Minestrone Soup

After having the past couple of weeks in the high 70s, the weather is finally starting to dip down and feel more like winter here in California.

I chose to make minestrone soup for lunch today but with a slight twist. I added swiss chard and pureed cannellini beans, to help thicken the soup. Serve this with a slice of bread and a light green salad to complete the meal.

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Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients

* 2 Tb extra virgin olive oil

* 1 yellow onion, chopped

* 2 carrots, peeled and chopped

* 2 celery stalks, chopped

* 2 garlic cloves, minced

* 1 lb swiss chard, stems trimmed and leaves roughly chopped

* 2 russet potatoes, peeled and cubed

* 1 ( 14 1/2 ounce ) can diced tomatoes

* 1 fresh rosemary sprig

* 1 ( 15 ounce ) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

* 28 ounces vegetable broth or vegan "beef" broth ( try Better than Bouillon brand )

* salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Heat oil in a heavy large pot over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, celery and garlic. Saute until onion is translucent, about 10 minutes.

2. Add swiss chard and potatoes, saute for 2 minutes.

3. Add the tomatoes and rosemary sprig. Simmer until the chard is wilted and the tomatoes break down, about 10 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, blend 3/4 of the beans with 1/4 cup of the broth in a processor until almost smooth. Add the pureed bean mixture and remaining broth to the vegetable mixture. Simmer until the potatoes are tender, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes.

5. Stir in the whole beans. Simmer until the beans are heated through and the soup is thick, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. ( Beware of adding too much salt because some stocks contains more than enough sodium ).

6. Discard the rosemary sprig, the leaves will have fallen off the stem.

Ladle the soup into bowls and serve with a crusty piece of bread.

Hot and Sour Soup

This soup is fairly simple and quick to make. The only problem I encountered was trying to find the wood ear mushrooms and lily buds. My local market did not carry them but thankfully a little Asian market down the street did. I did not find any packages labeled wood ear, so its good to know that it also goes by the name black fungus.

If you cannot handle spicyness well, reduce the amount of chili paste added. I found the one tablespoon to be a little too spicy for me.

I made some dumplings to go along side this. Recipe for that coming soon : ]

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Serves 6

Ingredients

* 8 dried wood ear mushrooms ( also known as black fungus )

* 7 dried shiitake mushrooms

* 14 dried tiger lily buds

* 7 cups vegan "chicken" broth ( try Better than Bouillon ) or vegetable stock

* 2 Tb canola oil

* 1 inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated finely

* 1 Tb red chili paste

* 1/2 cup bamboo shoots, diced

* 1/4 cup tamari

* 1/2 tsp sugar

* 1 tsp salt

* 3/4 tsp pepper

* 1/4 cup rice vinegar

* 3 Tb cornstarch

* 1/4 cup water

* 1 ( 14 ounce ) package of firm tofu, pressed and drained, cubed

* 1 1/2 tsp sesame oil

* chopped green onions and cilantro, for garnish

Directions

1. Soak the dried mushrooms and tiger lily buds in warm water for 20 minutes.

2. Trim off any tough stems and slice the mushrooms. With your fingers slice the tiger lily buds.

3. Heat oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Add the ginger, chili paste, mushrooms, lily buds, bamboo shoots and tofu. Cook and stir for 1 minute.

4. In a small bowl, stir together the tamari, sugar, salt, pepper and vinegar. Pour in wok and toss well.

5. Add stock and bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes.

6. Stir in the tamari, sugar, salt, pepper and vinegar.

7. Combine cornstarch with water. Add to the pot and heat until boiling. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened.

8. Turn off heat and stir in sesame oil.

To Serve - Divide into 6 soup bowls and garnish each bowl with scallions.

French Onion Soup with Homemade Baguette

Okay, I am officially addicted to making my own bread. Making it yourself really doesn't take that much work or many ingredients. The only thing you really need is time.

For anyone who hasn't had onion soup, you might think that this soup would taste really strong of onions. But because the onions are all caramelized, the flavor of onion isn't overpowering at all. I mixed half "beef" broth and half "chicken" stock for the base. When you throw in the bread and the melted cheese, this soup is very comforting and filling. This surprised me because there really isn't much in the soup but it is heavy. I served mine with a side of salad to complete the meal.

Anyone else love French Onion Soup or are there any that aren't a fan?

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Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients

* 4-5 large yellow onions, peeled and sliced into thin crescents

* 1/4 tsp vegan cane sugar

* 1 Tb extra virgin olive oil

* 2 Tb all purpose flour

* 2 cloves garlic, minced

* 8 cups of vegetarian "beef" stock ( try Better than Bouillon ) or vegetarian "chicken" stock or vegetable stock ( Do all 8 cups of the same broth or mix different broths together )

* 1 bay leaf

* pinch of dry thyme

* salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

* French bread, either store bought or home made ( Recipe Below )

* 1 1/2 cups of vegan mozzarella cheese ( try Daiya's Italian cheese )

Directions

1. Add olive oil in a large stock pot and heat over medium high heat. Add onions and saute 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add sugar and saute until browned, stirring every 5 minutes or so. Browning all the onions will take anywhere from 20 to 50 minutes. If you stir too much the onions will never brown and if you still too little, they will burn. So one good stir every 5 minutes or so will be good.

2. Sprinkle flour over onions and garlic and stir until everything is well blended.

3. Add stock, bay leaf and thyme. Cover and simmer for about 15 minutes.

4. Remove bay leaf and season to taste with salt and pepper.

To serve

5. Ladle soup into 6 to 8 oven proof bowls. Place one slice of toasted French bread over the soup in each bowl and sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 400 F for 10 minutes or until cheese is melted.

French Bread

Makes 1 baguette

Ingredients

* 3 cups of all purpose flour or bread flour

* 1 ( 0.25 ounce ) package of dry active yeast

* 1 cups of warm water

* 1/2 tsp salt

Directions

1. Combine the warm water with the dry active yeast, mix well and let stand for about 10 minutes.

2. In a large bowl combine the flour and salt. Stir in the warm water mixture and mix in using a wooden spoon.

3. On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough for about 10 minutes. Shape into a ball and place dough in a lightly floured bowl. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 40 minutes.

4. Once again, place dough on a lightly floured surface and roll into a large rectangular shape.

5. Roll up, starting on one of the long sides and seal edge using a little water. Shape ends to make sure everything is smooth.

6. Grease a large baking sheet and place loaf, seam side down. Brush a little water on the top of the loaf. Cover, once more, and let rise until double is size, about 40 minutes.

7. Using a knife, make 4 diagonal cuts across the top, about 1/4 inch deep. Bake in a preheated oven over 375 F for 20 minutes. Brush a little more water on top and bake for another 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool on a cooling rack.

Broccoli Cheddar Soup in Bread Bowls

It officially feels like Fall now. The high temperatures have subsided and the past few days have been really gloomy and rainy. When it's so cold and cloudy, it puts me in a mood to knit and sip hot soup. Broccoli cheddar soup sounded perfect and by making my own bread, my house got filled with the aroma of freshly baked bread.

I had such a hard time finding faux chicken stock because my local Whole Foods was out. So if you cannot find any, vegetable stock can be substituted.

I also found it easier to bake each bread bowl in a small duralex glass bowl or any other oven safe bowl. It helped it to keep its shape because when placed on a baking sheet, it tends to start going flat. I kept all the soft bread filling that I scooped out to dip in my hot soup. Really good and so filling!

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Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients

* 2 Tb vegan butter ( such as Earth Balance )
* 1 onion, diced
* 1/4 cup all purpose flour
* 2 cups soy creamer or any other non-dairy creamer
* 3 cups faux chicken stock ( try Better than Bouillon )
* 2 bay leaves
* 1 lb broccoli
* 1 1/2 cups carrots, diced
* sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
* a dash of nutmeg
* 2 1/2 cups vegan cheddar cheese, finely grated ( I recommend Daiya Cheddar Cheese )
* 6 bread bowls ( Recipe Below )

Directions
1. Melt butter in a large soup pot over medium heat. Saute onion until translucent, about 5 minutes.


2. Whisk in flour and cook 2 more minutes.


3. Then slowly whisk in soy creamer and faux chicken stock. Stir until smooth. Add bay leaves, nutmeg and salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to medium-low and cook uncovered until thickened, about 20 minutes.


4. Add broccoli and carrots and cook another 20 minutes, or until vegetables are tender. Remove the bay leaves.


5. Puree soup either in a blender in batches or by using a immersion blender.


6. Return soup to pot over medium heat. Add cheese and stir until melted.





Bread Bowls
Makes 4 Medium Sized or 6 Small Sized Bread Bowls

Ingredients

* 2 ( .25 ounce ) packages of active dry yeast
* 2 1/2 cups of warm water
* 2 tsp sea salt
* 2 Tb canola oil
* 7 cups all-purpose or bread flour, plus more for dusting

Directions
1. In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.

2. Add salt, oil and 4 cups flour to the yeast mixture. Mix well. Add remaining 3 cups of flour. Mix again and then knead dough on a lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic, about 6 minutes.

3. Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 40 minutes.


4. Punch dough down, and divide into 4 equal portions. Shape them into round balls, not flat. Place loaves on lightly greased baking sheets. Cover and let rise in a warm place, free from drafts, until doubled in bulk, about 35 minutes.


5. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Uncover loaves and heavily spray with water.


6. Bake in preheated oven for 15 to 22 minutes or until they are a golden brown. Cool on wire racks.


7. To make bowl, cut the top fourth off of bread; carefully hollow out bottom of each, leaving a 1/4-in. shell (discard removed bread or save for another use).

To Serve - Ladle hot soup in each bowl.

I got the recipe for the bread bowls here and changed it around a little the bowls large enough and the ingredients vegan

Pho

Pho is a Vietnamese soup that is usually served with meat and it's broth is heavily relied on beef. The soup also consists of rice noodles, basil, cilantro and bean sprouts. Hoison sauce and Sirachi sauce are also served on the side, which help to bring sweetness and spicy-ness to the soup. Altogether, a great combination but a real challenge into creating a vegan Pho recipe, since its main ingredient is meat.

I order Pho a lot from a nearby restaurant and I decided that the time has finally come for me to figure out how to make my own. I searched many sites on vegan and non-vegan Pho recipes and combined them to come up with what I am posting today. Adding mushrooms to the stock really helped to bring a meaty and deep flavor to the broth. That's the one ingredient that I think played a big part in helping it to come all together.

For the clear broth, if you want something simpler, you can use a Chinese clear stock recipe that I believe only contains 5 ingredients. But I would again suggest adding mushrooms to the stock. And of course, the more ingredients you add, the deeper and richer the broth will be.

Lastly, I also sliced up some firm tofu ( that had been pressed and drained ), brushed a little olive oil on each slice and baked it at 380 F for about 12 minutes. You can also pan fry the tofu for about 4 to 5 minutes each side on medium heat. I also threw in some seitan that I had made previously and stored in the freezer. If you want to keep it simple, serve it alone with rice noodles or purchase some already made "beef" or "chicken" strips. You really can't go wrong with Pho!

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Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients
For the Broth

* 2 onions, un-peeled and quartered
* 8 garlic cloves, halved
* 1 inch piece of ginger, coarsely sliced
* 2 cinnamon sticks
* 4 pods of star anise
* 4 cloves
* 2 tsp coriander seeds
* 2 tsp fennel seeds
* 2 tsp or 1 pod of cardamom
* 8 cups clear Asian vegetable stock ( recipe below )
* 3 Tb soy sauce
* salt to taste

For the Soup

* 1 pound rice noodles
* 1 ( 14 oz ) container of Firm Tofu, fried and sliced
* 1 1/2 cups bean sprouts
* a good handful of basil, mint and cilantro, left whole
* 1 lime, cut into wedges
* hoisin sauce
* sriracha chili paste

Directions
To make the broth
1. Turn your broiler on high and move rack to the highest spot. Place ginger and onions on baking sheet. Brush just a bit of cooking oil on the cut side of each.


2. Broil on high until ginger and onions begin to char. Turn over and continue to char. This should take a total of 10-15 minutes.


3. Heat a small pot over medium/high heat. Add the spices ( cinnamon, star anise, cloves, coriander, fennel seeds and cardamom. )


4. In a large pot, add 1 tsp olive oil and saute the garlic for a minute or two, or until it just starts to brown and become fragrant.


5. Add the spices, the charred onion and ginger, the vegetable stock and soy sauce. Bring to a boil over high heat. Turn the heat down to medium-low, cover, and simmer for about 25 minutes.



6. Strain into a clean pot and discard the solids. Taste the broth and add salt if necessary. Keep warm over low heat.


7. While the broth is simmering, prepare the rice noodles. Place the noodles in a large bowl. Pour boiling water over the noodles to cover and soak for 15 minutes.


8. When you are ready to assemble the soup, add the seitan or tofu to the warm broth and allow to heat through.

9. Drain the soaked rice noodles and divide evenly among 4 to 6 large bowls. Using a slotted spoon, scoop the seitan or tofu out of the broth and distribute among the bowls. Ladle the hot broth over the noodles. Serve the bowls of pho with the bean sprouts, herbs, lime wedges, hoisin sauce and chili sauce on a separate platter so that everyone can season their own soup as they wish.


Asian Vegetable Stock
Makes 8 cups
Ingredients
* 10 cups cold water
* 1 yellow onion, halved
* 2 cloves garlic
* 2 carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped
* 2 celery stalks
* 1/4 pound button mushrooms, with or without stems
* 1 bay leaf
* 2 parsley sprigs
* 2 stalks lemongrass, crushed or coarsely chopped
* 1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh ginger
* 1/2 cup shiitake mushroom stems
* 1 bunch cilantro stems
* 1 bunch basil stems
* 1 ( 1 inch ) piece kombu sea vegetable
* 4 peppercorns

Directions
1. Combine all of the ingredients in a large pot over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Decrease the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 45 hour. Strain.