Creamy Thyme Infused Portabella Mushroom & Rice Soup

I've been dreaming of making this soup for quite some time now, and finally I had the chance to attempt it tonight. Since going dairy free, I've missed some of the "creamy" soups like cream of mushroom, cream of broccoli, etc.

Creamy Curried Chickpea Chowder

This all started with a sort of a stone soup method. So to begin, I randomly decided to soak a bag of chick peas last night. I had no idea what exactly I was going to do with it. I was a bit low on fresh produce so I kept thinking ok, I can make some simple chick peas, but what do I have that can I add to this. Then flashbacks of all the recipes I've seen recently of curries on the interwebs came to mind. Yum, I love curry. So my course was set. I would make some sort of simple chickpea curry. Then as I started digging around I added some carrots, my last onion, some garlic. Then while rummaging around the pantry I decided to add a blend of rice to it. As I rummaged further I discovered a can of organic coconut milk... Okay! Now we are getting somewhere! Anyhow, you get the idea!

This soup is based on chick pea curry and Thai curry soup. I can not take credit for this soup, but I can't give anyone in particular credit. These types of dishes have been around for ages and are all over vegan recipe blogs which I frequent. This recipe was a culmination of ideas from many different recipes that I have looked at the past few months and of what I had in my cupboards! The closest credit I could give would be to Vegan Gone Wild for adding wild rice to her chick pea soup which I thought would be divine! I didn't have wild rice, but I used a blend with brown & wild rice which was delicious! I can say this is worth a do-over, and a do-over of the do-over.. I couldn't stop "testing" this soup it is so good! This soup definitely got a thumbs up from others around here who are picky, meat & potato eaters! As a matter of fact, they loved it and I have a new favorite!

Creamy Curried Chickpea Chowder:
water.. and more water
2 cups of dried chick peas
1 onion diced
4-5 cloves garlic minced
2-3 carrots diced
2 tbsp chick pea miso
2 tbsp Bragg's Liquid Aminos
1 can full fat organic coconut milk
1/2 lemon juiced
1-2 tbsp sea salt (or to taste)
1-2 tbsp of a good curry blend
1 tsp coriander
1 tsp ground ginger (or fresh minced)
1 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1 tsp red pepper flakes
3-4 sprigs fresh basil
1 1/2 cups cooked brown-wild rice blend

Directions:
Start the night before by soaking your chick peas in 2 to 3 times as much water. They will expand so use a large bowl! The next day drain them and rinse them well. Put them in a large stock pot and cover them with twice as much water again, add one tbsp of salt to the water. Bring it to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Let this simmer gently for around two hours or until the chick peas are soft. I usually leave the lid on cock-eyed so there is room for the steam to escape. You can steam your rice while the peas are cooking. After the peas are soft, stir in the rest of the ingredients except the rice and basil. Bring this to a slow simmer for about another hour. Your broth will most likely be a bit thin. Remove about half of the chick peas & other veggies and put into a blender. Puree this for 2-3 minutes or until it is really smooth and creamy. Stir it back into the broth. This gives you a nice thick broth and leaves you with some whole veggies for a very hearty soup. Add in your rice and simmer for about ten minutes. Serve with torn basil leaves on top to stir in. This serves about 6-8. Enjoy~

Hot & Sour Meets Pho

What can I say about the most beautiful soup ever? This is a treat for all the senses. I have been dreaming of making this soup since I first saw a slightly different version on My New Roots blog. She has a beautiful "Pho-Inspired Noodle Bowl" that looks amazing. I have to give her some credit for my recipe. My broth is quite different than traditional Pho broth. There are not many things I do not like, but I am not a fan of the black licorice flavor that anise has. I didn't want to end up with a pot full of something I won't eat! So, I actually set out to make a simple ginger broth. But the creative juices were flowing and, as things go, I had a sweet vision.. for a sweet, hot & sour type of broth. Anyhow, sampling as I went, I altered my direction! And it came out delicious!

Creamy Roasted Squash Soup

I have been on a soup kick lately and squash soup is one of my new favorites. Talk about comfort food! This is one that fits the bill. Move over chicken-noodle! The great thing about this soup is that it is ..."souper" easy! Minimal chopping and dicing, to start you simply toss the whole squash into the oven! I actually use my toaster oven for this. It's far more efficient for this recipe, it has a convection setting and the squash fit perfectly. Then simply saute the onion and garlic, then toss everything into the blender and voila!

Hearty Vegan Minestrone Soup With Parsnips

I love homemade soups. There is just something comforting about them.  There is not much to say that most people don't already agree with. When I'm not feeling well, I love soup. This one is warming, filling and satisfying. I made this for visiting family and it was a hit. And so much better than Campbells! Parsnips are so delicious in homemade veggie soups, if you haven't had them before, they have a flavor similar to a carrot, they are a bit sweet but have a more "herby" flavor to them.

Spicy Vegan Chili With Cashew Cream

Chili: Step One
2 cups of dried kidney beans
2 cups of dried red beans
1 tbsp sea salt
water

Chili: Step Two
1 small onion diced
6 small garlic cloves diced
1 small jalapeno diced (or to taste)
6 sun-dried tomatoes diced
1 large sweet potato cubed
1 27 oz can fire roasted tomatoes
1 27 oz can crushed tomatoes
4-5 sprigs of fresh cilantro
2 tsp real mapyle syrup
1 tbsp sea salt

1 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (or to taste)
1 tsp paprika
1 tbsp turmeric
1 tsp ground cloves (my secret ingredient, it makes this chili really addictive!)

Cashew Cream Topping:
1 cup of soaked raw cashews
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 cup of water (or more)

The night before put all your dried beans in bowl with twice as much water. Let them soak for a minimum of 8 hours. Rinse them well with luke warm water to remove the toxins and digestive inhibitors. Put them in a large soup pot again with twice as much water, bring them to a boil and reduce heat, simmer for 2-3 hours to soften them up nicely. Stir every few minutes, you may need to add more water.

When the beans are nice and soft, add the rest of the ingredients except the cilantro. If you want a mild chili I recommend eliminating the jalapeno and using 1/8 tsp of the cayenne pepper. I love spicy but I added a half teaspoon and we were all sweating here! lol Add more water if needed to make sure there is 3-4 inches above the veggies. Bring to a boil then reduce to a slow simmer, again stirring often to make sure there is enough water. Let simmer for 2-3 hours. You can add some cilantro just before serving or just use it as a garnish in your bowls.

For the topping, (make sure to soak the cashews for 2-6 hours, you can start them soaking once you start cooking the beans) add all the cashew cream ingredients to a blender and blend till smooth and creamy. Store this in the fridge for an hour prior to eating. You can eat it right away too, but it's nice to let it chill a bit first. You meat eaters can easily brown some CLEAN ground beef with the onion and garlic to add to the chili! Serve your chili with some organic corn chips and enjoy!

Sprouted Lentil Vegetable Soup

Sometimes you just want some comfort food, to me that is a good hearty soup. I do mostly eat raw, but sometimes I partake in cooked foods especially when I want to share a meal with others who do not want to eat all raw. I've been making homemade soups since I was a kid, I love making them from scratch. So, I decided to make some lentil soup, but I wanted to do something a little different. So I sprouted them first. The flavor of the broth reminds me a bit of Campbells Vegetable Soup, but much, much better, and with a bit of warmth from cayenne pepper.

So to do this you'll need to start a 3 to 4 days in advance to sprout the lentils. Lentils sprout fairly quick, you can let them grow longer like I did or you can eat them as soon as you see the tiny tails start to appear. I like them a bit longer. I have a large sprouting jar I found in a health food store with a screen lid. (you can also find them on Amazon for $5) Day one you want to fill the jar with lentils then add double the water, lukewarm, like you see in the image. Let them soak overnight. Day two, drain them and rinse them with lukewarm water and set the jar at an angle so it can drain. I put it at an angle in a bowl to catch the drain-off. You'll want to rinse them 2-3 times per day, you'll see the tails sometime around day 3. When they get to the desired size they are ready! The small jar in the image contains some lentils already sprouted. I keep them like this in the refrigerator and use them on salads. Here is a great write up on sprouted lentils. (The picture just above on the left is the soup after adding all the ingredients before it began to simmer.)

Ingredients:
2 tbsp. coconut oil
1 medium onion diced
4-5 garlic cloves minced
4-5 carrots sliced
1 cup of carrot pulp or ground carrot (optional)
4-5 stalks of celery with leaves, sliced
2 medium potatoes cubed
4-5 cups of sprouted lentils
1 large can of organic crushed tomatoes
1 large can of organic tomato sauce
4 cups of water (more or less)
4-5 bay leaves
1 tbsp rosemary
1 tbsp paprika
1/2 tbsp cayenne pepper (or to taste)
2 tbsp Himalayan salt or sea salt to taste
fresh ground pepper to taste
2-3 handfuls of fresh baby spinach

In a large soup pot melt the coconut oil and add garlic and onions and saute a minute or two then add carrot pulp and saute till onions and garlic are tender. Add in the sliced carrots, celery and potatoes and saute for around 5-10 minutes. If it seems too dry, add a splash of water instead of more oil. Then add the lentils, canned tomatoes and water. You'll want to have enough water to cover the vegetables by 2-3 inches. Then add the bay leaves, rosemary, salt and pepper. Bring soup to a boil then reduce heat to a slow simmer. Allow it to simmer slowly for 2-3 hours. Here is where I taste it to see if I want to add more salt or other spices. Once the soup is done add in the fresh baby spinach. It will wilt in the soup but not turn to mush from overcooking. Then serve and enjoy!