Add the broccoli to the soup.  Let simmer a few minutes, then enjoy.

6. Makes 4 servings.

*Note: if you don't get to chop the broccoli very long in advance, that's okay, because we're adding a bit of mustard powder.  That mimics the enzyme in the broccoli and you'll still get the full nutrition.

Soup 1 -- Dreamsicle

Do you remember Dreamsicles?  They were ice cream bars coated in orange sherbet.  We used to love buying them from the corner store.

This soup is not ice cream, but it does have a creamy orange flavor that reminds me of Dreamsicles.

It's also has a light and fresh taste that makes it perfect for after a week of holiday indulgences.

This is a five-ingredient soup.  That's not to be confused with those "five ingredient" soups that include cans and packaged mixes.  Nope, it's five whole food ingredients, plus water.

For this soup, all you need are carrots, oranges, cashews, onion, and fennel.

Seriously.  That's it.  Well, and water. 

I used 6 carrots, one small to medium onion, one medium fennel bulb, two oranges,

 and half a cup of raw cashews.

Here are the veggies, steamed.  I blend them with an immersion blender.  If you don't have an immersion blender, let the veggies cool a little and then blend in a regular blender.

After blending, I make cashew cream with 1/2 cup cashews and 1/2 cup water.  Add that to the soup, thin with more water to get the mixture to a nice soup consistency, then warm it all up again.

There's a beautiful bowl of Dreamsicle soup!

Recipe:

1 medium onion, chopped

1 fennel bulb, chopped, top parts included

6 carrots, peeled and chopped

2 oranges, peeled, chopped, and seeds removed

1/2 cup cashews with 1/2 cup water
additional water

1. Heat a small amount of water in a medium saucepan.  Add the onion and let it cook until slightly translucent.

2. Add fennel to onion.  Continue to add water slowly as needed to keep a thin layer at the bottom of the pan.

3. When fennel has softened, add carrots.  Add about 1 inch of water.  Cover pan and let carrots steam until soft.

4. Add oranges and make sure mixture is heated through.

5. Turn off heat.  Blend soup.

6. Blend cashews with water.  Pour cashew cream into soup.  

7. Thin soup with more water until you reach desired consistency.

8. Turn heat on and cook about 3 minutes until soup is hot throughout.

Makes 4 servings.