Tomato-tato Soup

I had a soup similar to this at Stella's Cafe several months ago, and I just couldn't get the gorgeous flavor combination out of my head!  I loved the extra spicy hit of black pepper, so I've been quite generous with it in my recipe for this delicious soup.

Start with the soup basics.  Using your biggest soup pot on medium high heat, heat a couple tablespoons of olive oil as you chop up 6-8 pearl onions (I leave them in big chunks.  If you don't have pearl onions, use one large yellow onion), one large carrot, and 4 ribs of celery.  Saute them for a few minutes until the onions begin to color. 

At this point, fill up your kettle and boil 1.5 litres of water - you'll need it in a minute.

Dice 4-6 potatoes (I leave the skin on) fairly small (so they cook quickly) and add to the pot.  Season with salt and pepper at this point.  Use at least a teaspoon of pepper - trust me.  Add 2 tsp oregano, 1 tsp basil, 1 tsp thyme, and 2 bay leaves.  Saute for a few minutes until potatoes just start to soften.

Add two large cans of tomatoes and stir.

Add 1.5 litres of boiling water.

Check your seasonings, and add more salt or pepper as needed.

Bring to a boil, turn down heat, and simmer 20 minutes.

Serve with crusty toasted bread with pesto spread on it.  Yum!

Delicious Beet Borscht

Well, friends, I finally committed!  I have been researching CSAs and organic/local farms recently to see about getting a weekly/biweekly fresh veggie basket delivered to our house.  It's easier and less expensive than doing my own grocery shopping, and I'll get to try a variety of produce that I know comes from natural sources and is pesticide/chemical free.

So I found a service and my first delivery was today!  I've signed up for biweekly baskets from Fresh Option Organic Delivery (freshoption.ca).  Today's basket included an amazing assortment of fresh fruits and veggies, and I was immediately inspired to get cooking.  I've just whipped up this easy and flavorful beet borscht and couldn't wait to share it with you!
First things first:  roast your beets.  You'll need about 3 medium beets.  Cut a large piece of aluminum foil and wrap your beets into one package.  Crimp the edges so they're sealed.  Roast for 45 minutes at 450 degrees, and poke them occasionally with the tip of a paring knife.  If they feel tender, they're done.

While you're roasting the beets, start the flavor base for your soup.  Chop into large chunks:  8 pearl onions (or one medium white onion) one large carrot, and 3 or 4 ribs of celery.  Saute for 10 minutes in a large pot with a little olive oil, until onions start to brown and carrots are tender.  Add salt and pepper to your taste.  Dice two red potatoes and add them in.  Saute until potatoes begin to brown slightly.  Add 1-2 tsp of thyme and 1 tsp sage.

When beets are tender, remove aluminum foil and peel them.  This can be done by rubbing with a paper towel, or wearing rubber gloves and rubbing the beets between your hands.  Once peeled, cut the beets into chunks and add to your pot.  Cover the veggies with 3 cups veggie stock and 3 cups water. 

Simmer soup for 15-20 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper to your taste.

Variation:  if you love cabbage, add some!  Instead of 3 cups veggie stock, make it 5 cups.  After soup has simmered the 15-20 minutes, add two large handfuls of shredded cabbage and stir until just tender but still a little crunchy.  Delicious!

Coconut Rice Curry Soup

This soup is spicy and satisfying, not to mention very easy to make!

Start by dicing up one large onion and sauteing it in olive oil.  Add one diced bell pepper and one heaping tablespoon of thai red curry paste (more if you want it really spicy).  Stir occasionally for four minutes.

Add one cup of rice (I prefer a mix of brown and wild rice, but use what you have) and four cups of water.  You can use veggie stock instead for extra flavor.  I add the water and then two veggie bouillon cubes.  Bring to a simmer and keep it on medium-low heat for 40 minutes.  Stir occasionally so rice doesn't stick to the bottom.

While soup is simmering, chop up one large sweet potato into 1/4" cubes... and decide how you want to cook it.  You have options here:  either roast at 500 degrees until the cubes are soft and browned (about 20 minutes, give or take), or just throw them into the simmering soup after the 40 minutes are up, and let it simmer another 10 minutes until the potatoes are cooked through.  If you roast the potatoes, coat them in a little olive oil and curry powder.

After the rice is fully cooked, add 1 can of coconut milk plus another cup of water.  Then add 1 tsp tamari (or soy sauce), salt and pepper to taste, and 2 tsp tumeric for color.  Stir the soup and heat it for another 5 minutes until the coconut milk is warmed up and mixed in well with the rest of the soup.  Then pour in your roasted potatoes.

Garnish with cilantro/lime/cashews.  Serve very hot.

Green Lentil Veggie Soup

When I started telling friends and family that I had decided to eat a vegan diet, the most common question I was asked was "How will you get your protein?"   It's amazing how the world seems to think that if you're not eating animals, there is no other way to get protein into your diet.

I've been doing my research recently to find out exactly how much protein a vegan needs, and what the best sources are.  At 23g of protein per 3/4 cup, green lentils are an amazing source of protein - plus they're yummy and have great texture! 

This Green Lentil Veggie Soup is easy to prepare and tastes delicious... and it makes great leftovers, too!

Using your large soup pot, start by frying one diced white onion and 2 diced carrots in grapeseed oil.  After 5 minutes, mix in 1 tsp thyme, 1/2 tsp sage, 1/2 tsp dry mustard, 1/2 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp black pepper.  Stir to combine, then chop 2 large potatoes into quite small pieces and stir in.  Add one half of a medium zucchini, diced, and cook for another 2 minutes.

Pour 4 cups veggie stock into the pot.  Then add 1 1/4c dry green lentils.  Bring to a boil, then simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Check the lentils to see if they're cooked:  nice and soft means they're done; tough and chewy means they need to be simmered for longer.  Check every 5 minutes until you like the texture of the lentils.

For a thinner soup, add another cup or two of veggie stock. 

Serve topped with croutons if desired.