Category: Soups

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Hearty Vegetable Chili

My kids actually like this vegetable chili.  Woohoo! Adapated from America’s Test Kitchen Family Cookbook.  I will also put leftovers over rice or quinoa and top with cheese sauce to turn it into a casserole–just heat in the oven until warm.

2 TBSP vegetable oil
1 onion minced
1 red bell pepper chopped
1 zucchini chopped
1 yellow squash chopped
2 garlic cloves minced
1 1⁄2 TBSP chili powder
1 15 oz can tomato sauce
1 can kidney beans rinsed
1 can black beans rinsed
1 cup vegetable broth
2 TBSP minced cilantro optional

Cook onion and bell pepper in oil over medium high heat until softened, about three minutes. Add zucchini and squash and cook until browned, 5-7 minutes. Stir in garlic and chili powder until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add sauce, beans and broth and simmer for ten minutes. Add 2 TBSP minced cilantro; season with salt and pepper to taste.
I added about 3/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp chipotle tabasco.
Chipotle Tabasco is the BEST flavor for soups and stews.  If you add just a few shakes or 1/4 tsp or so, it adds great flavor without being spicy.  Of course you can add more if you want it spicy!
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“Cheesy” Rice

I created this not long ago and got an enthusiastic “Make this again, Mom!”  Will do!  I’ve tried a ton of different plant-based macaroni and cheese recipes.  They are tasty but nothing will ever taste exactly like a box of mac and cheese.  I’m okay with that, but putting this sauce on brown rice creates a similarly satisfying combination without the expectation that it taste exactly like the box.

2 cups uncooked brown rice, cooked

1-2 lbs cooked broccoli, normandy mix or your favorite vegetables

1 recipe Smoky Butternut Squash Soup

Simply pour the soup over the cooked rice and vegetables and you have delicious warm comfort food.  Serve immediately or can also be reheated later in a casserole dish in the oven (30-40 min at 350).

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Smoky Butternut Squash Soup

This soup has it all–healthy, easy and even the kids like it.  Chipotle Tabasco is the secret ingredient here, it lends a wonderfully complex flavor but isn’t spicy in this amount. This is a great soup to keep on hand in the freezer and reheat in the rice cooker.
Serves: 10

Ingredients

  • 2 cups diced onion (about 1 large)
  • 1 TBSP olive oil
  • 4 cups (1 quart) low-sodium vegetable broth
  • 8 cups diced butternut squash (about 1 medium squash or 2 lbs precut squash)
  • 1 tsp chipotle tabasco sauce
  • 1 cup raw unsalted cashews
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • sea salt to taste I like about 1 to 1 1/2 tsp

Directions

  1. Saute onion in olive oil for 3-5 min until soft. Add broth and squash and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until squash is soft, about 25-30 min. Turn heat off and stir in cashews. Allow cashews to soften for about 5 min, meanwhile add salt, paprika and tabasco to blender. Puree soup in batches in high speed blender, using caution to allow steam to escape. Adjust seasonings to taste and serve.
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Super fast you’d never believe its vegan broccoli “cheese” soup

This soup is so fast, tasty, satisfying and healthy!!

1 lb cooked broccoli
1-2 roasted red peppers (optional)
1 quart vegetable broth
1 cup cashews (preferably raw unsalted)
3 tbsp nutritional yeast (I get this at sprouts by the spices or order on Amazon)
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
Few dashes chipotle Tabasco
1/2 tsp sea salt
Cooked quinoa (optional) brown rice would work too.

I cook my quinoa on the white rice setting of my rice cooker. It generally takes 20-30 minutes so if I do that first it can be cooking while I make everything else.

Cook your broccoli if it’s not already cooked.

Add remaining ingredients to blender. If you have a Blendtec or Vitamix you can run it on high for three minutes to heat, but your broccoli and quinoa should be hot as well. Or you can blend until smooth and heat on the stove. Once mixture is smooth, pulse in broccoli to desired consistency and stir in quinoa if using (if the broccoli is the right size no one will know the quinoa is there). Heat if needed, adjust seasonings to taste and enjoy!