White Bean and Orzo Soup with Fresh Italian Herbs

This past year, two of my very close girlfriends have been undergoing breast cancer treatment. As a survivor myself, I know how hard it is to ask for help. It is also difficult to keep up with all of the doctors' appointments, keep your energy up and take care of everyday life. It's hard to know what to do to help. One thing I know I can always do is make some healthy eats for them.

My friend who was just diagnosed has always been crazy about my soups, so much so, that she suggested I start my own line of healing soups. I thought that was pretty darn cute of her. But she is one to always find new business propositions. The challenge I have when creating recipes for her is that she is allergic to garlic. I adore garlic and rarely make anything savory without it. It is such a great flavoring agent and nothing is quite the same.

To offset the lack of garlic, I decided to ramp up the flavor with robust fresh herbs. This soup is loaded with nutrient dense vegetables. Great white Northern beans provide protein and additional fiber. The fresh tomatoes and roasted red peppers boost the vitamin content and add lovely color and flavor to the soup. Caramelized onions lend a hint of sweetness. This is a meal in a bowl. Serve with a nice crusty Italian bread and a simple green salad if you are very hungry.

Today at the farmers' market had some absolutely beautiful tomatoes (I love this time of year in AZ).

We have some wonderful red Russian kale coming out of the garden, so that became part of the mix.

I also grabbed some fresh thyme and oregano from our herb garden. I bought some fresh basil for another recipes that didn't happen this week, so I really had some great stuff to start with!

White Bean and Orzo Soup with Fresh Italian Herbs

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 large onion, halved and thinly sliced, approx. 3 cups

1 tablespoon brown sugar

3/4 teaspoon salt, divided

2 large tomatoes, 1/2 inch dice

3 roasted red peppers (I used jarred this time), 1/2 inch dice

1/3 cup tightly packed fresh Italian parsley, chopped fine

1/4 cup tightly packed fresh oregano leaves, chopped fine

1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves

1/2 fresh cracked pepper

6 cups vegetable stock

1 - 14.5 oz can Great Northern beans, liquid included

1/2 cup dry orzo

1 bunch kale chopped into small pieces

2 oz fresh basil leaves, chiffonade

In a 6 quart heavy bottomed saucepan or stockpot over medium low heat, add olive oil, onions, brown sugar and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Saute onions until they are just turning golden and slightly caramelized, stirring occasionally. This may take a little bit of time, but it is worth the wait to coax out the sweetness of the onions. This will give you time to chop your fresh herbs. 

Add diced tomatoes, roasted red peppers, oregano, thyme, black pepper and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Raise heat to medium. Simmer until tomatoes just soften and liquid is almost gone, about 5-7 minutes.

Add vegetable stock and let simmer for 15 minutes. Add white beans, orzo and kale. Simmer for 15 more minutes until orzo and kale are both tender. Remove from heat and add basil. Let sit for 10 minutes. This will allow the basil to release it's flavor. Garnish with fresh basil leaves if desired.

Robin Robertson's 1000 Vegan Recipes - Curried Butternut and Red Lentil Soup with Chard

This week I was craving colorful anti-oxidant full healthy chow. I had gotten some beautiful chard from Horny Toad Farms this week and some sweet little butternut squash. I rifled through my ever expanding cookbook selection and grabbed 1000 Vegan Recipes by Robin Robertson. I know with a volume that big, I was sure to find something perfect for what I was craving. It was a good call.

I love Robin's books and this one is not exception. If you are not a cook book junkie like me, this is a great book to have as it has such a huge variety of recipes. She is the queen of easy and quick vegan deliciousness. The only down side to this book is there aren't any pictures. I haven't made a lot from this one yet, but after this delicious soup, I am wondering why?

Grab a spoon and prepare to feel the glow of colorful veggies and deliciousness.

Curried Butternut and Red Lentil Soup with Chard
from 1000 Vegan Recipes by Robin Robertson
John Wiley & Sons, Inc. (publisher)

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium butternut squash, peeled and diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 tablespoon hot or mild curry powder
1 - 14.5 oz can crushed tomatoes (I used fire roasted)
1 cup red lentils, picked over, rinsed, and drained
5 cups vegetable broth
salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 cups chopped stemmed Swiss chard (I used about 5 cups)

In a large soup pot, heal the oil over medium heat. Add the onion, squash and garlic. Cover and cook until softened, about 10 minutes.

Stir in the ginger and curry powder, then add the tomatoes, lentils, broth and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, until the lentils and vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally, about 45 minutes.

About 15 minutes before serving, stir in the chard. Taste, adjusting seasonings if necessary, and serve.

Garlic Fest in My Soup

Man did the farmers market have such a nice variety of goodies this week. The greens were out of this world. I had a huge bunch of kale that was screaming to be used. I thought about kale chips, I though about just sauteing them up. But I just wasn't feeling it. I love the cooler days of winter...soup weather, so that's what I decided to do.

I wanted a lot of flavor and not a lot of ingredients. Something really tasty and special but not overly complicated. Something anyone could make on a weeknight. Now I have to tell you no vampires will come near you after this one! My house is still full of the beautiful smell of garlic. I had some leftover butternut squash and the kale both from Horny Toad Farms. The earthy mushrooms and thyme combine with garlic and marsala give this soup a very special flavor.

Garlic Wonder Soup

Makes 6 servings

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small white onion, roughly chopped
10 large cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/3 cup marsala wine (not sweet)
1 cup butternut squash, 1/2 inch dice
4 cups vegetable broth
1 bay leaf
4 oz cremini mushrooms, sliced
1/2 pound kale, ribs removed chopped, about 2 1/2 cups after ribs are removed
1 can navy beans with liquid

In a 4 quart heavy bottomed pot over medium heat, saute onion, until slightly golden, about 7 minutes. Add garlic and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in thyme, black pepper and salt and saute for another minute. Pour in marsala wine to deglaze pan, scraping any bits off the bottom of the pot. Saute for another minute or two until liquid is reduced by half. Reduce heat to low. Add cubed butternut squash and saute until it is just starting to slightly caramelize, about 3-5 minutes. Add vegetable broth and bay leaf. Increase heat and bring to a boil. Turn heat back down to medium low and simmer for about 10 minutes, or until butternut squash is al dente. Add mushrooms and simmer for 5-10 more minute until mushrooms and butternut squash are soft. Add kale and simmer for about 5 more minutes. Add navy beans with their liquid and simmer until they are heated through. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve with crusty bread and feel the wonder! Oh yes and don't forget to brush your teeth after :)

Vegan MOFO - Day 28 - Dorothy's "Beef" and Barley Soup

My friend Dana sent me several recipes to convert. I may not get them done before the end of MOFO, but I plan on continuing my conversions after this month. This has been so much fun.

She sent what I am assuming is a recipe from her friend Dorothy. I did have to take a few liberties with the original recipe to make it work with seitan rather than beef. I made Tami Noyes' Beefy Seitan recipe which will be published in her upcoming book, Vegan American Kitchen. I am privvy to this recipe because I was lucky enough to test for her. Get your hands on this book when it comes out. The recipes are fun and will remind you of down home midwestern cookin'. Seitan does not need to cook forever like beef to be tender. This takes a lot of time off the cooking time. The original recipe called for an egg to make what is called an egg rivel. This is similar to the egg in egg drop soup. I used Mori-nu silken organic tofu and grated it though a large holed cheese grater to create a similar effect.

Dorothy's "Beef" and Barley Soup


8 servings

1 lb beefy seitan diced to about 1/4 inch dice
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 large carrots, diced small (1 1/4 cup)
1 1/2 stalks celery, diced small (1/2 cup)
1/2 medium onion, diced small (1/4 cup)
2 tablespoons dried parsley
1/4 teaspoon pepper
4 cups "beefy broth" or water (or combination)*
1/2 cup cooked barley
8 oz can of tomato sauce
Salt to taste (amount will depend on the saltiness of broth used)
1/2 package Mori-nu Soft Silken Tofu

Brown beefy seitan in olive oil. Add carrots, celery, and onion and saute until slightly softened, about 5-10 minutes. If it gets too dry, add 1 tablespoon of broth. Add parsley and pepper and saute for another minute. Pour in broth, barley, and tomato sauce and simmer for 30-40 minutes. Just before serving, grate tofu through large holed grater for garnish. Serve immediately. This can be frozen or refrigerated. To reheat you may have to add water as it will thicken a bit as it sits.

*If you make your own seitan using a simmering method, I recommend using the simmering broth from the seitan here. It gives a wonderful richness to the soup.

Vegan MOFO - Day 22 - Tortilla Soup

The recipe for easy Chicken Tortilla Soup has been traveling around the internet for a long time. The original versions were designed to be an easy, quick, out of the can experience. This is why my girlfrend Piot and my sister serve this one when they have a bunch of hungry teenagers hanging around the house.

This one requires a bit more work than opening cans, but is still easy to whip together. The cans of chicken in the original are replaced by re-hydrated soy curls. The ranch style beans in the black can (which contain animal fat) are replaced by Heinz brand vegetarian beans. There is a suggestion for making your own spice blend if you cant find that brand at the end of the recipe. The original suggests using Rotel Mexican style tomatoes and diced tomatoes with green chili, which you sure can use. I prefer Muir Glen organic small diced tomatoes with chipotle. I have a confession to make. While I do enjoy making my own vegetable stock on occassion, it takes time and space that I don't always have. I often use Better than Bullion vegan bases rather than making my own stock. They are so convenient and the flavors are very good. They make an excellent organic vegetable version. In this conversion I used the chicken version pictured below.


Tortilla Soup


Make 14 servings

2 cups Butler Soy Curls
1 1/2 cups hot vegetable broth (chicken style)
1 tablespoon canola oil
4 cups chicken style vegetable broth (total using liquid from re-hydrating soy curls)
2 cups cream of mushroom soup (condensed version)
2 cans Heinz Vegetarian beans*
2 cans Muir Glen small diced tomatoes with chipotle
1 small can diced green chilis (optional)

Pour hot 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth over soy curls. Let sit for 10 minutes to re-hydrate. Drain liquid and reserve. In large soup pot heat canola oil over medium heat adding the soy curls to brown*. Once browned add remaining ingredients. Bring to simmering and simmer for 15 minutes.

Serve garnished with limes, salsa, tortilla strips, sour cream, and/or vegan cheese (all optional).

If you cannot find the Heinz beans Add the following seasoning mix when browning the soy curls:
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder

Also add:

2 teaspoons white vinegar.

Vegan MOFO Day 17 - Iron Chef - Spicy Sour Soup

This week's iron chef challenge ingredients were lemon and ginger. I have a cold this week, so these ingredients were just what the doctor ordered. The citrus of the lemon coupled with the anti-oxidant power of ginger should get me well on the road to recovery. I was craving a healing, soothing, spicy soup to knock out the nasty germies that are invading.

I have to be honest, this one was truly "iron". I wanted to make something tonight and had no idea what I had to work with. We have let many lovely veggies go bad this week. I scoured the fridge and the pantry and came up with this kind of fiery, flavorful, yet simple soup.

Spicy Sour Soup

8 Servings

1 package extra firm tofu, pressed for an hour or longer
3 tablespoons peanut oil, divided
1 medium onion, finely diced
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon minced ginger
3 hot red Thai chiles, finely minced
1/4 teaspoon five spice powder
1 cup snow peas
3 cups rich vegetable stock
8 oz. package cremini mushrooms
Juice of 1 lemon (approx 2 tablespoons)
1 cup water
2 tablespoons red miso
1 14 oz can light coconut milk

In a 10 inch iron skillet heat 2 tablespoons peanut oil over med-high heat. Dice the pressed tofu into 1/2 inch cubes. Saute tofu cubes in oil until browned and slightly crisp, stirring occassionally.

While tofu is browning, add remaining oil to large soup pot. Over medium heat saute onions, garlic, and ginger until onions start to soften. Add Thai chiles and saute for another 2 minutes. Add snow peas and 5 spice powder and saute for 3 more minutes. Deglaze with mirin. Add vegetable stock and heat to boiling. Reduce to simmering and add thinly sliced mushrooms. When mushrooms are slightly soft, 5-10 minutes, add lemon juice and stir. Make sure the broth does not come back to a boil. Dissolve miso in water. Add this mixture and coconut milk to soup pot. Stir in Sriracha (if you like it really hot add more to taste). Let simmer without boiling for about 5 more minutes so that flavors will come out. By this time the tofu should be nicely browned. Stir browned tofu into soup. Ladle and serve.

Vegan MOFO - Day 3 - MMmm MMmm Cream of Mushroom Soup

I'm pretty certain most of the people who grew up in the US in the last few decades have a family recipe that included the famous red and white can of Cream of Mushroom Soup. Over the years this pantry staple has shown up on millions of Thanksgiving tables as part of the ever-popular green bean casserole. A dear friend of mine uses it in her cheezy potato dish - which I plan on veganizing later this month. My mom used to make a giant pan of pork chops and simmer them in cream of mushroom soup. It made them fall-off-the-bone (I know gross) tender. Fred made some type of tuna concoction with it. This was the experiment that failed miserably for me the other day. I'm hoping that with this creation, I can perfect that dish and re-claim my kitchen dignity.

I don't want to break my arm patting myself on the back, but this was teh bomb. It was darn close to the original. The parsley makes it look slightly different, but the flavor is just about spot on. I'm still doing my Biggest Loser Challenge, so sadly I only had a little taste. I don't know how long I can hold out. I may just need to hit the gym for an extra hour or two this week.

Without further ado, I bring you:

MMmm MMmm Cream of Mushroom Soup

6 - 1 cup Servings

2 Tablespoon Earth Balance or canola oil (Earth Balance will give a richer flavor)
1 medium onion, diced fine
1 stalk celery, diced fine
2 cloves garlic minced
8 oz sliced white or cremini mushrooms
1 Tablespoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
½ teaspoon thyme
¼ teaspoon white pepper
Pinch nutmeg
¼ cup all purpose flour
(if you like your soup thicker use 1/3 cup)
(if you are substituting in a recipe that calls for condensed undiluted, use 2/3 cup)
3 cups vegetable broth, hot
1 cup soy creamer

Fresh parsley for garnish (optional)

In a 2 quart sauce pan heat Earth Balance or canola oil and add onion, celery, and garlic. Sauté until softened, about 5 minutes. Add sliced mushrooms and cook until liquid is released, about 5-10 minutes. Make sure there is still a bit of liquid from the mushrooms. Add dried spices mixing thoroughly. Sauté for about another minute, until herbs are fragrant. Stir in flour and cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly, adding a small amount of the broth if needed. Slowly pour in hot vegetable broth, whisking frequently. Bring to a simmer. Simmer for 20 minutes until thickened. At this point you can use an immersion blender to puree if you like a smoother soup before adding soy creamer. Add soy creamer and simmer for 5 more minutes being careful not to boil.

**If you use this recipe for blogging or posting, I just ask that you make sure to link to this post.

Vegan MOFO Day 27 - Soup's on!

Quite some time ago, I was at a restaurant and had this incredible soup. It was a cream of mushroom with green chiles. It has haunted my dreams ever since. I could not stop thinking about the intermingling of the robust mushrooms and the spicy chiles. The original version was chock full of heavy cream and butter. I wanted my own veganized version to enjoy. I thawed out my hatch green chiles and got to creating. When the soup was finished, it just seemed like it was missing something. I threw in 1/2 teaspoon of cumin and it was magic. This is a perfect soup to enjoy now that the weather is cooling off.

Hatch Green Chile and Mushroom Bisque

6 servings

1 Tablespoon canola oil
1 medium onion, diced fine
1 stalk celery, diced fine
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup cilantro leaves gently packed
4 roasted and peeled hatch chilis with seeds
1 teaspoon mexican oregano
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon hot chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
5 Tablespoons flour
1/4 cup dry sherry
4 cups hot vegetable broth or stock
8 oz package of cremini mushrooms, sliced
2 bay leaves
1 cup soy creamer
juice of 1/2 small lemon
2 teaspoons vegan Worcestershire Sauce

Heat oil in large heavy bottomed pot. Saute onions, celery, and garlic until onions are transluscent. Add cilantro and chiles and saute for 2 more minutes. Add oregano through cumin and saute until liquid is almost gone. Stir in flour until incorporated. Deglaze with sherry. Add hot stock, sliced mushrooms, and bay leaves. Simmer on low heat for 20-30 minutes. Stir in soy creamer, lemon, and Worcestershire and simmer for 10 more minutes on very low heat, do not boil. Serve with cilanto leaves as garnish (optional)

If you want to make this a more hearty soup for a meal, add one can of drained and rinsed black beans. This will up the protein content and fill you right up.

I heated this up for lunch today. It is even better after sitting overnight. I hope you love it as much as I do!