Lentil Vermicelli Soup

The Spicy Vegan2 Comments

I had a version of this soup many years ago before deciding to become a vegetarian. It’s comforting, easy to make and a complete meal. Cooking the noodles along with the soup instead of separately gives the soup a naturally thick consistency.

Lentil Vermicelli Soup

2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 carrot, quartered lengthwise then chopped
1 stalk of celery, cut into long thirds then chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp of dried rosemary
1 bay leaf (optional)
2 cups of lentils, sorted and rinsed
7 cups of vegetable broth or water with 2 bouillon cubes
1/3 cup of vermicelli noodles (spaghetti will work), snapped into 1-2 inch pieces
2-3 tsp of sea salt
fresh ground pepper
1/3 cup of fresh parsley (optional)

1. Warm olive oil in a soup pot over medium high heat
2. Add onion, carrot and celery until fragrant (about 5 minutes)
3. Add rosemary, garlic and a few cranks of fresh pepper and saute for a minute or two
4. Add broth, lentils and bay leaf
5. Bring to boil and then simmer, covered for about 30 minutes (when lentils become soft) stirring occasionally
6. Add 2 tsp of salt and more fresh pepper, bring soup to a boil again and add noodles. Reduce heat and cook until noodles become al dente (about 10-12 minutes)
7. Remove from heat, pull out bay leaf and stir in fresh parsley
8. Adjust salt and pepper to taste

Total Prep and Cooking Time: about 45 minutes to 1 hour
Servings: 4-6 bowls

 

 

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Chick Pea Kale Garlic Soup

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This is one of the easiest, simplest soup recipes I make, yet it is one of the most nutritious and comforting. I’m especially fond of it when I have a cold for all the yummy, garlicky goodness.

Chick Pea Kale Garlic Soup

4 cups of chopped and steamed kale
2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
1 medium white or yellow onion, diced
6-8 cloves of garlic, minced
2 cups of cooked or canned chick peas
6 cups of Vegetable stock or 2 bouillon cubes with water
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp fresh black pepper
1 tsp of fresh or 1 tbsp dry thyme
Splash of soymilk (optional)

1. Steam chopped kale and set aside
2. Warm olive oil in a soup pot on medium high heat
3. Saute diced onions for 5 minutes, stirring often then add garlic and saute for 2-3 minutes
4. Once they’re both soft add the vegetable stock, chick peas and kale
5. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer, partially covered for at least 20-30 minutes
6. Add salt, pepper and thyme
7. Add soymilk if you prefer the soup cloudy and want to cut down the pungent ‘garlicky’ taste into a softer flavor

Total Prep and Cooking Time: 45 minutes to 1 hour
Servings: 4 bowls

 

 

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Nutritional Yeast Cheese

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I put this cheese on just about everything I eat except, of course, sweet things. I simply cannot live without it. Not only is it a great source of B vitamins (including B12) but it also gets me a nice dose of healthy raw nuts sprinkled on my food.

Nutritional Yeast Cheese

1/2 cup of raw almonds, walnuts or pecans
1 cup of nutritional yeast
1 tsp of sea salt

Blend all ingredients in a food processor until well incorporated. Keep in a glass jar in the refrigerator. Use it to top salads, mashed potatoes, soups or popcorn.

 

 

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Spinach Artichoke Dip

The Spicy Vegan2 Comments

After years of missing the hot gooey goodness of spinach artichoke dips I created this recipe, which I think comes pretty damn close to the original, without all the heavy cheese, cholesterol and cruelty.

 

Spinach Artichoke Dip

1 1/2 tbsp canola oil
1 tbsp spelt flour (or flour of your choice)
1 small yellow onion, sliced
4 garlic cloves chopped, plus one left whole and raw
1 (12 oz) jar marinated artichoke hearts, coarsely chopped
1 (8 oz) package frozen spinach (thawed, drained & squeezed dry)
1 (12 oz) package firm silken tofu
1 1/2 cups cooked chick peas, or other white bean (or 1 can drained and rinsed)
2 1/2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp of fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup of fresh parsley
1 cup nutritional yeast flakes
1 tbsp sea salt
2 tsp fresh black pepper
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp of dried basil, divided

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Blend together tofu, chick peas, nutritional yeast, raw garlic clove, vinegar, lemon juice and parsley in food processor until smooth. Remove contents and place in large bowl
3. Heat oil in cast iron skillet. Add flour when hot and stir constantly until browned
4. Add onion, garlic and cook 3 minutes then add spinach & artichoke hearts and saute until onion is soft
5. Add cooked ingredients and spices to bowl and stir until well mixed. You can also puree all ingredients in a food processor for a creamy consistency or pulse to leave it chunky.
6. Add extra seasonings & nutritional yeast, as needed
7. Smooth into non-stick baking dish and top with basil and nutritional yeast ‘cheese’ (recipe to follow) or plain nutritional yeast. Bake covered for 15-20 mins plus an additional 5 minutes uncovered or until lightly browned on top.
8. Serve warm with toasted bread, tortilla chips or fresh veggies, such as broccoli, cauliflower, carrots and celery.

Total Prep and Cooking Time: 45 minutes to 1 hour
Servings: As an appetizer for 5-10 people

Nutritional Yeast ‘Cheese’

1/2 cup of raw almonds, walnuts or pecans
1 cup of nutritional yeast
1 tsp of sea salt

Blend all ingredients in a food processor until well incorporated. Keep in a glass jar in the refrigerator. Use it to top salads, mashed potatoes, soups or popcorn.

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Mexican Rice

The Spicy Vegan1 Comment

I created this recipe on Cinco de Mayo to serve with refried beans, fresh salsa and corn chips. Ok, and margaritas. The result was delicious goodness. This recipe is easy to throw together as a great side dish or main course.

Mexican Rice

1/4 cup of olive oil
1/4 cup of earth balance
2 cups of long grain rice, thoroughly rinsed until water runs clear
1 medium onion, diced
6 cloves of garlic, minced
1 jalapeño, seeds and stems removed, minced
1/2 red pepper, diced
I 14.5 can of whole tomatoes, pureed or 1 14.5 can of diced tomatoes
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
3 1/2 cups of vegetable broth or water
1 tbsp of ground cumin
1 tbsp of sea salt

1. Heat earth balance and olive oil in a large heavy cast iron pot over medium high heat.
2. Add rice and stir constantly until it begins to brown.
3. Add onions and garlic and stir for 2-3 minutes.
4. Add jalapeño and red pepper and stir 2-3 minutes.
5. Add tomatoes and stir for 2-3 minutes.
6. Add water or broth, fresh cilantro, cumin and sea salt. Stir well, reduce heat to medium low and cover with a slight air escape. Do not stir rice again until all the water is absorbed (about 20-30 minutes).
7. Once water is absorbed, uncover, stir and cook 5 more minutes uncovered, until fluffy.

Note: You can add other ingredients to this recipe for a more complete meal such as corn kernels or cooked beans (I’m a fan of adding chick peas) right before adding the broth/water. You may want to adjust the seasonings to compensate for the new ingredients.

Serves 4-6
Prep Time: 10-15 minutes
Cooking Time: 30-40 Minutes

 

 

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Potato Jalapeño Soup

The Spicy Vegan2 Comments

The secret to this soup is using the right amount of jalapeño so it gives it a spicy kick without overwhelming the delicate flavors of the potatoes and leeks. Though I generally leave the seeds of jalapeños in for extra spiciness, they tend to overwhelm the flavor of this soup so I do recommend you remove them.

Potato Jalapeño Soup

1/4 cup of earth balance
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
1 leek (white part only) finely chopped
2 large cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 large jalapeño pepper with the seeds and veins removed, finely chopped
1 tbsp of sea salt
1 bay leaf
2 bouillon cubes mixed in water or vegetable stock, enough to cover potatoes
6 peeled, washed and cubed russet potatoes
2 cups of plain soy milk

1. Heat earth balance in large soup pot on medium high heat.
2. Add leeks, onions and salt and saute until translucent (about 5 minutes). Do not brown.
3. Add garlic and jalapeño and stir together for 2 minutes. Add potatoes, bay leaf,
bouillon or stock (enough to cover potatoes)
4. Bring to a light boil, cover and reduce heat to medium
5. When potatoes become soft (about 20-30 minutes), pull out the bay leaf
and drain the potatoes, making sure to save the liquid.
6. Mash with a potato masher or large fork. Do not use an electric mixer or the
potatoes will become gummy.
7. Once mashed, add the 2 cups of soy milk and stir over low heat. Add reserved broth slowly until desired consistency. Further puree using an immersion blender, a wire whisk, electric mixer (though only for a short period of time to avoid the gummy effect) or wait to cool and blend in a blender. You can also leave it slightly chunky for extra texture.
8. Serve with fresh ground pepper.

Total Prep and Cooking Time: 1-1/2 hours
Total Servings: 4-5 bowls

*A special thank you to Jannequin Bennett’s book, “The Complete Vegan Kitchen” for suggesting mashing the potatoes before pureeing.

 

 

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Split Pea Soup

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After seeing how many soups have the option of pureeing all the ingredients after they are cooked, I decided to try something different with this one and puree all the vegetables prior to cooking them. The result? A delicious, even flavor with optional consistency. 

Split Pea Soup

2 cups of dried green split peas, rinsed and sorted (optional: soaked overnight to increase digestibility)
2 tbsp of olive oil or earth balance
5 large garlic cloves, peeled
1 medium sized onion, coarsely chopped
2 medim sized carrots, coarsely chopped
2 celery sticks, coarsely chopped
2 medium sized potatoes, peeled and cut into small cubes
2 bouillon cube and 6 cups of water or 6 cups of vegetable stock (adjust accordingly)
Herbs: bay leaf, rosemary, thyme, sea salt and fresh pepper

1. Place onion, garlic, carrot, and celery in a blender or food processor and puree until smooth (add a little water if needed).
2. Heat olive oil and/or earth balance in a large soup pot on medium high heat. Once hot, add contents from blender/food processor. Cook until slightly darkened.
3. Add washed and drained peas. Let sit for a minute in mixture to blend flavors.
4. Add bay leaf and vegetable stock or water with bouillon. Bring to a boil. Add potatoes, reduce heat to medium and cover.
5. Once peas are soft they’ll start falling apart. Pull out bay leaf.
6. Add remaining seasonings to taste (about 8-10 shakes of each herb plus 15 cranks of fresh pepper and a tablespoon of sea salt).
7. To puree you can use an immersion blender, a wire whisk (for a thicker
consistency), you can also puree in a blender or simply leave it as is.
8. Serve with some fresh ground pepper.

Total prep and cooking time: 1 to 1 1/2 hours
Servings: About 6 hearty bowls

 

 

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