Category: Soup

Caramelized Seitan



Ingredients

  • 2-3T Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/2c water
  • 1-2T sherry or other sweet wine
  • 1c seitan, cubed
  • Cooking Spray

Directions


Whisk all marinade ingredients together and marinate seitan for at least
30 minutes. Drain the seitan reserving the marinade.

Heat a skillet over high heat. When hot coat with cooking spray and
throw in the seitan. Reduce the heat only slightly, when the pan starts
to dry and the seitan browns, pour in 1/4c marinade. let reduce until
thick and sticky. Scrape the skillet to rotate the seitan and pour in
more marinade. When seitan is brown on all sides pour in any remaining
marinade and turn off the heat. Remove from heat when there is still a
small amount of thick marinade coating the seitan.


Curried Long Island Cheese Pumpkin Soup



Ingredients

  • 1 small Long Island Cheese Pumpkin, peeled, seeded and roughly chopped—about 5-6 cups. If unavailable, use medium sized Butternut Squash.
  • 2 T olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 2 stalks celery, chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 2 T freshly grated ginger root
  • 2 t curry powder
    • *
1/4 t crushed red peppers
  • 1/2 t turmeric
    • *
1 t ground cumin
  • 1 t coriander
  • 4 c vegetable broth
  • 2 t brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream and milk. Any proportion you like.

Directions

Peel, seed and chop pumpkin. Cut the pumpkin in half, scoop out the seeds and cut the pumpkin into manageable vertical slices. Cheese pumpkin rind is very tough. I cut it off by laying the slices sideways on a chopping board and cutting downward. Chop pumpkin into 2” pieces

In heavy stockpot or Dutch Oven heat olive oil until hot, but not smoking. Throw in onions, celery and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally and adjusting flame to keep vegetables from browning, until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes.

Add curry powder, red pepper, turmeric and cumin. Lower flame and cook, stirring occasionally, to allow spices’ flavor to bloom fully—about 5 more minutes.

Add spices and allow them to cook for a few minutes, stirring to keep them from burning.

Add pumpkin, stir to coat with spices and cook 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally and adjusting flame to keep vegetables from browning.

Add hot broth, cover pot, and bring to boil, then immediately reduce to low simmer.

Simmer broth and vegetables for 30 minutes, until very soft.

Spoon broth and vegetables into a food processor. Purée until very smooth. Depending on the size of your food processor, you may need to process in 2 batches.

Pour puréed pumpkin back into pot. (At this point, pumpkin soup can be set aside, stored or frozen until ready to serve. When ready to serve, thaw or reheat pumpkin over low flame, stirring occasionally to keep purée from scorching.)

Stir in cream and milk in any proportion you like—I like more cream. Heat for 1-2 more minutes. Ladle into tureen or bowls and serve. We like to accompany this soup with garlicky croutons.


Hearty American Chili



Serves 4

Ingredients

  • 2 t olive oil
  • 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 T tomato paste
  • 1 cup seitan, finely chopped
  • 1 c textured vegetable protein granules, reconstituted with water
  • 1 16-oz can dark red kidney beans, drained
  • 2 T chili powder
  • 1 T unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 2 t paprika
  • 1 t ground cinnamon
  • 1 t salt
  • 1/2 t ground cumin
  • 1/2 t cayenne
  • 1/2 t ground allspice
  • 1/2 t dried marjoram
  • 1/2 t freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 t ground coriander
  • 1 c water
  • 1 c tomato sauce
  • 2 T tomato ketchup
  • 1 T apple cider vinegar
  • 1 t vegan Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 t agave nectar
  • 1 package shredded vegan cheddar cheese (optional)

Directions

In a large pot over medium heat, heat oil. Add onion, cover, and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook 1 minute. Add tomato paste, seitan, and textured vegetable protein, and cook 2 minutes longer. Add beans, chili powder, cocoa, paprika, cinnamon, salt, cumin, cayenne, allspice, marjoram, pepper, and coriander. Stir in water.

Add tomato sauce, ketchup, vinegar, Worcestershire, and agave. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and cook uncovered for 35-45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add additional water and adjust seasonings, if needed. Serve hot, topped with vegan cheddar.


Bean Soup with Cabbage, Winter Squash, and Farro



Serves 6

Ingredients

  • 1/2 lb borlotti or pinto beans, soaked overnight or for six hours in 1 quart water
  • 2 T extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 1 medium carrot, chopped
  • 1 small celery stalk, with leaves, chopped
  • 2 t chopped fresh sage
  • 4 large garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 lb green cabbage, cored and shredded
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 1 lb butternut squash, peeled, seeded and diced (about 2 cups)
  • A bouquet garni made with a few sprigs each thyme and parsley, 2 sage leaves and a Parmesan rind
  • Generous 1/2 t dried rosemary, crumbled
  • 1 (14-oz) can chopped tomatoes, with liquid
  • 1/2 c farro (spelt), cooked
  • Freshly grated Parmesan for serving

Directions

Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium heat in a large, heavy soup pot or Dutch oven. Cook the onion until it begins to soften, about three minutes. Add the carrot, celery and sage, and continue to cook, stirring, until the vegetables are tender, about five minutes. Add half the garlic. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, about one minute. Add the cabbage and a generous pinch of salt, and cook, stirring often, until the cabbage is limp, about 10 minutes. Drain the soaked beans, and add them to the pot, along with the squash, bouquet garni and 2 quarts water, or enough to cover by two inches. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, add salt to taste and simmer 1 1/2 to 2 hours until the beans are tender. Remove the bouquet garni, and discard.

While the soup is simmering, heat the remaining olive oil over medium heat in a medium-size nonstick skillet. Add the remaining garlic and the rosemary. Cook for a half-minute to a minute until fragrant, and stir in the tomatoes. Add salt. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring often, until the tomatoes have cooked down and the mixture is thick, beginning to stick to the pan and delicious. Stir into the soup along with the cooked farro. Continue to simmer for another 30 minutes. Taste and adjust salt, and add lots of freshly ground pepper. Serve with freshly grated Parmesan.