Hearty Lentil and Veggie Soup 12/13/2009 1 Comment   Last weekend we went on a hut trip with a bunch of friends (20, to be exact). The huts in Colorado's 10th Mountain Division System are amazing--comfy beds, great wood-burning stoves, and kitchens stocked with pretty much everything you need to make a great dinner. While some people think it's easier to just bring in the dehydrated stuff (and keep your pack lighter for the several-mile snowshoe/ski in), I think the meals are an important part of the whole experience. We divided our 20-some into groups, and my group was responsible for dinner one night. As we brainstormed interesting options, I came across a lentil soup recipe from Food and Wine mag. The ingredients were simple enough, and I thought I could tweak it to make it tastier without the smoked turkey the original recipe called for. We chopped the veggies ahead of time in the food processor and brought them up in well-sealed bags. Here's what I ended up with--the most amazing lentil soup I've ever had! It got great reviews from the hungry hut-trippers, too.  1 tbsp Olive Oil 3 Garlic cloves, minced 2 Celery stalks, finely chopped 2 Carrots, finely chopped 1 Onion, finely chopped 3 Tomatoes, chopped 1 small can Tomato Juice 1 Bay Leaf 4 Rapunzel Vegetable Bouillon Cubes (or other good veg version) 2 quarts Water 1 cup Green Lentils 4 small Red Potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick Salt and freshly ground pepper In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic, celery, carrots, and onion. Saute until soft, stirring often, about 7 minutes. Add tomatoes, juice, bay leaf, bouillon cubes, water, and lentils. Mix thoroughly, and allow soup to come to a boil. Partially cover, and reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer for one hour, stirring once in awhile, until the lentils are tender. Add the potatoes, season with salt and pepper, and cook for about 10 minutes, until potatoes, too, are soft. Remove bay leaf before ladling out into small bowls.  We served with some amazing rosemary-sourdough grilled cheese sandwiches...a perfect and hearty combination.     African Groundnut Stew 06/30/2009 1 Comment   This is the first of a bunch of soup recipes I’ll post from my friend Amy and her pals. This one comes from the Sundays at Moosewood cookbook (via Amy). She says “groundnut stews are a staple of the West African diet, and vary greatly according to region–fiery or mild, gingery or not, with or without garlic, some with okra, others with eggplant … The liquids used can also change, i.e. coconut milk, veggie stock, or other fruit and veggie juices. Experiment as your tastes prefer, but don’t forget the most basic ingredients, peanut butter and cayenne!” Anything with peanuts and cilantro is a must in my house. I tried this and amended with a smaller amount of sweet potatoes and a little more green veggies to even out the flavor. And peanuts for garnish are a must to add some crunch. 2 cups chopped Onions 2 tbsp Peanut or Veggie Oil 1/2 tsp Cayenne or other ground Chili 1 tsp pressed Garlic 2 cups chopped Cabbage (purple gives stunning color) 3 cups cubed Sweet Potatoes 3 cups Tomato Juice 1 cup Apple or Apricot Juice 1 tsp Salt 1 tsp grated peeled fresh Ginger 4 tbsp chopped Cilantro 2 chopped Tomatoes 1 Green Pepper, chopped 1/2 cup Peanut Butter Saute the onions in the oil for about 10 minutes. Stir in the cayenne and garlic and saute for two more minutes. Add the cabbage and sweet potatoes and saute, covered, for a few minutes. Mix in the juices, salt, ginger, cilantro, and tomatoes. Cover and simmer about 15 minutes., until the potatoes are tender. Add the green pepper and simmer about 5 minutes. Stir in the peanut butter, turn heat way down, and simmer gently until ready to serve. Add more juice or water if too thick. Serve with a starchy side dish like rice or millet, and add side garnishes like whole or crushed peanuts, chopped scallions or cilantro, cubed papaya, mangoes, oranges, or grated coconut.   Butternut Squash Ginger Soup 06/30/2009 0 Comments   This recipe comes from my neighbor Joy via my once-neighbor AK. We had it at AK’s house last night, and it was the perfect, filling soup for a chilly evening. AK was delighted that she found pre-cubed squash at Costco, but if you prefer to do it yourself, directions follow. Serve with Joy’s other fave, Pesto Chango sandwiches. 1 medium/large Butternut Squash (or about 4-5 cups of pre-cubed squash) 2-3 tablespoons Olive Oil 1 White Onion, chopped 1 carton Vegetable Broth 1 tsp Cinnamon 2 tsp Cumin (more or less to taste) 1 tbsp fresh grated Ginger To prepare squash: Cut the stem off, then cut it lengthwise in half. Scoop out the seeds. Cut each half in half again and peel the squash pieces. Cut into 2-inch chunks. Heat oil in stock pot and add chopped onion. Saute until onion is translucent. Add chopped and peeled squash, then add enough vegetable broth to cover. Allow to simmer for 30 minutes or until squash is tender. IN SMALL BATCHES, blend soup to a puree. (AK’s/Joy’s note: If done in large batches, the heat will cause the soup to explode out of the blender and go everywhere, and possibly burn you. Don’t do this). Once it’s all has been pureed, return to soup pot and add remaining ingredients. Serve warm.   Moroccan Pumpkin and Lentil Stew 06/30/2009 0 Comments   My grad school friend Joanna gave this to me, since she’s got a fabulous garden overflowing with pumpkins! She says peeling, seeding, and cubing the pumpkin is a little labor intensive, but worth it to have baked seeds afterward. But canned pumpkin would also work. Goes well with rice or cous cous. 2 tbsp. olive oil 1/2 onion, diced 1 jalapeno, diced (bell pepper works too) 1 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes (or about 4 tomatoes, chopped) 1 cup lentils, rinsed 1 tbsp. paprika 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper 1 tsp. cumin 1 small pumpkin, peeled, seeded, and cubed 1/2 cup tomato puree or tomato sauce 2-1/2 cups water 3 cups fresh spinach or arugula (optional) 1/4 cup chopped cilantro for garnish Heat olive oil, onion and jalapeno for 10 minutes or until onion is clear in a large sauce pan Add tomatoes, lentils, and spices, and cook 2-3 min. Toss in the pumpkin and tomato puree and cook for 2 minutes. Add 2-1/2 cups water. Season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat to medium low and cook for 40 minutes, adding more water if stew gets too dry. Throw in spinach/arugula in the last five minutes to steam up with the rest of the stew. Garnish with cilantro and serve.   Veggie Chili 06/30/2009 0 Comments   This recipe is quick, flavorful, and especially good on a winter evening! Chili is great because it’s all veggies and beans–like a whole meal in one bowl. The meatless ground burger adds good texture, but isn’t necessary. You can even replace it with frozen corn. For a thicker chili, use crushed tomatoes; for a stewier one, use diced. 1 tbsp Vegetable Oil 1 med. White Onion 1 Green Pepper 1 Red Pepper 4 cloves Garlic 1/4 cup mild Chili Powder 1 28 oz. can Crushed or Diced Tomatoes 1 15 oz. can Pinto or Black Beans (or combo) 1 tsp. dried Oregano 1 tsp. Salt 10 oz. Boca Ground Burger (optional) Heat vegetable oil in a large pot on medium heat. Dice onion and peppers and add to hot oil, stirring often, about two minutes. Add garlic, stir and cook one minute. Add chili powder, stir and cook one minute. Add tomatoes, beans, oregano, and salt, and stir well to combine. Bring chili to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, partially covered, for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add ground burger, stir, and cook for another 10 minutes. Serve with cheese (or my favorite, Cheez-Its). Makes about 6 servings.   Hot and Sour Soup 06/30/2009 0 Comments   There’s this vegan hot and sour soup at our nearby Chinese place that I crave often…it’s so good. So I did a little searching for veggie recipes that don’t require hard-to-find things like essence of forest flowers, and came up with this one. The thing is it’s totally different than what I order at the restaurant. For example, I tried it with apple cider vinegar, but think this red wine vinegar substitution will make it less sweet. I also think it’s very important to get Chinese black mushrooms–I got a basic forest mix and they also added too much weird flavor. And I cut the salt content down. Try it and tell me what you think! 8 cups Vegetable stock 1 oz. dried Chinese black mushrooms 3 tbsp. Dry Sherry ½ cup Red Wine Vinegar 2 tbsp. Soy Sauce 1 tsp. Salt ¼ pound firm Tofu, thinly sliced 2 tbsp. Cornstarch 2 Eggs, beaten 6 Green Onions, minced ¼ tsp. white pepper (I used black) Dash sesame oil Bring two cups vegetable stock to a boil, and, in a small bowl, pour over dried mushrooms. Cover with plate and let sit 30 minutes. Drain and squeeze mushrooms, saving the liquid. De-stem mushrooms, discard stems, and slice caps. On medium heat, combine remaining 6 cups vegetable stock with mushroom liquid and mushrooms. Bring to a simmer. Add sherry, soy sauce, salt, and tofu, lower heat, and simmer 10 minutes. In a small bowl, whisk cornstarch into ¾ cup of the soup until dissolved. Return this liquid to the soup. In the same bowl, beat the eggs and then add a small amount of soup to bring up to temperature. Add back into the soup while stirring. Add green onions and pepper, and cook another 2-3 minutes. Serve with a few drops of sesame oil on top of each serving.

good eats All Bread Cookies Dessert Egg Dishes Pizza Salad Seitan Tofu Vegan Vegetables Vegetarian Appetizers Vegetarian Asian Vegetarian Breakfast Vegetarian Chinese Vegetarian Dinner Vegetarian Greek Vegetarian Italian Vegetarian Mexican Vegetarian Pasta Vegetarian Sandwiches Vegetarian Side Dishes Vegetarian Soups And Stews RSS Feed

---