Creamy Roasted Tomato Soup

Recently I had what I can only call the one true tomato soup that I have ever enjoyed. However, upon later reflection I realized that it probably had cream in it and I just didn't realize it at the time. So, of course, this prompted me to create my own version of a creamy tomato soup, and what better way to get a nice, rich flavor than by roasting the ingredients first?

2 containers Pomi diced tomatoes, or 2 28 oz. cans whole or crushed tomatoes
1 large red onion, roughly chopped
1 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. dried parsley
3/4 tsp. dried oregano
3/4 tsp. dried rosemary
3/4 tsp. dried basil
3/4 tsp. dried thyme
1/4 tsp. black pepper
6 cloves garlic, minced
4 c. vegetable broth
2 c. plain milk alternative such as soy, almond or oat (don't use anything too thin like rice milk)

1) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place the tomatoes, onion, herbs, salt and pepper into a 2-3 quart baking dish and toss to mix. Roast the mixture for 3 hours. Add the garlic after the first our and then stir the mixture every 20 minutes after the first hour (this ensures even roasting and keeps the top bits from burning).

2) When the mixture is done roasting let it cool a bit and then transfer to a blender and blend until completely smooth.

3) Add the mixture to a large soup pot along with the vegetable broth and milk alternative. Bring the mixture to a boil and let it simmer, uncovered, for about 10 minutes. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper if necessary.

This makes 4-6 servings and would go excellently with homemade Garlic Bread, Spicy Kale Chips, Sauteed Italian flavored Tofurkey pieces, cured olives, a salad or Pizza. 

The photo to the left is so that you can see the Pomi tomato product I used. I find it in the "Natural Foods" section of my local grocery store. I like this product because it's not in a BPA lined can.

Spicy Pepper and Black Bean Chile

The idea for this soup arose from a sale on "variety peppers" at the grocery store. Incidentally, Congress member Tim Walz was at the grocery store that day to meet and greet constituents and there was a line of at least 80 senior citizens snaked around the produce section in line to meet the Honorable Mr. Walz each clutching a list of intended talking points, which I think is excellent.

2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
5 cloves of garlic, minced or crushed
1 white or yellow onion, thinly sliced in whatever shape you desire
About 8-10 different varieties of hot peppers, seeds removed and sliced into thin rounds
2 tsp. chile powder
1/2 heaping tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1 1/2 tsp. sea salt, divided
2 15 oz. cans of black beans, rinsed and drained (or 3-4 c. home cooked beans)
32 oz. can crushed tomatoes
4 c. water or vegetable broth
1/4 c. fresh cilantro, minced

1) Slice all of the vegetables, rinse and drain the beans, and measure out the spices and have them ready to use. To slice the peppers, cut off the stem side and then use a paring knife to scrape out the seeds before you slice them into thin rounds.

2) Heat the oil in a large soup pan over medium heat and then add the garlic. Saute the garlic for about 30 seconds.

3) Add the peppers, onion and 1/2 tsp. of sea salt, and toss to mix. Let the peppers and onions cook until soft, about 7-10 minutes, while stirring occasionally.

4) Once the onions and peppers have softened sprinkle the remaining salt and the additional spices over the vegetables and stir to coat the vegetables (this keeps the spices from clumping when you add the liquid).

5) Add the beans, tomatoes, and broth or water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and let the soup simmer for 15 minutes.

6) Once the soup is done cooking add the cilantro.

This makes about 6 servings. 

Three Sisters Stew

I don't know if I can call this my recipe or not. My sister-in-law, Kristel, made this when we were at her house once and told me it had cumin and cinnamon in it. I tried to recreate it at home later based upon my memory of what was in it. I don't know how close I've come to the original recipe, but it looks the same and tastes great. Of course the "three sisters" refers to the Native American gardening technique of the same name that involves planting squash, corn and beans together.

1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp. cumin seeds
1 yellow onion, diced
1/2 tsp. cinnamon, scant
1 tsp. sea salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1 small butternut squash, peeled, seeds removed and cut into a 1/2" dice
1 1/2 to 2 c. vegetable stock
1 15 oz. can of diced tomatoes or 2 cups of fresh tomatoes, diced, with the liquid
1 15. oz can of butter beans, rinsed and drained
1 c. fresh or frozen corn kernels
Cilantro to garnish, if desired

1) Heat the olive oil in a soup pot and toast the cumin seeds in the oil until they become fragrant, about 45 seconds.

2) Add the onions and saute until soft, about 5-7 minutes, and ten add the squash and the other spices and saute for about 5 minutes.

3) Add the tomatoes and just enough vegetable stock to barely cover. Bring the stew to a boil, reduce to a simmer and simmer, uncovered, for about 20 minutes until the squash is tender.

4) Add the corn and beans and simmer for about 5 more minutes. Adjust the salt and pepper to taste.

This makes about 4-6 servings.

Korean Kim Chi Hot Pot with Tofu

This soup/stew uses a Korean hot chile powder. But if you don't have access to an Asian market you could try getting dried Asian chiles and turning them to powder in a blender, or you could use pure chile powder (not the kind with other spices in it - just read the ingredients). It should also have fermented Korean bean paste, but I did not have that so I used chile garlic paste instead.

This is spicy. Not Minnesota people spicy, it's Korean spicy. This is a great soup if you're sick because it's got lots of garlic and also ginger in the kim chi, plus the spice clears out your sinuses. I used the Kim Chi we fermented at home, but you can obviously substitute with a good store bought brand. Most large grocery stores (and probably every health food store) carry jars of kim chi in the produce section.

On a scale of 1-10, I give this soup a 10. The idea for this soup is based off of a soup I had in Seoul one night when we visited Korea in 2001. That soup is still the best soup I've ever had.

1 Tbsp. toasted sesame oil
6-8 oz. crimini or button mushrooms, cut into chunks
5 large shiitake mushrooms, sliced
1/2 a large white onion, thinly sliced
3-4 large cloves garlic, crushed
2-3 scallions, thinly sliced, white and green parts separated
3 large leaves bok choi or other green (kale, collards, etc.), sliced with stem and leaves separated
3/4 c. Kim Chi (more or less to taste), minced along with its juice 
1 Tbsp. (more or less to taste) Korean chile powder or pure chile powder
1 Tbsp. (more or less to taste) Korean fermented bean paste or chile garlic paste
3 Tbsp. shoyu or tamari
1 Tbsp. mirin (sweet rice cooking wine), optional
2 lbs. firm or extra firm tofu, cubed
1/4 tsp. sea salt (add more later if necessary)
6 c. water
Cooked brown rice, optional

1) Prepare all of the vegetables and have them ready to go. You are going to cook the white parts of the scallions and the stems of the bok choi with the onions, but the greens are going to be added last.

2) Rinse the tofu, pat it dry and cut it into large cubes.

3) Heat the toasted sesame oil over medium-high heat (more high than medium) in a large soup pot. Add the onions, white bok choi stems, the white portion of the scallions, and the mushrooms. Saute for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, and then add the garlic. Saute for another minute or two, but don't let the garlic burn.

4) Add the Korean chile powder, the fermented bean paste or chile garlic paste, and the kim chi and stir to mix with the vegetables.

5) Gently place the tofu on top of the vegetables and then add the shoyu or tamari and the mirin and place the cover on the pot. Let it steam for about 4-5 minutes.

6) Add the water and gently mix the pot being careful not to break up the tofu. Let it cook at a very high simmer, partially covered, for about 25 minutes.

7) Taste the broth adding more shoyu, sea salt or toasted sesame oil if necessary. Then add the green part of the scallions and the chopped bok choi leaves. Cook for another 5 minutes.

This makes about 6 servings and can be served as a soup alone or poured over cooked brown rice (in which case it would probably serve more).

Monastic Soup

Sometimes I get in a contemplative mood and want to eat very simply and frugally in order to allow my mind to be more focused on things other than food. When I do, I make soups like this and imagine that I'm living in a small rustic cabin somewhere being really mystic. I once took a class on the Desert Fathers (the monks who lived out in the desert), and around this time of year I like to revisit their writings (along with the writings of the early Mothers). Maybe it's me being all opposite like usual and seeking frugality and simplicity in a time of hyper consumption and over eating. So this is my contemplative soup.

1/2 c. dried lentils (I like black in here, but any kind will work)
1/2 c. dried split peas
1/2 c. dried mung beans
1 large carrot, diced very small
1 leek, thinly diced very small
1 onion, diced very small
1 stalk celery, diced very small
1-2 root vegetables, diced very small (potato, parsnip, celeric, turnip, etc., I like the combination of a russet potato and celeric)
1 bay leaf
8 c. vegetable broth and/or water (plus more as needed)
2 c. thinly sliced green cabbage
3 Tbsp. red or white wine vinegar
Sea salt and pepper to taste

1)  Sort and rinse the legumes and then add them to the pot with 8 c. of vegetable broth or water and place the pot over high heat to bring to a boil.

2) As the liquid comes to a boil, dice the vegetables and then add everything except for the cabbage, vinegar and salt & pepper to the soup.

3) Once the soup comes to a boil turn the heat to medium so that it stays at a high simmer and let it cook, uncovered for 30 minutes. Make sure to stir it occasionally to keep the split peas from sticking to the bottom of the pot as they often like to do. Add more broth or water if the liquid evaporates too much (you want the legumes to be submerged in liquid so they can cook).

4) After 30 minutes add the cabbage and salt and pepper to taste. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally and adding more liquid if it evaporates too much, for an additional hour or until all of the legumes are fully cooked and soft.

5) Add the vinegar and stir to incorporate.

This makes about 4-6 servings and is excellent with a slice of dense, rustic bread.When reheating leftovers of this soup you may want to add a little water to thin it out if it seems too thick.

Turkish Red Lentil Soup with Niter Kibbeh

Ah yes, a classic Turkish-Ethiopian recipe. This soup is one that I've adapted over the years from a recipe that I found in and old cookbook I have: "More With Less - A Mennonite Community Cookbook." If you aren't familiar with the More With Less cookbooks (they have a couple of different versions now), they're great compilations put together by Mennonite missionaries from all over the world. The cookbooks are not vegetarian, although there are a lot of vegetarian recipes in them (since most of the rest of the world seems to know what's up). What I love about them is that they use mostly whole foods, and they are done with the idea that healthy and wholesome food should be affordable to everyone. Plus, since they're put together by missionaries you get recipes from all over the world. Yay!

So this soup is good. But then I had some extra Niter Kibbeh, an Ethiopian spiced butter that I use in my Ethiopian Red Lentil Stew Recipe, and I decided to give it a try in this soup. Even better! So the paprika, mint, and parsley are the Turkish part and were part of the original recipe. The niter kibbeh is the Ethiopian part that I threw in along with some zucchini and a little extra tomato.

2 small yellow or white onions, diced
1/4 c. Niter Kibbeh
1 heaping cup of red lentils, sorted and rinsed
1 6 oz. can tomato paste 
1 Tbsp. sweet Hungarian paprika (or whatever kind you have)
1 tsp. dried mint
1 heaping tsp. dried parsley
1 tsp. sea salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1 bay leaf
8 c. vegetable broth
2 medium zucchinis, diced

1) Melt the niter kibbeh in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the onions and let them saute until they're soft, about 5-7 minutes.

2) As the onions saute, measure out your spices, rinse the lentils in a fine mesh strainer, and dice the zucchini. Once the onions are soft add the tomato paste and stir it around in the pot to melt it. Then add the lentils and spices and toss them together with the tomato paste and onions.

3) Add the broth and the bay leaf and stir it around to make sure the tomato paste is fully dissolved. Bring the soup to a boil and then reduce the heat to medium and let it simmer for 20 minutes.  Make sure to stir it about every 5 minutes or so because red lentils love to stick to the bottom of the pan.

4) After 20 minutes add the zucchini and let it simmer for another 10-20 minutes, stirring about every 5 minutes or so, until the lentils are fully soft and the zucchini is crisp-tender.

This makes about 8 large servings and goes well with pita bread.

Rosemary Potato Bisque

There are many reasons I consider myself lucky to be married to my husband, Micah. He doesn't mind rubbing my back, but can't stand having his own back rubbed. He's really smart and funny and good looking. And in the food related category he is an award winning home brewer and he bakes excellent bread. But I'm not just saying all of this to be braggy about my husband. The point is, he baked a perfect loaf of whole wheat rosemary sourdough bread and I just had to come up with a delicious soup to dip it in. This soup is subtly flavored and made from simple ingredients that we almost always have on hand.

By the way, I looked up what bisque means and while it can be a rich soup made with sea food, I am using the thick soup of pureed vegetables version.

7 cloves of garlic, pressed
Extra virgin olive oil
3 leeks, cleaned and sliced
1 brown onion, quartered and thinly sliced
2 russet potatoes, diced (peeled or not, whatever you want)
1 Tbsp. paprika (try different kinds - hot, sweet, smoked)
1 tsp. sea salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
4 c vegetable broth
2 sprigs of fresh rosemary (just leave them in tact, you will remove them later)
1 c. plain non-dairy milk such as soy or almond

1) Heat a decent amount of olive oil over medium heat in a large soup pot, maybe about 1-2 Tbsp. You could use less, but the garlic infuses the oil & distributes throughout the whole soup via the oil and that's why I use a little more than usual for this soup. Add the crushed garlic and saute for about 1 minute to infuse the oil.

2) Add the leeks and onions and continue to saute for 5-7 minutes more until they are softened.

3) Add the potatoes and seasonings and toss it around to coat the potatoes in the paprika (this helps the paprika not clump when you add the liquid).

4) Add the broth and the rosemary sprigs, bring to a boil and then simmer, covered, for 20 minutes.

5) Remove the soup from the heat, take out the rosemary sprigs, let it cool a bit, and then add the non-dairy milk and puree with an immersion blender or in a blender. Adjust the salt and pepper if necessary.

Micah's Sourdough Loaf

This makes about 6 servings and is perfect with sour dough bread.

Garlic Soup

I'm not going to make any magical health claims about this soup. All I will say is that my husband was starting to get a bad cold, complete with a sinus infection, so I made this soup up for him. The morning after eating it he was fully recovered. Oh, and it tastes really good.

6-7 c. vegetable broth
1 head of garlic, peeled & minced
1 onion, peeled and quartered
2 bulbs of fennel, fronds cut off, tough outer layer removed and quartered
2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
4 sprigs fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
15 oz. can tomato sauce or 3 tomatoes blitzed in a blender or diced with their juices
1/4 c. dry vermouth, white wine or vodka (optional)
Sea salt to taste
Dash of cayenne pepper (optional)

1) Place the broth in a large soup pot, place it over a high flame and bring to a boil.

2) As the liquid comes to a boil add the herbs and chop and add the garlic, onion and fennel. Reduce to a simmer and let it cook for 1 hour.

3) After 1 hour add the tomato, vermouth, sea salt and cayenne and let it simmer for an additional 15 minutes.

4) Remove the pot from the heat and let it cool a bit. Then strain the soup through a fine mesh strainer into a large bowl making sure to press down on the solids to extract all of the liquid. Scrape the underside of the strainer to make sure all of the soup stuck to the bottom gets into the bowl.

5) Rinse the pot and return the soup to the pot. Reheat the soup and serve.

This makes 2-3 servings.

Mexican Style Winter Squash Soup

I mentioned before that I love making pureed soups with winter squash. I think October should be dubbed National Winter Squash Soup month. This one is sort of inspired by the traditional flavors of tortilla soup. You can use any style of winter squash (although maybe not spaghetti squash) for this soup, I used a big blue hubbard.

There are several options for this soup, I'm providing the simplest option in the recipe. However, if you wanted this soup to be chunkier you could saute the poblano peppers in a separate pan and then add them to the soup after it has been pureed along with some black beans and corn. You could also toss some thinly sliced corn tortillas with a little olive oil and chile powder and bake them for about 10-15 minutes once the squash is done roasting and use them as a garnish.

Home Decor Maven

I've recently realized there's an extra bonus to making a lot of squash soups in the fall and winter. I love art, but I can't like interior decorating, seasonal decor or setabouts. But by default your house does look kind of festive if you've got a lot of beautiful squashes sitting around on your kitchen counter, plus rather than dusting them you can eat them!


About 5 lb. winter squash (such as blue hubbard, kuri pumpkin, butternut, buttercup, etc.), peeled and cut into 1" dice
4-5 cloves garlic with the peel left on and about 1/4" cut off of the top to expose the cloves (or see my instructions for roasting a whole head of garlic - Roasted Garlic)
Extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt
1 large onion, diced
2 large carrots, diced
2 large poblano peppers, diced
2 tsp. chile powder
1 tsp. smoked paprika (or sweet)
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. black pepper
3 large tomatoes, pureed in a blender or diced (or 1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes)
4-5 c. vegetable broth
Juice of 1 lime
Cilantro to garnish (as much as you want)

1) Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Cut the ends off of your squash so that it can be stood on end, and use a large sharp knife to slice the skin off of the squash.

2) Once the skin is removed, cut the squash in half lengthwise and use a spoon to scrape out the seeds, then slice the squash into strips and cut into 1" diced pieces. Cut the tips off of your garlic cloves and wrap them in some foil with a little drizzle of olive oil.

3) Place the diced squash into a large baking dish and toss with a little extra virgin olive oil and sea salt. Then place the foil packet of garlic into the baking dish with the squash and place another sheet of foil over the baking dish. Bake at 375 degrees for 1 hour.

4) As the squash bakes you can dice the onion, carrots, and peppers and measure out your spices.

5) When the squash is almost finished baking, heat a little olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat and add the onion, carrots and peppers. Saute until soft, about 10 minutes.

6) When the vegetables are softened add the squash and the roasted garlic (use the tip of the knife to pull the garlic cloves out from the paper into your soup pot. Add the tomatoes, vegetable broth and spices and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and let it cook, mostly covered, for 20 minutes.

7) Remove the pot from the heat and let it cool a bit, then puree with an immersion blender. Squeeze in the juice of 1 fresh lime and stir to incorporate. If you wanted to add beans or corn you could do so after it has been pureed and then just turn the heat back on and let it cook for a few minutes longer to heat through.

This makes about 6-8 servings. 

Curried Butternut Squash Soup

Smooth, silky, bright orange, and sorta Indian flavored without being complicated. You can make this soup for some fancy company or for a hot date with your main squeeze. This is my favorite winter squash soup.

1 butternut squash, about 3 lbs., peeled and diced into 1" pieces
1 large yam, peeled and diced into 1" pieces
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, separated
1 large yellow onion, diced
1 1/2 Tbsp. curry powder
1 Tbsp. sweet paprika
1/8 tsp. cayenne (optional)
Sea salt and black pepper
8 c. vegetable broth
1/2 a head of Roasted Garlic (about 4-5 cloves)
Juice of 1 fresh lemon

1) Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. To prepare the squash cut off both ends and peel with a vegetable peeler. Then cut the squash lengthwise and scrape out the seeds with a spoon. Peel the yam, and dice both the yam and squash into 1" chunks.

2) Once the squash and yam are peeled and diced, place them in an 8X12" baking dish and toss to coat with 1 Tbsp. of the olive oil and a sprinkling of sea salt. If you want, you can roast the garlic along with the squash and yams by placing 5-6 cloves of garlic in some foil and adding it to the baking dish. Cover the dish with foil and bake in the oven for about 1 hour, stirring twice.

3) When the squash and yam are almost done heat the other Tbsp. of olive oil in a large soup pot and caramelize the onion in the oil by cooking it over a medium-low heat for abot 15-20 minutes stirring frequently once it starts to brown.

4) When the squash and yam are done roasting and the onion is caramelized add the broth, spices, squash, yam and garlic and bring the soup to a boil. Reduce the soup to a simmer and cook, covered, for about 10 minutes.

5) Remove the pot from the heat and let it cool for a little while. Puree the soup with an immersion blender and then add the juice of 1 freshly squeezed lemon. Taste for seasoning and add more lemon, salt or pepper if desired.

This makes about 6-8 servings and is excellent with home made Garlic Bread or fresh baked bread of any kind.

Vegetable Barley Soup

Hulled barley is high in protein, iron, folate and fiber. This soup is so simple and I like to make it really peppery. It's quite similar to the Basic Vegetable Soup that I posted earlier but it tastes quite different. It cooks for a long time because of the barley but it's very easy to make. You can usually find hulled barley in the bulk section of any health food store. You could use vegetable stock to make this, but it's really unnecessary because you're essentially making your own stock as you boil this soup.

3/4 c. hulled barley, sorted, rinsed and drained (it would be better if you soaked the barley for a few hours first)
2 carrots, peeled and cut into matchsticks
1 large zucchini, cut into matchsticks
2 large ribs of celery, cut into matchsticks (see a theme here?)
1 leek, halved, rinsed and cut into matchsticks
1/4 head of green cabbage, thinly sliced
8-10 c. water or vegetable stock (I like this soup better made with water, it is more delicate and by boiling these vegetables in water for so long you are essentially making a vegetable stock)
Several sprigs of flat leaf parsley and fresh thyme
2-3 bay leaves
Sea salt & black pepper to taste

1) Place everything together in a large soup pot except for the salt and pepper and bring to a boil.

2) Reduce the heat and simmer, covered for 40 minutes.

3) Add salt and pepper to taste and boil for 20 minutes longer. Adjust salt and pepper as needed.

Savory Winter Squash Soup

I was never particularly fond of winter squash (other than their beauty) until I started using them in pureed soups, and now they're one of my favorite foods. There are so many varieties and you can do so many different things with them. This soup is rich and savory and kids love it because it's a pretty color and it has no chunks. I love it too. You can use any orange fleshed squash you desire in this recipe. I believe that I had either an orange hubbard or a kuri pumpkin (I'm not exactly sure because they kind of look alike and I got it out of a "variety squash" bin that didn't label each individual squash type).

4 - 4 1/2 lbs. orange fleshed winter squash, any kind
Extra virgin olive oil
1 large yellow onion, diced
2 large carrots, sliced
2 ribs celery, chopped
Sea salt
6-8 c. vegetable broth (the less you add the thicker the soup will be)
1 1/2 Tbsp. cashew or almond butter
1 Tbsp. tahini (or more cashew or almond butter)
1/4 c. shoyu or tamari
Toasted pumpkin seeds to garnish (optional)

1) Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and line a baking dish with parchment paper. Wash the squash, cut off the stem, and then attempt to slice it in half and scrape out the seeds with a large spoon. If your cut is off center (like mine was), slice the larger half into halves.

2) Rub the squash with a little olive oil and then place them cut sides down in the prepared baking dish and bake for about 1 hour, until easily pierced with a knife.

3) In a large soup pot heat a little olive oil over medium heat and then add the diced onions, carrots and celery and a sprinkling of sea salt. Saute about 10-12 minutes until softened.

4) Meanwhile, when the squash is cool enough to handle scrape the flesh out with a spoon into a large bowl and set aside.

5) When the vegetables are soft add the broth and squash flesh and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes.

6) Place the cashew butter and tahini into a small bowl and ladle some of the hot soup liquid over them and dissolve them with a spoon. Then add the dissolved cashew butter & tahini and the shoyu to the pot and continue to simmer the soup for 10 more minutes and then remove it from the heat.


7) Once the soup has cooled a bit puree it with an immersion blender or in a blender. Garnish with toasted pumpkin seeds, if desired.

This recipe makes about 8 servings.

Lentil and Vegetable Soup

This is a hearty soup. When I make it I puree a little bit of it for my kids and they love it that way (even the super picky one kinda likes it). For grown ups I keep it chunky. This is comfort food, like vegan chicken soup. Oh yeah, and it's fat free.

1 c. dried lentils, sorted and rinsed
1 c. water
8 c. vegetable broth, separated
2 tsp. sea salt, separated
3 bay leaves
1/4 c. tomato paste
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. fine black pepper
1 yellow or white onion, diced
2 carrots, diced
2 ribs celery, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
2 small leeks (white parts only), sliced or 1/4 a small green cabbage, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced

1) In a large soup pot add the lentils, 1 c. water, 4 c. vegetable broth, 1 tsp. sea salt and 3 bay leaves. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes.

3) Add the remaining ingredients, return to a simmer and continue to simmer, covered, for an additional 30 minutes.

This makes a big pot of soup, about 8 (or so) servings

Hawthorne Chowder

Nathanial Hawthorne is amongst my top 10 favorite authors. I'm in the middle of reading his complete works and I started to wonder...what did Nathanial Hawthorne eat, and could a vegan dish be made to match the types of food eaten in the first half of the 19th century in America?

In my extensive research via google and wikipedia (along with a few other New England history related sites) I discovered what I probably already knew. People back then ate a lot of sea food, wild game, and eggs. They also preserved a lot of fresh vegetables via pickling and kept many vegetables cool in their root cellars. Many of the vegetables cultivated then were the same as that which is now available except that things were pretty much local and seasonal. Root vegetables and squashes would have been consumed through the colder months for as long as they lasted, corn was very popular, and hot peppers were introduced via the Native Americans around this time. Finally, as it is today, chowder was a popular style of soup in the New England of Hawthorne's time.

Therefore, my second question is answered: of course a vegan dish can be created using the foods that would traditionally have graced the maw of Nathanial Hawthorne. And here is what I came up with to go along with an evening of reading, "The House of the Seven Gables."

1 Tbsp. non-hydrogenated vegan margarine or extra virgin olive oil
1 yellow or white onion, diced
2 medium carrots, diced
1 small parsnip, diced
1 root of celery (celeric), diced (if you can't find celeric use an extra parsnip or potato)
2 ribs celery, diced
2 russet potatoes, peeled and diced
7 c. vegetable broth
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. chipotle chile powder
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1 c. corn, fresh off the cob or frozen
1 c. soy milk

1) Melt the margarine, such as Earth Balance Buttery Spread, or heat the oil in a large soup pot and add the onion, celery, celery root, carrots and parsnip. Saute until soft, about 10 minutes.

2) Add the potato, broth, salt, pepper and chipotle chile powder, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes.

3) Remove the soup from the heat and puree with an immersion blender.

4) Add the corn and soy milk and bring back to a simmer to heat through.

This makes about 6 servings.

Miso Soup for Two

This is my favorite breakfast in the fall and winter. Even the smell of it is calming and gentle. Miso paste is a Japanese fermented paste usually made out of soy beans or barley, but it could be made from other grains or beans. It is high in protein and minerals and has the good bacteria for your intestinal flora (as long as you don't purchase a brand that is pasteurized and/or contains MSG or preservatives - read the label!). Another lovely thing about miso soup is that it takes under 10 minutes to make it.

Miso soup is also the perfect medium for sea vegetables. If you are into groovy health foods you probably already know all about sea vegetables. If not, I encourage you to try these nutritional powerhouses. Sea vegetables are extremely high in calcium and also have high levels of iodine, protein and tons of other minerals. They have also been shown to fight against tumors, alkalize our blood, remove radio active particles from the body, lower blood pressure, and much more. Most of us are all familiar with nori from sushi rolls, but there are many other wonderful sea vegetables to try. My two favorites are wakame, which is used in this soup, and kombu which I often use when I cook beans (it's said to enhance their flavor and reduce gassiness). Hijiki is another good one that is often used in fritters, but it has a stronger flavor so if you aren't sure if you will like this "seaweed" stuff, start with a milder flavored one like wakame.

Rehydrating wakame.

Most sea vegetables come dried and usually need to be rehydrated in warm water and then sliced or torn before using - for instance wakame looks like tiny little beads, but after you soak it they unfurl into larger fronds. Very cool. If you can't find sea vegetables in your town they are quite affordable online and can easily be found through Amazon or through various Macrobiotic sites such as Gold Mine.

Most Miso comes in paste form (don't get powdered, please) in a plastic tub. Typically you will find mild white miso and stronger red miso at regular grocery stores (usually by the tofu). Give either one a try, or both. If you happen to live near an Asian specialty grocery store (lucky you!) you will find many different types to choose from - barley miso is said to be the best for health. Miso has a sort of meaty, salty yet mello flavor that is very pleasent. It can also be used in dips and spreads.

You never want to boil miso paste because that kills all of the good living enzymes that are in there, so be sure to keep an eye on your soup and keep it at a low simmer.

4 c. filtered water
1 tsp. shoyu or tamari 
3 tsp. miso paste, any kind (just make sure it's naturally fermented)
About 8 little dried pieces of wakame, rehydrated and sliced
(Other optional ingredients: thinly sliced onion (white or green), 4 Tbsp. cubed silken tofu, grated daikon radish, umeboshi plum paste or 1/2 a diced umeboshi plum)


1) Place the water and shoyu or tamari in a soup pan over medium high heat.

2) As the water is coming up to a simmer soak the wakame in warm water and slice it into bitesized pieces once it opens up into flat leaves. Also place 3 tsp. of miso paste in a bowl and set aside.

3) Once the water starts to show little bubbles at the bottom of the pan, ladle some of the hot water from the soup over the miso paste and use a spoon to help dissolve the paste in the water.

4) Add the wakame, the dissolved miso paste, and any other optional ingredients to the pan and turn the heat to a level so that it will be at a very low simmer. Let it cook for about 4 miutes and then serve.

Tomato Soup with Fennel and Parsnips

This soup is so savory and delicious and perfect for dipping freshly baked bread or homemade garlic bread into. It's a pureed soup, so if you want to make it a little heartier you could add cooked white beans or chickpeas and cook for an additional 15 minutes after the soup is pureed.

2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
1/2 c. diced shallot, about 3 large
1/2 lb. parsnips, peeled and diced
1 large bulb fennel, cored and diced
1 lbs. fresh tomatoes pureed in a blender or 1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
4 c. vegetable broth
About 10 leaves of fresh basil, roughly chopped
1/4 tsp. dried tarragon or 2 tsp. fresh tarragon
1/2 tsp. sea salt
Black pepper to taste

1) Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat and then add the shallot parsnips and fennel. Sprinkle with a little sea salt to draw out the liquid and saute for about 10-12 minutes until softened and just starting to brown.

2) Add the remaining ingredients, bring to a boil, reduce to simmer and cook for 30 minutes, covered.

3) Remove from the heat and let it cool for a few minutes and then puree with an immersion blender or in a blender.

4) If you want to add beans add the beans after the soup is pureed and simmer for an additional 10-15 minutes.

This soup serves 4.

A Huge Pot of Vegan Chili

To me autumn is the ultimate season, and nothing caps off a perfect fall day like a Green Bay Packers victory accompanied by a steaming bowl of chili and a stein of beer. When you make this chili you should get a 6 pack of a good pale ale and use 2 bottles for the recipe and drink the other 4 (amongst several people, not all yourself) while you watch the Packers trounce the Bears. Get out your can opener because this recipe has a lot of cans. (And keep in mind Eden brand does not have BPAs in the lining of their cans!).

Photo courtesy of Sally Grayson Merkle

4 cloves of garlic, crushed (not minced)
2 Tbsp. olive oil
28 oz. can of crushed tomatoes
16 oz. can of tomato sauce
2 cans or bottles of beer (24 oz.)
1 15 oz. can (rinsed and drained) each of:
-red or adzuki beans
-black beans
-pinto beans
-kidney beans
3-5 Tbsp. chile powder
1 tsp. each of:
-dried oregano or dried Mexican oregano
-sea salt
-paprika, sweet or smoked
-cumin
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/8 tsp. cayenne
1 Tbsp. yellow mustard
1/2 c. bulgar wheat (optional)
1 white or yellow onion, diced
1 green or yellow bell pepper, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 large or 2 small zucchini, diced

1) Preheat the olive oil in a large soup pot and add the garlic to saute for 1 minute and infuse the oil.

2) Add all of the ingredients except for the vegetables and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered for 15 minutes.

3) As the chili simmers chop the vegetables and add to the chili after 15 minutes. Cook for an additional 20 minutes.

This makes about 10 cups of chili. It's delicious served with diced avocados or a big dollop of Guacamole.
NOTE: I recently made this recipe and used about a cup of well rinsed quinoa in place of the bulgar wheat and it was really good. 

Photo courtesy of Sally Grayson Merkle

Moroccan Stew

Morocco is on my list of the top 10 places I'd like to visit. Meat is a large part of Moroccan cuisine, but the flavors are easily translated into vegan dishes using the spices, vegetables, chickpeas and couscous. Any food that combines North African and Middle Eastern cuisine has got to be good.

Note: When I use canned beans or tomatoes I highly recommend getting Eden Organic brand because they do not have BPA's in the lining of their cans - Eden Foods and BPA. I think it's worth the extra cents to avoid ingesting toxins.

For the Sauce:
2 lbs. fresh tomatoes, pureed in a blender or 1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
3-4 roasted red peppers, home made or 12 oz. from a jar, diced
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp. paprika
3/4 tsp. cinnamon 
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. corriander
1/4 tsp. turmeric
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper (scant)
1 c. vegetable broth
2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 c. plain soy milk

For the Stew:
Extra virgin olive oil
1 white or brown onion, diced
1 large carrot, sliced into 1/2" rounds
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1" chunks
1 green or yellow bell pepper, cut into 1" chunks
1 large zucchini, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/2" semi-circles
2 c. cooked chickpeas (home made or 1 15 oz. can)
1/4 c. golden raisins (optional)
10-12 kalamata olives, sliced (optional)

1) To prepare the sauce, place all of the ingredients except for the soy milk into a sauce pan, bring to a boil, reduce to a high simmer and cook for about 20 minutes. Let it cool a bit and then puree with an immersion blender or in a blender. (Note: if you are using fresh tomatoes rather than canned, just puree the roasted peppers with the tomatoes before cooking and you won't have to blend it after cooking). Once the sauce has been pureed add the soy milk and stir to incorporate.

2) Heat a little olive oil in a soup pot and add the onion and carrots. Saute until the onions begin to soften, about 7 minutes and then add the bell peppers and zucchini. Saute for another 5 minutes.

3) Add the chickpeas and the pureed sauce. Bring to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes. If using the raisins and/or olives add them for the last 3-5 minutes of cooking.

Serve over whole wheat couscous, quinoa, or millet. This makes about 4 servings.

Note: It can be yummy to add additional ingredients to your couscous as it steams - diced kalamata olives (if you didn't add them to the stew), dried oregano and/or thyme, dried mint, etc.

Potato Leek Soup

This is my favorite soup to make in the late summer and early fall. I don't want to toot my own horn, but I think this is the best potato leek soup I've tried and I'm kind of a potato leek soup snob. Most of the time there is milk in potato leek soup, but this uses soy milk or any other nut milk. Just don't accidentally use vanilla flavored milk like I once did.

2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
4 leeks, sliced lengthwise and then into half-moons and washed
4 medium yukon gold potatoes, 1/2" dice
6 c. vegetable stock
1 c. plain soy milk
1-2 Tbsp. fresh herbs, my favorite combination is thyme and flat leaf (Italian) parsley
Sea salt and black pepper
Juice of 1 fresh lemon

1) Heat the oil in a soup pot and saute the leeks until soft, about 5-7 minutes.

2) Add the potatoes, broth and salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes.

3) Turn off the heat and add the soy milk, fresh herbs and lemon and adjust the salt and pepper if necessary.

This soup is lovely served with home made Garlic Bread. This serves 6-8 depending on what else you're serving.

Garden Vegetable Soup with Blackeyed Peas and Greens

This is pretty much as simple as it gets.

Made with kale, tomatoes and carrots from our garden!

2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 large white or yellow onion, diced
1 leek, sliced into thin half-moon shapes
2 carrots, peeled and diced
2 ribs of celery, diced
2 medium russet or yukon gold potatoes, diced
4-6 c. vegetable stock
1 c. strained tomatoes, or 1 8 oz. can of tomato sauce, or 2-3 fresh tomatoes diced with their juice
1 15 oz. can black eyed peas, rinsed and drained
1 tsp. dried oregano
2 bay leaves
sea salt and black pepper to taste
1-2 large handfuls of baby spinach or other green, roughly chopped

1) First chop all of the vegetables and have them ready to go. I think the easiest way to clean the leek is to cut off the root and the green stalk from the ends, then slice the white part in half lengthwise (discarding the outer layer of each half), then slice it into thin half moon shapes and place them in a colander and rinse with cold water as you separate the rings.

2) Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot and add the onion, leek, carrots and celery. Saute until softened, about 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3) Add all of the remaining ingredients except for the greens, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cover.

4) Let the soup simmer for 15 minutes and then turn off the heat and add the greens. Taste to adjust the salt and pepper if necessary.

This is delicious with a big piece of crusty bread or home made garlic bread.