Soups

Soup should be simple. And this one is just about the simplest. The title says it all – 3 vegetables plus garlic and herbs and voila! Perfect for an unexpected snow day in the middle of March. Leeks and turnips make an unbelievably flavorful broth.

1 large leek (1 1/2 inches wide and about 14 inches long) or 2 small leeks
5 carrots
1 medium turnip
1 1/2 tablespoons Herbs de Provence (or combination of any of these herbs: basil, marjoram, thyme, parsley, tarragon, rosemary)
4 garlic cloves
8 cups water
Optional: 1/2 teaspoon kelp powder or salt to taste
Optional: 1/3 cup dried mushrooms or 1 cup fresh mushrooms.

1. Slice the leek lengthwise. Open it up and rinse the leaves making sure to remove any dirt. Chop in 1/4 inch wide pieces, both white and dark greens parts.
2. Chop carrots in 1/4 to 1/2 inch wide circles.
3. Peel turnip and cut into 1/2 inch cubes.
4. Mince garlic
5. Put the vegetables and garlic in a large stock pot, cover with a cup of water and cook on medium heat until vegetables are softened, stirring occasionally.
6. Add the remaining water and herbs and, if using, kelp powder and mushrooms. Bring to a boil and then simmer for at least 40 minutes.
7. Adjust seasoning to taste and serve.

For our soup course in our Italian Holiday Menu here is the Risotto Milanese in Saffron Vegetable Broth.

For the risotto:

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice
1 teaspoon saffron threads
3 1/2 cups vegetable stock
2 cups Arborio rice
1/2 cup white wine
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) vegan butter

Heat the vegetable stock in a stock pot, add the saffron, stirring to infuse.
In a 12 to 14-inch skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until softened and translucent but not browned, about 8 to 10 minutes. Once the onions are translucent add the rice and stir with a wooden spoon until toasted and opaque, 3 to 4 minutes.
Add the wine to the toasting rice. Ladle in about 4 to 6 ounces of the saffron-infused stock and cook, stirring, until it is absorbed. Continue adding the stock a ladle at a time, waiting until the liquid is absorbed before adding more. Cook until the rice is tender and creamy and yet still a little al dente, about 15 minutes. Stir in the vegan butter until well mixed.

Soup broth
3 carrots (diced)
3 celery ribs (diced)
2 shallots (minced)
1 Tablespoon olive oil
2 quarts vegetable stock
2 teaspoons saffron threads

In a large pot heat the olive oil and saute the shallots until soft. Add the carrots and celery and continue sauteeing until tender. Add the saffron and saute with the vegetables for a few minutes. Then add the prepared stock and simmer the soup for about 15 minutes until saffron is infused throughout the broth and the vegetables are cooked.

Portion 1/4 cup risotto into 12 warmed soup bowls and ladle the soup over the top. Serve hot.

Corn Chowder is on my list of hearty, comfort foods. The Caraway seeds are essential for the best flavor.

1 package (16 oz) frozen corn or 3 cups corn kernels
2 medium onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 medium potatoes, cut in small cubes (peel if not organic)
1 carrot, cut in small chunks (peel if not organic)
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 tablespoon dried sage
1 tablespoon caraway seeds
1 cup unsweetened non dairy milk
6 cups water
salt to taste

1. In a large soup pot on medium heat, saute the onions and garlic in about 1/2 cup water for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
2. Add in potatoes, carrots, parsley, sage and caraway seeds along with remaining water.
3. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and let cook until potatoes are soft.
4. With an immersion hand blender or regular blender, puree about 2/3 of the soup, so that the soup has a creamy base with some corn, potato and carrot chunks.
5. Add in the non dairy milk. Let soup simmer until ready to serve.

Top with a dollop of REAL nondairy yogurt.

This is probably the easiest soup you’ll ever make and also one of the most satisfying, especially on these cold autumn nights. I find it tastes just like corned beef and cabbage without the corned beef. It’s also great if you add a slab of tempeh while the soup is simmering but it is not necessary. Remember, if the veggies are organic you don’t have to peel them, just make sure they are throughly washed. Serve this soup with your favorite mustard and a good crusty bread.

2 onions (scrubbed and chopped in large pieces)
6 carrots (scrubbed chopped in large pieces)
4 stalks of celery (scrubbed and chopped in large pieces)
4 large potatoes (scrubbed and cut in thirds)
1 head of cabbage (rinsed and chopped in large pieces)
2 quarts of vegetable stock or water
1 cup white wine or water
1 slab (8 oz) tempeh (optional)
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon sweet paprika
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon cardamom
1 teaspoon whole coriander seeds
1 teaspoon salt (optional)
1 teaspoon white pepper
2 teaspoons fennel seeds
2 teaspoons caraway seeds
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Put all of the ingredients in a large stock pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for one hour or until the vegetables are tender. Adjust seasoning to taste. Serve with REAL crusty bread.

Celebrate the harvest in a bowl! This very hearty soup can be enjoyed as a main course or as the perfect starter for your next Italian feast. This recipe is also great for canning because it can easily be doubled, tripled and quadrupled, it all depends on the size of your harvest. We garnish steaming bowls with pistou and a sprinkling of nutritional yeast or you can use your favorite vegan parmesan.

3 to 5 carrots (about 2 cups chopped)
3 to 5 stalks of celery (about 2 cups chopped)
1 large onion
3 cloves of garlic
1 Tablespoon Tuscan Herb mix
pinch of salt and pepper
1 cup red wine (for sautéing)
2 quarts vegetable stock
1 small head of cauliflower (cut into small florets)
1 small head of cabbage (chopped to about 1” pieces)
1 large turnip (cut into bite sized pieces)
2 cups cooked white beans (cannellini, navy, etc.)
1 cup of string beans (cut into 1” pieces)
2 12 oz cans whole tomatoes
1 can of tomato paste
½ pound shell or elbow-shaped pasta (optional)

Wash, scrub vegetables. Peel the turnips. Peel the carrots as well if they aren’t organic. Chop the carrots and celery into bite-sized pieces. Peel and chop the onion. Peel and mince the garlic cloves. Cut cauliflower into small florets. Chop cabbage into 1 inch pieces. Chop the turnip into bite-sized pieces. Cut the string beans into 1 inch pieces.

In a large soup pot (at least 5 quarts) sauté the carrots, celery and onion and herbs in the red wine for about 10 minutes. Then add the vegetable stock, cauliflower, cabbage, turnip, white beans, string beans, tomatoes and tomato paste.

Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 35 to 40 minutes or until the vegetables are tender and the cabbage is thoroughly cooked.

In a separate large pot filled with rapidly boiling water, cook half a pound of your favorite shell or elbow-shaped pasta per package directions for “al dente”.

Meanwhile, bring soup back to a low rolling boil. Once the pasta is done cooking drain, rinse off the starch and add to the boiling soup. Let it cook for an additional three minutes.

Serve with a dollop of basil-garlic pistou and a sprinkling of nutritional yeast.

Citrus is a great way to bring out the flavor in soup. Adding fresh squeezed orange juice to this soup gives a subtle sweetness. Orange you glad?

1 and 1/4 cups Split Toor Dal (yellow pigeon peas)
1 onion coarse chopped, 1/2 inch pieces
3 carrots sliced, 1/4 inch thick (peel only if not organic)
5 celery stalks chopped into 1/4 inch pieces
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons dried basil
2 teaspoons dried parsley
2 teaspoons sage
1 teaspoon mustard powder
1 teaspoon celery seed
1/2 teaspoon kelp powder
1 teaspoon madras curry
1/4 teaspoon allspice
juice of one orange, plus peels if organic
8 cups water
nutritional yeast

Rinse and drain the Dal. Place in a large soup pot. Pour in the water, vegetables, kelp powder, herbs and spices. Stir and mix everything together well. Turn heat to medium high. Cook covered, stirring occasionally until Dal is soft, about 25 to 30 minutes. Stir in orange juice and orange peels. (Peels are to add flavor, and should be removed before serving.) Cook another 5 minutes and serve with a little nutritional yeast.

Summer rain pours down on and off all day long. A great day to stay in and make soup. Lentils, herbs and spices create a satisfying broth without oil or salt. Kelp powder is used in place of salt. It has a salty flavor and natural plant iodine. Enjoy al fresco, like we do on our terrace while we watch the rain fall. Serve with Kasha & Onions.

1 cup red lentils
1 medium leek
4 medium carrots (peel only if not organic)
3 celery stalks
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried dill
2 teaspoons turmeric
1/2 teaspoon Madras curry powder
1/2 teaspoon dried mustard powder
1/2 teaspoon dried kelp powder
8 cups water

1. Slice the leek lengthwise, open up and wash thoroughly. Leeks often have hidden bits of soil between the leaves. Coarse chop the entire leek, white and green parts into 1/2 inch wide pieces.
2. Chop carrots and celery in 1/4 inch wide chunks.
3. In a large stock pot on medium high heat, toast the turmeric and curry powder for about a minute, stirring frequently. Add in all the remaining ingredients – vegetables, lentils, herbs and water. Stir and cover. Let cook, stirring occasionally, until lentils are soft, about 30 minutes. Makes 4 meal-sized bowls of soup or 8 cups.

Here’s a satisfying soup that will excite your taste buds. Balsamic vinegar is the secret ingredient that brings out the flavor instead of salt. Serve this soup with a side of warm corn tortillas and a crisp cool salad. Or serve it cold as a chilled summer soup. Garnish with a squeeze of lime, a dash of nutritional yeast, a slice of avocado or your favorite summer herbs. WARNING: This soup is accompanied by a GIANT KICK of flavor.

About 4 cups of cooked black beans (or two 16 ounce cans salt-free black beans w/ their liquid)
About 4 cups of diced tomatoes with their juice (or two 14.5 ounce cans salt-free tomatoes with their juice)
2 large Italian green peppers (mild)
1 large sweet white onion
1 cup water
1/4 cup Balsamic vinegar

spice mix:
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon smoked jalapeno chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 dash white pepper

Garnish
Squeeze of fresh lime
1/4 cup nutritional yeast

1. Chop the green peppers and onions to 1″ chunks.
2. Heat 1/2 cup of water in a heavy duty sauce pan and allow it to boil.
3. Add the green peppers and onions and saute until they are al dente (about 5 minutes).
4. Add the spices and vinegar and continue cooking for about 3 minutes until the spices are well-incorporated and the liquid is reduced by about half.
5. Add all of the remaining ingredients (except the garnish) and cook for about 30 minutes.
6. Add water to your desired thickness (about an additional half cup).
7. Remove from the heat and let set for about 20 minutes before serving.

Soup may be chilled for several hours (or overnight) and served cold.
Garnish with a squeeze of lime and a dash of nutritional yeast.

Everyone loves noodle-based soups. How about noodles that are made from thinly sliced vegetables instead of overly-processed refined flour? Yes! Broccoli and creamy coconut milk make the base and sauteed onions and peppers are perfect noodles. I was making this soup to serve at another time but couldn’t help myself – I had to sit down and have a bowl right away. It is that good.

1 pound fresh broccoli
2 bell peppers, red, yellow or orange
2 large onions or 3 small
1 teaspoon cumin
8 cups water
1 cup coconut milk

1. Coarse chop the broccoli flowers. The broccoli stems should be cut smaller, into 1/2 inch circles.
2. Peel and slice onion into thin circles, separating the pieces into rings.
3. Remove seeds from peppers, cut of the tops and bottoms and slice the flat portions into thin noodles, about 1/4 inch thick.
4. Place a large skillet on medium high heat. Lightly toast the cumin for about a minute in the dry pan. Add in the onions and dry saute, stirring occasional until the onions are soft, translucent and lightly brown. Add peppers to the onions and cook for about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
5. Pour two cups of water into a large soup pot. Add the broccoli. Cook, covered on medium high heat until broccoli is soft. Remove from heat.
6. Using an immersion blender puree the broccoli and water into a smooth cream. A conventional blender may be used as well. The mixture will be hot – be careful not to splatter. Return puree to the soup pot, add the remaining water and bring to a boil. Once the soup has boiled, turn the heat to low.
7. Stir in the vegetable noodles and the coconut milk, mixing into the soup. Keep on low heat, covered until ready to serve.

I enjoy making and eating Summer Rolls but I am often left with many cracked or broken sheets of rice paper. What to do? Make soup! This is an Asian Fusion vegetable soup. Rice paper has its own unique flavor and holds its own in this soup.

1/4 white onion, chopped fine
6 scallions, chopped fine, separating white and green parts
2 tablespoons minced ginger
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 carrots, cut in 2 inch by 1/4 inch strips
1 cup chopped cilantro
juice of one lemon
1 teaspoon lemongrass powder or about 2 Tablespoons dried lemongrass pieces soaked in water (optional)
8 cups of water
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon dried leeks (parsley may be substituted)
1 teaspoon dried basil
2-3 cups coarsely broken rice paper
2 pinches kelp powder or salt to taste

In a large soup pot over medium heat, coat the bottom with a thin layer of sesame oil. Add in the onions, white part of scallions, garlic and ginger. Saute for several minutes until tender, stirring occasionally, watching not to burn. Add 1 cup of water and the carrots. Cook about 5 minutes. If using lemongrass pieces, wrapped them in cheese cloth tied with string or put in a tea egg before adding to the broth, so they can be removed from the soup before serving. Add the remaining 7 cups of water, lemon juice, basil and leeks and cook about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add in the cilantro, green part of the scallions and rice paper and stir well. Cook another 5 minutes. Serve immediately.

Serves 3 large bowls or 6 – 8 small bowls.

It’s Passover and that means matzo ball soup. I have not had matzo balls in ages. It’s one thing I wasn’t motivated to veganize, until now. I was inspired by Nava Atlas’ Vegan Holiday Kitchen when I had a chance to interview her last year (Listen to the interview here). I made some slight modifications to her Simple Vegetable Soup with Vegan Matzo Balls. Her recipe uses matzo meal and quinoa flour with a gluten-free option to use all quinoa flour. Not having quinoa flour I decided to make them with brown rice flour. And the results? YUM! Quinoa flakes will make a lighter version, the rice flour balls are heavier.

Serves about 16

Soup:
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 large onions, chopped
8 potatoes, scrubbed and diced (if not organic, peel first)
12 carrots, sliced
6 celery stalks, diced
10 cups water
1/4 cup dried dill or 1/3-1/2 cup fresh chopped
salt to taste

In a large stockpot, heat the 1/4 cup olive oil. Add the onions and celery and saute until transparent. Add the potatoes, carrots, dill and water. Reduce heat, cover and cook for another 20 minutes until the potatoes and carrots are tender. Add salt to taste. The soup can be eaten right away but is best to wait several hours or even a day later to allow the flavor to develop.

Matzo Balls
4 1/2 cups brown rice flour
4 cups boiling water
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
4 teaspoons onion powder

In a large mixing bowl, add half of the rice flour. Mix in the onion powder and salt. Pour the boiling water in and mix well and let the mixture rest for several minutes. Add in the remaining flour and the oil and mix well. Cover and put in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 275F. Remove the bowl from the refrigerator. It’s helpful to keep a small bowl of rice flour nearby. Lightly dust your hands with the flour. The mixture is soft and slightly sticky. Roll into 1 – 2 inch balls and place on the lined baking sheet. Repeat until all the batter is used up. Place the baking sheets in the oven and bake for 12 minutes. Carefully turn the matzo balls over and cook for another 12 minutes. Remove and allow to cool.

When ready to serve, reheat the matzo balls on a baking sheet in a 200F oven. Heat the soup. Place several matzo balls in each soup dish and cover with soup.

Val Dal, a lablab bean, is widely used as a food crop throughout the tropics, especially in Africa, India and Indonesia. I like it because it cooks fast, like lentils or split peas and has a light flavor. Why are so many of my soups yellow? I can’t resist adding turmeric to every savory dish I can. I love the flavor and even more I love how nutritious it is.

2 cups dried val dal (any lentil or split pea can substitute)
3 carrots, cut into 1/2 inch slices
1 onion coarse chopped
1/2 bulb of fresh garlic, minced
1 teaspoon turmeric
2 tablespoon dried leeks/parsley/fennel herb mix (plain parsley can be substituted)
1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
8 cups water

1. Put beans in a colander. Remove small stones and rinse.
2. Place a large soup pot on the stove on medium high heat.
3. Add in all the ingredients, stir and cover.
4. Bring to a boil.
5. Reduce heat to low and cook for 20 to 30 minutes until beans are soft.

Soup can be served as is or may also be pureed for a smooth soup. Try adding some fresh lemon juice to the soup to bring out the flavor.

Serves 6-8

When the weather changes and the chill is in the air, it is easy to feel under the weather, get a scratchy throat or have the sniffles. Warm up with this nourishing noodle soup, feed your immune system and you are good to go.

2 slim leeks, chopped, about 1 cup white part, 1 cup of the green
1 large onion, 2 1/2 – 3 cups diced
2 large carrots, 2 1/2 – 3 cups diced
4 celery stalks, about 2 cups diced
2 small potatoes, diced, about 2 cups
1 bulb of fresh garlic, minced, about 1/4 cup
2 teaspoons turmeric
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 cup mellow red miso
water
8 oz (1/2 pound) of dry, slim noodles of your choice. 100% buckwheat noodles were used in the soup in the picture but any noodles will do: wheat, rice, mung bean, etc.
1/2 cup dried mushrooms soaked in 1 cup warm water (optional)

In a large soup pot add 1 1/2 cups water. Turn heat to medium. Cut the leeks lengthwise and rinse under water, removing any dirt. Cut off the roots on the bottom and dice all of the white part and most of the green. Add to the pot. Peel and dice the onion and add to pot. Rinse carrots. Do not peel, if organic. Dice and add to pot. Rinse celery stalks, dice and add to the pot. Rinse and scrub the potatoes. Do not peel, if organic. Dice into small 1/4 ice pieces and add to pot. Remove all the cloves from the bulb of garlic and mince. Add it to the pot. Add in the turmeric and pepper. Stir occasionally and cook for about 15 minutes until all the vegetables are soft. Add 7 cups of water to the pot, cover and cook for about 30 minutes.

Put the miso in a small bowl. Add a cup of water to it, slowly. First add 2 tablespoons of water and with a fork, mash the miso and blend it with the water making a thinner paste. Add another 2 tablespoons and mix well until the mixture is creamy. Add the remaining water and mix well. Set aside.

In a separate pot, prepare noodles according to package directions. When noodles are done, drain the water, rinse the noodles and set aside.

When soup is ready, turn off heat and uncover the pot. Let it cool for several minutes. Stir in the miso mixture and mushrooms with broth.

Take four soup bowls and divide the noodles evenly in each bowl. Pour the soup over the noodles. Garnish with fresh sprouts if desired. Serve immediately.