I can already imagine what my meat loving friends are thinking. “Why bother?” Seriously this is awesome soup that even a die hard carnivore can love. On Christmas Eve I was given the task of preparing the vegan portion of the meal. The mains for the 2 vegans was not an issue. I cook meatless quite often. It was the fact that the soup course was also to be vegan for the 20 plus guests expected for dinner. Not just dinner- Christmas Eve dinner. The pressure was on. The hostess, Amy McWilliam, was thinking of a creamy tomato soup- made with either coconut or soy milk. I decided to do a rich vegetable base and then puree it with canned tomatoes. As I progressed I added spices to create a soup with layers of flavor to it. That really is the secret- and not just in vegan cooking. I didn’t use any “milk” in the end. It didn’t need it.  I ended up with a soup that was very well received- even by Amy’s father-in law who had also just enjoyed prime rib.  I decided to make it today- mostly because I wanted to make it again before I forgot what I did. Here is the recipe. I hope you give it a try. You might be surprised at just how much you like it. The side benefit is this is a great way to get a few more veggies in your diet.

 Vegan Tomato Soup

1/4 c. olive oil

2 onions, chopped

2-3 garlic cloves, chopped

4 c. mixed vegetables, chopped- I used carrots, celery and cabbage, but use what you have and like

2 c. peeled, chopped sweet potato, about1 large- you can use white potatoes if you prefer

4 c. water

1 bay leaf

1T. sweet paprika

1T. Italian Seasoning

1 t. smoked paprika

1 t. cumin

1/4 -1/2 cayenne pepper

salt to taste

1 qt. canned tomatoes

fresh basil for garnish, optional

In soup pot saute onions in oil until just getting a little color on them. Add garlic and cook a couple of minutes longer. Add remaining vegetables, water and bay leaf and bring to a boil. Simmer, covered, until the vegetables are very tender- about  20-30  minutes. Add seasonings and adjust to your taste. remove the bay leaf. Add the tomatoes and puree the soup in batches in a blender or use an immersion blender. Once soup is smooth adjust seasonings, if needed. Warm soup before ladling into bowl. Garnish with basil, if desired. Makes about 4 quarts. Freezes well.

Note: When blending a hot soup in a blender remove the plastic insert in the middle of the lid and cover the lid with a towel. Hot liquids will splash up when the blender is turned on. The reason I don’t add the tomatoes until the soup is cooked is to cool the soup down a little to make blending easier.

 

This time of year I think we are all looking for a little comfort. One of my favorite comfort foods is bread pudding. You don’t need and exact recipe and you can toss in extras like fresh or dried fruit, nuts, chocolate chips or toasted seeds. Spices add extra flavor, too. Have fun and be creative. For the recipe I made today I added extra raisins to a raisin Challah bread.

Bread Pudding

1 loaf Challah bread, cubed

4 eggs

2 c. milk- you can use regular milk, half and half or even a non- dairy milk. I used a mixture of almond milk and evaporated milk. You can even use a little fruit juice if that is what you like

1/4 c. sugar- or to taste. The almond milk I used was a little sweet so I cutback on sugar

2 t. vanilla

2 t. cinamomn

1/2 c. raisins

Place bread cubes in a large bowl. Combine remaining ingredients and mix well. Pour over the bread cubes and toss until evenly coated. Place in a buttered casserole dish and bake, covered in a 350-degree oven for 25 minutes. Remove cover and bake another 15 minutes or so- until top browns up a little. Serves 6-8.

 

I think one of my favorite foods is soup. I’d eat it on all but the hottest days- and even then I’d eat a cold soup. Many soups are a whole meal all by themselves. As an added bonus they can be an easy way of eating more of the foods we all know we should eat more- vegetables. Seriously, do you like to eat vegetables without butter on them? I don’t. But if you simmer veggies in a rich stock you don’t need the added butter. Super healthy and easy, too. Win win.

Winter Greens Soup

I made this soup this morning and I am enjoying a bowl as I am writing this. It is so wonderful. Always a hit with friends, too.

2 T. olive oil

2 onions, chopped

3 carrots, peeled and sliced

1 c. chopped celery

2 qts. chicken stock

1 bunch collard greens, rinsed, trimmed and sliced into strips. About 8 cups

4 c. chopped cooked chicken

1 sweet potato, peeled and diced

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1/4 c. nutritional yeast*

2 T. Tuscan seasoning

salt and pepper to taste

healthy dash- or more- of hot sauce

Saute onion in oil until just turning brown. Add carrots and saute a few minutes longer. Add celery and stock and cook a few minutes before adding greens and chicken. Add remaining ingredients and cook until veggies are tender. Collard greens do not need to be cooked until mushy. They will be tender in 10-15 minutes. Makes 6-8 servings.

* Nutritional yeast adds nutrients and great flavor.It is available in health food stores and some grocery stores.