hearty middle eastern lentil soup

Overview

Time: 45 minutes 
Dishes: large pot, immersion or regular blender 

Hello, hello Dear Readers!

If you are looking for a fantastic and easy to make lentil soup, you've found it. And even if you aren't you should give this a try. Lentils are nutritious and hearty, so it is definitely worth a try. 

This soup uses dried lentils - green or brown - but, you can use French, if you like. Do not use red lentils because they are meant to fall apart during cooking. This recipe makes sure that your lentils stay whole and not mushy. 

To accomplish that, I used the Indian method of cooking lentils - sweating them. You cook the lentils for 10 minute without liquid, before adding the water and broth mix. This makes sure that your lentils stay whole after the simmering time.  

The last step is to puree as much of the tender lentils as you like, which gives the soup a nice body and texture. You can do this using an immersion blender or a standard blender. 

To finish the soup, you add a bit of lemon juice or yogurt - I went with yogurt, which adds an equal amount of acid to the soup, brightening it up.

The one issue you might encounter is the age of your lentils. I get my lentils from Azure Standard, so they are amazingly fresh. My lentils were tender after 15 minutes of simmering, but I have had lentils stay tough well into the 30 minute mark. The older your legumes, the longer they will take to cook. 

This was a really delicious soup that is hearty and creamy. Grab a bag and get cooking. 

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

Enjoy!

Speedy Cooking Tips:

• Gather your ingredients
• Add the vegetables and herbs as they are ready
• Wash and pick over the lentils while the vegetables cook
• Mince fresh herbs while lentils cook

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Hearty Middle Eastern Lentil Soup

Makes 4 servings 

weekday

www.ZsusVeganPantry.com

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 large carrot, chopped

3 garlic cloves, chopped

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon thyme leaves

1 teaspoon ground coriander seeds

1 teaspoon ground cumin 

1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained 

1 teaspoon liquid smoke (if not using smoked salt)

1 cup dry brown or green lentils, rinsed and picked over

1 teaspoon salt or smoked salt 

6 cups water

2 tablespoons Easy Savory Broth Mix

2 teaspoons lemon juice or 1/4 cup unsweetened plain nondairy yogurt

2 tablespoons minced parsley or cilantro

1. Base: Add the oil, onion, carrot, garlic, bay, thyme, coriander and cumin to a large pot over medium heat. Stir and cook until the vegetables are softened, about 3 minutes. 

2. Lentils: Stir in the tomatoes, smoke, if using, lentils and salt to the Base. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 10 minutes. Stir halfway through.  

3. Soup: Add the water and broth mix to the Lentils. Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt and black pepper. Bring to boil over high heat, reduce to medium, partly cover and cook until the lentils are tender, about 15 to 40 minutes.  

4. Puree: Remove and discard the bay leaf. Remove and puree 3 cups of the soup in a blender or use an immersion blender to puree as much as you like. Add the lemon juice and parsley and serve. If using yogurt, stir into each bowl 

© 2021 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.

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vegan vegetarian meatless plant-based

texas-style red chili

   

Overview

Time: 45 minutes or 3 to 6 hours slow cooker
Dishes: large pot 

Hello, hello Dear Readers!

Excellent chili, folks! This Texas-style Red Chili is as meaty as a chili can get and still be meatless. And, yes, it has beans. I was going to skip the beans, but my husband, who worked for a chili cook-off  in Texas for many moons, begged me not to. He said, it's all at the cook's discretion, regardless of the bean-naysayers. 

Therefore, you heard it from a chili expert - beans or no beans is up to the cook; add it or not. If you skip the beans, increase the meatless meat by 3 cups or so. 

I used 1 block of Impossible Meat and 1/2 bag of Taco Crumbles by Butler Soy Curls in this recipe, but any ground meatless meat will be just fine. I rehydrated 1/2 package of the crumbles with about 1 cup of water. I browned them together and then added the rest of the ingredients. It cooked in the slow cooker on high for 3 hours. Nothing could be simpler, really.

And it was fantastic! We topped ours with Fritos, cheddar shreds, Follow Your Heart sour cream and jalapenos. This chili is only as spicy as your chili powder, so you can up the heat any way you like: cayenne, spicier chili powder or hot sauce. However you make it, just make a batch. 

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

Enjoy!

Speedy Cooking Tips:

• Rehydrate or thaw any grounds you'll be using.
• While browning the grounds, gather the rest of your ingredients.
• Dump and cook. Simple. Slow cooker is great here. 

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Texas-style Red Chili

www.ZsusVeganPantry.com

Makes 6 servings 

weekday

May be cooked in a slow cooker.

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 - 2 pounds vegan grounds (like rehydrated TVP, Soy Curls, Beyond Meat or Gardein) (5 - 7 cups, not packed)

1 tablespoon onion granules

1 tablespoon adobo seasoning

2 cups water

2 (15-ounce) can kidney beans, undrained

1/4 cup tomato paste

1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce

2 tablespoons vegan worcestershire sauce

3 tablespoon chili powder

1 tablespoon smoked paprika

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 tablespoon vegan broth mix (like Better Than Bouillon)

Toppings:

Frito or tortilla chips

Vegan shredded cheddar cheese

Minced onion

Minced cilantro

Nondairy sour cream

Thinly sliced jalapeno

1. Grounds: Add the oil to a large pot over medium heat. Add the grounds, onion and adobo seasoning. Stir well and cook to brown lightly, about 5 minutes.   

2. Liquid: Add the water, tomatoes, worcestershire, chili, paprika, cumin, sugar and broth mix. Stir well. Bring to boil, reduce to simmer over medium-low heat and cook for 40 minutes, covered. Stir as needed. Or cook in a slow cooker for 6 hours on low or 3 hours on high. 

3. Serve: Serve the chili with your choice of toppings: fritos, cheese, onion, cilantro, sour cream, jalapeno, etc. 

© 2020 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.

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vegan vegetarian meatless plant-based

caldo non pollo soup

Overview

Time: 45 minutes
Dishes: large pot

Hello, hello Dear Readers!

This is a rice, protein, vegetable soup that is tomato-based. It is meatless, vegetarian and vegan. My kids are all into soups right now and I like to oblige them, especially when it is something easy. This one-pot soup is just that, plus very delicious.

It is easy to throw together, but the long cooking time of the brown rice kicks it up to 45 minutes. If you use white rice, the total cooking time is around 30 minutes. Use short, long or medium grain - doesn't really matter.

As another versatile soup, use the vegetables that float your boat, not just the ones I have subscribed. I used green beans in this soup, but I was tempted with zucchini, peas, even potato or turnip. If you add any leafy greens, add it in the last 10 minutes for the tougher greens and last few minutes for something like baby spinach.

I used Gardein strips, but that is what I have available near me - use Seitan or Soy Curlz or  Savory Tofu - or the chicken-type of strips that are available in your area.

In this recipe the rice is first toasted to give it a nutty flavor. If you are using frozen protein, add it with the rice to cook. After you add the liquid, use tongs to remove them to chop up. This way the rice is not clinging to the strips. This step saves you the need to defrost the protein, but if it is already thawed, just chop before cooking. 

For the garnish and accompaniments, use either corn tortillas, to keep within the Mexican theme if using cilantro in the soup, or divert and use croutons if you used parsley. Either way, the soup is delicious and filling.    

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

Enjoy!

Speedy Cooking Tips:

• Heat the pot while you rinse the rice.
• If frozen, cook the protein whole and then remove later to chop.
• Chop the onion while the rice and protein are cooking.
• Chop the green beans while the onion, rice and protein cook.

 

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Caldo non Pollo Soup

ww.ZsusVeganPantry.com

Makes 4 servings 

weekday

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1/2 cup brown rice, rinsed

1/2 medium onion, chopped

10 ounces Gardein or seitan, chopped if thawed

1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes (do not drain)

1/2 cup tomato sauce

2 cups chopped green beans (8 ounces)

2 medium carrots, chopped or sliced

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro or parsley

1 tablespoon Easy Savory Broth mix** or 2 teaspoons Better Than Bouillon

8 cups water

Toppings:

Diced avocados

Broken tortilla chips or corn tortillas

Minced cilantro

Croutons

1. Rice: Add the oil, garlic, rice, onion and protein to a large pot over medium heat. Cook, stirring often, until the rice is golden, about 5 minutes.

2. Vegetables: Add the tomatoes, green beans, carrot, herbs and broth mix to the Rice as they are ready.

3. If the protein was not thawed when started cooking, remove the large chunks now and chop them. Add them back to the soup. Cook the soup at a strong simmer until the Rice is tender, over medium heat, about 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. 

4. Serve: Ladle into bowls and top as desired.

** Substitute for Savory Broth Mix: 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast, 1 teaspoon thyme, 1 teaspoon sage and 1 teaspoon oregano. 

© 2020 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.

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vegan vegetarian meatless plant-based

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.

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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.

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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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