Tag: vegan

Vegan Bean with “Bacon” Soup

In trying to replicate my favorite childhood canned soup, I came up with this. I doubled the recipe for my family (of seven), and there was plenty left over.

  • 3 cans white beans, rinsed and drained 
  • 6-8 slices Morningstar Farms “bacon” strips
  • 1-2 carrots, minced
  • 1-2 stalks celery, minced
  • 1 medium onion, chopped fine
  • 4 cups vegetable broth
  • 2 cups water
  • 1-2 bay leaves
  • 1/2 of a small can (approx 2 tbsp) tomato paste
  • salt and pepper to taste.

1. In the pan you plan to cook the soup in, fry the bacon on both sides until it is thoroughly cooked, but not crispy.

2. Remove the bacon from the pot. Add the carrots, celery, and onion. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until the vegetables are softened, 5-7 minutes.

3. Add the beans, broth, water, and bay leaves. Partially cover and cook over low heat for a good long while. (I let it go for a couple of hours).

4. Chop the bacon in to tiny pieces. Add chopped bacon and tomato paste to the soup. Cover again and cook another 20 minutes or so.

5. Just before serving, use an immersion blender to half-puree the soup, leaving some whole beans and chunks intact. (If you don’t have an immersion blender, remove about 2 cups of the soup, puree in a blender, and stir back into the pot.)

6. Season with salt and pepper to taste (it shouldn’t need much; the bacon is salty, so start with a light hand) and serve.

Yule Garbanzo Loaf

It’s the time of year for Yule Loaf! This is adapted from Recipe for a Small Planet’s Garbanzo Bean Loaf.

As I have said before, when choosing your holiday traditions, choose carefully. Although we only make this once a year, we make it every year.

The recipe in the cookbook is vegetarian, here I veganize it.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup dried garbanzo beans (cook and drain) or use 1 1/2 cups canned

1 cup whole wheat bread crumbs

1 cup pineapple juice

1 cup chopped onion

1 1/2 cup chopped celery

3 tablespoons oil

1/4 cup fresh parsley

egg substitute equivalent to one egg

1 tablespoon miso (any-white/red/your choice)

1 teaspoon salt

dash of hot sauce

2 pinches cayenne pepper

1 cup vegan cheese (Swiss maybe or hot pepper)

Directions:

1. Combine bread crumbs with pineapple juice, let soak.

2. Mash the beans but leave a few whole!

3. Saute onions and celery in the oil.

4. Dissolve miso in a  very small amount of hot water, to make a thick slurry.

5. Combine rest of ingredients in order.

6. Turn into loaf pan and bake at 350 for 40 minutes until browned and firm.

I always quadruple this recipe for a large holiday meal so that we will have leftovers! I serve it on a bed of spinach leaves with Louisiana hot sauce along side of squash/pear soup. I hope this becomes a favorite in your home!

Serves: 3 to 4

Preparation time: 30 minutes

Spinach and Potato Soup 

Serves: 6 • Prep time: 10 min • Cook time: 20 min

6 Tbsp. butter or Smart Balance or olive oil6 small all-purpose potatoes, peeled and diced

1 or 2 finely chopped onion (do your kids like onion?)

3 cloves garlic, chopped

3 can (14.5 oz.) broth

12 cups baby spinach leaves or 3 or 4 pkgs frozen spinach

3 cans evaporated milk or plain soymilk (optional) 

Melt butter in 4-quart saucepan over medium-high heat and cook onion, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes or until onion is tender. Stir in garlic and cook 30 seconds. Add potatoes and broth and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer covered 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Stir in spinach and cook 5 minutes or until wilted. Process soup with a submersible blender just until smooth. Return to saucepan (add milk) and heat through. Season, if desired, with freshly ground black pepper.

Bellydancer Minestrone

This is from FatChanceBellydance’s vegan cook book Devotion. It is delicious! And absolutely my favorite recipe in the book.

1 TBSP olive oil

1-2 cloves garlic, minced

1 med. onion

2 carrots, coined

4 stalks celery, sliced

1 1/2 cups potatoes,cubed

3 zucchini, cubed

1 28oz can diced tomatoes

1 15oz can kidney beans

1 15 oz can garbanzo beans

1 cup pasta of choice

5-6 chard leaves (or spinach)

2 Tbsp dried basil (or fresh – yummy!)

1 tsp dried oregano

2 tsp. dried rosemary

2 tsp. salt

1 28oz and 1 15 oz can water (use the cans to measure)

In a large pot on med. heat saute oil, onions, carrot, celery and garlic for 5 min.
Add tomatoes, beans including liquid, potatoes, water, herbs and salt.

Bring to a boil, turn down the heat, and simmer until potatoes are tender (10 min)

Add zucchini, herbs, and pasta, bring just to a boil, then turn off heat.

Allow to sit on the stove for a few hours for full flavor.

Matar Paneer (veg and vegan)

(Originally posted at my blog ALDI Vegetarian)

Matar Paneer is a recipe I have been making for decades. And a family favorite. I usually make it vegetarian, and all of the ingredients (except spices) are available at Aldi. Last night I made it vegan, and it was darn good. Here are both versions! Remember you can mix the two recipes – a little tofu or coconut milk in your vegetarian version, for example.

Matar Paneer – Vegetarian  

(serves 8, you might want to halve it)
4 cans evaporated milk

2 blocks paneer (You can make it!)

1/2 cup ghee or butter

8 Tbsp. ginger root

4 Tbsp. garlic

1 onion, chopped

4 tsp. salt

4 tsp tumeric

1 tsp hot red pepper (you may want to adjust this for taste)

4 tsp. coriander

4 Tbsp. gharam masala

4 cups chopped tomato

2 cups peas

4 Tbsp. sugar

fresh cilantro
Put butter in skillet. Fry paneer cubes. (You can also bake them) Remove from pan.
Add more butter and ginger and garlic. Fry for 30 seconds.

Add onions and salt. Fry for 7 minutes (until soft)

Add one can of evaporated milk.

Stir in tumeric, red pepper, coriander, gharam masala

When blended, add the rest of the milk and the tomatoes

Bring to a slow boil, and let reduce for 10 minutes

Add peas and sugar

Add paneer

Garnish with cilantro

Matar Paneer – Vegan
(serves 8, you might want to halve it)
4 cans coconut milk
2 blocks tofu (You can make it!)

1/2 cup vegan butter

8 Tbsp. ginger root

4 Tbsp. garlic

1 onion, chopped

4 tsp. salt

4 tsp tumeric

1 tsp hot red pepper (you may want to adjust this for taste)

4 tsp. coriander

4 Tnsp. gharam masala

4 cups chopped tomato

2 cups peas

4 Tbsp. sweetener (to taste)

fresh cilantro

Put vegan butter in skillet. Fry tofu cubes. (You can also bake them) Remove from pan.
Add more vegan butter and ginger and garlic. Fry for 30 seconds.

Add onions and salt. Fry for 7 minutes (until soft)

Add one can of coconut milk.

Stir in tumeric, red pepper, coriander, gharam masala

When blended, add the rest of the coconut milk and the tomatoes

Bring to a slow boil, and let reduce for 10 minutes

Add peas and sweetener

Add tofu

Garnish with cilantro

We serve this with a salad and wheat tortillas. You could make papadum, chapatis, fried cauliflower, tamarind sauce, and mango lassi.