Recipe # 15: Tomato Soup

Classic tomato soup is utterly American and a staple in most people’s lives - as a child, at least.  Most versions have some form of dairy (butter, cream, milk) and most vegan options I have tried turn out watery and incomplete in flavor.  The magic of this remarkably simple soup is the creaminess derived form the onions themselves, making a luscious and velvety-smooth experience in your mouth.  If you wanted to spice it up, add some cayenne (not red pepper flake, as this will interrupt the texture) at when the onions are finishing.  Otherwise, take some time to concentrate on the simple flavors of the soup and enjoy the bliss!

Tomato Soup

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp sunflower oil
2 large onions
4 cloves garlic
3 28 oz. cans whole tomatoes
1 tsp sea salt
Fresh pepper

Heat the oil over medium heat in a large stock pot while you dice the onions and chop the garlic.  Add the onions, stirring immediately to break up the dice and incorporate the oil.  Cook, stirring occasional, for about 12-15 minutes being careful to not caramelize the onions.  When the onions are translucent, add the chopped garlic and cook for an additional 4 minutes.  Add the cans of tomatoes carefully to avoid splash-back.  Fill two of the empty cans with water and add them to the soup, stir and cover.  When the soup comes to a boil, reduce the heat to just above a simmer to help break down and soften the tomatoes and cook for 35-45 minutes.  When the water has reduced by about half, remove from the heat and let cool.  Using an immersion blender, purée the soup until smooth throughout.  Add the salt and taste, as your palette may require a bit more salt to enhance the flavors.  Serve with a bit of fresh ground pepper on top.

Additional tips:

• If you have some vegetable stock, use it in place of the water for a distinct flavor addition
• Have some herbs that you need to use?  Wrap them in some cheese cloth, tie it with twine, and sit in the soup while it simmers.  Parsley, oregano, basil all work well.  Use caution with strong herbs like thyme and rosemary, as they tend to overpower the delicate tomato flavor.

Recipe # 11: Spicy Black Bean Soup

This soup has such a complex, spicy flavor you may find yourself making it quite often.  If you don’t have enough celery or carrots to complete the base, use what you have.  This recipe is versatile enough to handle an absent vegetable.  With a well-stocked pantry, this dish is relatively inexpensive and a nice addition to a menu rotation any time of year.

Spicy Black Bean Soup

2 medium onions
6 cloves garlic
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp sunflower oil
1 lb. baby carrots
1 celery heart
2 tsp crushed red pepper
½ tsp coriander
1 tsp cumin
8 cups water
2 cups dried black beans, rinsed and soaked

Soaking the beans:

Place beans in a large colander and rinse thoroughly, picking out any shriveled beans or foreign objects.  In a large pot, bring 8 cups water to a boil.  When the water reaches a rolling boil, add the dried beans and cover, encouraging a rapid return to a boil.  Let the beans cook in boiling water for 2 minutes and remove from heat.  Keeping covered, let the beans soak for at least 2 hours on the stove top.  This can be done a day ahead or before you cook the soup.

Vegetable prep:

• Dice the onion and smash-chop* the garlic.
• Slice the carrots in half  length-wise and dice them into ½ inch pieces, set aside.   Depending on the size of your carrots, you’ll get 2-4 cuts per half.  Try slicing 3-4 baby carrots in half, and then dice them.  This should make the process go faster.
• Trim the celery hearts of the (dried) top and (dirty) bottom and rinse the stalks to ensure you remove all the dirt.  Slice the stalks, lengthwise, into halves or thirds (depending on the width)  and dice into ½ inch pieces.  Like the carrots, you can dice a few stalks at the same time, which should help ease chopping fatigue.

Stovetop:

Heat the oil in a large stock pot, over medium-high heat, and add the onions and garlic.  Stir occasionally to keep the garlic from browning too quickly.  You want the onions to begin to brown before proceeding (you may notice the bottom of the pan becoming “sticky“ from the onions starting to caramelize), about 7-9 minutes.  Add the carrots and keep stirring (the introduction of a water-heavy vegetable will help stop the cooking for a while and get the browned bits up from the pan).  When the carrots begin to brown, after 6-9 minutes, add the celery and keep stirring.  When the celery has reduced by half (you’ll notice a difference in the pot, as the vegetables cook and water evaporates), after 9-12 minutes, add herbs and spices, cooking for 2 minutes to help release the oils.  Add the beans and 8 cups of water, making sure to scrape the bottom of the pot to release the caramelized bits into the broth, and cover.  Bring the soup to a boil and cook for 5 minutes, reduce to a simmer and cover.  Cook for at least 35 minutes, longer for a thicker soup.  Remove from heat and let cool before serving.


*Smash-chop: after you have peeled the cloves, trim the root end off.  Smash the clove with the side of your knife by pressing firmly until the clove breaks into pieces; chop the smashed cloves into a dice similar in size to the onions being used.

Recipe # 10: Creamy Broccoli Soup

A classic re-envisioned.  The vegetables speak for themselves in this soup, with the marjoram and thyme playing supporting roles to the sweet red onion and robust garlic.  The silken tofu not only adds creaminess, but also a complete protein.  I’m sure you like your broccoli soup a certain way, but I love it just plain with a little cracked fresh pepper on top!

Creamy Broccoli Soup

3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp sunflower oil
2 medium onions
5 cloves garlic
1 lb. baby carrots
1 celery heart
3 Stalks broccoli, trimmed
1 large red onion
2 tsp dried marjoram
1 tsp dried thyme
1 package silken tofu
6 cups water
Salt & pepper

Vegetable prep:

• Dice the onion and smash-chop* the garlic
• For the carrots, slice them in half length-wise, dice them into ½ inch pieces and set aside.   Depending on the size of your carrots, you'll get 2-4 cuts per half.  Try slicing 3-4 baby carrots in half, and then dice them.  This should make the process go faster.
• Trim the celery hearts of the (dried) top and (dirty) bottom and rinse the stalks to ensure you remove all the dirt.  Slice the stalks, lengthwise, into halves or thirds (depending on the width)  and dice into ½ inch pieces.  Like the carrots, you can dice a few stalks at the same time, which should help ease chopping fatigue.
• Cut off the florets, leaving as much stalk as possible.  Trim the body of the stalks of dried/exposed  parts and any part that seems too green, as these will create issues later on in the process.  Slice the stalks in half length-wise, and then again to create 4 strips per stalk.  Coarsely dice the stalks and set them aside.
• Coarsely dice the red onion and add to the broccoli cuts.

Stovetop:

Heat the oil in a large stock pot (whatever you boil pasta in), over medium-high heat, and add the onions and garlic.  Stir occasionally to keep the garlic from browning too quickly.  You want the onions to begin to brown before proceeding (you may notice the bottom of the pan becoming "sticky" from the onions starting to caramelize), about 7-9 minutes.  Add the carrots and keep stirring (the introduction of a water-heavy vegetable will help stop the cooking for a while and get the browned bits up from the pan).  When the carrots begin to brown, after 6-9 minutes, add the celery and keep stirring.  When the celery has reduced by half (you'll notice a difference in the pot, as the vegetables cook and water evaporates), after 9-12 minutes, add the broccoli and red onions.   Cook for an additional 4 minutes and add the spices and herbs, cooking for an another 2 minutes to help release the oils in the herbs.  Place the tofu directly in the pot, incorporate it with your wooden spoon, and add 1 tsp sea salt.  After cooking for 3 minutes add the water and some fresh ground pepper.  Bring the soup to a boil, cover, and reduce to a simmer.  Your soup will need to reduce, encouraging the flavors to intensify and set, for around 45 minutes.  Once it has finished reducing, remove it from the heat source and set aside.

Purée:

Using an immersion blender, purée the soup into a creamy and smooth consistency.  This may take upwards of 4 minutes, depending on the power of your immersion blender and the vegetables.  If you do not have an immersion blender, you may use a blender or food processor - but you will need to work in batches to avoid a mess.  When the soup is at your desired creaminess, add 1-2 tsp sea salt and some fresh ground pepper to taste and stir thoroughly to even out the soup.

Recipe # 7: Roasted Cauliflower Soup

I am absolutely obsessed with making this soup on a cold or rainy day.  The smooth texture, especially when complemented by crunchy soynuts or a crouton, is bliss.  The intense, layered flavor comes from carefully cooking the mirepoix and properly roasting the cauliflower.  Yes, it is time consuming - but it is worth the effort!  Set aside some time on the weekend or after work on a lazy Tuesday and make it an event.  If you do not have an immersion (stick) blender you can use a blender or food processor, although you should consider investing in one.  The vegetables and tofu make this dish a complete protein, although you may want to serve it with a slice of bread or add a scoop of grains on top.

Roasted Cauliflower Soup

4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus more for roasting
1 Tbsp sunflower oil
2 medium onions
5 cloves garlic
2 lb. baby carrots
1 celery heart
1 large head cauliflower
1 tsp crushed red pepper, plus more for roasting
2 tsp dried marjoram
1 tsp dried thyme
1 package silken tofu
6 cups water
Salt & pepper

Vegetable prep:

• Dice the onion and smash-chop* the garlic
• For one bag of the carrots, slice them in half and dice them into ½ inch pieces, set aside.   Depending on the size of your carrots, you’ll get 2-4 cuts per half.  Try slicing 3-4 baby carrots in half, and then dice them.  This should make the process go faster.
• For the other bag of carrots, simply cut them lengthwise and set aside.
• Trim the celery hearts of the (dried) top and (dirty) bottom and rinse the stalks to ensure you remove all the dirt.  Slice the stalks, lengthwise, into halves or thirds (depending on the width)  and dice into ½ inch pieces.  Like the carrots, you can dice a few stalks at the same time, which should help ease chopping fatigue.
• Pull the leaves off the cauliflower and cut a square into the bottom of the stem, as this will make cleaning trimming the florets easier.  Once cored, pull or trim the florets into medium sized pieces.  Use the whole cauliflower, not just the florets.  In a colander, rinse the pieces very well, as dirt tends to get stuck in the head.  Set on a kitchen towel to dry and set aside.

Roasting:

Preheat your oven to 450°F.  Place the halved carrots and cauliflower in a roasting pan and coat them with olive oil.  Using the spice jar, sprinkle some crushed red pepper over the vegetables and stir with a wooden spoon.  Depending on your tolerance, you can add more or less red pepper.  Keep in mind that the spice will be subtle, hitting you on the back of your mouth.  Put the pan in the oven and roast for 45-55 minutes, stirring occasionally.  When the carrots have shriveled and the florets are dark brown, you can take the pan out of the oven and set it aside as you make the soup.

Soup:

Heat the oil in a large stock pot (whatever you boil pasta in), over medium-high heat, and add the onions and garlic.  Stir occasionally to keep the garlic from browning too quickly.  You want the onions to begin to brown before proceeding (you may notice the bottom of the pan becoming “sticky“ from the onions starting to caramelize), about 7-9 minutes.  Add the carrots and keep stirring (the introduction of a water-heavy vegetable will help stop the cooking for a while and get the browned bits up from the pan).  When the carrots begin to brown, after 6-9 minutes, add the celery and keep stirring.  When the celery has reduced by half (you’ll notice a difference in the pot, as the vegetables cook and water evaporates), after 9-12 minutes, add the spices and herbs, cooking for an additional 2 minutes to help release the oils in the herbs.  Place the tofu directly in the pot, incorporate it with your wooden spoon, and add 1 tsp sea salt.  Scrape the roasted vegetables out of the pan, including residual oil (it’s full of flavor!) and place them in the pot.  After cooking for 3 minutes add the water, bring to a boil, cover, and reduce to a simmer.  Your soup will need to reduce, encouraging the flavors to intensify and set, for around 45 minutes.  Once it has finished reducing, remove it from the heat source and set aside.

Purée:

Using an immersion blender, purée the soup into a creamy and smooth consistency.  This may take upwards of 4 minutes, depending on the power of your immersion blender and the vegetables.  If you do not have an immersion blender, you may use a blender or food processor - but you will need to work in batches to avoid a mess.  When the soup is at your desired creaminess, add 1-2 tsp sea salt and some fresh ground pepper, stirring thoroughly to even out the soup.

You can serve this on its own, with a crusty bread or over grains.  Because it has the silken tofu, offering you a complete protein, this soup can be a meal or snack.  If making a meal, be sure to add a complex carbohydrate and some fruit for a nice finish!

Recipe # 3: Ramen-Style Tofu Soup (Gluten-free)

I make this quick, ramen-style dish when I am in a pinch and only have staples in my kitchen.  You probably already have most of the ingredients in your kitchen (and if you r don’t, you should), making the preparation very simple.  Your grocer most likely carries the Mori-Nu brand for the tofu in this soup, in a UHT container either in the refrigerated section on the shelf in the Asian cuisine aisle.  If you cannot find it, a soft tofu would work as well.  I prefer the Rapunzel brand of bouillon cubes.  However, if you don’t have bouillon cubes, a regular stock or broth would suffice.  Start to finish, this dish is done in 20 minutes - perfect for a quick, nutritious, filling meal with a side of steamed veggies.

Ramen-Style Tofu Soup (Gluten-free)

3 cups water
¾ cup quinoa
¼ cup amaranth
2 vegan bouillon cubes (no salt added)*
1 package firm silken tofu
2 tbsp. olive oil or sunflower oil
Salt & pepper

In a 5-quart saucepan, bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat.  Slice the tofu in 2-3 cm cubes and set aside.  When the water comes to a boil, add the grains, bouillon cubes, tofu and oil.  Bring the soup back to a boil, cover, and reduce to low heat; continue to cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Remove from the heat and let sit, covered, for an additional 5 minutes.  There should be some broth left in the pot.  Give the soup a quick fluff, salt & pepper to taste, and serve on its own or with steamed vegetables.

*I prefer Rapunzel brand bouillon cubes.  If you don’t have this, you can substitute broth or stock for the water.