It has been a very busy month, so we have been eating lots of soup. Soups are such an easy meal, because all I need to do is serve with a salad or steamed veggies, and sometimes bread, and I am done.

Brown Lentil Soup

Adapted from Colleen Patrick-Goudreau's The Vegan Table. I love to add steamed kale to this dish, but my boys like it just as it is. 

Preparation Time:  15 minutes
Cooking Time:  40 minutes
Servings:  6-8

2 tablespoons water for sautéing 
1 large yellow onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 carrots, finely chopped
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
2 cups brown lentils, picked through and rinsed
8 cups vegetable stock
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

Heat the water in a soup pot over medium heat. Once hot, add the onion, garlic,  carrot, and celery, and cook until the onions are translucent, about 7 minutes. 

Add the lentils, stock, salt, coriander, and cumin, and stir to combine. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and cook until the lentils are tender, about 35 to 40 minutes. 

Serve as is, or using an immersion blender, puree to your preferred consistency. Alternatively, you may transfer a portion of the soup to the blender, puree, and then return to the pot. 

Copyright © 2012 The Vegan Table: 200 Unforgettable Recipes for Entertaining Every Guest at Every Occasion – All rights reserved 

Noodle Soup

This soup is reminiscent of my favorite chicken noodle soup when I was a young child.  I usually make this with fancy ribbon noodles (egg-free, of course) which sort of melt in your mouth when you're eating them. I make whole wheat bread in my bread machine to serve with this soup. Delicious!

Preparation Time:  10 minutes
Cooking Time:  30 minutes
Servings:  4-6

6 cups vegetable broth
1 onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
½ teaspoon marjoram
½ teaspoon sage
¼ teaspoon thyme
freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 teaspoon soy sauce
3 cups uncooked fancy ribbon noodles

Place all of the ingredients, except the noodles in a large pot.  Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes.  Add the noodles and cook about 10 minutes longer until noodles are very tender.

Hints:  Garden Time Organic makes Fancy Ribbons sold in a 10 ounce bag.  I use about ½ of the bag in this recipe.

Chili

Preparation Time:  10 minutes
Cooking Time:  6 hours in a slow cooker
Servings:  6-8

1  15 ounce can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1  15 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
1  15 ounce can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup frozen corn
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 yellow bell pepper, diced
1 red onion, diced
1 28 ounce can fire roasted diced tomatoes
1 cup vegetable broth
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 heaping tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon Ghirardelli cocoa powder (unsweetened)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Put all ingredients into a slow cooker and cook on high heat for 6 hours.

Pea Soup

This is my family's favorite pea soup. My mom has been making this version for over 25 years. This tastes even better the next day and is great over baked potatoes, too!

Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 2 hours
Servings: 8-10

1 cup green split peas
1/2 cup dried baby lima beans
1/4 cup barley
8 cups water
1 onion, chopped
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon celery seed
2 cups vegetable broth
2 carrots, chopped
2 potatoes, chunked
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 tablespoons parsley flakes
1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
freshly ground black pepper to taste

Place split peas, lima beans, barley and water in a large pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and add bay leaves and celery seed. Cover and cook over low heat for 1 hour. Add remaining ingredients and cook for 1 additional hour.

Hints: If you want to make this without the lima beans, increase the split peas to 2 cups and reduce the initial cooking time to 1/2 hour. This recipe freezes and reheats well. For a delicious smoky flavor, try adding a couple drops of liquid smoke to the soup about 15 minutes before the end of the cooking time. 

Moroccan Red Lentil Soup

Versions of this lentil soup with tomatoes and chickpeas are served all over Morocco during the festival of Ramadan and to celebrate special occasions throughout the year.  This is my interpretation.  

We serve it with whole grain flatbread to scoop up the juices, or ladle the soup over brown rice. 

1 onion, chopped
4 celery stalks, chopped
6 cups vegetable broth
1½ cups chopped tomatoes
1 cup dried red lentils
1 can (15 ounce) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 bay leaf
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup orzo
½ cup chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 

Pour ½ cup of water into a large soup pot along with the onion and celery.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes.  Add the broth, tomatoes, lentils, chickpeas, bay leaf, cinnamon, ginger, turmeric, coriander, and black pepper.  Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer, then cover and simmer until the lentils are tender, about 45 minutes. 

Stir in the orzo, cilantro, and lemon juice.  Cook 10 minutes longer, until the orzo is al dente. 

Serve hot. 

Cornbread

Preparation Time:  10 minutes
Cooking Time:  30-35 minutes
Servings:  8-10

2 cups cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
2 cups non-dairy milk
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons maple syrup
½ cup applesauce
1 cup frozen corn

Mix cornmeal, flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. Whisk milk, vinegar, syrup and applesauce. Stir together dry and wet ingredients. Add corn. Pour into an 8 x 8 inch silicone baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes. Slice into squares and serve with Chili.

Banana Bread

Preparation Time:  10 minutes
Cooking Time:  60 minutes
Servings:  8-10

2 cups flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
½  teaspoon baking soda
½  cup applesauce
½  cup sugar
2 ripe bananas, mashed
½ cup oat milk, or other non-dairy milk
1 container lemon soy yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla
½  cup granola (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 

In a separate bowl, combine, flour, baking powder and baking soda. In another medium bowl, stir together the applesauce and sugar, then stir in the bananas, oat milk, yogurt, and vanilla. Add flour mixture and mix well. Stir in the granola, if using. Pour into a silicone bread pan and bake for 60 minutes. About halfway through, tent the bread with parchment paper to prevent the top from browning too much. 

Chocolate Decadence Pudding

My boys love this pudding, just remember it is a treat. We like to add berries on top, or Miyoko Schinner's Vegan Banana Gelato (see recipe below).

Preparation Time:  5 minutes
Cooking Time:  10 minutes
Servings:  6

½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder (Wonderslim) 
¾ cup sugar 
3 tablespoons cornstarch 
3 cups soymilk 
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla 

With a whisk, combine cocoa, sugar, cornstarch, and soymilk in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-low heat, stirring constantly until thickened. Remove from heat and add vanilla. Mix well. Pour into a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and chill for 4 hours. Spoon into individual bowls and serve cold. 

Hint: This may also be placed in individual sized serving dishes, covered and refrigerated until serving. Be sure to bring this to a boil slowly, while stirring constantly, for a smooth and creamy result.

Vegan Banana Gelato

This is just like soft-serve ice cream.  You must use a food processor, not a blender for this. Depending on the size of the food processor, you may have to make this in two batches. 

Preparation Time: need pre-frozen bananas

Processing Time:  5 minutes
Servings:  6

5 to 6 very ripe bananas, peeled and frozen
(after peeling, freeze overnight or longer in a plastic bag)
1 tablespoon vanilla
½ cup (approximately) non-dairy milk

Break frozen bananas into 1-inch pieces. Place in a food processor with the vanilla and milk and puree until creamy, stopping the machine occasionally to stir so that it processes evenly. Serve immediately. Can be refrozen.

Hints:  Up to a third of the bananas can be substituted with frozen mangoes, strawberries, raspberries or other fruit of choice.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

My boys and I love making these cookies together.  They are so delicious and make a wonderful treat now and then.

Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Yield: 4 dozen

1 cup applesauce
3/4 cup sugar 
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar 
1 teaspoon vanilla 
1 3/4 cups flour 
1 tablespoon Egg Replacer
1 teaspoon salt 
1 teaspoon baking soda 
1 cup oats
1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

In large mixing bowl, combine applesauce, both sugars, and vanilla. In another bowl, combine flour, egg replacer, salt and baking soda. Stir wet and dry ingredients together. Add oats and chocolate chips. Drop by heaping teaspoonfuls onto a non-stick baking sheet, or one lined with parchment paper. Bake at 350°F for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.