White Bean & Black Rice Soup with Kale

My friend Linda gave me a recipe recently for Chickpea & Rice Soup With a Little Kale.  I made it this weekend for our lunches and dinners this week with some white beans I had on hand and black forbidden rice. That's why mine came out more like a brown sauce stew than soup.  I thickened it with the cashews creme and it came out very nice.  It's a nice hearty stew that will warm the bones in the cold weather this week.  This recipe can be made with just about any beans and your favorite brown rice.

Here's the recipe the way I made it.

White Bean & Black Rice Soup with Kale

I cooked 1 cup and a half of white great northern beans that I soaked for about six hours in a quart of low sodium vegetable broth.  I cooked them until tender and the liquid was most absorbed.  Canned beans may be used - 1 24 ounce can white beans drained and rinsed.

3/4 cup cashews, soaked in 2 hours or overnight
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
3/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon salt
Fresh ground black pepper
3/4 cup forbidden rice
3 ribs celery, thinly sliced
1 cup carrots, diced chunky
5 cups vegetable broth (may need more depending on the desired consistency)

Thinly sliced green onion for garnish

Drain the cashews and place them in a blender with one cup of fresh filtered water.  Blend until completely smooth, scraping the sides of the food processor or blender.

In a large soup pot saute onion in a couple tablespoons water, adding 1 tablespoon at a time to keep from sticking to the pot until translucent.  Add garlic, rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper and saute a couple minutes more.

Add rice, celery, and carrots and then pour in the broth.  Cover and bring to a boil.  Once boiling, bring down to a simmer, add the beans, and let cook for about 20 - 25 minutes until rice is cooked and carrots are tender.

Add the cashew creme and kale, and simmer until kale is wilted, 3 to 5 minutes more.  You may need to add more vegetable broth or water to the soup if it seems to thick.  Serve topped with sliced green onions.

Raw Butternut Squash Soup

This is a variation of the Carrot-Ginger soup in Vegan Fusion's The Complete Idiot's Guide to Eating Raw.  I had a butternut squash that I've been wanting to make into soup for a couple weeks now.  It's the last one from our garden last year.  I peeled it, chopped it, and pureed it in the blender with some filtered water to make a thick juice.  It came out very tasty and my blender on the soup setting blends it fast enough to come out steaming and warm.  It can be eaten warm or cold. It's got great flavor and fits into my green smoothie 'clean up'.

Raw Butternut Squash Soup

4 cups butternut squash puree, pure the squash with filtered water to almost a juice, a cup or more
1/4 cup cashews
1/4 cup pine nuts
1 small avocado, mashed
2 TB ginger, minced
2 tsp. Shoyu
Juice from one lemon, I used a Meyer lemon, very nice!
1/2 tsp. curry powder
1/4 tsp. dry dill
Pinch cayenne
Pinch sea salt
Pinch freshly ground black pepper

Place 1 cup butternut squash 'juice', nuts, and avocado in a blender, and blend on high speed for 20 seconds or until mixture is smooth.

Add ginger, shoyu, lemon juice, curry powder, dill, cayenne, salt, and pepper and blend on low to medium speed for 15 to 20 seconds.  Slowly adding remaining squash 'juice' through the top while blending on low.  I used the soup setting on my Blendtec which blends it for a minute and a half at high speed.  The soup warms up, but it doesn't cook. 

I used fresh beet pure, fresh beet julienne strips, a little cilantro, and chopped scallions for a garnish.

Winter Squash Soup with Roasted Beets

It's finally here, the rain, the can't see in front of your face while driving kind of rain.  I worked up north for a bit today.  It was a nice ride up towards Olympia.  The rain on the way up wasn't so bad.  It was raining, but with sunshine breaks.  On the way home was a different story, I was praying out loud for a few more sun breaks.  The rain was coming down hard and it was a busy time with huge trucks on either side of me the whole way.  Just as I'd pass one another would join me spraying more water than I needed on my windshield. I only had about a 45 minute drive on the freeway, but it seemed like longer today.

I didn't work my usual daily schedule. I had to get on the road north by noon so I ate a small salad around 11:30. I didn't plan my food well and didn't bring anything to snack on in the afternoon. I was very hungry on the way home as well.  I didn't want to stop though.  Even though I wanted to get out of the weather, it didn't seem like it was going to get any better waiting it out. I would be home soon and there's plenty of 'good' whole foods to eat there. I thought about the little winter squash that looked like little pumpkins I roasted Saturday.  I also remembered I roasted three large beets last night.  I bought them Saturday and didn't use them right away.  If I roast them, they were more likely to get eaten.  Oh I'm so glad I did.

I made it to the house around 6:15 p.m., changed my clothes and proceeded to the fridge where my roasted roots and squash were waiting.  I chopped a red onion and about three stalks of celery, sliced two small jalapenos from the garden, and minced a couple cloves of garlic.  I sauteed them all in a soup pot with about 1 tablespoon coconut oil.  I added sea salt and fresh thyme to the mixture. While they were sauteing, I took the skins off the squash and placed them in the blender and diced the roasted beets. I added about 2 cups organic soup stock and half the tender onions and celery and blended until smooth.  I poured the mixture in the soup pot and added about 2 more cups soup stock and the diced roasted beets. I let that all simmer together for about five minutes. I was pretty happy to see that dinner was ready and it was 7:00.  I think I made this soup in about 20 minutes or less. 

Simple Vegetable Soup & Raw Chocolate Raspberry Pie

I just did the basics last week, pot 'o black beans, a big salad, a simple vegetable soup, and a raw chocolate raspberry pie. I am lucky enough to still have a few berries in the freezer from last summer.

Vegetable Soup: broccoli, carrots, red onions, sweet peppers, garlic, Jerulsalem artichokes, and brown rice.

Raw Chocolate Raspberry Pie

Crust - Raw Almonds,  Med Jul Dates, coconut flakes
Filling - raspberries, coconut butter (pureed coconut flakes), organic cocoa powder, and agave.
Topping - Cashew Coconut Creme

Chana Dal

I've made it a habit to cruise through the local liquidation stores for some of the items I use to cook with.  There's often some great deals on organic and unusual ingredients I like to use.  I always check for coconut milk, I've found it as low as $1 a can.  Lately they've had the low sodium vegetable broth I like to use for 50¢ a carton.  I bought a whole case of those. I'm usually pleased when they are 2 for $5 at the grocery store. I use the vegetable broth pretty regularly.

I picked up a big bag of Chana Dal at the liquidator store the other day which prompted me to make a nice pot of Chana Dal. Chana Dal is a smaller chickpea called desi and the variety that is used most often is called Myles. It resembles a yellow split pea, but is no relation to a pea other than being a legume. I made it twice this weekend.  I made a batch yesterday morning and my husband must have really liked it.  We came home late from a show in Portland last night. I thought I'd have a late night snack when we got home. I looked for it and found that he had eaten the whole pot I made before we had left.  I made another this morning, it is an easy dish and very nutritious. I am impressed with nutrients in this little legume per serving: 21 grams protein, 22 grams fiber, only 6 grams of fat, and no cholesterol.

Chana Dal

    * 1 c. chana dal
    * 7 c. water
    * 1 t. salt
    * 1/4 t. each cayenne, turmeric powder, cumin powder, coriander powder
    * 1 T. tamarind pulp (or 1 T. lemon juice & 1 t. sugar)
    * 1 T. vegetable oil
    * 1/4 t. black mustard seeds
    * 1 clove garlic, chopped
    * Coconut Creme from one can of coconut milk

Measure the dal into a bowl and sort through it to remove any unskinned (dark) dal, small stones or other debris. Soak the chana dal in 4 c. water for 2-3 hours, then wash under running water and drain.
 
Bring 3 c. water and the salt to boil in a medium-size pot. Add the chana dal and wait for the water to begin its second boil, then cover the pot and cook over medium-to-low eat for 30 min. At this time, remove the cover and stir up the dal. To the open pot add the cayenne, turmeric, cumin, coriander and the tamarind pulp (skin & seeds removed). Stir well and allow to simmer uncovered while you prepare the next step.

In a separate small pot or frying pan, heat the vegetable oil over low heat and add the mustard seeds and chopped garlic to it. When the oil gets hot, the mustard seeds will begin to pop (really. and they may spatter a bit.). When they have ceased popping, add the oil mixture to the simmering pot of dal.

Immediately cover the pot and keep covered for 2 min. while the dal continues to simmer. Then remove the cover and stir once with a spoon to mix in the new ingredients. Cook uncovered for another 5 min. and the dal is ready to be served with rice or bread.

Taste to correct seasoning  This dal is fairly thick in consistency.  I added the cream from one can of coconut milk at the end of the cooking to make it a creamy soup.

Chana Dal Spices: Turmeric, Coriander, Cayenne, Cumin, Garlic Cloves, Black Mustard Seed

Mango & Carrot Soup

This couldn't be easier, just a few ingredients, carrots, an onion, a mango, and some coconut milk. The recipe calls for water and a bullion cube, but I used low sodium vegetable broth.

Mango & Carrot Soup

   from:  Vegalicious Recipes

Ingredients:

* 1 medium onion, chopped
* 1 ripe mango peeled and chopped
* 1 lb. carrots (about 3-4 medium), peeled and chopped
* 1 tablespoon olive oil
* 1 teaspoon mild curry powder
* 3 cups water
* 1 vegetable bouillon cube (I used low sodium vegetable broth)
* 6-8 tablespoons coconut milk (non-sweetened)
* lemon juice
* parsley or coriander as garnish, chopped

Directions:

1. Peel and chop the onion.
2. Peel and chop the carrots.
3. Heat the oil in a large soup pot.
4. Add the onions and saute until soft and glassy.
5. Add the carrots and saute the carrots for a few minutes, but don’t let the onion brown.
6. Add the water, the bouillon cube, the curry and bring the soup to a boil.
7. Cook the soup until the carrots have softened.
8. Cut and peel the mango.
9. Put 3/4 of the mango in the soup to cook, holding out a about 1/4 to use as chunks and garnish.
10. When the carrots are soft, puree the soup. I used an immersion blender.
11. Add the coconut milk and a splash of lemon juice.
12. Puree once more to mix well.
13. Season to taste with salt and pepper and possibly additional curry as desired.
14. Serve the soup garnished with a few pieces of chopped mango and either chopped coriander or parsley.

I served it with a winter squash bowl of red beans

Creamy Butternut Squash with Curry Soup

My husband picked up a couple medium butternut squash today.  I saw a pot of soup right away.  Such a warm creamy meal for a rainy day at home.  At first I thought I put a little too much ground pepper in the soup, but it gave it nice flavor.  It was just the right amount of spicy heat. It's Pretty simple.

Creamy Butternut Squash with Curry Soup

1 medium peeled and seeded a butternut squash and cut it into 2 x 2 chunks. 
3 carrots peeled and cut into large slices, about 2 inches long.
1 large onion, rough chopped,
about 4 cloves of garlic chopped,
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper.
4 cups low sodium vegetable broth
2 cups filtered water
2-3 tsp curry, or to taste

I placed all of this in a large pot and brought to a boil.  Then, I lowered the heat and simmered until the vegetables were tender, about 15-20 minutes.  I scooped the vegetables out and placed them in the blender with 1 can of coconut milk.  Blended that all until smooth and then put it back in the pot with the broth. I stirred that all together until incorporated and then added about 2-3 teaspoons curry. I put some diced red bell pepper in the bottom of the bowl for some added flavor and crunch.

I made some hot water corn bread to go with it.  This is a recipe out of the 10th Anniversary issue of VegNews Magazine.  (One of my favorite sources for vegan ideas and recipes.)

Hot Water Cornbread

1 cup cornmeal
11/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon flaxseed meal
1 cup boiling water
1 tablespoon coconut oil
2 tablespoons agave
2 teaspoons olive oil

In a large bowl, mix together cornmeal, baking powder, salt, and flaxseed meal. To the dry mixture, add the boiling water.  Stir, without overmixing, and add coconut oil and agave. Heat a skillet or large wok, add a thin layer of olive oil to the skillet and spoon batter into the skillet. Cook for 2-3 minutes until brown.  Remove to paper towel to soak up any excess oil, and serve warm.

Vegan Mulligatawny Soup

Mulligatawny Detox Soup from The Gluten Free Goddess

I ran across a nice hearty vegetable soup recipe this morning.  It's from the Gluten Free Goddess It's a vegetable soup full of flavor and warms the insides on a winter day.  I just happened to have all the ingredients on hand and it was a good way to use up some of the vegetables from the meals this week like the roasted yams.  I used those instead of the sweet potatoes in the recipe.  I had a red cabbage hanging around just looking for a home, and some other odds & ends like half an onion, a fresh pepper, and some carrots already diced up.

I served it with some toast lightly brushed with some of my homemade sage and rosemary oil.  The cream cheese on top is an herb cream cheese I made this weekend with blanched raw almonds, miso, and dried herbs from the garden.

Vegan Mulligatawny Detox Soup Recipe

This delectable post-modern version of mulligatawny is deliciously complex. The chick peas give it a boost of protein; the apple gives it a sweet-tart kick. Use organic vegetables for maximum detox. Adjust spices if you prefer a mild soup- cayenne pepper has heat.

1 tablespoon avocado oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 inch fresh ginger, grated
2 teaspoons mild GF organic curry powder
1 teaspoon organic turmeric
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, more or less, to taste
1 medium sweet or red onion, peeled, diced
4 medium carrots, peeled and diced
1 cup cauliflower florets, chopped
2 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and diced
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and diced
2 heaping cups thinly shredded cabbage
1 quart fresh spring water
2 cups organic Super Veggie Juice
1 14-oz. can organic chick peas, drained
A small pinch of sea salt, to taste
1 14-oz. can coconut milk, stirred
Juice from 1 medium lime, or to taste
1-2 teaspoons gluten-free brown rice syrup

For garnish:

Thin apple slices or shredded apple
Chopped fresh cilantro, if desired

For a slow cooker:

Combine all of the ingredients in a slow cooker except the coconut milk, lime juice and brown rice syrup. Cover and cook on high according to your manufacturer's instructions for cooking vegetable soup. When the veggies are tender, add in the coconut milk and lime. Taste test. Add brown syrup to taste. Heat through 15 minutes.

For stove top:

Heat the avocado oil over medium high heat in a medium size soup pot. Add the garlic, ginger, curry, turmeric and cayenne and briefly stir for to season the oil. Add the onion, carrots, cauliflower, apples, sweet potato and cabbage, and sauté until softened, about 7 to 10 minutes.

Stir in the spring water and chick peas; season with a touch of sea salt, if desired. Bring to a boil and reduce heat, cover and simmer the soup, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender, about 20 to 30 minutes.

Add the coconut milk, lime juice and brown rice syrup. Stir well. Taste for seasoning adjustments. Heat through gently; don't boil.

Vegan Creamy Broccoli Soup and Charlie Free "Tuna" Sandwiches

I made some fresh vegetable soup this weekend.  Pretty cool, it's snowing today and all the vegetables in this soup were picked this week.  My local farmer has some green houses and quite a few goodies left in the fields. Good thing too, because what's left out there will probably freeze this week.

I did a creamy broccoli/vegetable soup.  I sauteed diced garlic, onions, carrots, a couple sliced parsnips, and lots of fresh celery including the tops and leaves in a bit of homemade rosemary oil until they were soft.  I added some sea salt, fresh ground pepper, sage, and oregano to the mix while it was cooking.  I added some vegetable stock and let it all simmer and reduce for about 20 minutes.  Then I added filtered water, I'd say about 2 lb of fresh broccoli, and the tops of the celery.  I let that simmer about 20 minutes then transferred about a third of it to my blender and added a small block of firm tofu, about 12 oz. I blended it all together until it was smooth and creamy and added it back to the soup pot.

We made a nice lunch of it along with some Charlie Free "tuna" sandwiches.  I made a mock tuna salad with whole grain tempeh, vegan mayonnaise, celery, red onion, garlic, shoyu, stone ground mustard, some of my zucchini pickles I made this summer, chopped Italian parsley, chopped garlic, and a little balsamic vinegar. Instead of lettuce, I used some raw collard greens. I made them with "Good Seed" bread from Dave's Killer Bread.  Nice Lunch, followed up with some fresh homemade vegan pumpkin pie ice cream.

Pumpkin Curry Soup with a White Pumpkin

I picked up a little white pumpkin this week.  Perfect for a batch of Pumpkin Curry Soup.  I was pleased when my granddaughter said "Oh boy grandpa, we're going to have more pumpkin soup."