Vegan Week: Tortilla Soup

Yesterday, my husband said to me, very gently, "I'm a little souped out".  My thoughts? Too bad. Soups are for me among the tastiest and most satisfying ways to comply with a vegan diet. No apologies here.

Wednesday I ate:

• veggie burrito
• winter minestrone
• coconut cookie**
• salt & vinegar chips
• Gardein strips
• Chipotle casserole
• to drink: coffee, tea, coke, water

Veggie Tortilla Soup (serves 6-8)

• 1 1/2 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 3 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1 Tbsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 2 qt veggie broth
• 14 oz can diced tomatoes with juice
• 1 can pinto beans 
• 1 1/2 C corn kernels 
• juice of 3 limes
• zest of 1 lime
• 3 chipotles in adobo, chopped
• 1/3 C cilantro, chopped
• salt & pepper to taste
• chopped avocados
• tortilla chips 

1. Heat the oil in a heavy stock pot over med-high heat. Add the onions, and saute, stirring frequently til translucent and slightly browned, about 5-7 mins. Add the garlic and stir a couple more mins, ensuring the garlic doesn't burn.
2. Add the cumin, chili powder, oregano and garlic powder and stir constantly for 1 min. Add the veggie broth and tomatoes, and bring, covered, to a boil. 
3. Reduce heat to a simmer, add pinto beans, corn, lime juice, lime zest and chipotle. Simmer covered for 30-45 mins. 
4. Add the cilantro, salt and pepper to taste, cook for 5 more mins. 
5. Serve immediately, and add diced avocado and tortilla chips to the bowl. 

Kitchen Notes: I'd prefer this to be a heartier soup, so add additional fixin's as desired. I am a fiend for cumin, so that's why there is so much in this dish. I used Food Should Taste Good lime-flavored tortilla chips and I highly recommend using a chip with a lime flavor.

Verdict? As mentioned above, I'd love for this to be a bit heartier, maybe some rice and additional beans. This is a nicely seasoned soup and very warming on a cold day. I think the tortilla chips are fun. I'd also like to try this spooned over polenta rounds.

And, for your viewing pleasure, since I don't have any more pictures of soup, my cat Issa, doing her best impression of a 12-pack:

Vegan Week: Winter Minestrone

Husband and I are embarking on another vegan (almost) week prior to Christmas. I say (almost) week due to the fact that we started Monday and will not be eating vegan on Christmas day. We do this periodically to help cope with excess indulgences and as a fun challenge. We do have 2 exceptions to abiding by vegan week: 1) food that would spoil in our fridge if not eaten during the period; 2) We're allowed to sample small amounts of veggie (but non-vegan) food during work celebrations this week. If you're really curious about the origins of vegan week (and I know you are--wink! wink!) check it out here.

             Steam makes it tricky for me to take a clear pic--but don't you feel warm?

For my first day of vegan week, I ate:

• English muffin with spinach-artichoke dip*
• Winter Minestrone Soup
• Clementine
• Lime tortilla chips
• Dark chocolate
• Pan fried tempeh with artichoke dip
• coconut cookie**
• ginger cookie**
• Water, seltzer, coffee, wine spritzer to drink 

*recipe coming soon
**Exempt item

For vegan week to be a success, I rely a lot on the recipes of others. This lovely winter minestrone comes from Joanne at Eats Well With Others. Her recipes always look scrumptious and amazing! I followed it very closely, though I changed the ratio of some veggies to suit my tastes, and changed the order of ingredient additions based on how I have made soups before.

Winter Minestrone (serves 6-8)

• 1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
• 3 medium/large carrots, coarsely chopped
• 1 large red onion, diced
• 6-8 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 large bunch chard, leaves roughly torn, stems coarsely chopped, leaves & stems kept separate
• 1/2 C parsley, finely chopped
• 1 28-oz can tomatoes, either diced or whole and chopped, with juice
• 1/2 head cabbage, cored and cut into strips
• 1 15-oz can white northern beans, drained
• 2 quarts veggie broth
• 1 1/2 C small pasta shapes, cooked, reserve a bit of the cooking water, if possible
• salt and pepper to taste

1. In a large pot, heat the olive oil over med-low heat. Add the carrots & onion, and cook for 20 mins, stirring occasionally. 
2. Meanwhile, in a large soup pot, begin boiling the broth. In the pot with the carrot and onion, add the garlic, chard stems, & 1/4 parsley, stirring constantly for a couple of mins. Then, add the tomatoes & tomato juice & cook for 10 mins, stirring occasionally. 
3. Add the tomato/onion/chard stem/etc. mixture to the boiling broth. In addition, add half of the cabbage leaves and half of the chard leaves. Bring to a boil, reduce, and simmer 30 mins, covered.
4. While the soup is simmering, bring some water to a boil (I just used the same pot I cooked the veggies in--I didn't bother to rinse it). Add the remainder of the cabbage & chard leaves, cook for 2 mins, strain, and put in ice water to prevent further cooking. 
5. After the soup has been cooking 30 mins, add the blanched cabbage, chard, 1/4 C parsley, pasta, & 2/3 of the white beans. Take the remainder of the white beans, a bit of the soup broth, and a bit of pasta water and puree. Add the puree to the soup and some salt & pepper. Serve immediately.

                                      My soups all look alike. See here, here, and here

                                                                The fancy pasta I used!

                                                        So pretty while cooking!

Kitchen Notes: The original recipe calls for 1 fewer carrots and 2 bunches of chard as well as a whole head (!) of garlic. It also calls for less broth and no pasta. Blanching the veggies helps to keep them crisp and green and gives the soup a beautiful color. It also calls for finishing it off with Parmesan cheese. In this recipe, each of the veggies are discretely tasted, so good ingredients are important.

Verdict? A veggie-lover's soup. Nice full flavor. I love that it's hearty, filling, yet clean and light at the same time. I'm giddy about the nutrition packed into this soup, and it warms nicely on a winter day. I'm glad I decreased the amount of chard so that it didn't overwhelm, but I am always excited about a recipe that uses chard stems. And now, some pretty pictures of the beautiful carrots and chard one local farm still grows, even in December:

 

Portuguese Kale Soup

Portuguese kale soup is probably my second most requested recipe (I won't yet tell you what the first recipe is, not yet). Growing up, one of my favorite soups was Portuguese kale soup, featuring a spicy Portuguese sausage called chourico. Chourico is similar to it's Spanish cousin, chorizo, but features more garlic and and paprika. When I became vegetarian, I gave up my kale soup. When I moved to Illinois, Portuguese foods became a mere memory, and I really began to crave kale soup. Using soyrizo, I was able to mimic the flavor of the original chourico by adding additional heat, paprika and garlic. Since I'm writing this while back in Portuguese territory, it seems fitting that I post this now, no?

                                                       See the steam? Aren't you hungry?


This recipe has 2 dirty little secrets: Goya Sazon with Azafran, and Goya Sazon con Cilantro y Tomate. Why dirty little secrets? These seasonings are loaded with sodium and have MSG in them. My philosophy is that since I rarely use it, and because the amount is small in this big pot of soup, it's ok for this special occasion.


Listened to: Hot Club of Cowtown. If they play in your town, go see them. You won't regret it.

Portuguese Kale Soup (makes about 6 quarts)

• olive oil
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 5-6 medium carrots, coarsely chopped
• 4-5 celery stalks, coarsely chopped
• 2 packages soyrizo
• 4 quarts veggie broth or faux chicken broth 
• 2 packages Goya con azafran
• 2 packages Goya con cilantro y tomate
• 1 Tbsp (or more, or less), smoked paprika
• 1 tsp (or more, or less) crushed red pepper
• 2 tsp (or more, or less) garlic powder
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1 bunch kale, carefully washed, and torn into small pieces
• 2 16-oz cans white beans
• 4 C macaroni or other small pasta, cooked

1. In a large stockpot (I ultimately had to use 2), heat a few Tbsp of olive oil on medium or medium low heat. Add the garlic and cook for a few minutes, add the garlic and cook about 5 more mins.
2. When the onions are slightly softened, add the carrots and celery and sauté for about 5 more minutes. Add the soyrizo and stir frequently, taking care not to let the soyrizo stick, cook for about 5 more mins.
3. Pour in the broth, add the 2 kinds of Goya seasoning, paprika, crushed red pepper, and garlic powder. Bring to a boil, adjust seasonings, cover and reduce heat to low.
4. Simmer for 1 hour on low heat, stirring occasionally and adjust seasonings as needed.
5. Add the kale, cook until wilted about 10 mins. Add the beans and pasta and cook 5-10 mins more. Adjust seasonings, and serve immediately.

Kitchen Notes: I use Frieda's brand soyrizo, which I find is the most flavorful brand I've tried with the most appealing texture. Goya products are found frequently in the international section of a well stocked grocery store, or an international or Latin grocery. I truly don't have a stockpot large enough to make all this soup, so I make it in 1 pot, and once the sautéing is done, I split the sautéed veggies and soyrizo between 2 pots. This soup freezes super well, but freeze without the pasta.

     A prize goes to whomever recognizes which ingredient is missing from the photo! What that prize is, I don't know.

Verdict? This is one of my most favorite soups. It's hearty, it's nutritious, and for me, full of nostalgia, be sure to give it a try. If this doesn't make you warm and happy on a cold day, I don't know what will.

Smoky Lentil Soup with Chipotle Sour Cream

As often happens when I cook, a (small) chain reaction developed. I googled a recipe for cashew cream, became familiar with vegan chef Tal Ronnen, and borrowed one of his cookbooks from the library.

                                    
   I only took 1, really crummy picture because 1) I was really hungry; 2) I didn't want to keep dinner guests waiting!

One of my closest friends, and her sweet pal and colleague were visiting as a break from a long, dull drive. It was rainy, they were tired, and having worked at the hospital most of the day, I didn't have time to cook anything complex. And I was cooking for non-vegetarians.

So what did I do? Make smoky lentil soup. Lentil soup is a dish that surely makes many carnivores and dive into a steak. My husband and friends assured me (and maybe they were just being polite) that this was a winner. I was really sad I didn't make more, and it would freeze beautifully.

This recipe is adapted from The Conscious Cook, by Tal Ronnen. It was originally a split-pea soup recipe, and I de-veganized it and tweaked it some.

Smoky Lentil Soup with Chipotle Sour Cream (serves 4-6)

• 4 Tbsp butter
• 2 minced shallots
• 2 leeks, sliced thin
• 1/2 onion, minced
• 2 carrots, coarsely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp dried rosemary
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
• 3 bay leaves 
•  2 tsp smoked paprika
• 2 qt vegetable broth/faux chicken broth
• 1 1/2 C red lentils, picked over & rinsed
• handful chopped parsley
• juice of 1 lemon
• smoked salt
• pepper
• cilantro (optional)
• toasted pumpkin seeds (optional)

1. In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter. Add the shallots, leeks, garlic and onions and saute for about 5 minutes. 
2. Add the carrots, and saute for about 5 minutes more. Add the rosemary, bay leaf, paprika, and crushed red pepper and saute for a couple more minutes.
3. Add the broth and lentils and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and allow to simmer, uncovered for 1 hour. 
4. Add smoked salt & pepper to taste. Add the lemon juice and parsley and cook for an additional 10 mins. Serve with a dollop of chipotle sour cream (see below) and toasted pumpkin seeds and cilantro if desired. 


For the chipotle sour cream:

• 1 C sour cream
• 1/2 canned chipotle with adobo sauce
• 1 tsp adobo sauce from the can
• salt & pepper
• juice of 1 lime

1. Place sour cream, chipotle, adobo sauce and lime in a food processor and pulse til smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste. Pulse again and re-season if needed. If possible, make 1 hour before serving to allow the flavors to blend.

Kitchen Notes: The chipotle sour cream really makes this soup. If you don't feel like making it, at least chop some chipotle peppers and drop them in the soup pot.

Verdict? I realize it's odd to be so excited about lentil soup but this stuff is g-o-o-d! The smoky flavors of the paprika, smoked salt and chipotle give the soup more substance without making it heavy. The chipotle sour cream is outstanding, and super simple. It will make a cameo in a couple future posts, and will keep the Cuisinart busy.

Curried Zucchini Soup

Back in grad school, I used to frequently eat at The Red Herring, a non-profit, typically student run vegetarian (and when I was in school, strictly vegan) restaurant. It was charming and eclectic, and typically served a killer bowl of soup for $3. One of my favorites was their curried zucchini soup. I've tried to make it at home before, never with much success.

 I recently started experimenting with cashew cream, an ingredient used in a lot of vegan recipes to simulate heavy cream. I thought that this might be the ingredient that finally brings me success with this soup, especially since it's what the Red Herring used to give soups a creamy texture and mouthfeel. 

Curried Zucchini Soup (serves 4)

• Vegetable Oil 
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 2 shallots, miched 
• 1 large zucchini, diced (about 3 C)
• 1 Tbsp garam masala
• 1 Tbsp curry powder
• 1/2 tsp cayenne 
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 2 C faux-chicken or veggie broth
• salt & pepper
• 1-1.5 C cashew cream 

1. Heat a bit of oil in a small Dutch oven or soup pot. Add the garlic and shallots and stir over medium heat until the shallots begin to soften. Don't allow the garlic to brown. 
2. Add the diced zucchini. Add more oil if required. Add the garam masala, curry powder, cayenne & turmeric and sautee for about 5 minutes or until the zucchini begins to soften.
3. Add the broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and allow to simmer for 30 mins. Taste, adding salt & pepper & additional spices as needed. 
4. Stir in the cashew cream until well incorporated. Once well mixed, (carefully!) scoop a few ladlefuls into a food processor and pulse til smooth. Add back to the soup.
5. Add additional broth, or cashew cream if desired to achieve preferred consistency. If you'd like, process more of the soup for a smoother consistency.
6. Adjust seasonings, and cook for a few more minutes over med-low heat. Garnish with onion relish if desired. 

Kitchen Notes: I threw this soup together pretty haphazardly, & this soup will be forgiving regarding the spices you use, so feel free to experiment depending on your whims.


Verdict? Help! This soup is good, but it's not quite what I remember. The texture was perfect--really spot on, and it's surprisingly that there's no dairy. You can see by the sheen on the soup that it looks like proper cream--this would be a good alternative for someone with a dairy/lactose allergy or high cholesterol. The flavor, however was a bit too mild for me, and in past experiences, adding copious amounts of curry powder makes a food gritty. Does anyone have a favorite curry brand? Or a recommendation of other spices?

Spanish Vegetable Soup

Yikes! I am rather behind. Here's one I made back during vegan week. The original recipe was called "Spanish Bean Soup" and came from Moosewood Restaurant New Classics. The original ingredient list was as follows:

• Garlic
• Onion
• Salt
• Olive oil
• Ground fennel
• Red pepper flakes
• Bay leaves
• Soy sausage
• Potatoes
• Vegetable stock
• kale, collards, chard, or cabbage
• celery
• cannelli beans
• saffron
• salt & pepper

                                         My version, however, had the following ingredient list:

• garlic
• onion
• olive oil
• red pepper
• paprika
• hot paprika
• soy sausage
• macaroni
• vegetable stock
• dry sherry
• tomato paste
• red wine
• garlic powder
• carrots
• kale
• Swiss chard
• cannellini beans
• tomatoes
• saffron
• salt & pepper

This post really gives insight into how I approach a recipe--with irreverence. Sometimes this works for me, other times it doesn't. In this case, I think my overhaul worked in my favor. Let's see how it goes.

Spanish Vegetable Soup (makes about 2.5 quarts)

• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 C onions, chopped
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 3 carrots, coarsely chopped
• 1 package soy sausage (about 1 C, crumbled)
• paprika
• hot paprika
• 1/4 C dry sherry 
• 8 C vegetable stock
• 1/2 C dry red wine
• 1 28-oz can diced tomatoes
• 2 heaping Tbsp tomato paste
• 2 C kale, torn into small pieces
• 2 C Swiss chard, stemmed (save the stems!), torn into small pieces
• 1 can cannelli beans, drained
• 1-2 C cooked macaroni, or other small pasta
• garlic powder
• pinch saffron
• juice 1 lemon
• salt & pepper

1. In a large soup pot/Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium low heat. Add the onions and garlic and stir frequently until the onions are softened and slightly translucent.
2. Add the soy sausage, saute for a few more minutes. Add the carrots, and a 1/2 tsp each of paprika, hot paprika, and a sprinkle of crushed red pepper. Saute on medium heat for about 5 mins, stirring very frequently to avoid sticking.
3. Deglaze the pan with the sherry. Add vegetable stock, wine, tomatoes, tomato paste, & greens. Bring to a boil.
4. Taste, add additional paprika, red pepper, and salt and pepper. Reduce heat, and simmer for 30 mins. 
5. Add garlic powder. Continue to adjust seasonings. Add the beans, pasta, saffron and lemon juice. Cook for 10 more mins and serve. 

Kitchen Notes: I used Trader Joe's brand soy chorizo. This was adequate, but I prefer Frieda's brand soy chorizo. I recommend saving the stems from the Swiss chard for a future recipe that focuses on the stems of Swiss chard. When I started making this recipe from the original, there were limitations regarding depth of flavor, I kept trying to achieve this with the tomato paste, wine, and tomatoes with satisfactory results. Feel free to mix/modify the types of greens, but chard gives it a good earthiness.

Verdict? I make a lot of soup. I make a lot of soup with greens, but typically not chard. This gives the soup an earthy flavor. This soup is very hearty, very nutritious. The broth is surprisingly light, but be assured, this soup is a meal, not an appetizer. A terrific transitional soup between early fall and the dead of winter. 

An Aside: My Farmer's Market sells the prettiest carrots. I used a white one, orange one, and purple one in the soup. Here they are, above. And peeled, below: