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.