Soups Archives - A Vegan Obsession

Creamy Broccoli and Almond Soup - Vegan & Gluten Free

March 10, 2015 by India Leigh 1 Comment

An easy and nutrient rich soup that is simple and delicious. I stole the recipe from a Waitrose magazine and adapted it. The supermarket magazine had lots of vegan, raw and gluten free recipes. Mainstream. Plant based eating is going mainstream.

For this creamy broccoli and almond soup I felt the original recipe needed a tweak. Burnt or charred broccoli does not work well in a soup, not when it is alongside a citrus. It’s bitter and just not all that pleasant. So either steam it if you want a very low fat soup, or drizzle it in an abundance of oil when you roast it so it doesn’t burn. It is creamy from the almonds, lifted by the citrus and mint, and is nicely filling.

Creamy broccoli and almond soup recipe.

Ingredients

2 Large heads of broccoli (about 8 cups of chopped florets).

1 cup almonds soaked over night (to soften and make them easy to digest) plus a handful to dry roast.

I actually prefer the buttery flavour of coconut oil and the latest thought/study is that it is better for you, the original recipe called for 1 tbs of extra virgin olive oil to roast the broccoli. I used about 4 tbs of coconut oil …you decide.

6 garlic cloves

enough water to cover the broccoli in the pan

1 lemon, zest (for garnish), and juice of ½

large handful mint leaves

Method

Preheat the oven to 200˚C, gas mark 6.

Chop broccoli (and the core) into medium sized florets or chunks and put onto a baking sheet with the handful of almonds and the garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Melt the coconut oil (or just drizzle the EVOO) and drizzle over the veggies and garlic. Roast for 20 mins. Do not let it burn! Remove from the oven and keep aside the roasted almonds and a few florets for garnish.

Drain and rinse the soaked almonds and put them with the broccoli, mint, vegan stock cube, garlic and lemon juice, into a blender. Put in enough water to cover the broccoli and blend until creamy. Add more water until it is thick, creamy and soupy. Season to taste. Warm through in a saucepan.

Serves 4

Creamy Broccoli and Almond Soup - Vegan & Gluten Free

Cook time

35 mins

Total time

35 mins

Creamy broccoli and almond soup recipe.

Author: India Leigh

Recipe type: Soup

Cuisine: Vegan

Serves: 4

Ingredients

2 Large heads of broccoli (about 8 cups of chopped florets).
1 cup almonds soaked over night (to soften and make them easy to digest) plus a handful to dry roast.
I actually prefer the buttery flavour of coconut oil and the latest thought/study is that it is better for you, the original recipe called for 1 tbs of extra virgin olive oil to roast the broccoli. I used about 4 tbs of coconut oil ...you decide.
6 garlic cloves
enough water to cover the broccoli in the pan
1 lemon, zest (for garnish), and juice of ½
large handful mint leaves

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 200˚C, gas mark 6.
Chop broccoli (and the core) into medium sized florets or chunks and put onto a baking sheet with the handful of almonds and the garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Melt the coconut oil (or just drizzle the EVOO) and drizzle over the veggies and garlic. Roast for 20 mins. Do not let it burn! Remove from the oven and keep aside the roasted almonds and a few florets for garnish.
Drain and rinse the soaked almonds and put them with the broccoli, mint, vegan stock cube, garlic and lemon juice, into a blender. Put in enough water to cover the broccoli and blend until creamy. Add more water until it is thick, creamy and soupy. Season to taste. Warm through in a saucepan.
Serves 4

Wordpress Recipe Plugin by EasyRecipe

Raw Butternut Squash And Kiwi Soup With Chilli Apple Croutons

September 14, 2013 by India Leigh 4 Comments

I have been wanting to make this soup for a while. I love butternut squash. Really love it. I love the way it is just about the most patient vegetable there is. It sits, looking pert and lovely upon my shelf until I decide to use it. It doesn’t sag or deflate in despondency. Sometimes weeks can go by and it stays as fresh as a daisy. As September brings that sweet smell of falling leaves and shorter evenings I am far too inclined to cook everything, it’s all about the comfort and the salads and raw foods come second best. I try to do my utmost to stop this. My body craves nutrients, not lost in the steam of long cooked stews. I’ve wanted to make raw butternut squash soup forEVER but I didn’t have a kickass blender that could whizz it up to a sweet thick cream. Well, now I have one (I’ll tell you about that another time).

It’s Vegan MoFo Day 14 (my life already!). I’m plunging on. Most other bloggers take a break at the weekends but I’m travelling again soon and am not sure I’ll get chance to post.

This recipe was the very first thing I made with my new kitchen gadget.

Raw Butternut Squash And Kiwi Soup With Chilli Apple Croutons

1 medium butternut squash

1/2 organic kiwi (leave the skin on..this is good if it is organic

1/4 red onion

1/4 inch piece of fresh ginger

1/2 hot(ish) red chilli pepper, seeds removed

1 clove garlic

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp of cracked black pepper

apple croutons

dice 1/2 a dessert apple really small, keep the skin on

dust with salt, cracked black pepper, hot chilli powder (or chipotle powder if you have it).

Use a vegetable peeler to peel the squash. Chop into chunks and remove the seeds (you can dust these with seasoning and roast for a healthy snack).

Use a garlic press to mince the ginger (I know, isn’t this a great tip..I was busy the other day and a lightbulb moment struck and I popped it in and hopped up and down at my discovery. So much easier than grating!) mince it straight into your blender. Throw all the other ingredients in along with it and blend on high speed for about 2 minutes. In this time, the centrifugal force of the blender will transform into a warm silky soup.

Serve into bowls, placing the chilli, apple croutons in the centre. Shake over a few chilli flakes too.

The kiwi just gives it a slight edge to cut through the sweet squash. It is also a great boost of vitamin C. With the colder weather it is a good idea to up your intake. Stay healthy.

I don’t know, sometimes I just feel so smug that I wised up to vegan food so long ago. To coin a phrase, ‘it’s the nuts’!

Soup Therapy. MoFo Day 7 - Smoky Roasted Red Pepper & Tomato Soup with Tempeh Croutons

September 7, 2013 by India Leigh 7 Comments

Happy Day 7 - Vegan MoFo 2013.
My first MoFo recipe. To be honest, since my recent return from Berlin, I’ve been a bit ‘fooded out’. I’ve been craving just simple and familiar flavours. I’m also a bit blue, from leaving behind a wonderful month in Germany. I’ve also just moved into a house sit and besides that being another new situation, I’ve discovered it is not going to be as long as I thought so I’m looking for my next housesit. I’m a bit all over the place, to say the least! I’m going to seek somewhere where I can hunker down, be for a while, and cook until the cows come home.

Therefore, I’m presenting you with a heart warming, favourite of mine. It has a gentle kick too, to liven things up and get you out of a funk…if that is what is needed.

Smokey Roasted Red Pepper & Tomato Soup. I put a new take on it by adding fried, crispy Tempeh Croutons (an idea I stole from Lucky Leek in Berlin)

It is really simple to make (I need that, my head is bloody spinning from all the uncertainty and excitement).

This recipe makes two bowls.

6 small red peppers (I used a couple of yellow instead this time as the bargain bag was…a bargain!..it tasted just as good)
6 organic tomatoes (choose ones that have not spent all their life in a fridge and have had chance for their sugars to develop)
6 cloves of garlic (oh dear, I’ve just seen I’ve created 666 in my soup recipe..add 7 cloves if you are superstitious!)
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp pink salt
1/2 tsp chilli powder (optional)
fresh ground black pepper to taste

Tempeh croutons

just use enough diced tempeh to garnish the centre of the bowl
1/4 tsp chipotle powder (if you don’t have then just use smoked paprika)

chili flakes to garnish

Roast the peppers & tomatoes in a 180degree oven. For about 25-30 mins, until the shoulders of the vegetables are becoming just slightly charred. Remove from the oven, leave to cool slightly, this will make the skin easier to peel off and discard (discard the peppers seeds too). You can use the plastic bag trick but the idea of plastic bag chemicals on my food freaks me out a little. If you just wait a few minutes the skin will be compliant with your wishes. Make sure you catch all the delicious juices from the peppers. I don’t oil my peppers & toms. i don’t think they need it. I do however make a little boat out of tin foil and pop my garlic in there and douse liberally, as the garlic needs the oil to prevent the garlic from burning to a charred and bitter crisp. It becomes so sweet and soft this way. I could actually just eat these like candy.

Put peppers, tomatoes and garlic into a saucepan with the seasonings. Add about 1/2 cup water. You may need a little more, but taste and use your judgement. Use a stick blender to blend. Pop onto the gas and bring it back up to a nice heat (don’t boil it).

Meantime, dust the diced tempeh with the chipotle powder and a little salt and black pepper. Pop into a hot, oiled skillet and fry for about 2-3 minutes.

Serve the soup into huggable bowls. Sprinkle the tempeh into the centre and dust with chilli flakes, if you wish. Grind over more fresh black pepper.

Breathe for a moment. Ahh. Dip in a big soup spoon. Eat. Let the flavours play on your tongue and just see how it puts the world to rights!

What did you make today? Let us know in the comments below.

How to make a warming bowl of beetroot & mustard soup with parsnip crisps.

November 24, 2011 by India Leigh 4 Comments

When I travel into London on the train. Go from hills and valleys to stone and steel. I like to pop a book into my bag to read if I fail to strike up a conversation with a travelling stranger. Which I often do, whether they like it or not. 9 times out of 10 my boldness, (yes, it is a shame to see it as a courageous thing in this country, but…what can I say, generally it has been the way, quite unlike many other countries I’ve visited. In Borneo, to be conversing with someone practically gives then want to squeeze up right beside you or drape an arm over yours, in America they are not quite so free with minimizing personal space but launching into a friendly discourse is common place…in the places I’ve travelled anyhow), uncovers a remarkable character with a story to tell. Anyhow, the last two journeys have not been a peek times so no stranger has taken up the seat beside me. So I’ve been free to pull out my slim volume of Love in a Dish by M.F.K Fisher a much admired American food writer who manages to render me over come with romance as her words are as carefully chosen as her ingredients. Its not what she makes, her diet was overloaded with meats and pates and coloured with fine wines, but even though I am vegan I can appreciate her love of food, the conversation of food, the nature, history and anthropology of it. It is the story she so perfectly unfurls in mellifluous tone. Indeed, to me she is like the foodies Joanna Lumley. Why am I telling you all this? Wasting space on the page when I could be perfunctory listing the things you need to buy from the shop, the measures you will be required to provide and the numbered bullet points of the ‘method’. Well, I will again, next time do this, but please, indulge me this once as I spend a happy hour, tapping out sentences that make me feel the romance of the words as much as the love of the recipe. So, for today, here is my recipe, a la M.F.K Fisher.

I’ve been practically lathering in lentils lately. Dahls given va va voom with chunks of fibrous ginger or married, subtly with sliced meaty mushrooms. Though my love for these remain undiminished, today I wanted a burst of colour to puncture the mist and fog huddling outside my window. Along with a colour boost I sought warmth to embrace the union in the vibrant, thick broth. Beetroot and mustard sang to me from vacuum pack and portly jar. Yes, fresh taproots with a dusting of earth still evident and to be scrubbed away, would of course be your ingredient of choice. But when you’ve still got the pink glow and fatigued muscle, post 2 hour cycle ride, the last thing you may want to contemplate is a walk, up hill, to the shops. Sometimes you’ve just got to make do. Embrace convenience. And promise to be more organised next time. I sat for a minute sipping my green tea, and thought about what flavour it was I craved. Not too sweet, not too tart, I wanted a thick soup that didn’t lay so heavy on me that it rendered me ineffectual for the rest of the days tasks. I grabbed a ball of white cabbage, the bright corn yellow mustard from Dijon, two small, red onions, and put the kettle on to boil. I set quickly to work, post-exercise hunger was making itself heard in my midriff. I chopped the contents of two packs of beetroot in a hapless style and threw the chunks into my pot. The cabbage sliced in two. Then one half, roughly cut into slithers. The onions where peeled, quartered and then sent to meet the beet, and yes, when time allows the onions would favour a slow saute, but hunger dictated my design. A table spoon was scraped around the inside of the Dijon jar. Two garlic cloves, lay down under my knife and bashed flat with my fist then to joined the melee. Now for spice. Too easy to tip in a spoon of garam masala or all-spice, or introduce the Middle East with a woody stick of cinnamon, as I’d done so oft before. I wanted a fragrance to enliven my senses, but I wanted a fusion of flavours I’d not used before. A teaspoon of dusty red paprika to warm. Like delving blind into a lucky dip, I jostled amid the clutter of spice jars thrown together in my large plastic trug. My fingers touched each jar and I briefly considered each one. Imagining the resulting mix of flavours. I smiled, quite involuntarily, when I made my selection. I shook four wizened, green cardamon pods into my pestle and bashed hard. The tough outer shell spilt and released tiny grey seeds. I bashed and ground. Inhaling the aromatic beads. My yield of three pinches of powder then scattered over the waiting ingredients. I felt satisfied. I ignited the burner, poured the hot water from the kettle (to speed the process) to cover the mix and the lid went on with a resounding clang.

Whilst the vegetables came to a boil my mind considered a worthy and compatible garnish. I hunted down the mandolin and swiftly produced a dozen slithers of parsnip. I brushed olive oil on one side, and then the other. Pink salt, maybe a little too much, sprinkled over the top before putting the root to its fate under the scorching heat of the grill. In no tine the oil was dancing around the curling edges. Five minutes, two and a half each side, and I had parsnip crisps..or chips. These days, my wandering heart and love affair with America has made me bilingual. Does ‘American’ count as another language? The frizzled crisps didn’t last long. The sealible

After 20 minutes the steam had frosted all my windows and sweetened the kitchen air. I took arms with my trusty hand blender and stabbed into the boiled mass until the vegetables were one. I tasted. A scatter of pink salt settled upon the surface and then dissolved into the burgundy puree. I tasted again. A tiny sip from the end of the spoon. My hands clapped together three times in reverence to the harmonious blending, and then ladled two scoops into my bowl…. and then one for luck. The parsnips crisps I’d managed to not devour were then placed in the centre of the bowl, and admired for a second or two before I carried the soup to my chair. I threw the switch on my muddle of fairy lights and ate my lunch whilst following the hops and jumps of the blue tits, as they did their rounds of grub foraging on the remaining leaves of the apple tree. I slurped at the spoon and the sweet, faintly sharp, softly heated soup brightened the winter day.

Flowery prose spent. Tomorrow, normal service shall be resumed.

How to make simple & satisfying, Smokey Black Bean Soup. FAT FREE

October 27, 2011 by India Leigh Leave a Comment

No sauteing, no frying, no fuss. Simply Soup

No fat, no dairy.

Delicious.

I love this soup. It is rich, offers a gentle chili kick and a warming smokey spiciness from the smoked paprika.

Have you caught onto my *TOP TIP* and pre-soaked and pre-cooked a 500g bag of dried black beans, divided into 5 freezer bags and stashed in your freezer until needed? Yes - yey, grab a couple of bags…No? Ok either soak just enough for this recipe (serves 4) 250g or grab some cans.

VEGAN SMOKEY BLACK BEAN SOUP - FAT FREE

cook 250g dried beans or open 2 (16 oz) cans of ready cooked black beans

2 large cloves garlic minced

1 large onion diced

3 tsp freshly roasted cumin seeds

3 tsp smoked Spanish paprika

1 tsp freshly toasted coriander/ciltrano seeds or coriander powder (I like the texture and tiny pops of flavour the seeds give)

1 tsp mixed herbs

3 large tomatoes skinned (score around the top of tom, place in boiling water for a few mins after which skin will peel off easily) and chopped

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 dried whole chipotle chili (or alternatively, 1 tsp chili powder)

2 medium carrots grated or ‘sticked’ on the mandolin (about 1 1/2 cups)

1 tbs lime juice

1 tbs chopped fresh chives or salad onions to garnish

*Optional ingredients to add close to the end (to retain colour and nibs of flavour) of cooking - cooked sweet corn - chopped roasted red pepper. Optional garnish (its a herb that isn’t every ones cup of tea) fresh coriander/ciltrano

How to

1. place all the ingredients through to the carrots, cover with water to approximately 1 inch over the level of ingredients and bring to boil then simmer for 20 mins. Remove the chipotle unless you want some fiery heat.

2. add the carrots and cook for further 5 mins (should you want a thicker soup then blend half of it now and add the carrots after so they do not get pureed)

3.add lime juice and serve with fresh chopped chives or green/salad onions

I am in LOVE with this ole smokey!

p.s If you want to make a black bean chili instead of a soup then use less liquid.

p.s.s This is lovely, reheated and eaten with crumbly cornbread the next day too. Oh my.

p.s.s.s It is totally freezable too!

Halloween - Spicy Pumpkin Cauldron Soup and Spooky Skeleton crackers.

October 24, 2011 by India Leigh 2 Comments

I found muse by the hundreds down in Brighton, UK last weekend at the Zombie Festival. What a hoot…read about it here. They inspired me to get home and do some baking. I absolutely LOVED making these savory Halloween BITES! I agree though, my cashew cheese piping skills have room for improvement.

The SOUP is SPICY BUTTERNUT SQUASH. You can get the recipe through this wormhole (you can of course use pumpkin instead of the butternut squash. If you want to do some piping and draw cobwebs (YES, that IS a cobweb on the soup!) then enter this darkened room and find the secret recipe here .

The mini gingerless, unbread, gluten free, savoury SKELETON biscuits were another wee invention of mine.

Makes about 40 mini skeletons

1 cup sorghum flour

1/2 cup coconut flour

1/4 cup potato flour

*if gluten free is not a concern use 1 3/4 cup plain flour

3 tbs cold vegan butter

1 tbs mango chutney

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp allspice

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp chili powder

1/2 cup cold vegan milk (I used Kara Coconut milk)

Experiments in the lab

1. sift the flours, salt, chili powder, all spice and baking powder into a bowl

2. add the ‘butter’ and mango chutney and lightly use fingertips to mix to a crumb

3. add the ‘milk’ and form into a ball (add more if necessary) - you are looking for a pastry consistency that holds together

4. chill for minimum of 10 minutes

5. roll out onto a board to about 1/8 inch or 2-3 mm thick (I use baking parchment on top and underneath the pastry and roll out between the sheets as is a great way to save on cleaning up and it also prevents sticking to the surface)

6. use your cutter to cut out the shapes and place on a parchment covered baking sheet

7.bake for 12-15minutes until just turning a golden colour and nice and crisp when turned out onto a rack and cooled.

8. use the cashew cream to decorate in a far more arty way than I managed.

Happy Halloweeen! x

5 minute SPRING-TIME SOUP - nettle, pea & watercress soup with OLIVE BREAD -

May 24, 2011 by India Leigh 1 Comment

I seem to be having the urge to eat lots of green things. Like I don’t have enough green in my life right now, surrounded by fields and trees!

Last summer I frequently made this soup, its very simple to make and it is light and has lots of layers of flavour. The sun is making everything grow at a rapid rate and the nettles were calling. I was happy to get reacquainted with this tasty soup.

This serves 4 ..

Pick the top, freshest part of wild nettle,(use gloves or hold the stem firmly to prevent the needle like hairs ‘stinging’ you) about 20 plants should do it. Carefully remove the leaves and wash to add to other ingredients…

500g frozen garden peas.
250g watercress/spinach.
1 med onion (or a bunch of scallion/salad onions).
1 vegan, yeast-free stock cube.
1 garlic clove.
1 - 2 tsp whole grain mustard (I make my own..1:2 fresh ground mustard seeds/tbs apple cider vinegar.
1 tsp ground black pepper.
pink salt to taste - I use about 3 generous pinches.

The beauty of this soup is that it literally takes minutes and is such an eye popping vivid green, it impresses easily AND tastes fantastic. It is also really light and exciting with fresh mint.

The quickest method is to boil a kettle full of water (about 2- 2 1/2 pints) roughly cut up the scallions, pop in the whole garlic clove with the frozen peas, the nettles, watercress/spinach, mustard and stock/seasonings, pour on the boiling water, bring back to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes. I use a hand blender to blend to a soup..add more water if needed (not too much as will dilute the flavour). (If you want to use onions, instead of scallions then you will need to chop and fry them first in oil until golden, this will add 5-8mins to the time) That’s it your done…serve and slurp noisily from your spoon!

Do you want to make the olive bread too?…yey! I made the BASIC RECIPE first and then, after poking around in the fridge, elected to add olives.

Basic Recipe

Equal amounts of any of the following; brown rice flour, coconut flour (low carb), quinoa flour (high protein), kamut/ spelt flour (some find more easily digested than wheat..me for one). Choose 2 plus 1/2 cup ground flax For this recipe I used

1 cup coconut /brown rice/quinoa flours

1/2 cup freshly milled flax

1 tbs mixed herbs

2 tsp ACV

1 tsp Himalayan salt

A little something extra…2 tbs chopped black olives. *instead of the olives you could use sun dried tomatoes infused with garlic in oil.

Sift flours into a bowl, add other ingredients then enough water to create a batter like consistency (you do not have to be too precise as the cooking process will absorb or evaporate the water…) Mix well then pour into lightly oiled tins (aim for approx 3/4 inch deep…note, it doesn’t rise) and pop it into a hot over @ 175 degrees for approx 20 mins. Poke the centre with a knife to see if it comes clean (it may stick a little if you use the brown rice flour due the starch). Remove to a cooling rack…or if you are like me, don’t wait and rub a garlic clove on it and slather with vegan ‘butter’.

I love this bread, it has no yeast, its vegan and low fat and has a good level of low GI. If you use the coconut flour then it is low in carbs too. What you put on top of it is up to you!

Creamy broccoli and almond soup recipe.

Ingredients

Method

Connect