Curried Carrot Squash Soup

2 cups chopped carrots
3 cups peeled, cubed squash
4 cups water
1 cup vegetable broth
1 large leek or 2 green onions, sliced
2 cloves garlic, pressed
1/2 tsp. rosemary
1/2 tsp. thyme
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. curry powder
1 cup soymilk
1 tsp. lemon juice or vinegar

In a large soup pot, cook carrots and squash in water until soft.  In a skillet, heat oil and add garlic, leek or onions, and curry powder.  Saute’ for 3 minutes, or until leek or onions are tender.  Add vegetable broth, herbs, salt, and pepper.  Remove from heat and add to carrot-squash mixture. In blender or food processor, spoon or pour as much of carrot-squash-leek mixture as will fit.  Blend on high until smooth, about 30 seconds.  Continue until all soup is blended.  Return mixture to soup pot and add soymilk and lemon juice or vinegar.  Stir over medium-low heat until warmed through.  Serves 6.

Pasta e Fagioli 

This is a short-cut version of an Italian classic

3 c vegetable broth
1 can tomato pulp
1/2 c short uncooked pasta (ditaloni)
1 can white beans (fagioli), washed and rinsed
1 can cannellini, washed and rinsed
cubed vegetables (onion, celery, carrot, etc.)
2 tsp. fresh, chopped parsley
1/2 tsp. basil
1/2 tsp. oregano
black pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients except pasta in a big pot, boil, lower the flame and slowly boil for 30 mins.  Add uncooked pasta to boiling soup about ten mins. before end (stop cooking when pasta is at right softness).

African Bean Soup
www.ivu.org

3 T margarine or soy spread
2 cups carrots thinly sliced
12 cups boiling water
1 cup black eye peas dry
1 cup navy beans dry
1 cup green pepper diced
3 1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp crushed red pepper
1 cup salted peanuts chopped
2 Tbsp onion powder
1 Tbsp basil leaves crushed
1/2 tsp ground coriander 

Melt marg. in large stock pot. Add carrots. Cook for 5 minutes. Add water, black eyed peas, navy beans, green pepper, salt, and crushed red pepper (add more water, if necessary, to cover). Cook, covered, until ingredients are tender, 1 1/2-2 hrs. Add peanuts, onion powder, basil, and coriander during last 10-15 mins of cooking. Taste to correct seasonings. Soup should be thick. If you want more of a peanut flavor, add peanut butter w/ peanuts (I use about 1/2 of a cup). Easy. 15 mins prep, 2 hours cooking.

Artichoke Kissed Cream Soup
The Vegan Chef

3 quarts vegetable stock
8 c. potato, peeled and diced
3 c. leek, thinly sliced and washed well
3 c. celery, diced
3 c. carrot, peeled and diced
2 T. garlic, minced
2 - 8.5 oz. cans artichoke hearts
1 quart soy milk
1 c. red pepper, deseeded and finely diced
2-3 t. salt
1/2 tsp. lemon pepper
snipped chives for garnish                                             

In a large pot, combine vegetable stock, potatoes, leeks, celery, carrots, and garlic. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 25-30 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Using a food processor or hand blender, puree soup until smooth. Pass soup through a sieve and return the strained puree to the pot. Drain the juice from the artichoke hearts into the soup, finely chop the artichoke hearts, and add them to the pot. Stir in remaining ingredients, except the chives. Cook soup over low heat until just warmed through; do not let it boil. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Garnish individual servings with a little snipped chives.

One Cool ‘Cado’ Soup
The Vegan Chef

1 C. fresh cilantro leaves, tightly packed
2 jalapenos, destemmed and deseeded
2 cloves garlic
4 avocados, peeled, pitted, and cut into cubes
4 C. vegetable stock
1 C. orange juice
1/2 C. tequila
1 t. salt
1/2 t. cumin
Garnishes: snipped chives, finely diced roasted red pepper, and Cilantro-Tofu Cream

In a food processor or blender, combine the cilantro, jalapenos, and garlic, and pulse a few times to finely chop.  Add half of the remaining ingredients, except garnishes, and process with the cilantro mixture until smooth.  Transfer the puree to a glass bowl. Puree the remaining ingredients and stir the batches together. Cover and chill for 1 hour to allow the flavors to blend. Garnish individual servings with a swirl of the Cilantro-Tofu Cream and a sprinkle of the roasted red pepper and chives.

Tomato and Garlic Soup
The Vegan Chef  

2 C. onion, cut into quarters and thinly sliced
2 T. olive oil
2/3 C. garlic, thinly sliced
2 Quarts vegetable stock
1 - 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
1 - 6 oz. can tomato paste
1/3 C. red wine
2 T. unbleached cane sugar
1 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
1 C. fresh basil, chiffonade cut (thinly sliced)
1/3 C. freshly chopped parsley                                            

In a large pot, saute onions in olive oil for 5 minutes. Add garlic and saute an additional 2 minutes. Add vegetable stock, crushed tomatoes, and tomato paste. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium, and cook for 15 minutes. Add wine, sugar, salt, and pepper, and cook an additional 5 minutes. Add basil and parsley, remove from the heat, and let sit for 5 minutes to allow flavors to blend. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.

Maya's Black Bean Soup
www.ivu.org

2 cups (one pound) black beans                                    1 tsp. ground cumin
6 cups water                                                                     1 tsp. ground cumin
2 bay leaves                                                                     1 tsp. dried basil
extra virgin olive oil                                                           oregano, dry
1 cup (2 medium onions) minced                                    fresh parsley, finely chopped (optional)
6 cloves garlic, minced                                                    1 tbls kosher salt
2 cups celery with leaves minced, (3 stalks)                   fresh ground black pepper
celery seed                                                                        1 lime juiced
1 cup of carrot, minced or finely grated                          2 T vegetable broth
1 dash cayenne (red) pepper (or more to taste)

Easy recipe. Prep time about 20 minutes. Cook time varies depending on whether you use a pressure cooker (1 hr) or conventional pot (3 hrs). Clean and soak beans overnight, if using dried ones. Place the beans in a deep pot or pressure cooker. Add 4 cups of water and the olive oil. Cook soaked beans on medium heat, covered, until soft (about 1 -2 hours or just 15 minutes in a pressure cooker at the high setting). Put 2/3 of the beans into the blender and puree. Return all to original pot, add bay leaves and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally.  Heat broth in a large non-stick skillet and saute’ onion, celery, carrot, cumin, basil, celery seed, cayenne and about 4 minced cloves of garlic until vegetables are tender (10 to 15 minutes). Add this to the beans along with the parsley, lime juice, black pepper and salt. Add remainder of water (or more) to thin soup to the desired consistency. Cook another 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add remainder of garlic, finish cooking with another 15 minutes. Garnish with vegan sour cream and some bits of green onion. Serves: 6 to 8.

Vegetarian Pho Bo (Vietnamese Noodle Soup)
www.vrg.org

8 cups Vietnamese style broth (see recipe that follows)
1 pound rice noodles
One 8-ounce package seitan, drained
1/4 cup bean sprouts
1/2 cup shredded cabbage (such as Napa cabbage)
1/2 cup tender greens, torn into bite-sized piecescup basil leaves
1/2 cup cilantro, coarsely chopped
3 scallions, thinly sliced (both green and white parts)
3 Tablespoons chopped, roasted, unsalted peanuts (optional)
1 lime, cut into wedges
3 fresh red or green chili peppers, seeded and cut into fine rounds
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste 

Make the broth as directed. When broth has been simmering for about 10 minutes, soak the noodles as follows. Bring 4 quarts of water to boil in a large pot. Remove from heat, add noodles, and let soak around 15 minutes, stirring occasionally until noodles are pliable and easily separated. Drain the noodles and divide them among six bowls. Simmer the seitan in the broth until heated through, about 4 minutes. Remove the seitan with a slotted spoon and slice thinly into six portions. Add to noodles. Assemble the soup by placing the bean sprouts, cabbage, greens, basil, cilantro, scallions, and optional peanuts on top of the noodles and seitan. Ladle the hot broth onto the noodle mixture.  Serve with a plate of lime wedges, chili rounds, and salt and pepper for individual seasoning. Serves 6.

Vegetarian Vietnamese-Style Broth
www.vrg.org 

8 cups clear vegetable stock
3 Tablespoons soy sauce
8 medium garlic cloves, peeled and chopped coarsely
1 small onion, diced
One 1-inch piece of ginger
Two 3-inch cinnamon sticks
2 pods of star anise
2 large bay leaves

Put stock, soy sauce, garlic, and onion in a large stockpot and bring to a boil over medium heat.
Meanwhile, char ginger on all sides over an open gas flame or in a small skillet. Add to the stock.
Add the cinnamon sticks, star anise, and bay leaves to the broth. Reduce the heat to low. Simmer, partially covered, for 20-25 minutes. Remove solids with a slotted spoon or strain the broth through a fine-mesh sieve. Adjust seasonings if necessary. Return to pot and keep hot. Makes 8 cups.