Soup Season, I Want to Snog Your Face Off!!!

Right now, I have some sort of bastardy cold-slash-sinus-infection-slash-allergy thing going on, courtesy of the sudden chilly weather. And yet, I still blissfully proclaim: I LOVE YOU, FALL! Hoodies and crunchy leaves and autumn clouds and snuggling with the cats under mounds of blankets and stumbling across a bit of romance and car rides through the metroparks and Halloween and zombie flicks and soup soup and more soup. How can you not love fall?

So, to ring in these first few days of chilly, keep-your-windows-closed-and-snuggle-up-under-blankets-while-reading-The-Exorcist-and-watching-horror-movies weather, I whipped up the Ceci-Roasted Red Pepper Soup from Appetite for Reduction. It is beautifully autumnal in color and will fill your house with the delicious warming aroma of roasting red peppers. The flavors will also definitely please; it's a very aromatic recipe, despite the rather simple assortment of ingredients. And it makes for a fantastic soup for dipping bread. My only complaint is that I find rosemary and/or thyme in soup to be a slightly misguided choice. I love the flavor, but I absolutely hate picking tiny pieces of woody spices out of my teeth, especially in an otherwise velvety soup. I even tried chopping up the rosemary, but still: a bit too woody.

Nonetheless, it's a good recipe and an easy one, and it will definitely bring a smile to your autumnal pallet. Unfortunately no one has posted the recipe online quite yet, so for now, you'll have to track down the cookbook to try it out. But I promise you, it's worth spending the $10/$15 bucks on it. Promise.

Yes, I'm Lazy, But I'm Also Awesome and Have a Fairly Decent Rack, So Suck It

See, what starts happening is that I bust out ye ol' laziness, don't post regularly, food p0rn accumulates (stuffed under the mattress so your mom won't find it), and then I can't remember what the recipe was for the pic, and if it was at all good or not, or if it made me throw up chunky sparkles and rainbows for three days.

Like this cream of broccoli soup: I just looked through about 5 broccoli soup recipes I bookmarked, and I *think* this is the one I used, though I can't be certain.

Rainy Day Cream of Broccoli Soup



Vagueries: This one I *do* remember liking. I remember thinking that it reminded me of college, where I used to buy broccoli cheese soup and then plain noodles from the pasta bar and then dump the broccoli soup over the pasta and have broccoli-cheese pasta. *Sigh* The good ol' days.


This one I had to stare at for a little while to figure out wtf it was. And as senility momentarily slipped away, I realized that I think it was this Beer Pie (fuck Guinness), which I made one day with a bunch of substitutions.


"Fuck Guinness, I'll Use VEGAN Beer" Pie



Vagueries: I do remember that I was excited to find out that Pepperidge Farm (I think) puff pastries were vegan, so I decided to try using those on top instead of the crust recipe. I also didn't use the seitan log recipe--I think maybe I subbed in the packaged shit? Which probably ultimately explains why I *do* remember thinking that this recipe made WAY too little food, and that I could've probably eaten the whole thing in one sitting if I wouldn't have been disgusted with myself for doing so. It LOOKED pretty though.


Here, I tried to make my own Southern Fried Vegetarian "Chicken," and upon doing so, I realized my friend P has a special knack with it 'cause mine didn't come out NEARLY as good as hers did when she made it. Mine: Kind of doughy, and super-greasy. Actually, this whole meal sucked, that I do remember. In the back there are the lemony roasted potatoes from Veganomicon which I actually really like but this time came out inexplicably gross. So the long and short is: if I want Southern Fried "Chicken" again at some point, I'm batting my eyelashes gratuitously at Ms. P and maybe flashing a little nip.


Southern Fried Vegetarian "Chicken"



This one I think was Chipotle Split-Pea soup, and honestly, I feel like I was surprised at liking it for some reason, but that I did. But if my life was at stake in saying that, I must admit, I can't be positive.


Chipotle Split-Pea Soup



This, on the other hand, I *DO* remember, as it was THE most beautiful cupcake I've ever seen. I wish the camera had captured how vivacious the red was on this cupcake--I literally kept pausing while eating it just to stare at how lovely the color was--but it didn't. Nonetheless, I got it at Nature's Bin and haven't seen them there since. Obviously, it's a red velvet cupcake, and just thinking about it has got me all teary-eyed. Please excuse me. *sob*





This I think was the eggplant something-something from Vegan Planet. I remember thinking, Oh yay, a vegan eggplant parmigiana recipe!! when I decided to make it, and then suddenly realizing, Hey, wait a minute! The recipe doesn't even bread the eggplant!!! What the hell was I thinking! But now I'm not even 100% certain that's where it came from. I remember I was underwhelmed by the recipe though, but I *did* like the gomashio recipe that accompanied it. (Which is why I feel like it probably WAS from Vegan Planet since every time I make something out of that cookbook, I find myself extremely underwhelmed. Is it just me, or does anyone else feel this way too??)

From Vegan Planet, I think



And finally--at least for the time being--I made this fettucine dish.


Fettucine with Sausage, Basil, and Sundried Tomatoes



Vagueries: I left the fennel out of this since I knew the "sausages" I bought were plenty spicy/fennely, and I can only take so much of the stuff without feeling like I'm sucking on a big pasta-y rope of black licorice. Other than that though, I remember liking the recipe. Perhaps not being blown away by it, but I definitely think it was decent.



And that catches me up through mid-April! *Stuffing my food p0rn back under the mattress for now*

Stay tuned for more lazy catch-up!

Soup Epiphany: Black Bean Pumpkin Soup

                                       modified from Everybody Likes Sandwiches


I have been trying to figure out all week wtf this soup reminds me of and suddenly, two minutes ago,



it came to me!

ENCHILADA SAUCE!!!

Don't get me wrong: this is a very flavorful soup, and I think many of you out there will really enjoy it. It's just a bit too unsoupy for me.

And I kept wondering WHY, but it's precisely that: I feel like I'm eating a big bowl of enchilada sauce.

That being said: Hot motherf-ing damn would this make some mind-blowing enchilada sauce. In fact, I think next time I make enchiladas, this is gonna be slathered on top. It's only got a hint of pumpkin to it, but it's wonderfully yummy.

It also tastes really good with the beer bread I just posted.

Random question though:

When I was making this soup, I couldn't find my tablespoon, and only my 1/2-teaspoon was clean. So I was like, Well, there's 3 teaspoons in a tablespoon, so that means this recipe calls for 6 teaspoons. So I'll toss in 12 half-teaspoons, and that = one tablespoon.

Apparently not.

I carefully measured out 12 half-teaspoons into a little bowl, and by the end of my measuring, I was like, There is NO fucking way I'm adding THAT much cumin to this soup.

Then, after I grew curious about it, I hunted down my tablespoon and measured the "tablespoon's" worth of cumin I'd just dished out with my half-teaspoon: at least 2.5 T. of cumin was there.

Am I just a fucking idiot? Do I have some weird sort of malleable Harry Potter measuring spoons? Or is this common knowledge that you should always use as close to the size teaspoon/tablespoon as the recipe calls for because the little spoons don't actually measure up to the big ones?

Please, someone: enlighten me.



INGREDIENTS:

• 1 T. olive oil


• 1 can of black beans, rinsed and drained (quantity was not specified--I used a large can, but I suspect that a small can was intended)


• 1 large onion, chopped


• 6 fat garlic cloves, minced


• 2 T. cumin


• 1 chipotle in adobo, diced*


• salt & pepper


• 4 c. veggie broth*


• 1-1/2 c. pumpkin puree


• 1 T. cider vinegar

DIRECTIONS

In a large pot, sautee the onion and garlic in oil until soft. Add the cumin and chipotle and the can of beans and mash with a potato masher. Dump in the pumpkin puree and the broth and bring to a simmering boil. Just before serving, add in the cider vinegar and season with salt and pepper.

(Recipe modified from Everybody Likes Sandwiches)

Two Soups for the Price of YOUR FACE

Sometimes when I can't think of something stunningly witty or whimsical to say about a recipe, I put off posting about it.

And then when I finally realize I haven't yet posted about it, I realize I can't remember exactly what I thought about it, for all intents and purposes.

This first soup is one such recipe. I can't remember too much about it, other than thinking "I don't know that I'm gonna like this all that much" the day I made it, and then "Well, fuck--looks like I was wrong" the day after, when I had it for lunch and enjoyed it, and also "What the fuck is marmite?" somewhere in between.

More specific things I *do* remember: I was happy that this soup wasn't stabby--you know, cuz of the thyme. So thank you, Angela, for suggesting I use a mortar and pestle to ground up my stabby spices for soup. You are brilliant, and you shan't be forgotten.

Also: I don't know if I like thyme as much as I thought! Either that, or maybe I should've just halved the quantity.

And mmmm: good with bread.

So that is my slightly senile synopses of soup #1. (Check out that alliteration, my bitches!)



WARMING LENTIL SOUP


                                       from Veg Bitch


INGREDIENTS:

• 2 yellow onions, chopped


• 2 cloves of garlic, minced


• 1 T. olive oil


• 1 T. tomato paste (concentrate)


• 2 medium carrots, chopped into 1 cm (1/2 inch) cubes


• 3/4 c. red lentils, rinsed


• 1 14-oz. can chopped tomatoes


• 4 c. vegetable stock


• 2 bay leaves


• 1 T. paprika powder


• 1 t. thyme


• 1/2 T. marmite (optional, I use it for depth of flavour)


• 1/4 c. parsley, finely chopped


• salt and pepper


• soyghurt for serving

DIRECTIONS

In a medium size soup pot over medium heat, fry onion and garlic in the oil for a few minutes until the onion is translucent but not brown. Add the tomato paste and cook for another minute or so. Add carrots, lentils and chopped tomato and cook for a few minutes. Add vegetable stock, bay leaves, paprika, thyme and marmite and cook the soup for about 10 minutes until the carrots are softened. Season with salt and pepper and add parsley.

Serve steaming hot with a dollop of soyghurt in the bowl and some bread and a nice salad on the side.

Serves 4 to 6.

(Recipe from Veg Bitch)



* * * * * * *


Soup #2 I remember more vividly, though its memory is also starting to wane.

Things I remember:

I kind of kept forgetting what EVOO stood for and would have to doublecheck. This happened two or three times. Ultimately, I decided I liked the abbreviation because I couldn't help but want to pronounce it phonetically. And when you do so, it sounds kind of like a child saying "Evil." And you can't beat a soup that has evil as the first ingredient.

Secondly: Fennel seeds. I think I may love you in soup. You are a brilliant little tweak of freshness aftertaste. Kind of like I just brushed my teeth with soup. This pleases me.

Other thoughts: This was damn good. I DO remember vividly thinking THAT. I think this may be one of my favorite quinoa-vehicles. Sometimes I get sick of quinoa and a little *mocking voice* "I'm quinoa--I'm so good for you but look creepy like octopus suctions. Meh meh meh." But other times, like in the case of this soup, I want to run off with quinoa into the sunset.

Marjoram: You are still a god of spices. But I think fennel seed kind of whooped your ass this round.

Eggplant--when cooked perfectly, you are buttery and good and I wish my legs were soft and supple like you but then I probably wouldn't be able to support myself. And also that would be creepy.

So yes: all random thoughts aside. This soup: yum-fucking-tastic.

Hurrah!



EGGPLANT QUINOA SOUP

                                       from MeloMeals


INGREDIENTS:

1 to 4 T EVOO (extra-virgin olive oil)

1 large onion, diced

8 cloves garlic, pressed

1/2 t. red pepper flakes

2 t. dried basil

1 t. dried marjoram

1/2 t. fennel seeds

1/2 t. dried rosemary

pinch salt/pinch pepper

2 T. balsamic vinegar

1 medium eggplant, skinned & diced

1 29-oz. can white bean of choice

8 c/ water or stock

vegetable bouillon cube if using water

28 oz. canned tomato (whatever you have on hand, crushed, sauce, stewed, whole--I used diced I think)

1/2 c. quinoa (I think I may have used 1 c.)

Salt/Pepper to taste

Fresh Basil (optional, but VERY good--I used)

Baby Spinach (optional--I did not)

1 t. EVOO and 1 T. nutritional yeast per bowl for finishing (optional--I used the latter, and it was damn good)

DIRECTIONS

In a heavy bottomed 4 quart pot over medium heat add the oil, onions, dried spices and a pinch salt/pepper. Sautee for several minutes then add garlic. When the onions are translucent, deglaze with vinegar.

Add the eggplant, beans and water or stock, tomatoes. Bring to a boil for several minutes, then turn heat down to low, cover and simmer for 30 minutes.

Turn off heat, add quinoa, around a cup of fresh basil and cover for 20 minutes.

Taste and adjust seasonings.

Serve with more fresh basil, baby spinach and a teaspoon of evoo and lots of freshly ground pepper!

Serves 6+ ish.

(Recipe from Melomeals)

Hummus Soup

                                       from VeganYumYum

Holy crap, this soup was so fricking good. It tasted strangely reminiscent of broccoli cheese soup from days of yore. But it's healthier 'cause it's got ever-awesome and nutritional quinoa in it.

I did, however, make quite a few adjustments to the original recipe, mostly because I was suffering from a momentary measuring-deficiency the day I made it.

The soup calls for 2 cups hummus. I looked at my small can of chickpeas and was like, Hm--this has 2 cups of chickpeas in it. So it will make 2 cups of hummus.

Did it?

I remain unsure.

I suspect, however, that once you mash 2 cups of chickpeas into a mushy of hummus, it ends up being far less than 2 cups.

And when I used just that amount of hummus for the soup, it initially was INCREDIBLY thin soup, and the hummus wasn't powerfully flavorful.

So: I figured it probably WASN'T 2 cups of hummus after all. But I didn't want to take the time to make another batch of hummus. So instead took another small can of chickpeas, drained it, and mashed it up and tossed those in.

The end result: motherf-ing good!

I also don't have chipotle powder, so I just used some chipotles in adobo--about 1-1/2 minced.

I've asterisked all the parts I changed. If you want to see the original, the link's below.

Brilliant idea though. And seriously so very winter-weather yumtastic. So thanks, Melody!



INGREDIENTS:

• 2.5 T. olive oil*


• 1 onion, diced


• 1 red bell pepper, chopped finely*


• 8 cloves garlic, minced


• 1 t. dried basil


• several grates fresh nutmeg


• 1 to 2 chipotles in adobo, chopped finely*


• 16 oz frozen broccoli florets (or 1 pound fresh)


• 2 small cans of chickpeas, drained*


• 1.5 T. tahini*


• 2 T. water


• 2 T. lemon juice*


• 4 c. water/stock


• bouillon cube if using water


• 1/2 c. quinoa


• 1/4 c. nutritional yeast


• salt/pepper to taste


• 1 T umeboshi vinegar (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Toss 1.5 T. of your olive oil, 2 cloves garlic, 1 small can of chickpeas (drained), 1.5 T. tahini, 2 T. water, and 2 T. lemon juice into a food processor and process until smooth.

Take your other can of drained chickpeas and mash (with a potato-masher or whatever else suits you) until none of the chickpeas are whole any longer. (They don't have to be perfectly smashed into nothingness, so don't stress over that. But make sure they're all somewhat mashed.)

Saute the onion, pepper, remaining garlic, basil, nutmeg and chipotles until the onion is soft. Add the broccoli, hummus (as prepared above), mashed chickpeas, and stock. Bring to a boil for several minutes.

Turn heat down to low and add the quinoa. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.

Turn off heat and stir in the nutritional yeast and umeboshi vinegar (if using) then season with salt and lots of freshly ground black pepper.

(Original recipe from Melomeals)

Things I Did with Stale Bread This Weekend

Jesus, not THAT, perverts.

Anyways: I fricking love bread. If it wouldn't be scratchy and stuff, I'd fill up my tub with it and just lay in it.

So I was a bit bummed out when I realized that a nice artisan-loaf of white bread was sitting in my fridge and it seemed PERILOUSLY long ago that I bought it (long enough that I couldn't remember the circumstances, but I think it may have been before X-mas).

So: stale bread origami:

Fed the birds.

Made French toast (soy milk, flour, nooch, sugar, cinnamon).



Made bread soup:

                                       from Everybody Likes Sandwiches

First off, let me just say--the idea of bread soup is BRILLIANT. I love the deviancy of people taking a painfully healthy food and COMPLETELY DEMOLISHING THE HEALTHINESS OF IT. I say that in jest really, 'cause no doubt this soup is healthy even WITH the bread.

But I'm thinking of my friend J's distrust (and also LOVE) of carbs, one which I share wholeheartedly, and it makes me kind of snort, 'cause along comes this otherwise low-carb soup that's like OH BITCH, YOU ARE SOOOOOO GETTING TRICKED INTO EATING CARBS and then BLAM!!! Carbed up.

(My food is talking a lot to me lately I just realized.)

Nonetheless: fuck low-carbs. This soup rocks, is fricking easy, is fricking quick (like 15 minutes), and is brilliant.

I am a total soup-dipper. Nice crusty bread + hot soup = winter orgasm.

And this soup takes it one step further: bread cooked INTO the soup.

Granted, I would recommend serving this fresh only (sog-factor). But I *will* say that I ate leftovers the second day, and it was still delish. By the third day though, it was just freaking me out, so I couldn't do it.

Mush creeps me out after a while.


BREAD SOUP

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 T. olive oil


• 1/2 onion, diced


• 4 cloves garlic, chopped


• 1 stalk celery, diced


• 1 t. dried hot chili flakes


• 1 t. dried oregano


• 4 c. vegetable stock


• 1/2 small loaf of stale bread, cubed


• 1 small can of diced tomatoes


• 1 bunch spinach (or I used kale)


• 2 T. vegan Parmesan cheez


• salt & pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

Saute the onion, garlic and celery in the oil over medium-high heat. When softened, add in the chili flakes, oregano and some salt and pepper.

Add in vegetable stock and tomatoes and simmer over medium heat for a couple of minutes.

Add in bread and spinach/kale, stir and cover pot.

When bread is soft and spongy and the spinach/kale is wilted, throw in some vegan parm. Taste adding more salt or pepper if necessary.

Serves 3-5.

(Recipe from Everybody Likes Sandwiches)

Butter Bean Soup with Portabellas and Wild Rice

                                       from the FatFree Vegan

There exists in the food-world an unspoken Soup Code, and #1 on the Soup Code is this:

Soup should not be stabby.

Which means, if there were a don of the soup world, he surely would've put a hit out on this soup. This soup would be lying in its bed right now, four bullet-holes to the head, surrounded by a bunch of coppers covering up their noses 'cause of the horrible horrible stench as they whisper under their breath that they think the killing might be linked to the Soup Mafia.

If you're not catching on: This soup is stabby.

And yet: it's also fantastically tasty. So don't let my talk of stabbiness dissuade you.

Honestly, I think I may, in fact, be responsible for the stabbiness: 1) I didn't crush the rosemary (which was Stabbiness Part

1)--I'm not really sure how one goes about doing that, seeing as MY ROSEMARY DOESN'T SEEM TO ACTUALLY CRUSH and if I try to dice it up tinier with a knife, it just pings and shoots all over my kitchen. So any suggestions would be appreciated.

2) I don't know that I cooked the wild rice to its ultimate tenderiest (Stabbiness Part 2). Then again, wild rice is like the barbed wire of the rice world, so maybe I'm not to blame with this one.

Nonetheless: essentially, eating this soup kind of reminded me of my favorite Chuck Palahniuk book and how everyone loves Rant's mom's cooking because she bakes/cooks stabby things into her food (like pushpins or pieces of foil) which makes them all eat her food slower (so as not to accidentally bite into something injurious) and actually appreciate and savor it more.

Which actually kind of was the case with this. I'm not particularly partial to non-tomato-based soups, but this was actually really really tasty. It's hearty and yet kind of delicately flavored. It's savory. And it's a perfect warm-me up.

Just be careful you don't poke out an eye.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 medium onions, diced


• 2 ribs celery, diced


• 4 cloves garlic, minced


• 6 c. water (I also added a bouillon cube)


• 1 lb. speckled butter beans or Fordhook lima beans, fresh or frozen


• 6 oz. baby portobello mushrooms, sliced


• 1/4 c. wild rice*


• 1 t. thyme


• 1 t. dried rosemary, crushed, or 2 tsp. minced fresh rosemary


• 1/2 t. sage


• Salt (to taste)


• 1/4 t. black pepper


• 1 t. soy sauce


* If you don't have wild rice, pearled barley or another grain can be used instead; just be sure to pick one that cooks in less than an hour.

DIRECTIONS

Heat a large non-stick pot. Add the onions, and saute until they begin to brown, about 6 minutes. (Add a tablespoon or two of water to prevent sticking, if necessary.) Add the celery and garlic, and cook for another two minutes.

Add the water and butter beans and bring to a boil. Add all remaining ingredients, bring back to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until the beans and wild rice are both done, 45-55 minutes. If necessary, thin soup with water as it is cooking, according to taste. Just before serving, about 1/2 cup of the beans may be mashed or blended to make the broth thicker.

(Recipe from The FatFree Vegan)

$1 Black Bean and Salsa Soup, with a Side of My Two Cents

So I'm cheap. As we all know. A fact that this recipe got me thinking about once again, given how pleased I was about how inexpensive and quick a recipe it is.

But it's also a recipe that got me thinking yet again about one of the more overlooked issues of veganism, and that's the issue of class/classism, an issue that's all tangled up in the concept and practice of veganism.

I've had friends argue with me that it is more expensive to be vegan than it is to not be vegan. And although I WHOLLY disagree--as long as you're not feasting continually at restaurants and off of processed food (both of which are issues the meat-eating population must contend with as well, which I think is important to note), it's *much* cheaper to be buying fruits and veggies than it is meat and cheeses--I can't overlook the fact that the vegan diet *is* a diet more easily accessible to middle- and upper-class individuals.

I don't say this as a way to discourage individuals FROM eating vegan. I'm by no means saying that someone with a meager-budget couldn't afford to go the vegan path. It's a fairly easy and cheap task if one goes about it correctly.

But my point is this: so much of veganism comes down to accessibility of information, access to education, and how all of that is overwhelmingly tied to class in so very many ways.

The class issues of veganism are a topic that's rarely discussed by vegan food-bloggers. But I'm reminded of them each time I happen upon one of the more upscale vegan food blogs and find myself wondering a) where in god's name do they find the time to COOK such elaborately-prepared meals... daily... and sometimes more than once a day, and b) how in the hell are they able to afford such obscure and expensive ingredients?

And I don't mean to pick on the upscale vegan food blogs. These class issues are apparent in even the simplest, most basic vegan food-blogs. We often forget, but the mere act of being a food blogger reeks of privilege in many ways.

Food-blogging means, of course, having some sort of disposable income to blow on "cooking food for fun." It means having money to spend on recipes that go above and beyond the more basic and inexpensive recipes available to us. And this is a disposable income which many folks don't have. And it also means having disposable time. Again: something which many folks don't have.

But above and beyond that: I know there are many vegan food bloggers out there who don't splurge on unnecessary, extravagant ingredients, and who blog only occasionally because they are too busy to be cooking for fun on a regular basis. BUT EVEN SO: Food-blogging requires having a digital camera. Again: more money. And it requires access to a computer. That means either being able to afford one, or having easy means of accessing one, and this, in turn, means having time to spare. Sitting in a public library, using a school computer-lab, etc. all these things require extra time. And that time is a luxury that many don't have.

Like most of us, I tend to forget that I am lucky in so very many ways to HAVE the money to be able to entertain myself through cooking. I am lucky I don't have to resort to "feasting" on the bare minimum, on fast-food burgers or casseroles-in-a-box, simply because I have just barely enough money to scrape by or because I don't have enough time to cook because I'm too busy working to make ends meet. And I haven't even BEGUN to discuss the other topics I mentioned earlier: namely how class affects our ability to access information and education. But I'm lucky in that regard too. I've had the time and money to be able to educate myself. And I've been lucky enough to have access to information that not everyone has, information that has led me down the path of veganism. Again: another luxury not available to everyone.

I say this as a reminder to myself (and to others) as Thanksgiving grows near, as many of us contemplate Adopting a Turkey instead of feasting on one (again: a luxury), as we contemplate the elaborate feasts we will be crafting, as we try to figure out the best ways to get pictures of it all to post on our food-blogs.

We all have a bad habit of getting angry at folks for not seeing the cruelty inherent in a meat-eating diet. I am no exception. But I think it's important to remind ourselves once in a while that we are lucky people, that we are blessed with access to many things that others do not have--namely money, time, information, and education, and that if we hadn't been graced with these privileges, we could very easily be on an entirely different path right now.

So next time we get all up on our high-horses, let us be humble and reminded of that fact. And let us be thankful.



Phew. Boobies feces dookie nipples! Look at me getting all serious and shit.

Enough of that! On to a recipe.

This soup is similar to the Salsa Chili Soup I posted about back in the day and which I'm also quite a big fan of, simply because it's cheap and takes like 10 minutes to make. And I have to agree with Happy Herbivore: it's delicious.


                                      from Happy Herbivore


INGREDIENTS:

• 14 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed


• 1 cup frozen yellow or roasted corn


• 1 cup chunky salsa


• 1 1/2 cups veg broth


• 1/2 tsp cumin


• hot sauce as desired


• baked corn chips - optional

DIRECTIONS

Place 1 cup beans, salsa, broth and cumin in a blender. Puree until smooth.

Transfer to a medium saucepan. Add remaining ingredients except chips. Stir to combine.

Heat thorougly over low.

Once warmed, serve.

Top the soup off with broken chips.

Note: You can skip the stove top and heat it in the microwave instead, too. My dorm room was without a stove and it worked just fine... but I did burn my tongue off a few times

Makes 4 cups

(Recipe from Happy Herbivore)

Red Lentil Curry Soup

                                    from Happy Herbivore


So my soup totally looks like I fed it a ton of chocolate ice cream, never cleaned off its mouth with a moist napkin afterwards but instead realized I was running late for a lunch-date with its grandma and so dragged it quickly through the park by its arm, in the process making it lose its pretty red balloon which in turn made its eyes whell up with tears, causing me to yell at it--"Stop acting like a baby"--causing it to cry even more, and then, about 15 minutes later, when the tears finally subsided and the hiccups were nearly quieted down, grandma showed up and started taking cutesy pictures of it while it was still sloppy with chocolate ice cream and tears.

Point being: clearly I need to wipe down the rim before taking pics. (TWSS!)

As for the soup: good, autumnal, spicy as hell (I used 2.5 t. garam masala and 1/2 t. red pepper flakes, fyi, and it was flame-mouth all the way), and needs something a little more in it, though I'm not quite sure what but I'm thinking apples and then I'm thinking I need to kick my own ass because that seems to be my solution to everything nowadays. Car's blinkers stopped working? Apples will fix it. Got a toothache radiating up into your eye socket? Apples! Your mother just got mauled by what looked like a wilderbeest but couldn't possibly be a wilderbeest in the middle of upscale Manhattan? Apples will save the day.

Nonetheless: something.

*COU veganmofo GH*

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 small onion, sliced thinly


• 3 garlic cloves, minced


• 3 c. of water, plus a little more


• 1 c. uncooked red lentils


• 16 baby carrots, sliced


• 1 bay leaf


• 1 t. mild curry powder


• 1″ fresh ginger, minced (or 1 t. ground ginger)


• 1 T. minced fresh cilantro


• red pepper flakes as desired (or other heat spice)


• 1/4 t. cloves


• 1-2 t. garam masala


• 1 c. fat free soy milk or lite coconut milk


• salt/pepper to taste


• cilantro for garnish

DIRECTIONS

Line a large pot with a thin layer of water. Turn heat on high and add onions. Boil/saute for three minutes, then add garlic. Continue to cook until most of the water has cooked off.

Add water, lentils, carrots, bay leaf, curry, ginger, cilantro, flakes and cloves. Bring to a boil then cover and reduce to low. Simmer 20 minutes (or until lentils are cooked and most of the water has absorbed). Stir in garam masala.

Let sit (no heat, but covered) 5 minutes - optional.

Transfer to a blender. Add soy milk or coconut milk. Puree until smooth and creamy. Salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with fresh cilantro leaves.
Note: the older the soup gets, the more flavorful it becomes– if you can, make it a day in advanced.

(Recipe from Happy Herbivore)

Curried Eggplant Soup

Last night was such a rough night. Old Guy Neighbor's dog is dying. And as much as I joke about Old Guy Neighbor, and as much as he drives me INSANE sometimes, I still dig him. So I feel for him.

What's so difficult about the situation is that he's had his dog for 15 1/2 years, so he just DOESN'T want to part with him. So for the past few days, he's been talking constantly about how he's not going to have him put to sleep. And I understand. I went with our family dog, Lucy, a few years ago to have her put to sleep, and it seriously was THE most horrible experience I've ever had. The whole idea of "playing God" and making that decision to end a life is so horribly conflicted to me. I'm torn in about 23 different directions on the topic of euthanasia and pets. So I feel for him. I really do. And I know he doesn't want to have him put to sleep because, really, he just doesn't want to part with him EVER. EVER EVER.

But Old Guy Neighbor's dog is in REALLY bad shape: Abscessed eye. Bleeding from the nose frequently. Can barely get up or down the stairs. Eyes so riddled with cataracts that he looks like an extra in a zombie movie. And apparently these past couple days: seizures. So, despite my complications on the subjects of euthanasia, I can understand wanting to stop this poor dog from having to suffer anymore.

Last night he finally came to that conclusion as well. But the problem is that Old Guy Neighbor does not have family, and most of his friends have passed. He also doesn't have a phone. So last night, I spent much of the night jotting down phone numbers that he was shouting at me from his window, phone numbers that he'd scrawled down mostly illegibly and couldn't make out. Calling wrong numbers, accidental fax numbers, getting nameless voicemails, trying to get ahold of one of two folks that stop in to check on him a few times a year so that they can come over today and help him get his dog to the vet to be put to sleep. And last night he had reached that point where he'd suddenly realized that his dog really NEEDS to be put to sleep, as in, he can't BEAR to be around this poor dog anymore because he's just in SUCH bad shape. So he's frantic, coming to the window every five minutes to check on whether I got ahold of anyone, whether anyone's called back. And there's nothing I can do because most vet-places are closed anyways, and Old Guy Neighbor has problems walking, so there's no way he and I can get his dog down the steps and into my car to run him up anywhere. And my heart's just breaking, because each time he comes out, he's vascillating between waxing nostalgic about his dog--telling me stories about when he first got him, what a fat little thing he was--and making statements to convince himself that it's a GOOD thing that his dog is passing on--telling me how nice it'll be that he won't have to rush home from the market anymore to check up on him and stuff. And even moreso than the nostalgia, it's THESE statements that just make me want to cry my eyes out because THESE are the statements which reveal how much his dog means to him. They're the statements that he needs to feed himself so that he can try to make sense out of it and make himself feel better. And that sucks.

And it sucks when I think about how he's gonna be sitting up there in his room with NO one now. Before he at least had the companionship of his dog. His dog was sort of like his wife. Old Guy Neighbor was constantly chiding him and hollering, but you KNOW he'd jump in front of a speeding car to save that dog. I mean, Old Guy Neighbor has told me on numerous occasions that he has the ashes from two previous dogs, and he'll retrieve the ashes of his current dog as well, and when Old Guy Neighbor dies, he's having them all buried with him... Because, as he says time and time again, "They're the only ones who stick with you through thick and thin, rich and poor, and don't ask for ANYthing from you."

Terrible. And bearing witness to his loneliness just floors me. It's just terrible to see someone who has NO one on a daily basis. And now the one little thing they DID have, which kept them going every day and which gave them someone to talk to, is gonna be gone.

And it's rough because it calls up all my memories of putting our dog Lucy to sleep, of looking her IN THE EYES as her life blinked out of them. It was seriously the most terrifying experience I've ever had. And it makes me sad because it just tears me apart that such a level of loneliness can exist in the world. And it's hard because all night I'm getting a play-by-play of how his dog is dying--how he just had a seizure, how there's blood all over the bed--AND THERE'S NOTHING I CAN DO. And I can't even be a good support system because I just cannot even HANDLE hearing that. I cannot handle being in the middle of it all. I cannot handle the visceral nature of KNOWING that this dog is dying right across from me, of hearing him talking to him through the half-open window, of hearing barks in the night and not knowing if it's his dog in his last moments. I mean, it was just too palpable. In the air. In the sounds of the evening. I finally had to go inside because I needed to escape it.

Seriously: a rough night.

Sorry to yammer on about it, but I think I just needed to speak it out. Especially amongst people who will understand.

GAH! I'M BRINGING EVERYBODY DOWN!

Boobs! Penis! Tits! Titties! Orange oily feces!

That's a little bit better.

On a happier furry-critter note: I see the stray I built the shelter for frequently nowadays. She makes my heart thrum somedays because she is just the epitome of spring. She also makes me wish that I could let my cats roam around outdoors (moreso than just on our roof), chase squirrels up trees, and roll around in the grass. But in the middle of the city, I fear for their safety. So they're resigned to the roof.

The other day, I came home to find OK (my nickname for the stray--stands for "Outside Kitty") stretched out in the grass, basking in the sunshine. For a minute I thought she was dead, she was that sound asleep. And normally she's skittish, but this time I was able to snap a few pictures. Cute, ain't she?



And on the food front (which is what this blog is all about, right? RIGHT?!?!), I seriously made the BEST soup EVER this weekend. Honest to god.

It's one of the best soups I've ever made. And it's also one of the best soups I've ever TASTED.

Let us just say that SusanV is a goddess of all things souply.

This soup has sexy velveteen roasted eggplant in it. It's FIERY with curry, and yet perky and sweet with apple and agave nectar. And it's just got this buttery, decadent sensuality to it that... sweet jesus... I'm getting tingly just thinking about it. You will be in awe of the fact that this thing is fat-free. Seriously. 'Cause it's got it going ON in the way of richness.

Only recommendation: I'd aim for the low-end of the curry-powder measurements. Because I only used 1.5 T. of curry powder, and my lips have been on fire for DAYS.

Nonetheless: I highly highly recommend. And bless you, SusanV, for sharing this recipe with the rest of the world.

CURRIED EGGPLANT SOUP



INGREDIENTS:

• 1 large eggplant (or 2 smaller ones)


• 1 large onion, diced


• 1 Granny Smith apple, peeled and diced


• 1/2 c. diced tomatoes (drained canned tomatoes or fresh)


• 1 1/2 to 2 T. best-quality curry powder


• 1 pinch cayenne (or more, to taste)


• 1 T. soy sauce


• 2 t. agave nectar (or other sweetener)


• 1 15-oz. can great northern beans, rinsed and drained


• 4 c. vegetable broth, divided


• 1/2 c. soy milk or other non-dairy milk


• Salt and pepper, to taste


• 6 T. soy yogurt (optional)


• Parsley or cilantro, chopped (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 400F. Peel the eggplant and slice it 1/4-inch thick. Place the slices on a sprayed baking sheet and cover with foil. Roast until eggplant is very tender, about 30 minutes.

Remove the eggplant from the oven and allow to cool. Put half of the slices into the food processor. Chop the other half coarsely and put them in a large pot. Add 3 cups of the vegetable broth and bring to a low simmer.

Spray a non-stick skillet with canola oil and get it hot. Add the onions and sauté until tender, about 3 minutes. Add the diced apple and cook for another 2 minutes. Stir in the tomato, curry powder, cayenne, soy sauce, and agave nectar and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the reserved 1 cup of broth and cook another minute. Pour this mixture into the food processor with the eggplant.

Add the beans to the food processor and puree until it forms a thick paste. Scrape the paste into the pot with the broth and eggplant, stir well, and add the non-dairy milk. Season to taste with salt and pepper (and more curry powder if necessary). Turn down to very low and barely simmer for 15 minutes.

Serve hot or chilled, stirring in one tablespoon of soy yogurt into each bowl (if desired) and sprinkling with parsley or cilantro.

(Recipe from FatFree Vegan)

Red Lentil Soup with Lemon

I made this so long ago that I almost kind of forgot the how where when why of it.

But thankfully I found the link--thankfully because it was a really damn good soup recipe, and thus, it would be a shame not to be able to share it.

I'm such a sucker for lentils lately, and this soup just compounded my obsession. It is fiery and yet perky (from the lemon). And it is lentilicious. *Tip of the hat to Everybody Likes Sandwiches for her mad lentil skills*

My only word of warning: it is one spicy-assed mothafucka, so if you're wussy in that regard, you may wanna cut back on the chili powder and cayenne pepper.

Oh, and I had a leek I had to use up, so I subbed in a leek for part of the onions. Sue me.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 T. olive oil


• 1 large onion, chopped (*OR* 1 sm. onion, chopped + 1 leek, white part thinly sliced)


• 5 garlic cloves, minced


• 1 T. tomato paste


• 2 t. ground cumin


• salt to taste


• 1/4 t. ground black pepper


• 1/2 t. cayenne powder


• 1/2 t. (mexican) chili powder (I just used regular)


• 4 c. vegetable broth


• 1 c. red lentils


• 1 large carrot, peeled into shreds (or a handle of matchstick carrots from the bag)


• Juice of 1 lemon


• 3 T. chopped fresh parsley

DIRECTIONS

Heat oil in a large heavy pot and saute garlic and onions until wilty. Stir in tomato paste, cumin, salt, pepper, cayenne and chili powder until fragrant. Pour in broth, red lentils and carrots.

Simmer until lentils and carrots are tender, about 20 minutes. Add lemon juice and parsley and serve in deep bowls.

(Recipe from Everybody Likes Sandwiches)

Pumpkin Leek Soup

This soup is SO f-ing simple it'll blow your mind.

And mother of god is it just LUSH with sweet, velvetty flavor.

And it has leeks. And we all know my feelings on leeks. *Toes curling, ears smoking, nips shooting flames*

I highly recommend.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1.5 T. olive oil


• 1 large clove garlic, sliced


• 1 small yellow onion, chopped (about 3/4 c.)


• 1 small Russet potato, chopped (about 1 c.)


• 1 t. dried sage


• 1 bay leaf


• 3 T. flour


• 4.5 c. vegetable broth


• 3/4 c. pumpkin puree


• 3/4 c. sweet potato puree


• salt/pepper to taste


• red pepper flakes (optional)


• 1-2 leeks, chopped and rinsed


• 1 T. olive oil

DIRECTIONS

Heat the olive oil in a large pot, then add the garlic, onion, potatoes, salt, and herbs. Saute over med-high heat until the vegetables begin to caramelize. Add the flour and cook for 2-3 more minutes. Pour in the broth and boil for about 10 minutes. Remove the bay leaf and blend the soup until creamy (ideally with an immersion blender). I left the skins on for added nutrition, but you can skin your potatoes first for a creamier soup.

Stir in pumpkin and sweet potato and simmer for 5 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste. I added about 1/4 tsp. of pepper flakes for a pinch of heat.

Saute the leeks in olive oil with a pinch of salt, until they just begin to caramelize.

If you will be eating the soup immediately, before serving, sprinkle the leeks over each bowl. Otherwise you can just add the leeks to the soup and mix 'em up. (That's what I did, and it's why I bumped up the quantity of leeks as well.)

(Recipe from Veglicious)

Smoky Refried Bean Soup

(Yes, those are cars in there)

For those of you who don't live in Cleveland: we got a lot of snow this weekend. And by "a lot of snow" I mean that the city was pretty much shut down for 24-hours: roads were impassable, parked cars were completely engulfed in snow, it just kept coming and coming. It was pretty damn awesome.

One of the things I really like about winter in the city is how it makes people bond just a little bit more. I had a couple neighbors help me dig my car out, and I helped push a few cars out myself. I chatted with a few neighbors while leaning on my shovel and musing over the crazy snow. I got to see a little wiener-dog in a hoodie try to bound over to me in about 3-feet of snow only to give up after a few leaps. I got to shovel my ass off until my arm muscles were screaming with crazy energy. And thankfully, the bad weather struck on a weekend, so I was able to enjoy it all without having anywhere I needed to go.

It also made it a damn good weekend to curl up on the couch with some nice, piping-hot soup, as the snow swirled and tumbled outside.

The black bean soup pictured below I didn't actually make this weekend. It's the black bean vegetable soup from Veganomicon, and I must admit: I enjoyed it. It's nice and thick and has a bit of kick to it. And it'll lube up your poop-shoot like MAD! The main reason I picture it below (even though I don't have a recipe to post for it) is that after I first made it, I thought to myself: holy crap--this looks like the polluted sludge that collects at the side of the road after the snow's finally started melting and has been driven through for a few days and just looks hideous and ugly and you can't wait 'til it's gone. So it's fitting, somehow, in lieu of the snow this weekend.

The other soup featured is SusanV's Smoky Refried Bean Soup which I knew I had to make as soon as I saw it. And love it I did. It's SUPER SUPER easy. It's got a nice spicy kick to it. And it's got a nice velvety texture from the refried beans. And did I mention that it's SUPER SUPER easy? Because it is. Like so easy that I was astounded, especially for how numbly it tasted. The only adjustments I made to it are asterisked below--I don't own smoked paprika or chipotle chili powder, and given that I was bunkered down in my apartment for more than 24-hours with nowhere to go, I just used what I had on hand. I figured I'd make up for the lack of smokiness and chipotleness by just throwing a chipotle pepper in instead. And it worked wonders. Enjoy.






INGREDIENTS:

• 1 large onion, chopped


• 3 - 4 cloves garlic, minced


• 1 green bell pepper, chopped


• 1.5 c. vegetable broth


• 1 14-oz. can diced tomatoes (I used fire-roasted)


• 15 oz. fatfree refried beans


• 15 oz. black beans, cooked


• 1 c. corn kernels


• 1 t. cumin


• 1.5 t. paprika*


• 1 t. chili powder*


• 1 chipotle pepper in adobo, diced*


• 1 t. hot sauce (or to taste)


• salt and pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS

Spray a large, non-stick pot with cooking spray, and sauté the onion until it begins to brown. Add the garlic and bell pepper and cook for one more minute. Add all the remaining ingredients and cook until the flavors blend, 20-30 minutes.

Serving suggestion: Garnish with fresh tomato salsa and serve with baked tortilla chips and a large salad.

(original recipe from FatFree Vegan Kitchen)

Quinoa Soup

I'm in love with leeks.

There. I said it.

I'd never tried one before until a few months ago when I made the VT's Beans and Brats recipe. And now I'm in love with them.

If they told me I was their baby daddy, I'd be ok with that, THAT'S how much I'm in love with them.

So I of course was a fan of this soup. Simple. Clean. Plush with tastiness. And flavored wonderfully with leeks.

Try it. You'll like leeks too.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2/3 c. uncooked quinoa


• 2 c. water


• 2 T. olive oil


• 1 yellow onion, chopped


• 1 carrot, julienned (or about 1/2-1 cups of shredded carrots from a bag)


• 1 leek, white part cut in half, rinsed and cut


• 2 cloves garlic, minced


• 1/2 - 1 red chili pepper (I couldn't find one, so I used 1 jalapeno, diced tiny)


• 1 15-oz can crushed tomatoes


• 4 c. vegetable stock


• salt and pepper to taste


• Green part of leek, finely chopped


• 1 15-oz can white beans, rinsed and drained


Other potential garnishes:


• 1/3 cup finely chopped parsley


• 2 tbsp grated lemon peel


Other potential variations:

(Add these to the soup, or use instead of something else. Don't want carrot? Or just feel like adding something else to the soup? These are great.)


• 1 big handful spinach leaves


• 1 red bell pepper, cut into small pieces

DIRECTIONS

Add quinoa and water together and bring to a boil. Simmer for 5 minutes and in the meantime prepare your vegetables. Peel and chop onion and garlic. Cut leek in half lenghtwise and rinse it. Chop up. Peel and julienne the carrot (if you're not using bagged carrot-shreds). (If using bell pepper cut it into small pieces).

When the quinoa has simmered for 5 minutes drain it.

Pour oil into a large soup pot and add the vegetables and garlic (if using spinach in the soup, don’t add it yet). Sauté for a few minutes and then add finely chopped red chili (or jalapeno), saute for another minute.

Add quinoa, the can of crushed tomatoes, vegetable stock and let the soup simmer for about 20 minutes, until the quinoa is soft and has started opening. Add beans when there's about 5 minutes left in the cooking-cycle. (If using spinach add this in just a few minutes before taking the soup off the stove.)

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Put the green-leeks and any other garnish ingredients to a small bowl and sprinkle over the soup before you eat it.

(Original recipe from Veg Bitch)

Curried Split Pea Soup

Bowl o' baby vomit or surprisingly tasty soup? You decide.


INGREDIENTS:

• 16 oz dried split peas


• 1 T. olive oil


• 1 medium white onion, diced small


• 2 T. fresh ginger, minced (or powdered ginger, to taste--I think I used 1-2 t.)


• 3 cloves garlic, minced


• 8 cups water


• 1 carrot to grate in at the end (optional)


• 2 t. curry powder


• 1 t. ground cumin


• 1/4 t. ground coriander


• 1/4 t. ground cardomom (I omitted this as I didn't have any)
  
• salt to taste


• generous pinch cinnamon

DIRECTIONS

Saute the onions in the olive oil at medium heat for about 5 minutes. Add garlic, ginger and spices. Saute 2 more minutes.

Add the water and stir well. Add the splitpeas. Cover and bring to a boil.

Bring heat back down to medium, let soup simmer for about an hour, until peas are tender. Grate in the carrot and serve. You can garnish with fresh cilantro if you have it on hand.


(recipe from the ppk)

Copycat Olive Garden Minestrone Soup

So yeah. What possessed me to seek out this recipe, I'm not quite sure. Other than that I had Olive Garden Minestrone Soup once when I was out with my grandma (only once), and I liked it. Granted, most of Olive Garden's food tastes uber-processed and uber-Americanized, but hell, once in a while, it used to be a guilty pleasure to go there because (as anyone in their right mind knows) their salad dressing rocks out (but unfortunately has eggs AND cheese in it--*sigh*). As a vegan, however, Olive Garden is a no-no, since pretty much all their pasta noodles have eggs in them.

So, although I've only had their minestrone once and thus can't attest to the accuracy of the recipe I'm posting below, I *LIKE* the recipe below (and those who've commented on the recipe on various sites have said it tastes like the real thing). It's a hearty and warm winter soup. It's also a bit salty, so I took out the 1.5 teaspoons of salt the original recipe calls for (the veggie broth and all those canned beans and tomatoes will give you a MORE than generous helping of high blood pressure, thank you very much). Despite the fairly large amount of ingredients, it doesn't take long to make. And it yields a large amount of soup. (I've had enough for generous lunches all week, plus some.)

So yeah: boobs. (Sorry--hadn't said anything naughty thus far, so it felt necessary.) And also: try it out. Worth your while.

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 T. olive oil


• 1 c. minced white onions (about 1 small onion)


• 1/2 c. chopped zucchini


• 1/2 c. frozen cut italian green beans


• 1/4 c. minced celery (about 1/2 stalk)


• 4 t. minced garlic (about 4 cloves)


• 4 c. vegetable broth


• 2 (15 ounce) cans red kidney beans, drained


• 2 (15 ounce) cans small white beans or great northern beans, drained


• 1 (14 ounce) can diced tomatoes


• 1/2 c. carrots, julienned or shredded


• 2 T. minced fresh parsley


• 1.5 t. dried oregano


• 1/2 t. ground black pepper


• 1/2 t. dried basil


• 1/4 t. dried thyme


• 3 c. hot water


• 4 c. fresh baby spinach


• 1/2 c. small shell pasta

DIRECTIONS

Heat three tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat in a large soup pot.

Saute onion, celery, garlic, green beans, and zucchini in the oil for 5 minutes or until onions begin to turn translucent.

Add vegetable broth to pot, plus drained tomatoes, beans, carrot, hot water, and spices.

Bring soup to a boil, then reduce heat and allow to simmer for 20 minutes.

Add spinach leaves and pasta and cook for an additional 20 minutes or until desired consistency.

Makes about eight 1.5 cup servings.

(Recipe from Recipezaar)

"Best Soup Ever" Alert!!!!!

WOOOOOO!!!!
WOOOOOOO!!!!
WOOOOOO!!!!
SOOOOOOOOU!!!! PPPPPPPP!!!!!

That's the "Best Soup Ever" Siren, siren sounding, which means you should immediately take cover in your kitchen with all of the following ingredients and COOK COOK COOK if you ever want to make it out alive.

(Seriously: This soup is beyond delicious. It is rich and decadent, awesomely autumnal, and just damn scrumptious. I was particularly fond of the addition of apples into it. It makes eating the soup that much more entertaining, because I found myself trying to guess whether each white chunk was an apple or a potato, and regardless of whether I won or lost in my guessing, my tastebuds were always always pleased.)

QUICK CURRIED RED LENTIL SOUP WITH VEGETABLES

INGREDIENTS:

• 6 c. water


• 1.5 c. red lentils, rinsed


• 1/2 t. salt


• 1 medium potato, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice


• 2 T. vegan margarine


• 2-3 garlic cloves, minced


• 1 small red bell pepper, finely diced


• 1 celery rib, thinly sliced


• 1 apple, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2-inch dice


• 1.5 T. curry powder


• 1.2 t. ground cumin


• Dash of cayenne


• 1 T. soy sauce


• 4 oz. (or 4 c.) fresh spinach, torn into tiny pieces

DIRECTIONS

Bring water to a boil in a large saucepan. Stir in the lentils and salt. When the water returns to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook 20 minutes, stirring often. Scrape off and discard any foam that accumulates.

Stir in the potato and cook 20 more minutes, stirring frequently.

In a separate pan, melt 1 T. of vegan margarine over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook 2 minutes. Stir in the red pepper, celery, and apple, and saute until tender (about 10 minutes). Sprinkle on the curry powder, cumin, and cayenne and cook 2 more minutes, stirring often so the spices don't burn.

Scrape the veggie mixture into the soup. Add the soy sauce, spinach, and remaining T. of vegan margarine. Cook about 10 more minutes, or until the soup is the consistency of heavy cream--not watery or pasty. Stir often. Let the soup sit a few hours before serving. Rehead and check the consistency. Add a bit more water if it's too thick.

(Original recipe from god knows where because my friend D mailed it to me and I wasn't able to decipher his chicken scratch. But thanks, D. =)

Salinger's Soup

So I am completely horrified and mortified and all other types of -fied-liked things because last week, when making out (teehee--I wish) my lists of 5, I totally and completely left J.D. Salinger off my list, and seriously, it's like forgetting to name your head as a body part. He is, in fact, my *favorite* author, and yet somehow I totally forgot about him.

So to make up for this error, I have decided to name this soup after him. "Why," you ask? "I don't remember Salinger having a particularly large appetite for soup. Neither do I remember any of his characters mentioning soup at any point in his stories."

For shame, my friends. Clearly you have not read Salinger closely enough:

"Anyway, I keep picturing all these little kids playing some game in this big field of rye and all. Thousands of little kids, and nobody's around - nobody big, I mean - except me. And I'm standing on the edge of some crazy cliff, black bean soup in one hand. What I have to do, I have to catch everybody if they start to go over the cliff, and without spilling my black bean soup - I mean if they're running and they don't look where they're going I have to come out from somewhere and catch them. That's all I do all day. I'd just be the catcher in the rye and all. I know it's crazy, but that's the only thing I'd really like to be. Other than a chef who cooks black bean soup."

--Holden Caulfield from The Catcher in the Rye

As Holden understood, and as you will too after trying out this recipe, this recipe is tasty enough that, even when (or particularly if) you're busy catching children so they don't go flying off the edge of a cliff, this soup is so good that you'll want to have a bowl nearby so you can dip into it every once in a while, since it takes a lot out of you to keep children from running off cliffs and whatnot.

INGREDIENTS:

2 c. dry black beans

2 T. baking soda

4 c. water

1 t. kosher or sea salt

1 T. olive oil

1 large red onion, diced

1 rib of celery, diced

1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped

1/2 t. salt

4-6 cloves garlic, minced

1 T. cumin

1 chipotle chile, minced

1 t. adobo sauce from chipotles

1 t. liquid smoke

4 c. veggie broth

juice from one large lime

garnish with any:

• cubed avocado


• a dollop or swirl of vegan sour cream


• diced tomatoes


• cilantro leaves

DIRECTIONS
Soak beans overnight in 4 cups of water with baking soda. (Alternately, you can soak the beans whichever way you so choose--I did a fast-soak which was boiling them for like 20 minutes and then letting them soak for 2-3 hours.) Drain but don't rinse. Place beans, bay leaves, water, and salt in large pot. Bring to boil over medium-high heat. Use a ladle to skim the gray scum off the surface, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until beans are tender, 45-60 minutes. Take off the heat and fish out the bay leaves. Set aside.

In a 2 quart pot, heat oil on medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium, add onion, celery, and bell pepper and cook until vegetables are tender and browning, 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium-low and add salt, garlic and cumin and cook for 3-5 more minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in beans, bean cooking liquid, chipotle chiles, adobo sauce, liquid smoke and broth. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes.

Ladle the scum off the the surface of the soup. Transfer 4 ladlefuls of broth only and 2 ladlefuls of beans only to the food processor or blender, process until smooth, and return to pot. Alternately, use a handheld blender to partially blend the soup in the pot. Stir in lime juice. Serve immediately with desired garnishes.

(Original recipe from Yellow Rose Recipes)

Leslie's Gypsy Soup

I'm inordinately tired today, and because of it, I'm feeling inordinately unenthusiastic about posting.

But please, chalk the lack of enthusiasm up to the tiredness. Not the meal.

Here be something good I made this week, again, courtesy of Leslie, the very cool recipe-spinner at Eat Peace Please.

Make it.

Now.

Or if not now, tomorrow at least.

(Or next week or something. But make it. Now.)

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 T. olive oil


• 1 large onion, chopped small


• 3 stalks celery, diced


• 3-4 cloves garlic, minced


• 1 green pepper, diced


• 2 sweet potatoes, peeled, diced small


• 1 large or 2 small yams, peeled and diced small


• 2 t. paprika


• 1 t. ground tumeric


• 1 t. basil, dried


• 1 t. sea salt


• black pepper to taste


• 1/8 - 1/4 t. cinnamon, ground


• 1/8 t. cayenne pepper, ground


• 1 bay leaf


• 5-6 c. water + 1 bullion cube or stock equiv.


• 1T. tamari/soy sauce


• 2 c. chickpeas (or a 25 oz can)


• 15 oz can great northern beans (or white beans)


• 1/2 can diced tomatoes

DIRECTIONS

Heat olive oil in the soup pot over medium to high heat. Saute the onion, garlic, celery, green bell pepper and sweet potato for about 10 minutes, until semi-soft. Season with paprika, tumeric, basil, salt, cinnamon, cayenne, salt and pepper and the bay leaf. Stir to blend and then add the water, bullion and tamari/soy sauce. Cover and simmer over low heat for about 20 minutes or until potatoes are soft.

Add beans and tomatoes if using and simmer for another 10 minutes, uncovered, until all the veggies are tender. If they aren't close to being tender, keep the lid on for a bit longer. Remove the bay leaf and consume.

Serves a serious serious buttload.

(Original recipe HERE)

Creamy Roasted Chipotle Soup

I eat soup ALL the fricking time for lunch, mostly just because it's really quick to whip up a batch on the weekend, and typically soup recipes make an assload so it typically lasts me through the week.

At some point, I think I'll grow sick of eating them for lunch though (especially since I favor tomato-based soups, and there's only so many you can make before you start feeling like you're gonna blorf up acidic tomatoes all over your desk), but for now, I'm digging on them, partially because of the ease-factor and partially because it's been helping me eat healthier during the week and be more aware of my portion sizes, which I've been trying to do (because I can easily polish off half a large pizza with no problem, just as an example--and it's been making my insides feel gooey and bojiggly and coagulated as of late). So soup to the rescue.

I'm officially sick of roasted soups though, I will tell you that. This will probably be the last one I make for a long while. And be forewarned--this is a spicy bugger of a soup. So have some tissues handy.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 t. oil (I used canola)


• 1/2 large onion, diced


• 4 cloves garlic, minced


• 1 large can crushed tomatoes


• 1 small can diced tomatoes


• 1 T. diced jalapenos


• 1 chipotle in adobe, diced up small


• 2 small cans of corn, blackened (spread on a baking sheet and toss in your broiler for a while)


• 3 c. veggie broth


• 1 small can black beans


• 1/3 c. vegan sour cream

DIRECTIONS
In a large pot, cook the onion and garlic in the oil until translucent. Add all other ingredients minus the sour cream. Bring to a boil and let simmer for about 20 minutes or so. Swirl in the sour cream. Let cook for 5-10 minutes more. Chow down.