Asparagus Soup

Tis the season, and as it approaches I seem to become interested in all things red and green. Hence, asparagus soup. This is a wonderfully yummy take on the non-vegan version. I included potato in the recipe to give the soup more texture, but if you don't like potatoes reduce by half. You'll still get the benefits, but with less potato flavor.

Asparagus Soup

2 T olive oil
1 C chopped shallot, 2 large
3 garlic cloves, minced
32 oz. vegetable broth
2 lbs. asparagus, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 lb. potato, cut into 1 inch cubes
1/2 t salt
1/4 t dried thyme
1/8 t white pepper
1/8 t celery salt
croutons

Warm the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the shallot and garlic and saute until the shallot is translucent, about 5 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, thyme and celery salt. Add the vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Trim the woody ends off of the asparagus and discard. Cut the asparagus into 1 inch pieces, then peel and cube the potato. Add the cut asparagus and cubed potato to the stock and return to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes or until the  asparagus and potato are tender. Once the vegetables are tender, either carefully transfer the soup to a blender and puree until smooth, or use an immersion blender and blend until smooth. Serve with croutons on top as a garnish.

Butternut Squash Soup

Here's a recipe I posted last fall. I think it's worth repeating. Happy Thanksgiving everyone! 

Butternut Squash Soup

1 large butternut squash (3 – 3.5 lbs) - peeled, seeded and cut into 1 inch cubes (about 6 cups)
1 t. fine sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper (just a little)
3 leeks - white parts only, washed well and chopped (about 2 cups)
1 C. coarsely chopped cauliflower
2 stalks of celery, chopped (about 1 cup)
3 bouillon cubes, low sodium vegan vegetable (I used Rapunzel, one cube for every 2 cups of water)
6 C. water
3 large leaves of sage, chopped
Pam

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lay aluminum foil on the bottom of a sheet pan and spray it with Pam. Pour the cubed butternut squash onto the sheet pan and lightly spray the top of the squash with Pam. Sprinkle the squash with the salt and cracked pepper. Roast in the oven for 15 minutes, add the chopped sage and stir. Continue roasting for 15 minutes or more until soft.

In a large pot simmer the water, bouillon cubes, celery, cauliflower and leeks until the vegetables are tender. Once the squash and sage are finished in the oven, spoon them into the pot with the other vegetables. Remove from the heat and blend the soup in batches using a blender or food processor until nearly smooth. Serve.

Cashew Cream

Cashew cream is a raw, dairy free substitute for (you guessed it) cream!  There are many recipes out there for cashew cream, they vary slightly but basically it's the same process in each. The first time I made cashew cream I used the recipe from Tal Ronnen's cookbook, "The Conscious Cook."  He explains the process well, but his recipe makes a lot of cream. I would rarely use it up before having to throw it away. Since, I've been making it in smaller batches. This  recipe will yield between 1/2 - 3/4 cups of cream. Here's how I do it.

Cashew Cream

1 C raw cashews
water

The night before you need the cream, put the cashews into a bowl and cover them with water. Store the bowl of cashews in the refrigerator. When you need the cream, drain and rinse the cashews under cold water. Place them into a blender and cover them with about one inch of water. Blend  until smooth. This usually takes two or three minutes. Next, strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve (if you have a Vita-Mix blender you won't need to strain it and you'll end up with 1 1/2 cups of cream). Once strained it should have the consistency of cream.

Note: It only keeps for two or three days.

Tomato Quinoa Soup

My daughter was living in Grand Rapids and found a restaurant that became a staple for her, Marie Catribs. We would eat there often and I fell in love with it too. It's a great restaurant that serves amazing vegetarian and vegan dishes. Not too long ago I ordered the soup of the day and by the third spoonful I made up my mind to try to duplicate it! Here it is. I hope you like it! And if you ever get to Grand Rapids, Michigan, it's worth your time to visit Marie Catribs. It won't disappoint! Check out her website.

Tomato Quinoa Soup

2 T olive oil
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, diced
3 leeks, white parts only, sliced 
2 stalks of celery, diced
2 carrots, diced
6 oz. portobello mushrooms, chopped
28 oz. crushed tomatoes
32 oz. veggie broth
leaves from two sprigs of thyme
3 basil leaves, chiffonade
1 T parsley
1 15 oz. can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 15 oz. can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 C quinoa
1/2 C cashew cream (optional)
salt and pepper to taste
basil leaves for garnish, chiffonade

In a large stock pot saute the garlic, onion, leeks, celery, carrots and mushrooms until tender and fragrant. Add the tomatoes, broth, thyme, basil, parsley, kidney beans, garbanzo beans and bring the soup to a simmer. Add the quinoa and bring the soup to a boil. As soon as it begins to boil, reduce heat to medium low. Cover. Simmer until the quinoa has cooked and the soup has thickened, about 10 – 15 min. Add the cashew cream and season to taste. Serve garnished with basil leaves.

Vegan Mushroom Gravy

I made this gravy to drape over the mashed potato recipe in the previous post. It's very simple to make and a nice compliment to the potatoes. My family liked it so much, I've made over and over again!

Vegan Mushroom Gravy

2 T olive oil
1/4 C onion
8 oz. baby portobello mushrooms
1 C vegetable broth
Sea salt & pepper to taste

In a saute pan heat olive oil and add the onions. As onions saute, slice the mushrooms and add to the saute pan. Saute vegetables browning the mushrooms. Once mushrooms are browned, add the broth mixing well. Remove half of the mushroom mixture putting it into a food processor. Process until smooth. Add back to the saute pan and season to taste.

Note: The pics are not mine... I need a new camera!