Really Good White Bean Soup (Vegan)

Recipe from Nisha Vora of Rainbow Plant Life 
Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen
Serves 6-8

This hearty, rich, and thick white bean soup starts out with a short simmer on the stovetop and with a finish in the oven.  It will surprise you with its savory depth of flavor. Dried white beans, fresh herbs, miso, and braised garlic turn an ordinary bean soup into extraordinary. Scoop up with crusty bread for the ultimate cozy yet nourishing winter meal good enough for company! If you’re new to preparing beans, here’s a link to the full recipe with step-by-step photos AND a video plus a FAQ section. Rainbow Plant Life is an excellent source for vegan recipes.

For Soaking
1 pound dried white beans, such as cannellini or great northern 
1½ Tablespoons kosher salt 
2 teaspoons baking soda

For Cooking
4½ Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 large yellow onion, diced (~ 2 cups)
3 medium carrots, diced (1 to 1½ cup)
3 celery ribs, diced (~ 1 cup)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ to 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (1 tsp for spicy)
6 to 7 cups water 
1 large or 2 small rosemary sprigs (or 8 to 10 thyme sprigs)
1 large or 2 small sage sprigs
2 bay leaves
2 teaspoons Better than Bouillon “no chicken” base 
2 medium heads of garlic
1 Tablespoon white miso

For Serving
1 handful of flat-leaf parsley chopped
Crusty bread 

Instructions
1. Soak the beans: Place dried beans in a large bowl and cover with 8 cups cold water. Add 1 ½ Tablespoons salt and 2 teaspoons baking soda. Cover and soak for 8 to 12 hours, or overnight. Drain and rinse well. 
2. When ready to cook, arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350ºF.
3. In a Dutch oven or large ovenproof soup pot with lid, heat 1½ Tablespoons olive oil over medium. Once hot, add the onions, carrots, and celery with a big pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 10 minutes. Add the red pepper flakes, if using, and stir frequently for 30 seconds.
4. Pour in 6 cups water, the drained beans, ½ tsp kosher salt, and lots of pepper. Partially cover and bring to a boil.
5. Meanwhile, make the Bouquet Garni: using kitchen twine, tie together the rosemary and sage sprigs plus bay leaves.
6. Once it comes to boil, add the 2 teaspoons Better than Bouillon and stir thoroughly to dissolve. Add the bouquet garni and submerge in the liquid. Boil uncovered for 10 minutes.
7. Meanwhile, prep the garlic: Trim the bottom roots and scrub away any dirt on the bottom. Slice off ~ ¼ inch from the top of each head to expose all of the cloves, as if roasting whole garlic. Peel away any loose paper outer layers of garlic.
8. Once the beans have boiled for 10 minutes, turn off the heat. Add in the garlic heads. Pour 2 Tablespoons olive oil on top of the garlic and beans. Cover the pan.
9. Bake in the oven until the beans are tender, 60 to 75 minutes (for small beans, like navy beans, check around 45 minutes.  (I used great northern beans and it took 70 minutes.)
10. Pick out the bouquet garni (discard) and garlic heads (keep these). Scoop a ladle of hot broth into a glass. Add 1 Tablespoon miso to the hot broth; whisk well until miso is completely dissolved. Pour miso broth into the soup and stir well.  If the soup is too thick for your liking, add ½ to 1 cup of freshly boiled water.
12. Once cool enough to touch, squeeze garlic cloves out of their skins and into the soup, stirring well. Discard the garlic skins. Garnish with chopped parsley, if using. 
13. Once cooled, store the soup in a storage container for up to 5 days in the fridge, or freeze for up to 6 months.

Nutrition
Calories: 380; Carbohydrates: 53g; Protein: 19g; Fat: 12g; Saturated Fat: 2g; Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g; Monounsaturated Fat: 8g; Sodium: 916mg; Potassium: 1512mg; Fiber: 13g; Sugar: 4g; Vitamin A: 5233IU; Vitamin C: 5mg; Calcium: 205mg; Iron: 8mg

Vegan Gluten-Free Lunch Meat

Recipe from Plantifully Based

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen
Makes 4-6 servings

Well, I’ll be danged!  This was super easy to prepare and makes a heck of a sandwich. This lunch “meat” is gluten free because the main ingredient is super firm tofu. Using a Y-vegetable peeler, the tofu is sliced quite thin and then simmers in an herby broth until all the flavors permeate the slices. It looks and tastes very similar to thin slices of deli chicken or turkey.  Add some to some toasted bread, smear on some Homemade Vegan Mayo and then pile on some cucumbers, Sumac Onion Salad, tomato slices, and greens.  This sandwich, along with some fresh fruit, will make a stupendous lunch. 

1 block (16 ounces/454g) super firm tofu

1½ cups (360ml) water

2 Tablespoons (30g) Better Than Bouillon,** seasoned vegetable base OR 1½ cups vegetable broth in place of the Better Than Bouillon/water mix 

3 sprigs rosemary or 1 teaspoon dried rosemary

5 sprigs thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme

1. Use a vegetable peeler to thinly slice and peel the tofu. If you find some pieces are becoming uneven as you peel it you can use a sharp knife to thinly slice some of the tofu.

2. Prepare the Better Than Bouillon by adding the 2 Tablespoons into warm water into a large pan. Mix around until the Better Than Bouillon is mostly dissolved. (The rest will dissolve when it is cooked.)

3. Add in the remaining water, the tofu and the seasonings.

4. Bring to a simmer over medium high heat, then reduce the temperature down to medium to keep the simmer going. Stirring occasionally to make sure all the pieces of tofu are in the mix.

5. Simmer it for about 15 to 20 minutes or until all the broth has been soaked up. You want to be careful to not simmer it too high because it can cause the tofu to break apart. 

Notes:

This is a base recipe, it is delicious on its own but if you want to add in more flavors you can try one of the variations below.

Lemon & Black Pepper: if you like a little black pepper and lemony flavor this would be a great way to brighten up the flavor. You can just sprinkle in about ⅛ teaspoon black pepper in and the juice of ½ lemon while simmering. You can then taste it and add more flavor accordingly.

Maple “Turkey”: Adding 1 Tablespoon of maple syrup while it simmers will add in a bit of sweetness.

Buffalo Sauce: Add in 1 Tablespoon of buffalo sauce while simmering.

Better Than Bouillon is available at most super markets.  Be sure to purchase the vegetable broth OR the "no-chicken" broth to keep this vegan.

 

Crispy Garlic Soy Curls (vegan)

Servings 3

Author Caitlin Shoemaker of From My Bowl

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

There is only 1 ingredient in soy curls….soy. These are great to have on hand when you wish to have some protein other than beans, lentils, tempeh or tofu. (Just one serving has 18 grams of protein.) The look, taste and texture are pretty darn close to chicken. I like to make the base recipe and add the prepared soy curls to a salad filled with a rainbow of veggies. You’ll also see some flavor variations to have fun with.  

Base Recipe:

2 cups water

4 ounces dry soy curls

1 teaspoon imitation “chicken” bouillon*

1 teaspoon garlic powder

¼ teaspoon kosher salt plus more to taste

2 Tablespoons avocado oil or other high-heat oil

Flavor Variations: (Optional)

• Italian Herb: 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

• Curry: 1 teaspoon curry powder

• Tex-Mex: 1 teaspoon salt-free chili powder + ½ teaspoon ground cumin

• Smoky Chipotle: ½ teaspoon smoked paprika + ¼ to ½ teaspoon chipotle powder

Instructions

1. Soak the Soy Curls: Bring the water to a boil on the stovetop or using an electric kettle. Add the soy curls and the concentrated chicken bouillon to the bowl. Pour the boiling water over the soy curls and mix until the bouillon has dissolved to form a broth. Cover the bowl and let sit for 5

minutes; the soy curls will increase in size and in volume.

2. Drain: Drain the soy curls well and discard any extra broth. I like to pour the soy curls in a round sieve, then use a clean bowl to really press the extra liquid out of them. Return the soy curls to the large bowl and add the garlic powder, salt, and any additional seasonings or flavor variations, as desired. Mix well.

3. Sauté: Warm the oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the soy curls and toss well to evenly coat in oil, then spread them out across the base of the pan. Leave the soy curls alone for 3 to 5 minutes, or until they are slightly golden brown on the bottom. Do your best to flip the soy curls and sauté for an additional 2 to 3 minutes, until golden on both sides.

4. Serve & Store: Remove the soy curls from the heat and season with additional salt or spices to taste, as necessary. Serve warm over grain bowls, salads or soups, or as desired. Store any leftovers in the refrigerator in a sealed container for up to 5 days.

Notes

• Butler Soy Curls: These are available from Amazon or directly from the Butler Foods website. Be sure to store the soy curl package in the fridge.

• Better-Than-Bouillon No-Chicken Broth: I prefer to use this imitation chicken bouillon paste, which I either buy online or at my local health food store. You can use another imitation chicken broth or cube if you prefer. You can also use vegetable broth bouillon, but the soy curls will taste less like “chicken.”

• Oil: I recommend using the full 2 tablespoons of oil if you want the soy curls to have crispy edges; if you do not care as much about that, you can reduce the oil to 2-3 teaspoons. If you are oil-free you can sauté the soy curls in water or vegetable broth, but I personally find them a little too rubbery this way.

Nutrition: (1 of 3 servings) Calories: 209kcal; Carbohydrates: 11g; Protein: 18g; Fat: 10g; Saturated Fat: 1g; Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g;  Monounsaturated Fat: 7g; Sodium: 485mg; Potassium: 12mg; Fiber: 6g; Sugar: 5g; Vitamin C: 0.01mg; Calcium: 123mg;  Iron: 4mg

Tim's Lovingly-Crafted Mediterranean Red Lentil Soup

Recipe from Tim Hellner
Husband-Tested in Alice's Kitchen

Our book group gets together once a month to discuss books of our choosing, catch up on what's going on in our lives and eat something delicious. The book group has been together over twenty years. We take turns hosting our fellow book lovers and when we do, the food is always stupendous. Tim made this soup for us on one of these occasions and we all begged for the recipe. Tim makes it all year round, and he finds it to be wholesome and soothing. He says its inspiration is Hashim Alsabi's soup featured at the restaurant, Pita Delites, in Louisville, Kentucky. Tim liked Hashim's soup so much that he had to come up with his own version. Tim's wife, Karen, says that this is one dish that is wife-tested. So, now that the temperature is becoming cold enough to stoke the wood stove, it's time to make a soup that will warm you up and Tim's soup will certainly do that. It's a cinch to make and tastes even better the next day. I buy the red lentils in the bulk section at Lost River Market & Deli. As the soup cooks, the lentils become a toasty yellow color. How about making this for Meatless Monday?


Soup Ingredients:
1 medium potato, diced
1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, quartered and sliced fine (I already had a minced onion left over from another recipe and so used it.)
5 to 6 cups water
2 1/2 teaspoons Better 'n Bouillon Vegetable (This comes in a jar. It's a very, very thick liquid that is measured out into hot water to make a vegetable broth. If you don't have this, you can substitute vegetable broth for the water/Better 'n Bouillon Vegetable combination.)
1 cup split red lentils
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 pinch saffron (optional)

Garnish:
Freshly ground pepper (optional)
a sprinkle of paprika or ground sumac
fresh lemon juice

Procedure:
Place the potato in a saucepan of lightly salted water. Bring to a boil and cook until the potato is tender. Set aside.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a soup pot. Add the onions and saute until they become soft and transluent.

Add 5 cups of water and bring to a simmer. Add 2 1/2 teaspoons of Better 'n Bouillon and stir. (You can also substitute 5 cups of vegetable broth for the water/Better 'n Bouillon combination.)

Add the lentils, cumin, and saffron, if using. Bring to a boil. Drain off the water from the potato and add the potato to the soup. Turn down the heat so that the soup simmers. Simmer until the lentils break up and turn yellow in color.
Adjust the spices to taste.

(This is optional, but I used an immersion blender to blend the soup a bit to make the texture more creamy.)

Serve in bowls, sprinkling each bowl of soup with a bit of fresh lemon juice, freshly ground pepper and/or ground sumac or paprika.

*Tim suggests serving this soup with flat-bread, especially freshly-baked whole wheat pita, plain or stuffed with Tabouli or Greek Salad. Tim says that stuffed grape leaves (dolmades) go very nicely served along slide this soup.