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Lifestyle Recipe

Quick and Easy Vegan Split Pea Soup

vegan split pea soup

These days, meal prep is king. While everyone tries the latest and greatest life hacks for efficiency, few can argue that prepping your week’s meals in advance can save a lot of time and headache. Whether you’re living the single life with three jobs or a stay at home mom, everyone can benefit from prepping some grab-and-go meals to use throughout their week. I’ve done a quite a few one pot recipes in the past to save time on meal prep, but I’d never done a vegan split pea soup until now.

My mom used to cook split pea soup from scratch. I have vivid memories of the aroma of ham and peas wafting through the house to greet me after school. For this recipe, I decided to do a kind of smokey vegan take on mom’s traditional split pea soup. I’ve been craving spicy food like crazy so I implemented some paprika and hot sauce to add some heat to the recipe. I love this vegan split pea soup because it’s really nutritious and high in fiber so it’s filling as a stand-alone entree and can be taken as leftovers for lunch super easily.

Actually, I have this amazing tiny crock pot that I take to work. It holds probably 16 oz. or so and I love it. I just plug it right in when I get to work and by lunch time the contents are hot! I haven’t tried cooking in it but it’s amazing for heating leftovers.

I hope you enjoy this recipe for Vegan Split Pea Soup!

Vegan Split Pea Soup

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Serves: 8 Cooking Time: 1 hour

Ingredients

  • 8 celery stalks, diced
  • 4 medium carrots, diced
  • 1 large onion chopped (yellow or white)
  • 6 cloves of garlic minced (or 2 tbsp, jarred minced)
  • 2 lbs. of split peas (this is usually two bags, don't forget to rinse!)
  • 2 tbsp. paprika (or more to taste)
  • 3 tbsp. of a hot sauce like Tapatio (or more to taste)
  • 7 pints of water (or 14 cups)
  • 8 vegan bouillon cubes
  • *You can substitute a vegetable stock for the water and bouillon cubes if desired
  • Garnish: Paprika, sesame seeds, caramelized onions

Instructions

1

In a large pot sauté your carrots, celery, garlic, and onions until the onions are soft and translucent

2

Add your water and bouillon or vegetable stock, split peas, and any additional starches you intend to use. Bring to a full boil

3

Add your paprika and hot sauce if desired. Reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally

4

Garnish with paprika and sesame seeds or caramelized onions if desired and serve!

Notes

If you have extra starches laying around you can add potatoes (cubed or diced) and rice or other grains like barley at the same time you add the split peas. This will add more bulk and calories but can extend the use of the recipe if you have a large family or are trying to budget extra for meals.

Recipe

Vegan Ash-e Reshteh (Persian New Year Soup)

vegan ash-e reshteh

With Nowruz (Persian New Year, the Spring Equinox) right around the corner, I thought I’d post a recipe for a Vegan Ash-e Reshteh! There are many kinds of Ash you can make, but Ash-e Reshteh seems to be the most popular. It’s made throughout the year on my husband’s side of the family, and it’s always made for Nowruz.

I first learned to make Ash-e Reshteh shortly after my engagement to my husband. His mother had gifted me a Persian cookbook. Her quiet way of both welcoming me to the family and validating my suspicion that the key to keeping her son’s heart was through food. No doubt, I happily got to practicing my Ash and Beef Koobideh recipes, all while secretly plotting to find ways to make some of it vegan.

vegan ash-e reshteh

Ash-e Reshteh is a thick soup. It’s typically made with onion, beans, noodles, lentils, garlic, beet, spinach, herbs, spices, and beef broth. I’ve always substituted vegetable broth in the past and made a vegetarian version. Furthermore, the other non-vegan friendly ingredient is the kashk. Kashk is basically whey that’s stirred in at the end and added as a garnish. Oh, and the noodles are thought to bring luck into the New Year!

vegan ash-e reshteh

I’ve always wanted to make a Vegan Ash-e Reshteh! I thought this would be a great opportunity to try and finally make a vegan version using a recipe for garbanzo bean whipped cream I’d seen floating around.

I’m happy to share my recipe for Vegan Ash-e Reshteh.

vegan ash-e reshteh

Vegan Ash-e Reshteh

Print Recipe
Serves: 8+ Cooking Time: 1 hour

Ingredients

  • 3 tbsp. coconut oil
  • 2 large onion
  • 2 cans drained garbanzo beans
  • 1 can cannellini beans
  • 1 can red kidney beans
  • 1 heaping tbsp. garlic
  • 1 tbsp. turmeric
  • 1 heaping tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. pepper
  • 9 cups of water (if using dried, soaked beans)
  • 10 cups veggie broth
  • 2 cups lentils
  • 1 pound linguini or Persian noodles
  • 2 tbsp. flour
  • 2 cups fresh dill
  • 3 cups fresh parsley
  • 12 cups of spinach
  • 1 beet
  • Liquid from garbanzo beans and some cream of tartar for "cream"
  • Garnish: Vegan cream and crispy caramelized onions (they're mandatory!)

Instructions

1

In a large pot heat your coconut oil over medium-high heat. Add your minced garlic and thinly sliced onion, saving some onion on the side for the garnish later. Stir fry until the onions are soft and beginning to brown

2

Add the beans, turmeric, salt and pepper and stir-fry for two minutes. If you used canned beans (I did) then you can skip Step 3

3

Add 9 cups of water and bring to a boil, reduce heat and continue cooking for 15 minutes

4

Add your veggie broth and lentils, continue cooking for 15 minutes

5

Add your noodles and slowly sift in your flour while stirring the pot. Allow the soup to cook, covered and on low, for another 15 minutes

6

Add your spinach, dill, parsley, and beet. Continue cooking another 10-15 minutes or until the noodles and lentils are both soft

7

*Add your vegan cream and stir in, saving some for the garnish.

8

Garnish with crispy caramelized onions and a dollop of "cream"

Notes

* Vegan cream: Simply combine the liquid from two cans garbanzo beans with 1/8 tsp. of cream of tartar and mix on high for 10-15 minutes or until stable and cream-like. **You can also just omit the cream entirely if you don't have a Kitchenaid or hand mixer. The soup is delicious anyway. ***The "cream" can collapse quickly and in a hot pot, it almost completely dissolves. I still liked it for the recipe because I felt it gave the soup a slightly creamier look.

Recipe

Delicious Butternut Squash Soup

*This post first appeared on our sister site, I AM A HEALER.

If you’re reading this, like me, you probably love to cook. Something about this time of year calls me to fill my home with the smell of fresh, fall foods. They always say that “A key to a man’s heart is through food,” a fallacy because the key to everyone’s heart is through food. During our fall and winter months, I often find myself cooking up imaginative and hot meals like this Recipe for Butternut Squash Soup for my family and friends. I show my love through food because really, what’s better than a warm, full belly after a shared meal?

This isn’t the only recipe for butternut squash soup that I’ve made over the years, but it’s by far my best. Every year I tweak the recipe a bit, adding some spices here, some veggies there. This recipe for butternut squash soup can easily be made vegan and is delicious. This year was the first time I’ve added cream to my recipe, but it certainly isn’t a requirement. What I love about recipes like this is that you can make a big batch in your stock pot and serve it all week long. In my case this year I also portioned some out to take to a sick friend.

Delicious Butternut Squash Soup

Print Recipe
Serves: 6

Ingredients

  • 3 butternut squash peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch cubes (don't stress over the cube size, cooking is intuitive!)
  • 1-3 white onions thinly sliced (I used 2)
  • 3 small apples or pears sliced
  • 5 cups of veggie broth (use chicken broth if you nasty and use less of either for a thicker soup)
  • 1/2 teaspoon of ginger (use more if you like the flavor, but tread lightly, it can be strong)
  • 1 teaspoon of ground coriander
  • 1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon of salt (add more to taste)
  • 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper (add more to taste)
  • Add a dash of cinnamon if you're feeling wild
  • Add 1/4 teaspoon of ground clove (optional)
  • 2 tablespoons of butter OR oil of your choice
  • 1 cup of heavy whipping cream (sub skim milk or milk alternative if you're vegan, or ditch altogether)
  • Garnish:
  • Pecans
  • Shaved apples or pears

Instructions

1

Start by warming your butter or oil in a LARGE stock pot. Add the onions to the pot and cook over medium/ high heat until tender.

2

Stir in the sliced fruit, veggie broth, squash, salt, black pepper, coriander, nutmeg, ginger and optional cinnamon. Heat until boiling and then cover and reduce heat. Cook until the squash is tender (15-20 minutes). I judge the tenderness by seeing if I can break the squash apart with my bamboo spoon.

3

Once the squash is tender, transfer 1/3 of the soup into a blender or food processor. Cover and process/ blend until smooth. Transfer it back into your other pot or bowl and repeat with the remainder of the soup.

4

If you're adding cream, now is the time! Stir the cream into the soup and heat a bit more until hot.

Notes

I hope you enjoy this Recipe for Butternut Squash Soup. It's a great addition to Holiday Parties and get-togethers, or as a simple meal prep to approach your week with ease.

Alchemical properties:

Carminatives (ginger, clove, cinnamon) help to increase circulation and relieve gas and other intestinal issues. Promote better digestion and elimination. Coriander is also a carminative that will help if you tend to get headaches from overeating

Digestants (black pepper) help with digestive function, appetite, and the elimination of toxins

Nutmeg to relive and cough and assist in the aid of Rheumatism (inflammation) relief

Salt for protection and purification

Onion high in flavonoids and antioxidants known to prevent disease in the body, also used as a diuretic and expectorant so it could help with a cold.

Butternut Squash helps with digestion issues and helps aid you in healing your gut

Recipe

Vegan Fried Shishito Pepper / Okra Dish

Vegan Fried Shishito Pepper

*This was originally posted as Vegan Fried Okra, but apparently it’s Shishito Peppers! Lol I’m an idiot. The recipe is great for either, though, so carry on!

Southern cooking has my heart. All the delicious, buttery comfort food gives me the warm and fuzzies. I’m a huge fan of The Pioneer Women, Ree. After getting her cookbook a few years ago, I immediately began cooking anything and everything Southern. Just ask my husband or brother, for a while they’d come home to a new pie every day. I felt like a Disney Princess, whistling around my kitchen, in hopes that a group of birds would come in and help with the dishes. One of my favorite southern dishes is Fried Okra! Now that I’m blogging with more of an emphasis on Vegan/ Veg food, I thought I’d give you a Vegan Fried Okra Shishito Pepper dish to try for yourself! I’d never made it before, so this was a great opportunity to learn something new!

As much as I love Sothern Cooking, my waistline doesn’t. This Vegan Fried Shishito Pepper dish is one of the rare unhealthy things that you’ll see me post. It’s deep fried, covered in corn meal and flour goodness, and guaranteed to please. Just maybe walk around a bit after you eat it 😝

For thisVegan Fried Shishito Pepper/ Okra dish, I made a few modifications to try to get the best consistency possible. I used unsweetened almond milk instead of the buttermilk the traditional recipe calls for, and after the first batch, I thickened the almond milk up a little by adding 1/2 teaspoon of Xanthan Gum. Xanthan gum is a “natural” thickener, and it’s great to use in smoothies, dressings, and soups as well. I was turned on to it during my raw vegan days. It gets some flack because it’s unclear if it’s bad for you or not, but I figured if I’m deep-frying my dinner, who tf cares?? You judge for yourself, I’m not yo momma!

Additionally, for this Vegan Fried Shishito Pepper recipe, I tried using Panko (bread crumbs) in addition to the corn meal and flour mix. This combination didn’t work as well as I’d thought because the almond milk was still a bit runny. If I had been using a recipe with egg or butter, it might have worked better. In the end, I found that the corn meal and flour mix did the best job of (kind of) keeping the breading on the okra.

Okay, here we go with Vegan Fried Shishito Pepper!

  1. Gather and rinse your Shishito Peppers/ okraVegan Fried Okra
  2. Cut off the stem and bottom of your Shishito Peppers/ okra, then slice into 1″ pieces Vegan Fried Okra
  3. Mix your dry ingredients (cornmeal, flour, salt, pepper, seasoning), and mix your almond milk with your xanthan gum in a separate bowl, and put your oil in a deep frying/ sauté pan and warm it over medium heatVegan Fried Okra
  4. Set up a little assembly line for yourself next to your stove. Dunk your shishito peppers/ okra morsels into the almond milk to coat it, then cover it with the dry mix, so it’s completely covered Vegan Fried Okra
  5. Gently—so you don’t burn yourself—drop the shishito peppers/ okra into the hot oil. Sorry, no picture of steps five and six because I was trying to not set myself aflame!
  6. You may have to do it in batches, when the okra is a nice golden brown, transfer it onto a cookie sheet with a layer of paper towels on it, to help soak up and drain some of the oil
  7. Serve with your favorite other southern dishes; I chose mashed potatoes! Vegan Fried Okra

 

 

Vegan Fried Okra

Print Recipe
Serves: 4 Cooking Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 lb. of Okra, rinsed and cut
  • 3-6 cups of oil depending on the depth of your pan. You want the okra to be able to fully submerge, but the pan half full or less
  • 1/2 cup corn meal
  • 1 cup of flour
  • 1/2 tsp. xanthan gum
  • 1 cup of almond milk
  • 1/4 tsp. of paprika
  • 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
  • 1/2 cup of seasoning salt
  • 1/4 cup black pepper
  • 1/8 cup of garlic powder (or 1/4 if you don't have seasoning salt) LESS IS MORE

Instructions

1

Gather and rinse your okra

2

Cut off the stem and bottom of your okra, then slice into 1" pieces

3

Mix your dry ingredients (cornmeal, flour, salt, pepper, seasoning), and mix your almond milk with your xanthan gum in a separate bowl

4

Put your oil in a deep frying/ sauté pan and warm it over medium heat

5

Set up a little assembly line for yourself next to your stove. Dunk your okra morsels into the almond milk to coat it, then cover it with the dry mix, so it's completely covered

6

Gently—so you don't burn yourself—drop the okra into the hot oil

7

You may have to do it in batches, when the okra is a nice golden brown, transfer it onto a cookie sheet with a layer of paper towels on it, to help soak up and drain some of the oil

8

Serve with your favorite other southern dishes; I chose mashed potatoes!

Recipe

Simple 4 Ingredient Recipe for Vegan Parmesan

Recipe for Vegan Parmesan

A recipe for vegan Parmesan is a must in any vegan kitchen! After all, one of the things that turns a lot of people away from veganism is the lack of cheese. I’m not vegan anymore, but when I was considering trying it years ago, I couldn’t picture myself abstaining from parmesan on my pasta or pizza. Vegan cheese has come really far since the 90’s, I mean cashew cheese like changed everything. Meltable vegan cheese?? Yes, please!

Oftentimes with veganism the thing people miss is the consistency or texture that comes from cheeses and creams. Furthermore, in a lot of cooking cream based sauces can be a vehicle for other spices and flavors. Vegan cheeses with a cashew base have revolutionized raw and vegan cooking. This recipe for vegan Parmesan is no exception!

Use it to top salads, rice bowls, pasta, and in your raw vegan creations! I love to use it on a vegan Caesar or even to garnish a soup. Again, the possibilities are endless.

Wow your naysayer guests with this recipe for vegan parmesan.

Recipe for Vegan Parmesan

Print Recipe
Serves: 4 Cooking Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 cup of raw cashews
  • 4 tbsp nutritional yeast
  • 3/4 tsp salt (add more for taste, start slow if you don't enjoy saltiness)
  • 1/3 tsp garlic powder

Instructions

1

Add all ingredients to a blender or food processor until it's super fine and resembles Parmesan cheese flakes. You're done!

Recipe

Roasted Root Vegetable Over Cauliflower Rice

Roasted Root Vegetable Entrée Over Cauliflower Rice

I’ve been playing around with basic rice bowls and root vegetables lately. If you’ve seen my recipe for Butternut Squash Soup then you know I’m pretty much obsessed with fall foods and roasted veggies. Don’t get me wrong, I love a fresh summer salad, but Fall will always have my heart.

This Roasted Root Vegetable Over Cauliflower Rice is quick and breezy to prep. I love the ease of walking away from a meal, cooking it that is. Especially relevant, roasting is great for the house person or stay-at-home mom/dad because it allows you the freedom to do a ton of other stuff as you wait to plate. Furthermore, seasonal veggies are so accessible to almost any region. Hit up your local farmers market and see what they have seasonally. Many of the proprietors will be able to tell you what they stock, and when, so you can prepare menus a couple weeks out.

Cauliflower rice is simple and quick to make. Once you get these simple steps down, the possibilities are endless. Most of all, food in bowl form is such a relief. It plates beautifully and it’s often the easiest style to prepare.

 

 

Roasted Root Vegetable Entrée Over Cauliflower Rice

I hope you enjoy this recipe for Roasted Root Vegetable Entrée Over Cauliflower Rice.

Roasted Root Vegetable Entrée Over Cauliflower Rice

Print Recipe
Serves: 6 Cooking Time: 1 hour

Ingredients

  • 3 Large carrots, cut into 1" pieces
  • 2 Sweet potatoes
  • 2 Golden beets
  • 2 Large beets
  • 1 Large red onion
  • 1 Acorn squash
  • 6 cloves garlic
  • 3 tbsp. Olive oil
  • Salt & Pepper to taste

Instructions

1

Preheat your oven to a roasting temp of 425 °F

2

Cut all your veggies. Wash and scrub the beets and dice into 1" cubes, quarter the onions, slice the peeled and deseeded squash into 1/2" slices, slice or cube the sweet potatos, and dice the carrots

3

Toss the veggies in the olive oil, spread on a foiled rimmed baking sheet. I did two rounds (2 sheets) at 45 minutes each. Make sure to toss/ turn over your veggies halfway through

4

Remove from oven and serve over a rice, quinoa, or cauliflower rice. Try it with my Dill and Parsley Cashew Sauce!

Notes

This recipe wins for meal prep because—if it's just you and a roomie/ spouse—this can be lunch for a week! Bring it to spice up your bland side-salad at the office! I absolutely love sending my husband to work with additions like these. A side of roasted veggies can go a long way, and your pocketbook will notice too! Waaaay better to spend $6 on lunch every day than $15!

Recipe

Super Food Smoothie Bowl

*This post first appeared on our sister site, I AM A HEALER.

The ability to heal through cooking and mindful recipes is the best. We each share meals with those close to us daily and there’s no reason why we can’t add some intention in the kitchen. Food is a fuel, in its most basic definition. You can dress it up and pair it with whatever you want, but at the end of the day if you want to live, you’ve got to eat. And if you want to live well, you’ve got to learn to heal through cooking. When I say cooking, I use the term loosely. We’re making a smoothie today, not literally cooking a meal. But some days you want a smoothie, or you’re in a rush. This is just a  simple way to get mindful using some basic ingredients you might already have in your fridge.

When you heal through cooking you’re mindfully creating recipes and meals with the properties of the ingredients at the forefront of your mind. We do this subconsciously when we serve up things like chicken noodle soup or popsicles for someone that is sick because these items help to soothe and alleviate pain. Once you practice ways to heal through cooking how you look at food will change drastically.

Today we’re going to heal through cooking by making a Banana, Peach, and Blood Orange Smoothie over an easy chia pudding.

Chia Pudding Ratio: 1/4 cup of chia seeds to 1 cup of almond/coconut/ soy/ or rice milk. Stir and let sit overnight in your fridge to “gel.” Some people choose to blend it all first and then refrigerate, but I’m a big fan of the weird texture of chia seeds.

Add some honey (or alternative sweetener if you’re vegan) and some cinnamon.

Super Food Smoothie Bowl

Print Recipe
Cooking Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients

  • 3/4 banana
  • 1 peach
  • 3 small blood oranges
  • 2 tablespoons of almond butter
  • 5 ice cubes

Instructions

1

RECIPE

2

Blend smoothie ingredients until smooth. Tilt your glass or bowl with your chia pudding in it and slowly pour the smoothie onto the top of the chia pudding.

3

Garnish:

4

1/4 banana (sliced into a fun shape if you feeling like Instagramming that shiz)

5

2 oz blueberries

6

2oz raspberries

Notes

PROPERTIES

Chia pudding: With Chia, you get a big bang for your buck. These little gems are chock full of nutrients with very little calories. To top that of they’re naturally gluten free! They’re full of antioxidents—which means they help remove potentially damaging oxidizing agents n the body— and they’re also high in Omega-3’s! They’re 14% protein which is great and very balanced for a plant, and their carbs are almost all from fiber (if you’re on a low-carb diet then you know that means it basically doesn’t count as a carb!) They can also help to prevent heart disease and assist in regulating diabetes. Sold? I thought so.

Almonds are said to bring wisdom and prosperity by stimulating intuition. Almonds stimulate the Third Eye Chakra to bring insight.

Bananas phallic shape can represent harnessing male energies and charging oneself. However, the flowers of the banana trees are sterile and can represent the futility of the material. Women were once forbidden to eat the fruit in Hawaii, punishable by death. So rebel against the patriarchy, feed your loins and eat a banana!

Blueberries represent protection and peace. They embody a deep acceptance within and they’re full of antioxidant compounds (anthocyanidins). A study showed that 3 months of daily blueberry consumption was enough to improve scores on two different tests of cognitive function including memory.

Cinnamon is thought to increase spirituality and psychic insight. It stimulates the Crown Chakra. The spice is recognized for its healing properties and is used as an antiseptic and painkiller. It is also known to increase insulin production, stop diarrhea, and lower blood pressure.

Honey is used to treat indigestion, colds, flu, and headaches. It is synonymous with happiness and fulfillment, and it is added to food and beverages to emphasize those things.

Blood Oranges property of being able to strengthen lust and passion, inspire creativity and imagination, while also being able to instill courage and strength. The vitamin C in citrus fruits raises the brain’s level of norepinephrine, which increases energy while reducing irritability.

Peaches pack an abundance of vitamin A, B vitamins, folic acid, vitamin C, calcium, fiber, potassium, and a little zinc. Peaches are a feminine symbol of love and spiritual fertility.

Raspberries induce stamina and vigor, and at one time, the leaves were carried by pregnant women to help them through childbirth. The tea acts as a blood tonic to treat anemia and stop diarrhea.