Broccoli Bisque

(from Dr. McDougall’s newsletter)

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 6-8

Ingredients:

4 cups broccoli florets

3 cups vegetable broth
2 cups frozen chopped hash brown potatoes (or use fresh potatoes peeled and cut into chunks)
1 onion, chopped
1 teaspoon dried dill weed
2½ cups non-dairy milk (almond, soy, etc.)
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper to taste (I leave salt out)

Place broccoli, broth, potatoes, onion, and dill weed in a medium pot.  Bring to boil, cover, and cook over medium heat for 15 minutes until broccoli and potatoes are tender.  Use an immersion blender to blend.  Add non-dairy milk, mustard, and pepper.  Heat through and serve. 

If you don’t have an immersion blender (which I highly recommend…so easy!), you can blend the soup in a regular blender or Vitamix and then return back to pot to add milk, mustard, and pepper. 

 

 

Brussels Sprouts, Rice, And Corn Soup

This is a simple, tasty soup.  I doubled the recipe, but next time might triple it.  I left the red pepper flakes at 1/8 teaspoon as I don’t like spicy and everyone else could add it to their own bowl to satisfy their spice level.

Ingredients

•1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

•1 large shallot or very small onion, cut into thin slices
•1 clove garlic, cut into thin slices
•3 ounces Brussels sprouts (4 to 6 sprouts), trimmed and cut into thin slices (I bought a bag of shredded Brussels sprouts at Trader Joe’s)
•1 1/2 cups water or low-sodium vegetable broth, or more as needed (I definitely used a lot more than this).
•3 tablespoons (uncooked) long-grain white rice (I used a brown rice)
•1/2 cup frozen corn kernels
•Sea salt (optional)

Directions

Heat a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add a bit of water, sprinkle in the crushed red pepper flakes, letting them sizzle for a few seconds. Add the shallot or onion, and garlic; cook, stirring constantly, until the shallot or onion starts to soften, 2 or 3 minutes. Add the Brussels sprouts and cook, stirring, just until they brighten in color, another minute or two.

Carefully add the water or broth and the rice; let the mixture come to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low or low so the liquid is barely bubbling around the edges. Cover and cook until the rice has plumped and become tender, about 35 minutes, stirring and adding liquid as needed.

Uncover; stir in the corn and cook until it has heated through, 3 or 4 minutes. Season with salt to taste (optional).

Note:  If doubling or tripling this recipe, be careful about increasing the red pepper flakes as their heat increases exponentially.

 

Recipe from:  A potluck dish made by Rayna Schroeder.  Thanks!!

Sweet Potato and Yellow Split Pea Soup

Another delicious Chef AJ recipe!

Ingredients:
One pound of yellow split peas (or use green)
One large chopped onion
One pound carrots, sliced
One celery heart, sliced (you can actually buy mirepoix, celery, carrots and onions already chopped at TJ’S)
2 Large Sweet potatoes , cubed
8 cups boiling water
6-8 cloves garlic, pressed
4 teaspoons chopped parsley (dried, not fresh)
1-2 Tablespoons salt-free seasoning
1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon rosemary
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon celery seed
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 bay leaf
1 capful Wright’s Liquid Smoke, optional (stirred in after cooking is completed) (I added extra)

Preparation: Place all ingredients in an electric pressure cooker and cook on high pressure or 8 minutes.
Release pressure.

Alternatively, place all ingredients in a crock pot and cook on low for 6-8 hours

Ashli's Potato Leek Soup

While visiting Austin, my SIL Ashli made this delicious soup for us. 

Ingredients
5 medium-sized golden potatoes (with or without peel, or half and half)
6 cups vegetable broth (organic low salt) 
3 large leeks
2-3 tablespoons olive oil (I leave this out to make it SOS free)

Instructions

• Wash and cut potatoes.
• Cook leeks in olive oil in pot until soft.
• Add potatoes and broth (broth should cover potatoes).
• Cook until soft.
• Blend until smooth.
• Add water or milk if too thick.
• Add salt and pepper to taste.

 

Pasta Fagioli with Cranberry Beans and Kale

Using a pressure cooker cuts the time it takes to cook dried beans by about half, but I’ve also included regular cooking directions at the end of the recipe.

Ingredients

• 2 cups dried cranberry beans, borlotti beans, or pinto beans (soaked for at least an hour–see step 1)
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 ribs celery, chopped
• 7 cloves garlic, minced and divided
• 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, minced (or 1/2 tsp. dried)
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 26 ounces chopped tomatoes, canned
• 3 teaspoons dried basil leaves, divided
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 2 teaspoons salt (optional or to taste)
• 2 cups small pasta, whole grain or gluten-free preferred
• 10 ounces kale, stems removed and leaves chopped (4-6 cups chopped)
• 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• freshly-ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. At least an hour before cooking: Check the beans for rocks and other debris and rinse them well. Then do a quick soak by placing the beans in a pot or pressure cooker, covering with 2 inches of water, and bringing to a boil. Boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat and let stand for at least 1 hour. Drain well and rinse. Set aside. (Alternately, soak overnight, drain well, and rinse.)
2. Heat your pressure cooker (use the Sauté or Brown button on electric PC’s). Add the onion and a pinch of baking soda (optional) and cook until it begins to soften, adding water by the tablespoon if necessary to prevent sticking. Add the celery, half of the garlic, the rosemary, and the red pepper flakes and cook for another 2 minutes.
3. Add the tomatoes, 2 teaspoons of basil, 1 teaspoon oregano, and the smoked paprika. Heat, stirring, until hot.
4. Add the drained beans, 6 cups of water or vegetable broth, and salt, if you desire. Lock the lid in place, bring to high pressure, and cook at high pressure for 10 minutes. (Electric PC’s: select Manual and set the time to 10 minutes.) After 10 minutes at high pressure, remove from heat or turn off electric cooker and allow the pressure to come down naturally for 15 minutes. Release all pressure using a quick release. Carefully open the lid and check the beans. If they are not all completely softened and cooked, replace the lid and bring to high pressure for another minute or two. Quick-release pressure and check beans again. Do this until the beans are all tender.
5. Once the beans are done, add the reserved garlic, basil, and oregano and check to see if additional salt is needed. Add the pasta and return to medium heat (electric PC–use Sauté or Brown setting). Cook, stirring frequently, until the pasta is almost al dente–just a touch undercooked. Stir in the kale, turn off the heat, and cover the cooker. Allow the kale to cook in the residual heat for about 5 minutes. Check kale and pasta for tenderness and add more time if needed. Stir in nutritional yeast and freshly ground black pepper to taste and serve.

I always cook the pasta separately on the stove.  After the soup is done pressure cooking, I add the kale, let that wilt, and then add in the pasta, nutritional yeast, and black pepper.

Notes

No Pressure Cooker Directions:
Follow the directions in steps 1 through 3, using a large, heavy pot. Then add the dried beans, salt, and 8 cups of water or broth. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until beans are tender, adding more water if necessary. Allow 1 1/2 to 2 hours for beans to cook.

Uncover the pot and bring back to a boil. Add the pasta and reserved seasonings and check the liquid level–there should be enough to cover the pasta completely; if not, add more. Cook until pasta is al dente. Add the kale, cover the pot, and cook on low for 3-5 minutes. Add nutritional yeast and black pepper to taste.
 

Preparation time: 15 minute(s) | Cooking time: 1 hour(s)

Number of servings (yield): 8

 

Nutrition (per serving): 329 calories, 14 calories from fat, 1.6g total fat, 0mg cholesterol, 817.5mg sodium (including 2 tsp. salt), 937.2mg potassium, 61.7g carbohydrates, 15g fiber, 3.7g sugar, 19g protein.

Recipe from here:  http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2014/11/pasta-fagioli-with-cranberry-beans-and-kale.html?utm_source=MadMimi&utm_medium=email&utm_content=%E2%9C%BF+NewsBites%3A+8+Recipes+You+Don%27t+Want+to+Miss&utm_campaign=20141117_m123130500_%E2%9C%BF+NewsBites%3A+8+Recipes+You+Don%27t+Want+to+Miss&utm_term=pasta-fagioli1_jpg_3F1416243046

Tuscan White Bean Soup

1 pound white navy beans
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 leeks, white and tender green parts, cleaned well and chopped
1/2 onion, diced
5 celery stalks, diced
3 carrots, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
5 cups water
5 teaspoons vegetable base (such as Better than Bouillon brand), or bouillon cubes
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
juice of 1/2 lemon
minced fresh rosemary, lemon wedges, and grated fresh parmesan cheese, for serving (optional)

Sort the beans and place them in a medium heavy pot.  Add enough water to cover the beans by two inches.  Bring to a boil and cook for 1 minute.  Turn off the heat and let the beans sit for 1 hour.  Drain and rinse the beans; set aside. 

In the same pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat.  Add the leeks and onion and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often.  Add the celery, carrots, and garlic and cook for 10 minutes more, stirring often.  Add the beans and water.  Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes.  Add the vegetable base, rosemary, and pepper, and cook for 40 minutes more, until the beans are soft. 

Carefully transfer 3 cups of the soup to a blender.  Puree and return to the pot.  Stir in the lemon juice.  Add salt and pepper to taste. 

Sprinkle each bowl with a pinch of extra rosemary and serve with a lemon wedge. 

Chickpea Noodle Soup

Crunchy Spiced Chickpeas

 16 oz. chickpeas, rinsed

 2 t. olive oil (optional...can use vegetable broth)
 2 t. onion powder
 1 t. garlic granules
 1 t. thyme
 1/2 t. rosemary
 Salt and pepper to taste

Soup

 7 oz. gluten-free or regular linguine noodles, broken in half and cooked according to package instructions
 1 T. olive oil or 1/4 cup low-sodium vegetable broth
 1 yellow onion, diced
 2 carrots, peeled and diced
 2 parsnips, peeled and diced
 2 celery stalks, diced
 2 - 3 cloves of garlic, minced
 1 T. low-sodium tamari or soy sauce
 1 T. dill
 1 T. thyme
 8 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
 1/2 cup curly parsley, chopped
 Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a cookie sheet (with raised edges so the chickpeas don’t roll off) or another long, flat pan with parchment paper. Spread the chickpeas on the pan and bake for 20 minutes, remembering to move them with a spatula every five minutes to prevent burning.

After 20 minutes, lower the heat to 375 degrees, and place the chickpeas in a bowl and toss with the oil and spices. Return them to the same baking sheet and cook for 15 more minutes. Once out of the oven, put them back in the bowl to prevent further cooking.

 Meanwhile, start your soup. Start a large pot of water to boil and cook the linguine according to the directions.

 Heat the olive oil or vegetable stock on medium-high in a large sauté pan; add the onion, carrots and parsnips for four - five minutes, or until beginning to soften. Add the celery, garlic, tamari and spices and sauté for five more minutes. Transfer to a soup pot, add the broth and cook on medium-low until the soup is heated through. Season as you like with salt and pepper.

On the bottom of each bowl, put some strained noodles, then the soup on top of that, sprinkle on the chickpeas and garnish with parsley. Enjoy!  (I put the noodles, chickpeas, and parsley all in the pot and it worked just fine.)

Note to self:  DOUBLE this recipe as it always goes quickly.

http://www.veganstreet.com/chickpeanoodlesoup.html

 

Jambalaya

 

 I had this recipe at a potluck and it was a hit.  Here are the instructions I received. The original recipe's link is at the bottom of the page.  This makes a lot so you can half it if you need to:

• two  28oz cans diced tomatoes
• two 14oz can red beans or kidney beans
• 2-3 lbs frozen vegetables: corn, carrots, zucchini, yellow squash (equal parts) (I used fresh zucchini and yellow squash but you can use frozen if you want)
• 4 cloves garlic, diced
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 tsp. paprika
• 1/2 - 1 tsp. dried thyme
• 1/4-1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper (I don't like spicy things so I used 1/4 tsp. and let everyone else add extra into their own bowl) (the original recipe calls for Cajun seasoning, which I didn't have when I made it...still yummy!)
• brown rice

While rice is cooking, combine all of the other ingredients in a pot and heat.  I let it simmer for about 15-30 minutes. 

When rice is done, place in a bowl and serve tomato vegetable mix on top.

  Link to original recipe:  http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe_details.asp?nutrition_id=48249256

Mamo's butternut squash soup

3 squash peel and cube
1 onion, chopped
Sauté onion about 5 min.
Add garlic
1 tsp. cinnamon or nutmeg or both
Add squash and 4 cups veggie broth
Cook on high until it boils
Simmer 25 min.
Purée in processor
Add 2 tablespoons maple syrup
Add salt and pepper to taste

Potato Leek Soup

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 yellow onion
2 cloves garlic
1 large leek
4 cups (1-1/3 pounds) red potatoes
6 cups vegetable broth
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1. Heat olive oil in saucepan over medium heat.
2. Finely chop onion and garlic and sauté for a few minutes.
3. Cut leek into thin slices, from the base to about halfway up the leaves. Chop the potatoes into small pieces.
4. Once the onions have sautéed, add potatoes, leek, broth, and pepper to the saucepan.
5. Bring to boil and then simmer, covered, for 15 minutes.
6. Mash up the potatoes a bit with a fork or by slicing through with a knife before serving.


Prep: 5 minutes (this takes longer for me...guess I'm a slow chopper!)
Cooking: 25 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 6 cups

From Eating Gluten Free by Shreve Stockton

Sweet Potato and Cauliflower Soup

Yields 6-8 servings

1 large head cauliflower (cut into bite-sized pieces)
olive oil spray
3 large sweet potatoes (peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes)
1 medium sweet onion (peeled and diced)
2 large cloves garlic (peeled & chopped) (I used an extra one because I love garlic)
7 cups water
1/2 teaspoon sea salt (I used a bit more - season to taste)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Place cauliflower on an ungreased cookie sheet and lightly spray with olive oil.
3. Roast for about 20-30 minutes or until the cauliflower bits turn golden brown and tender but not mushy.
4. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
5. Place sweet potatoes, onion, garlic, and water into a large pot and bring to a rapid boil.
6. Add salt and stir thoroughly.
7. Cover the pot, lower the heat, and allow to simmer until potatoes are tender but not mushy.
8. Add roasted cauliflower and let soup cool for a while.
9. Transfer half the soup to a high-speed blender and blend until you obtain a smooth mixture.
10. Combine mixture from blender with rest of soup in pot and stir thoroughly.
11. Add black pepper.
12. You may reheat the soup or serve it chilled.

NOTES:  I also added nutritional yeast, just because I love it.  You may want to add more salt or pepper depending on your tastes (or any other seasonings).  I used an immersion blender so saved myself the step of transferring to a blender. 

Leek and Sweet Potato Bisque

Ingredients:

• 3 medium sweet potatoes (about 2 1/4 pounds)
• 3 large leeks, white and light green parts only
• 6 cups almond milk, divided
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger

Directions:

1. Wash sweet potatoes and poke each a few times with a knife.
2. Wrap each potato in foil and bake at 350F for 1 - 1 1/2 hours, or until tender.  Alternatively, you can cut each sweet potato in half and arrange in a single layer in a large microwave-safe casserole dish.  Add a thin layer of water to the bottom, cover, and microwave for 16-18 minutes, or until tender, turning them over halfway through cooking.  
3. While sweet potatoes are cooking, cut the base and green top off each leek.  Slice the leeks lengthwise and rinse throughly.  Then, slice leeks across the grain into half-inch semicircles.
4. In a large pot over medium heat, cook leeks, covered, for 5 minutes, stirring every minute or so.  If leeks begin to stick, add a little water.
5. Reduce heat to low and continue cooking leeks, covered, for another 20 minutes.  Stir every 2-3 minutes and add a little water (1-2 tbsp) as needed to prevent sticking.
6. Remove pot from the heat and scoop flesh from sweet potatoes (no skin) into the pot with the leeks.
7. Add 4 cups almond milk, salt, nutmeg, and ginger to the pot. Blend until smooth using an immersion blender.  Add the other 2 cups of almond milk and stir.
8. Warm over low heat if needed, stirring continuously.  Serve hot with a sprinkle of nutmeg, if desired.

Prep time: 50 minutes

Serves: 6-8

Savory Mushroom Soup

Ingredients:

• 2 cartons organic vegetable broth
• 2 cups onion, chopped*
• 1 cup celery, thinly sliced*
• 1 cup leeks, chopped*
• 5 oz shiitake mushrooms, sliced
• 8 oz baby bella mushrooms, sliced
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp salt
• 2 tbsp sesame oil
• 4 tbsp cornstarch
• 1/4 cup water
• Optional: 1 cup green onions, chopped (for garnish)

Directions:

1. Add broth, onion, celery, leeks, mushrooms, soy sauce, salt, and sesame oil to a large pot.  Cook on medium-high for 10 minutes, or until boiling.
2. Combine cornstarch and water in a small bowl.  Stir mixture into soup.
3. Cook 3-4 minutes until soup is slightly thickened.  If desired, garnish with green onions.

*These ingredients can be bought pre-chopped from Wegmans.

Makes: 11 cups

Total Time: 20 minutes

Calories: 70 per serving

Recipe source: Wegmans

Vegan "Beef" Stew

1 lb. cooked seitan, cut into 1-inch cubes (or use tofu cut into cubes and then either fry or bake before putting them in stew)
3 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 medium-sized onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
4 cups vegetable broth
1 14-oz. can tomatoes (I usually use fire-roasted diced)
1 Tbsp. vegan Worcestershire sauce (I need to use vegan and GF one)
2 small bay leaves
2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
6 carrots, julienned
3 potatoes, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 10-oz. pkg frozen green beans
1 10 oz. pkg frozen corn
2 Tbsp. cornstarch, dissolved in a small amount of water


1.  Saute the seitan (or tofu) in 2 Tbsp. of oil over medium-high heat until pieces begin to brown.  Remove from heat.

2.  In a large pot, add remaining tablespoon of oil, the onion, and the garlic and saute until the onions are translucent.  Add broth, tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, bay leaves, salt and pepper.  Simmer for 1 hour.

3.  Add carrots, potatoes, green beans, and corn.  Cook for another 30 minutes and then thicken with the cornstarch mixture.  Let simmer additional 5 minutes.

Makes 6 servings (except in my house where this is devoured by the 4 of us in no time).

(Easy to make, especially if you buy the onion already chopped and carrots already julienned)

Lentil and Barley Stew

Prep:  50 Minutes  Cook:  40 minutes  Makes:  4 servings

2 tablespoons each:  vegan "butter", extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
1 can (28 oz.) crushed tomatoes
2 cups water
1/2 cup dried lentils
1/3 cup pearled barley
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon dried rosemary (sometimes use oregano)
Freshly ground pepper
1 large carrot, peeled, shredded

1.  Heat butter and oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat.  Add onion; cook, stirring until tender, 3-5 minutes.  Add celery; cook until softened, 5 minutes.

2.  Add tomatoes, water, lentils, barley, salt, rosemary, and pepper to taste.  Heat to boil; reduce heat to simmer.  Cover; simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the barley and lentils are almost tender, 25 minutes.  Add carrot; cook until the barley and lentils are tender, 5 minutes.

Nutrition Information
Per serving:  330 calories, 14 gm fat, 5 gm sat. fat, 15 mg cholestorol, 46 gm carbohydrates, 12 gm protein, 601 mg sodium, 13 gm fiber

"Creamy" White Bean Soup

Ingredients (use vegan versions):

    2 tablespoons olive oil (or enough to saute) - or use veggie broth to saute
    1 medium yellow onion, chopped
    4 medium carrots, sliced
    3 small celery ribs, sliced
    5 garlic cloves
    1-2 tablespoons dried basil or oregano
    4 cups vegetable broth
    2 (15-ounce) cans white beans
    1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
    1 cup kale, chopped  (I use A LOT more)
    salt, to taste (optional)
    pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. In a pot over medium-high heat, heat olive oil, then add the onion, carrots, celery, garlic, and basil; saute until the onion is translucent.

2. Add the broth, beans, and nutritional yeast; increase heat to high and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer 20 minutes, or until the carrots are soft.

3. Turn off heat and blend with stick blender. If using a regular blender, blend soup then return to pot. (The blended beans is where the "creamy" comes in. I leave some soup unblended to add texture. To use a regular blender, let the soup cool some and then transfer a portion of the soup to the blender. Be careful and don't add to much to the blender because you might get burned from it splashing up!)

4. Add kale and turn back on the heat for 4 minutes.

5. SERVE! Season with salt and pepper.

I always double this recipe as it goes quickly in this house.

Source of recipe: modified from multiple recipes I saw online.

Makes: 3 to 5 servings, Preparation time: 10 minutes, Cooking time: 30 minutes