knoephla dumpling soup

Overview

Time: 45 minutes
Dishes: large pot, large bowl 

Hello, hello Dear Readers!

I bring you a German soup, which is byway of Minnesota and the Dakotas, where there are large settlements of German emigrants from the Russian Empire (source: Wikipedia). Although I gathered this tid-bit from Wiki, most of the recipes I researched also alluded to Germany, Russia and the middle United States. 

This is traditionally a chicken and dumpling soup, finished with cream or milk at the end. Of course, it takes nothing to substitute chickpeas and nondairy milk to make this soup. The dumpling recipe uses aquafaba (the liquid from your can of chickpeas) and does a beautiful job of keeping the dumplings together and billowy-soft. 

I rolled my dough too thick and wound up with huge dumplings. Make sure to roll them at most 1/2-inch or even better, 1/4-inch, to get smaller and daintier dumplings. Don't get me wrong - this was really delicious, even with my gargantuan dumplings. 

This soup is almost as thick as a stew, with all the vegetables and dumplings, and is very lightly creamy. It isn't as thick as a cream of broccoli soup (for instance), but instead has a hint with the milk. The dumplings and potatoes also help to thicken the soup a bit. It is rich and certainly classifies as a comfort soup. If it is chilly where you are right now, this is a perfect soup to make today. 

Although you can definitely have this soup on the table in 45 minutes, the ingredients list is a bit lengthy, so I've classified it for the Weekend. I leave it up to you to decide. 

If you need inspiration for your weekly menu, check out ours HERE.

Enjoy!

Speedy Cooking Tips:

• Remember to save the liquid from the chickpeas (the aquafaba)
• Peel and chop the potatoes while the soup comes to a boil.
• Prepare the dumpling while the soup cooks.
• Cut the dumplings at least into 1/2-inch disks, but if you have the patience to roll it into 1/2-inch rope, cut into 1/4-inch disks.

 

(Printer-friendly doesn't seem to be so friendly. Just select the text between the arrows (including the white space to add margin on the top), right-click, select Print, and now it's printer-friendly. Can also be saved as PDF:  choose Save as PDF in Destination drop-down, instead of a printer.)

Knoephla Soup

www.ZsusVeganPantry.com

Makes 4 to 6 servings 

weekend

1 tablespoon olive oil 

1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, reserve the aquafaba (liquid)

2 carrots, sliced

2 celery ribs, sliced

1 medium onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 bay leaves

1 tablespoon Easy Savory Broth Mix or 2 teaspoons Better Than Bouillon

1/2 teaspoon thyme  

8 cups water

1 1/2 pounds potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

7 tablespoons soy milk

3 tablespoons reserved aquafaba 

2 cups soy milk

2 tablespoons minced parsley

1. Base: Add the oil to a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the chickpeas, carrot, celery, onion and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook until the onion is golden, about 5 minutes. Stir as needed. 

2. Seasoning: Add the garlic, bay leaves, broth mix and thyme to the Base. Stir and cook for 1 minute.   

3. Broth: Add the water, potatoes and chickpeas. Increase heat to high, bring to boil, reduce to strong simmer, and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.  

4. Knoephla: Combine the flour, baking powder, 3/4 teaspoon salt and pepper (to taste) in a large bowl. Add the milk and aquafaba. Knead in the bowl until the dough is smooth. Add 1/2 - 1 tablespoon more flour only if needed. Roll the dough into a 1/2-inch thick rope. Cut off 1/2-inch pieces and add to the simmering Broth. Cover and continue to simmer the soup for 10 more minutes.   

6. Finish: Add the milk and parsley to the Broth. Taste for seasoning. Discard bay leaf. Serve. 

© 2021 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.

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vegan vegetarian meatless plant-based

cappuccino ice cream

A new thing with me: every week I am going to try to make some kind of sweet or desert for the family. This is a big step for me because I'm not one with a sweet tooth, but after a few decades of living with these folks, I now realize that they might be endowed with the taste for sweets.

Last week I made Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins from Everyday Vegan Eats, my first cookbook. This week I made ice cream. I made aquafaba ice cream and it is creamy and delicious! I tweaked a recipe from my book, Aquafaba and made, as per requested, Cappuccino Ice Cream.

The original version is Chocolate, and the recipe can be found HERE. It is on my publisher's site.

This version is soy based. Because I know there are people who are allergic to soy, people who are allergic to nuts and people who've just about had it with everything tasting like coconuts, I've included three versions of ice cream in my book, each with its own base: soy, cashew and coconut.

It is highly, HIGHLY important that you warm up your ice cream before eating it. If it is too frozen, it will not have the proper texture of creaminess. Leave it out about 20 to 30 minutes, depending on the ambient temperature and the size of the container.

I store my ice cream in 1-cup containers that are about 3/4 full. The smaller containers are ideal because they are individual servings and you don't keep thawing and re-freezing the ice cream, which creates ice crystals. I got mine HERE.

Here is the recipe of the cappuccino ice cream in pictures:

(1) After cooking the base and whipping the meringue, temper the base by folding in a large scoop of meringue:

(2) After tempered, add all of the meringue and fold to incorporate well:

(3) Chill this overnight. After chilling, mix it gently because separation is normal:

(4) Add the mixture to an ice cream machine:

(5) At this point it is amazing as is, as soft serve, and you should enjoy it if you can:

(6) Or you can freeze it:

(7) If frozen make sure to warm it to the proper temperature before enjoying:

Cappuccino Ice Cream
Makes about 1 quart 

Although this ice cream hardens in the freezer, it will soften perfectly after a few minutes out of the freezer because of the addition of glucose syrup. If you’d like to omit the glucose syrup, add three more tablespoons sugar to the base. 

Cream Base
1 tablespoon arrowroot or cornstarch
3 cups plain unsweetened soymilk, divided
1/2 cup lightly packed mashed firm tofu, rinsed before mashing
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon psyllium husk powder
5 tablespoons nondairy butter, melted
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated organic sugar
1/4 cup instant coffee granules (regular or decaf)
2 tablespoons glucose syrup or light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Meringue
1/3 cup aquafaba (see Note)
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 cup granulated organic sugar

1. Cream Base: Combine the starch with 1/4 cup of the milk to form a slurry and set aside. Combine 1 cup of the milk, the tofu, cinnamon and psyllium husk powder in a blender. Blend until very smooth. With the blender running, add the melted butter in a slow, steady stream to emulsify.
2. Transfer the tofu mixture to a medium saucepan. Add the remaining 1 3/4 cups milk, sugar, coffee, glucose syrup, and salt to the saucepan. Stir well with a whisk and bring to a boil over medium heat, making sure all the cocoa and sugar are dissolved. Add the starch slurry and reduce to a simmer, gently stirring until slightly thickened. Remove the cream base from the heat and stir in the vanilla. Transfer the cream base to a medium bowl and set aside to cool to room temperature.
3. Meringue: Add the aquafaba and cream of tartar to the bowl of a stand mixer. Using a whisk, whip the aquafaba for 10 seconds. Using a balloon whip attachment, whip the aquafaba on medium speed for 5 minutes. Increase the speed to medium-high and continue to whip for another 5 to 8 minutes, or until the aquafaba can hold stiff peaks and is climbing the side of the bowl. Add the sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, over the course of 3 minutes and continue to whip until the sugar has dissolved, about 3 more minutes. 
4. Add a large scoop of the meringue to the cooled cream base and mix well. Add the rest of the meringue to the tempered cream base and fold to mix thoroughly. Chill in the refrigerator until completely cold, about 8 hours.  It is normal if the cream base has separated somewhat overnight. Gently mix the chilled base and, using an ice cream machine, churn the cream as instructed by the manufacturer.  Enjoy it as soft-serve immediately or transfer it to an airtight, freezer-safe container and freeze. Allow the ice cream to soften 10 to 20 minutes before serving if completely frozen.

Note: Although aquafaba is best if homemade using the recipe provided in the book, you can use aquafaba from canned chickpeas. Use the organic, low-sodium, canned chickpeas and strain off the liquid into a measuring cup using a fine mesh strainer. Note the amount of liquid you acquired, then add it to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until the liquid reduces by 1/3. Cool the aquafaba completely before using. 



© 2017 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.

southwestern strata

Been busy little bees these past few weeks. My son has just completed applying to graduate school in an area that accepts woefully few applicants. He is an amazing film director, so he does have an excellent shot at it, but it's all a craps shoot.

I am posting his latest film at the bottom of this post. It's really good and I'd love your opinion about it, if you're game.

For the post this day, I am sharing a Southwestern Strata recipe. It is a perfect brunch recipe!

Strata is an interesting dish. It is supposed to be layers of white bread alternated with layers of cheese, then soaked in a milk mixture and baked. This is the very original version of strata.

Since then the milk mixture has been augmented with eggs to give it a custard-like texture and the the layers now are not so much layers, per say, as additions mixed in.

Mix-ins now can include, vegetables, meats and various types of cheeses. This being a southwestern version, it uses cornbread as the bread (I used the Cornbread Muffin recipe in Everyday Vegan Eats. Delicious!), and a homemade queso fresco (recipe coming this month).

It also includes sauteed peppers, onions and cilantro. I added spiced chorizo chickpeas since there is aquafaba in the batter anyway.

The batter is where it gets interesting. Because I fell in love with the bread pudding recipe in my cookbook Aquafaba [AMAZON], I wanted to make a savory version and this is the result. The aquafaba mixed with psyllium husk (cannot be omitted) and starch, results in a custard.

Mix, let the batter soak into the bread and bake. Serve it with some inspired tomato sauce and dig in.

As promised, here is Mikel's WE-System short film:

 

In case you missed it, I am hosting a giveaway for The Essential Vegan Travel Guide. My girls used it this summer when traveling in Europe and it is amazing! Go enter the contest or, better yet, pick up a copy! Contest ends December 19.

Southwestern Strata

Serves about 6

Chorizo Chickpeas:

1 cup chickpeas

2 tablespoons vegetable broth

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon oil

1 teaspoon ancho chili powder

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon sea salt

Other:

1 bell pepper, chopped

1 small onion, chopped

6 cups stale cornbread (cut into 1-inch cubes)

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

1 cup crumbled vegan cheese, optional (Kite Hill or Follow Your Heart block is good or use homemade)

Batter:

6 tablespoons aquafaba**

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 cups unsweetened plain nondairy milk

1 teaspoon psyllium husk powder

1. Preheat the oven to 450-degrees F. Combine the chickpeas, broth, vinegar, oil, chili powder, oregano, cumin, paprika and salt on a baking sheet. Mix well and bake for 15 minutes. Set aside.

2. Heat a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the bell pepper and onion to the skillet. Cover and cook until the onion is browning, about 4 to 5 minutes, stirring often. Add a splash of broth if the onion is beginning to burn. Using a cover will prevent too much evaporation and help brown the vegetables without oil.

3. Add the aquafaba to a blender. With the blender running on medium speed, add the oil slowly. Add the milk in a steady stream (doesn’t have to be slowly) and the psyllium. Blend for 20 seconds. Add to a large bowl.

4. Add the cornbread, cilantro, cheese (if using) and reserved chickpeas. Mix well and set aside for 10 minutes. Add to a 2 1/2 quart casserole dish and bake in a 325-degree oven for 50 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside for 10 minutes to firm up. Serve.

** Although aquafaba is best if homemade using the recipe provided in the book, you can use aquafaba from canned chickpeas. Use the organic, low-sodium, canned chickpeas and strain off the liquid into a measuring cup using a fine mesh strainer. Note the amount of liquid you acquired, then add it to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until the liquid reduces by 1/3. Cool the aquafaba completely before using.

© 2016 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.

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cranberry bliss bars

Starbuck's, the coffee shop, has a treat called Cranberry Bliss Bars. Although I've never had it (was Starbuck's even around 16 years ago?) because it isn't vegan, I can attest that this vegan version is most certainly delicious.

The original version uses white chocolate chips, and while you are more than welcome to, I find that bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate chips are much easier to find vegan. But if you have them, use them!

The batter is very simple - flour, baking powder, ginger, salt, aquafaba, vegan butter, sugar, chocolate chips and dried cranberries.

Once creamed together, fold in the chocolate and cranberries and press into a 12X12-inch pan, or a 1/4 sheet pan. The size is really inconsequential as long as the batter is about 1/2-inch thick.

While the cookies bake and cool make the cream cheese frosting. If you really don't like it too sweet you can cut the frosting ingredients in half and frost the base very lightly.

After they bake and cool, trim the sides and cut the bars into triangles. Once frosted the bars will soften up a little and the frosting will harden a bit, making stacking possible. If they last that long, these bars are good for up to a week. Enjoy with tea or coffee.

Video:

Recipe:

Cranberry Bliss Bars
Makes about 12 bars

Bars:
1/2 cup vegan butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
5 tablespoons aquafaba**

2 cups all-purpose unbleached flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips

Frosting:
4 ounces nondairy cream cheese
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Pinch salt
2 teaspoons orange juice (zest orange first)
2 cups confectioner sugar, sifted after measuring
2 teaspoons orange zest
3/4 cup dried cranberries

1. Preheat the oven to 325-degrees F. Add the butter, sugar, ginger and salt to a large bowl. Use a hand mixer to cream well. Add the aquafaba a tablespoon at a time to help achieve a homogeneous mixture. Combine the flour and baking powder in a small bowl. Mix well and add to the butter mixture. Mix well using the hand mixer.
2. Add the 1 cup of cranberries and the chocolate chips. Mix well using a wooden spoon. Line a 12x12 baking sheet (or a 1/4 sheet pan) with a silicone mat or parchment paper. Add the dough and press into the pan. The dough should be about 1/2 -inch thick. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes; do not over bake. Remove and set aside for 5 minutes. Remove from the pan and cool on a cooling rack.
3. Frosting: Combine the cream cheese, salt and juice in a medium bowl. Mix well using a hand mixer. Add the sifted confectioner sugar and mix again. Add half of the zest.
4. When completely cool, frost the bars, reserving about 1/4 cup of the frosting. Add the 3/4 cup cranberries on top of the frosting and drizzle the remaining frosting over the cranberries. Add the rest of the orange zest. 
5. Using a sharp knife, trim the edges of the large rectangle. Cut in half and cut each half into 3 rectangles. Cut each rectangle in half diagonally. Allow the frosting to set overnight. If the bars are too crunchy allow to sit uncovered until they soften a bit. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.


** Although aquafaba is best if homemade using the recipe provided in the book, you can use aquafaba from canned chickpeas. Use the organic, low-sodium, canned chickpeas and strain off the liquid into a measuring cup using a fine mesh strainer. Note the amount of liquid you acquired, then add it to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until the liquid reduces by 1/3. Cool the aquafaba completely before using.



© 2016 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.

chipotle firm vegan cheese (aquafaba recipe)

Someone ask me if there was a way to make the cheese in my new book without oil (the Everyday Cheese that appears in Aquafaba) and while I've been experimenting with it, I wanted to try a different version - one with a different flavor and a firmer texture.

I came up with a funky, Gouda-type cheese with a kick: Chipotle Firm Vegan Cheese.

This is about as firm as I could get the cheese using agar and no nuts, and unripened. This cheese is ready as soon as it cools down. If you want to age it, I am sure it will get more firm. You could put it in your fridge (wrapped in paper towels for a few days, is a method Sky Conroy recommends and I think I will try it with these cheeses) to age and dry out a bit. It should certainly become more firm, but if you want something quick, here it is.

The flavor is dark, deep and funky (like cheese) and it melts if you give it enough time and moist heat. I have placed a slice directly onto the pan to warm up and then, using a spatula, placed it on the burger or bread (for grilled cheese - really nice!) and then continued to cook it until it melted. Use a lid and a few teaspoons of water in the pan to provide that moist heat.

The cheese is simple to make, but you will need non-dairy yogurt. If you make your own, you are ahead of the game, but if you buy commercially made yogurt, try not to use the coconut-based one because your cheese will taste like coconuts.

First, combine aquafaba and agar and set it aside to soften. Make sure to mix it well, not like the picture.

Because I wanted to make this either soy-free or nut-free and with little fat, I am using yogurt as the base of the cheese. The yogurt also supplies vegan lactic acid, which gives cheese tang, but if you have some vegan lactic acid hanging around then add 1/2 teaspoon of that as well.

Blend the rest of the ingredients...

...cook the agar and aquafaba mixture until the agar dissolves, and add the mixture. Whisk well and cook until the temperature reaches at least 195-degrees F - about 5 minutes.

Stir constantly to avoid burning to the bottom and transfer to a mold or container.

Now, admittedly, the photo below (and the first one above) was the very first version of this cheese. I wasn't satisfied with the texture and made it a few more times before I settled on the recipe below. The one pictured is a bit softer than I liked and the recipe I am actually sharing is for one that is firm, but not so firm that you feel like you are eating one of those agar plates from high school microbiology. Fun vision, right?

Oh and hey! If you by chance got this far in the post, and by chance purchased Aquafaba, and by chance are enjoying the recipes, and by chance wouldn't mind, could you scoot over to Amazon and leave feedback? Only, if you don't mind. The link to the book is right HERE.

Chipotle Firm Vegan Cheese - aquafaba recipe
Makes 1 block

1/2 cup aquafaba**
3 teaspoons agar powder

1/2 cup unsweetened plain nondairy milk
1/2 cup unsweetened plain nondairy yogurt (not coconut)
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
2 teaspoons tapioca starch
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic granules
1/2 teaspoon vegan lactic acid (optional)
2 teaspoons dark miso (not mellow white miso)
1 teaspoon vegan Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon chipotle in adobo puree


1. Combine the aquafaba and agar in a medium saucepan. Mix well and set aside to soften. 
2. Combine the milk, yogurt, yeast, starch, salt, garlic, lactic acid, miso, Worcestershire and chipotle in a blender. Blend very well. Set aside. Have a 2-cup mold ready for the cheese.
3. Heat the saucepan of aquafaba over medium heat. Bring to boil and cook for 1 minutes. Slowly add the blender mixture to the aquafaba mixture while stirring with a whisk. Whisk until smooth and bring back to boil. Once boiling, switch to a spatula and cook the mixture for 5 minutes. The cheese should reach 195-degrees F for the agar to completely dissolve. 
4. Immediately transfer the cheese to the mold and cool. Once cool place in the refrigerator to completely chill and firm up. Remove from the mold and slice and serve.  



** Although aquafaba is best if homemade using the recipe provided in the book, you can use aquafaba from canned chickpeas. Use the organic, low-sodium, canned chickpeas and strain off the liquid into a measuring cup using a fine mesh strainer. Note the amount of liquid you acquired, then add it to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until the liquid reduces by 1/3. Cool the aquafaba completely before using.



© 2016 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.

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aquafaba round up

Since my new cookbook Aquafaba [Amazon, B&N, Book Depository] is out, there have been a few shares of recipes on the blog tour. Since we are mid-month I wanted to call attention to the places where these recipes are being shared.

Note that the first two are currently running giveaways for the book, so head there first!

Also, please note that this book uses oils, coconut oil, nuts, soy, gluten, and sugar.

Vegan Good Things shares the Chile Relleno Quiche recipe, which is eerily like eggs, so be warned. Leinana is also giving away a copy (ends October 16, 2016):

It is also one of the more challenging of the recipes since you have to have a good grasp on making vegan meringue. To that end, here is my video on how to whip aquafaba into perfect peaks:

Of course, knowing how to make stiff peaks will help you in making these Meringue Cookies, which Dianne's Vegan Kitchen shares (giveaway in progress: ends October 18, 2016)

And it will also help in making these Chewy Fudge Brownies, as shared by the Vegan Mos. These brownies have that crackly top that is so cherished! Here is a video on detailing that process:

If you want to start easy and simple, get my recipe for Latkes from Robin Robertson's site:

or make the Italian Dressing that is featured on Cake Maker to the Stars. This one has an accompanying video as well, because it is an emulsification:

And finally, in case you need a breakfast or a treat, Fran Costigan shares my Lemon Poppy Seed Muffin recipe:

Huge thank you to all the bloggers who are sharing their reviews of Aquafaba and for all the recipe shares and giveaways hosted. Hugs to all!

autumn panzanella

It is a common custom among cultures to invent recipes that use up stale bread and it makes complete sense. There is no waste of old bread that has lost its freshness and a new recipe is developed.

Panzanella is the Italian version of using up old bread in a salad and it usually uses spring or summer vegetables.  I wanted to reinvent the salad using autumn produce because, well, tis the season.

I made use of cauliflower, carrots, chickpeas, whole grain bead (I'm working on a whole grain refrigerator dough, so I had a loaf hanging around), parsley and scallions.

You could, of course, use whatever vegetables you have lurking in the back of your fridge and no one would be the wiser. That's part of the beauty of panzanella salads.

Roast the cauliflower, chickpeas and bread in the oven and then throw it all into a large bowl. Toss with Italian dressing and you are in the money.

The question then becomes, which Italian dressing is the best for this salad? Mine, of course! Kittee Berns of Cake Maker to the Stars (with the cutest blog *ever* and the best Ethiopian cookbook *ever*) is sharing my recipe from Aquafaba [Amazon, B&N, Book Depository]. Go get it! I promise, it is worth it!

That's all there is to this one. Lunch or dinner is served. 

Autumn Panzanella
Serves 4

6 tablespoons Italian Dressing (this one from Aquafaba is amazing!), divided
1 cup cooked chickpeas
3 cups cubed bread, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 small cauliflower, cut into bite-size florets
Sea salt and black pepper

4 cups chopped Romaine lettuce
2 medium carrots, julienned
4 scallions, chopped
1/2 cup parsley leaves, chopped fine

1. Add 1 tablespoon dressing to a small bowl and toss with the chickpeas. Preheat the oven to 350-degrees. Transfer the beans to a baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes, stirring often. 
2. Move the beans to a quarter of the baking sheet and add the bread cubes to half of the sheet. Add the cauliflower to the remaining section and season with salt and black pepper. Continue to bake the beans and bread for another 25 minutes, until the beans are lightly crunchy, the cauliflower is golden and tender and the bread is dried out.
3. Transfer the bread to a small bowl and toss with 3 tablespoons of the dressing and set aside for 5 minutes. 
4. Add the lettuce, carrots, scallions, parsley, chickpeas, bread, cauliflower and the rest of the dressing to a large bowl. Toss well, season with salt and black pepper and serve. 




© 2016 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.

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