creamy cauliflower soup

   

Overview

Time: 30 minutes
Dishes: large pot, medium pot, steamer basket, blender

Hello, hello Dear Readers!

When I first created this recipe, it was with the intention of making it Cauliflower Au Gratin Soup, but since there was no cheese (or breadcrumbs) in the soup, I thought it would be a stretch to call it that. 

The soup does have notes of cheesiness, thanks to the nutritional yeast, and you could make it all-out au gratin by adding the optional vegan cheese, so I leave the option to you. I love the soup as is but I also love it with some cheese added; it just depends on my mood. 

When I went to serve the soup this week I asked my husband what I should serve with it - thinking a sandwich might be too much or a salad too off beat. With a straight face he said "Fries." After laughing at the idea, I gave it some much needed thought and decided that it would, at least, make for a decent photo.

To my surprise it is excellent with a side of fries! We had curly fries in the freezer, so I air-fried up a batch and tossed it with some vegan parmesan (from GOOD PLANeT). We dunked them in the soup, nibbled on them between spoonfuls of cauliflower bites and enjoyed the meal immensely. Totally healthy, maybe not, but it was well worth the sacrifice from our burger meal to enjoy the fries alongside this creamy, cheesy goodness. 

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

Enjoy!

Speedy Cooking Tips:

• Gather your ingredients.
• Chop and cook onions.
• Peel and chop potatoes and carrots while onion cooks. 
• Add the water as soon as the onions are cooked and add the potatoes and carrots when they are ready.
• Steam the cauliflower while the soup cooks. 
• Cook the potatoes until they are falling apart to avoid gumminess when you blend.

(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.)

Creamy Cauliflower Soup

www.ZsusVeganPantry.com

Makes 4 servings 

weekday

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, chopped 

6 cups water

2 medium waxy potatoes, peeled and chopped (about 2 cups)

2 medium carrots, chopped (about 2 cups)

3 tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes

1 teaspoon salt 

1/2 teaspoon black pepper 

16 to 20 ounces cauliflower florets

1 cup shredded vegan cheese (optional)

1. Onion Base: Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic. Cook, covered, until lightly golden, about 4 minutes. Stir as needed.  

2. Root Vegetables: Add the water, potato, carrot, nutritional yeast, salt and pepper to the Onion Base. Bring to boil, reduce to simmer and cook covered until the potatoes are falling apart, about 15 minutes.  

3. Cauliflower: Steam the cauliflower until tender, about 7 minutes. Reserve 2 cups of Florets for garnish. Set aside.

4. Blend: When the potatoes are falling apart, add the Cauliflower (except for the reserved florets) and blend with an immersion blender. Alternatively, blend in a standard blender. Blend very well. Taste and adjust seasoning. Add the reserved cauliflower Florets and optional cheese. Stir well and serve.  

© 2021 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.

Pint It!

alfredo scampi pasta bake - dump dinner

 

Overview

Time: 45 minutes
Dishes: large pot or 9x13 baking pan

Hello, hello Dear Readers!

I know this says 45 minutes but this is technically a Dump Dinner, so you can prep this meatless, vegetarian and vegan dish in 5 minutes flat. You add the pasta and broth. Top with vegetables and beans. Add some flavoring, like garlic and lemon zest and bake! 

Once it is baked add some nondairy milk and vegan cheese, if you want, and this is ready for the table. It was super fast and easy and it was really good! I used broccolini and cauliflower, but zucchini, carrots or green beans should work great, as well.

The scampi-ness is thanks to the lemon zest and nondairy milk and the Alfredo part is because of the milk and vegan cheese, if you use it. I used Follow Your Heart parmesan shreds, but the Violife would be great, too , or regular vegan white shreds - or no cheese at all.  

No fuss dinner that hardly needs prep, plus it tastes good. 

On a weeknight, that covers my bases.

Enjoy!

Speedy Cooking Tips:

• It's a Dump Dinner - so not much to it!
• Layer the pasta, broth, vegetables, beans, zest, garlic and salt.
• Bake.
• Finish with the nondairy milk and vegan cheese and bake to heat and melt.
• Serve!

 

(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.)

Alfredo Scampi Pasta Bake

www.ZsusVeganPantry.com

Makes 4 servings 

moderate

Preheat oven to 425-F

1. Pasta: Add the pasta to an oiled 9X13-inch baking pan (or equivalent). Spread evenly. Pour the broth over the pasta. 

12 ounces rotini pasta (or equivalent)

4 cups vegetable broth

2. Vegetables: Spread the vegetables and beans evenly over the Pasta.  Sprinkle with garlic, lemon zest, chili flakes, salt and pepper. Cover tightly with foil or lid and bake for 30 minutes.

3 cups chopped vegetables (zucchini, broccoli, cauliflower, pepper)

2 cups (an 15-ounce can) white beans, rinsed

2 teaspoons minced garlic

Zest of 1 lemon

1 teaspoon red chili flakes (optional)

3. Cheese: Add the milk to the Pasta. Add the optional cheese. Return to the oven (uncovered) and bake until the cheese melts, about 10 minutes. Serve. 

1 cup nondairy milk

1 cup vegan shredded white or Parmesan-style cheese (optional)

© 2020 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.

Pint It!

chili potato taco

The first meal in the Prep Ahead Week 4 plan is Chili Potato Tacos. I love these tacos because they are full of vegetables and flavor: cauliflower, pepitas, potatoes and refried black beans. They are served with guacamole and salsa. If you want to kick up the heat, add some Fresh Pickled Jalapenos.

This recipe is amazingly easy on the Prep Ahead menu because everything is prepared ahead of time, including the vegetables for the guacamole, so it really all comes together in a matter of minutes, but you can certainly do it as a stand alone recipe.

Use whatever taco vessel you like: tortillas, chips or hard tacos. I had a little vegan cheese hanging around, so I finely shredded on some, but that is just icing on the cake and the tacos are terrific without it.

I served the hard tacos for the kids and enjoyed these on whole wheat tortillas myself.

Chili Potato Tacos
Serves 4 to 6 

Refried Black Beans
1 medium onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 (15-ounce) can black beans (2 cups cooked), rinsed and drained
1/2 cup water or bean cooking water

Filling
1/2 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 pound potatoes, cut into 1/4 -inch dice
3/4 cup vegetable broth, divided
1 pound cauliflower, minced fine
1/4 cup almonds or pepitas (chop the almonds)
1 tablespoon chili powder

Guacamole (recipe below)
Salsa
Taco shells or tortillas
Lettuce, shredded
Shredded vegan cheese (optional)
Fresh Pickled Jalapenos (recipe below) (optional)

1. For the Beans: Add the onion to a medium pot over medium heat. Cover and cook. Add the garlic to the pot and cook. Cook until onion is golden. Add a splash of broth if the onion is burning. Add the cumin and the oregano. Cook 30 seconds. Add the beans and 1/2 cup water. Cover and cook for 10 minutes. Use a potato masher to mash the beans. Cook for 5 more minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside. 
2. For the Filling: Add the onion to a large skillet over medium heat. Cover and cook. Add a splash of broth if the onion is burning. Add the garlic. Add the potato to the skillet. Add 1/4 cup broth. Cover and cook for 3 minutes. Add the the cauliflower and 1/4 cup broth at a time, as needed, until vegetables are tender. 
3. Add the almonds or pepitas and cook 1 minute. Remove from heat and add the chili powder. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Warm the taco shells or tortillas and serve. 



Guacamole
5 medium ripe Hass avocado, mashed 
3/4 cup minced red onion
1/4 cup minced cilantro
1 to 2 tablespoons minced jalapeno (optional)
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
Salt and black pepper

1. Combine all the ingredients in a medium bowl using a spoon. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt, black pepper and lime juice.

Pickled Jalapenos
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
Ground black pepper
1/4 cup minced cilantro
2 medium jalapeno or Fresno peppers, sliced very thin using a mandoline
1 garlic clove, minced

1. Combine the vinegar, water, sugar, salt, oregano and black pepper in a medium bowl. Stir well to melt the sugar and salt. Add the cilantro, peppers and garlic. Set aside to pickle for at least 20 minutes. Cover and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.


© 2017 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.

pickled vegetables salad

Salad is probably the last thing you truly want to have in the middle of the winter, but this Pickled Vegetables Salad features roasted home-pickled cauliflower, so there is a warming element to the meal.

I originally served this with Smoky Seitan, but when I cut the Prep Ahead Week 3 menu from 7 to 5 days, I also cut the seitan. I think the salad is just great with or without it, so I am including it here, just in case you'd like to make it with seitan, too.

The salad doesn't just have roasted pickled cauliflower, it also features quinoa, greens and a bean salad filled with celery, olives, roasted bell peppers, and cannellini beans. The dressing for the bean salad can be made with yogurt or with oil.

Serve this salad as is, or toast some slices of French bread and rub them with a large clove of garlic. If nothing else, this is a very unique salad to enjoy in the middle of winter.

Pickled Vegetables Salad

Makes 4 servings

Cauliflower Ingredients:

1/2 cup vinegar, white wine or other

3 cups water

1 bay leaf

2 sprigs fresh oregano

2 teaspoons salt

2 pounds cauliflower

1 cup chopped seitan (optional)

Bean Salad Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups sliced celery

1 (16-ounce) jar roasted red peppers, drained and sliced

1 cup green olives, chopped

1/4 cups olive oil or unsweetened plain nondairy yogurt

2 cups or 1 (15-ounce) can cooked cannellini beans 

1 1/2 cups vegetable broth

1 cup quinoa, rinsed well

2 heads Romaine lettuce, chopped

1. For the cauliflower: Combine the vinegar, water, bay leaf, sprigs of oregano, and salt  in a medium pot. Bring to boil. Break the cauliflower into florets. Add to the pot. Cook, covered, low  

until crisp-tender, about 8 minutes. Remove 1/4 cup of brine to cool and set aside. Drain the cauliflower. Add the cauliflower to a baking sheet. Add the chopped saiten. Broil until golden, about 10 minutes. Spray with oil, if desired. Remove and discard the bay leaf and oregano stalks.

2. For the bean salad: Add the celery to a medium bowl. Add the red peppers, the olives, the olive oil or yogurt, the reserved brine and the beans. Mix and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

3. For the quinoa: Bring the broth to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the quinoa, cover, reduce to simmer and cook 15 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside (still covered) for 10 minutes. 

4. Serve the salad: place romaine lettuce in a bowl, top with quinoa, top with bean salad and finally with the roasted cauliflower.

© 2016 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.

pantry+ thai bbq cauliflower

I adore cauliflower and whoever it was who first thought of making them into "wings" needs a gold star in Hollywood. 

I wanted to throw my spin on this with a Thai flare. This recipe is almost like a red curry, but in crispy appetizer form. Bonus: this is a Pantry+ recipe, requiring only a limited amount of ingredients: 5 pantry ingredients and 6 fresh ingredients. 

Thai BBQ Cauliflower:

Equipment:

air-fryer (or oven)

small blender [such as Magic Bullet]

large bowl

Pantry ingredients:

Coconut milk

Brown sugar

Cornstarch

Sriracha

Pepitas

Fresh ingredients:

Cauliflower

Garlic

Curry powder

Lime

Lemon

Rice

This recipe really couldn't be simpler: blend the marinade and add to the florets. Set aside for 10 minutes and then bake or air-fry. I used my air-fryer and it came out delicious and crisp.

Get your rice cooking right away if you want this as a meal. Or serve it with raw vegetables and the dip of your choice, if you want it as an appetizer.

Thai BBQ Cauliflower (a Pantry+ recipe)
Serves 4
Pantry list is HERE.

3/4 cup coconut milk
10 garlic cloves
3 tablespoons cornstarch or arrowroot starch
2 tablespoons curry powder
1 to 2 tablespoons sriracha
1 tablespoon brown sugar
Zest of 1 lime
Zest of 1 lemon
Sea salt
2 small or 1 large head cauliflower
1/2 cup pepitas
Hot rice, for serving
Raw vegetables, for serving (optional)

1. Combine the milk, garlic, cornstarch, curry, sriracha, sugar, zests, and salt to taste in a small blender. Blend until smooth. Cut the cauliflower into florets and transfer to a large bowl. Add the marinade and set aside for 10 minutes.
2. Add half the cauliflower to the basket of an air-fryer (or bake in the oven at 375-degrees until tender). Bake at 360-degrees F for 15 minutes, basting every 5 minutes. Increase the heat to 390-degrees and continue to bake until crisp, about 5 to 8 more minutes, adding half the pepitas in the last 2 minutes. Repeat with the other half of cauliflower and pepitas.
3. Serve the cauliflower with hot rice or raw vegetables such as carrot and celery sticks. 

© 2016 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.

PIN IT!

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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pantry+ roasted cauliflower in coconut curry

I am going to be completely honest with you: this is a really delicious dish! It uses pan-roasted cauliflower cooked in a coconut bechamel sauce. The sauce is laced with garam masala, one of the global spice mixes I am using for the Pantry+ recipes and it is a knock out!

It also happens to be really easy and fast to make, so you should get the rice cooking right away. Use my quick, 30-minute brown rice recipe HERE to make things go as fast as possible.

This recipe needs only 5 pantry ingredients and 4 fresh ingredients.

Roasted Cauliflower in Coconut Curry:

Equipment:
Bowl
Large skillet
Medium sauce pot
Blender

Pantry ingredients are:
Vegetable broth
Flour
Garam Masala
Coconut milk
Red chili flakes

Fresh ingredients are:
Cauliflower
Dates
Cilantro
Brown Rice

It is amazing how using only one spice mixture, and cooking the spice mixture first, adds so much flavor to a dish. This certainly cuts down on a list of ingredients. Since I still have garam masala from a store-bought batch I am not supplying a recipe for it, yet, but a quick search on the web will result in a plethora of options.

I dry roast the cauliflower because I've come to notice that there is a lot of moisture in vegetables that help cook and saute them without the need for added oil as long as you dry roast them in a well-seasoned cast iron pan and use a lid. It also speeds up cooking.

Because of the lack of oil, you need to toast your flour first and then add it and the milk to a blender, instead of using a roux of oil and flour to make the thickening agent.

Whether you choose to use a roux or a blender, this sauce thickens beautifully and is very delicious. The garam masala comes through in a big way and the touch of spice from the red chili flakes offers a bit of bite. The few dates in the curry lend the sweetness that it needs. Add some fresh cilantro as a garnish to brighten up this curry and the meal is complete.

Roasted Cauliflower in Coconut Curry (a Pantry+ recipe)

Makes 4 servings

Pantry list is HERE.

1 medium head cauliflower

1 1/2 cups vegetable broth, divided

3 tablespoons whole wheat pastry or all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons garam masala

1 (14-ounce) can coconut milk

3 large dates, seeded and chopped

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes

1/2 cup cilantro

Hot, cooked brown rice

1. Begin preparing the rice as desired. Use my quick brown rice recipe. 

2. Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Chop the cauliflower into florets and add it to the hot skillet. Cover and cook for 3 minutes. Stir, cover and cook for another 3 minutes. Repeat until the cauliflower is golden. Add 1/2 cup broth, cover and steam until the broth evaporates and the cauliflower is tender. Remove and set aside in a bowl.

2. Add the flour to the skillet and stir. Cook for 2 minutes and add the garam masala. Stir and cook until the masala is aromatic. Add the coconut milk to a blender and add the cooked flour. Blend until smooth. (This step is to omit oil from the recipe. You can cook the flour in 3 tablespoons of oil and whisk in the coconut milk {instead of using a blender}, if desired.)

3. Transfer the coconut mixture to the skillet, add the dates, the salt, red chili flakes and the remaining 1 cup of broth. Stir to combine and add the cauliflower. Bring to a simmer and cook until the sauce is thickened and the dates are tender, about 3 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning.

4. Serve with the brown rice and garnished with the cilantro. 

© 2016 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.

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seared cauliflower and chickpeas piccata

It seems I have made piccata for the blog more than a few times but it's probably all in my head as I can only find it HERE. My memory lags probably because I make it for home at least every few months. The family loves Seitan Piccata and because it is a very easy dish to throw together (given you have seitan handy), I'm all for it.

The usual mashed potatoes are the accompaniment and maybe a vegetable sneaks in there, such as steamed green beans, but this time around I wanted to make it without seitan.

The flavor affinities of cauliflower + chickpeas + lemon + sweet potatoes + greens is a winner and I instantly wanted to transform these ingredients into one cohesive dish. The sauce for the piccata has only 9 ingredients, plus the cauliflower and chickpeas.

While I served this bowl-style, with the addition of sweet potatoes and greens, you can by all means ignore my suggestion and go with the standard mashed potatoes and green beans.

Roasting the sweet potatoes is the first order of business as preheating the oven and cooking the tubers will take the longest.

The next longest step is cooking the collard greens, so get them on the stove and you can essentially forget about them.

In this recipe I treated the cauliflower a little differently. I simply sauteed and seared the pieces until they were tender and golden.  Cover the cauliflower as it cooks over low heat and it will not only sear but cook all the way through. Definitely a fantastic way to treat this vegetable! A little seasoning of salt and black pepper and I could eat them all day long. I might, if given the chance.

Finally, the sauce is made. This step goes pretty fast after the chickpeas are done sauteing so it might be a good idea to have everything ready to go once the chickpeas are golden brown.

This is the best dish to eat all these seasonal produce in: cauliflower, sweet potatoes, collard greens and lemon.

There it is! Gluten free (if using rice flour), nutritious, pretty and delicious.

Seared Cauliflower and Chickpea Piccata
Prep and cook in 40 minutes
Serves 4 

Potatoes:
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch half-moons
1 teaspoon olive oil
Salt and black pepper

Collards:
8 ounces collard greens, tough stems removed and cut into ribbons
1/4 small onion, chopped

Cauliflower:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small head cauliflower, cut into 1/2 -inch slices (as best as you can)

Sauce:
1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 garlic cloves, cut into thin slices
1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes
2 teaspoons all-purpose flour or rice flour
1/4 cup dry white wine or vermouth**
1/2 cup vegetable broth
 2 tablespoon capers
1 to 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons minced parsley

1. Potatoes: Preheat the oven to 425-degrees F. Combine the potatoes and oil on a baking sheet and season with salt and black pepper. Bake the potatoes until golden and tender, about 20 to 30 minutes, flipping the potatoes midway through cooking. Lightly mash with a potato masher.
2. Collards: Combine the collards and onion in a medium pot. Add enough water to cover the collards well. Cooking the collards in plenty of water will reduce their bitterness. Season with salt and black pepper and cook until tender over medium heat, about 20 minutes. Drain and keep warm.
3.  Cauliflower: Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the cauliflower slices (and the pieces that fell away when slicing), cover the skillet with a lid, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until golden, about 9 minutes. Flip the pieces and cook the other side until golden and the cauliflower is  tender, another 9 minutes. Remove from the skillet and keep warm.
4. Sauce: Heat the now empty skillet over medium heat. Add the chickpeas and cook until they are dry, about 3 minutes. Add the oil and cook until the chickpeas are golden, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and chili flakes and cook until the garlic is golden, about 2 minutes. Add the flour and mix well. Add the wine and cook until the wine almost evaporates completely. Add the broth and capers and cook until the broth is reduced by half and thickens, about 2 minutes. Add the reserved cauliflower, lemon juice and parsley. Cook until the cauliflower is warmed through. Season with salt and black pepper.
5. Assembly: Serve the mashed sweet potatoes with the collards and piccata. Spoon a little of the sauce onto each serving. 



** Wine substitute: Soak 1/2 cup of sun-dried tomatoes in 1 cup of hot vegetable broth. Set aside to rehydrate and infuse the broth with the flavor for at least 30 minutes. Drain and squeeze the tomatoes of their liquid. 

 © 2015 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.