Quick and Easy Vegan Slow Cooking (13 page)
Read Quick and Easy Vegan Slow Cooking Online
Authors: Carla Kelly
S
OMETIMES YOU DON’T
have soy creamer in the fridge but need some and don’t want to go to the store—not to worry, make some yourself! This recipe was originally published in
Quick and Easy Vegan Bake Sale
and is always a handy one to have. How much sweetener you’ll need will depend on how sweet you like your creamer and how sweet your soymilk was initially. Because in this book it is used in savory applications, if you wish to omit the agave and vanilla completely, that is fine.
Makes 1¼ cups
Preparation time: 5 minutes
¼ cup plain soymilk (see Note)
¼ cup canola oil
¾ cup plain soymilk
1 to 2 teaspoons agave, to taste, optional
½ teaspoon vanilla extract, optional
1.
Place ¼ cup of the soymilk and the canola oil in a blender and blend on high until really smooth and creamy.
2.
Add the remaining soymilk through the vanilla, if using, and blend until super smooth and frothy.
3.
Use as you would commercial soy creamer and store in a tightly covered container in the fridge. I use leftover agave bottles!
NOTE
: If you want to use almond, oat, or drinking-style coconut milk instead of the soy milk to make this recipe, feel free.
Soups
Roast Tomato and Pepper Gazpacho
Black Bean, Red Pepper, and Arugula Soup
Butternut Squash and Pear Soup
Leek and Potato with Fennel Soup
Sour and Spiced Sweet Potato Soup
Poached Garlic and Roast Cauliflower Soup
Roasted Carrot and Sweet Potato Soup
Lentil, Cauliflower, and Potato Soup
Roasted Carrot and Lentil Soup
Minestrone-Inspired Chunky Fennel and White Bean Soup
Mock-a-Leekie (“Chicken” and Leek) Soup
A
H, SOUP. YOU
warm me up from the tips of my toes to the top of my head and keep me in your snug embrace for hours. I love soup. I could eat soup every day, as long as it was a different soup every day! There are loads of soups in this chapter, from the lightweight and purely vegetable to the dense and heavy, loaded with grains and beans. There really is something to suit every season and every taste.
A few things need to be pointed out about soups before you get started:
I give instructions for blending (or not blending) the soups to my desired consistency, how I serve the soup and think it works best. It may not be your desired consistency, though. I know some people who prefer chunky soups and can’t stand the texture of smooth ones; I know other people who are the exact opposite. Blend to your desired texture, and take my instructions as a suggestion or guideline if you really have no clear preference.
You may need to add more liquid to reach your desired consistency. Please do so, using the main liquid used in the recipe (be it vegetable stock, mushroom stock, tomato juice, or whatever) and heat through thoroughly.
I always list “Salt and black pepper to taste” (sometimes hot sauce, too) because I aimed for a midrange of seasoning that will suit all taste buds. You may feel I’ve erred on the side of not enough if you are a salt fiend, or even too much if you aren’t a spice or chile fanatic. Please taste the soup prior to adding more seasoning, especially if you made it with a commercially prepared broth; they can be salty.
I often suggest garnishes to make your final soup look pretty. These are just suggestions; feel free to present your soup however you wish!
I like to serve soups with savory baked goods. I give suggestions in many soup recipes, but for general ideas check To Serve With (
page 211
). I also love Croutons (
page 239
) tossed on top, or a sandwich, preferably loaded with vegetables, on the side.
If you serve the soup as a starter, you will get more servings than stated in the recipes; I assume the soup is being served as a meal in itself, with sides.
If you have leftover soup, allow it to come to room temperature, then refrigerate or freeze in a sealable container. Store cooled soup for 5 days in the fridge or up to 3 months in the freezer unless otherwise specified.
Always reheat soup until bubbling and piping hot for both safety and best taste. Do so slowly over medium heat on the stovetop or in the microwave, stirring frequently. Some soups, mainly those with beans, lentils, or grains, thicken as they sit; be prepared to add a little liquid when reheating.
If I know I will have a chunky soup left over, I serve it the first time as is, then puree it smooth for the second serving. It’s like having two different soups!
Roast Tomato and Pepper Gazpacho
T
HIS IS A
perfect summertime soup: cooling, refreshing, and bursting with flavor when all the vegetables are in season, at their ripest and sweetest. Using the slow cooker means you don’t have to turn on the oven during the hottest part of the summer, but for best results do plan ahead and start this the day before you plan to serve it. Add the chopped raw vegetables just prior to serving, so they stay crisp. The base soup mix can be held in the fridge for up to three days, so it is a great make-ahead option.
Serves 4
Preparation time: 20 minutes, divided
2 pounds Roma tomatoes, quartered
1 red pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces
½ red onion, roughly chopped into 1-inch pieces
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and black pepper
1 cup vegetable stock, store-bought or homemade (
page 43
)
2 Roma tomatoes, finely chopped and seeded
½ medium red pepper, finely chopped
¼ cup finely chopped, peeled, and seeded English cucumber
2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion
Salt and black pepper
Olive oil
*To ensure the dish is gluten free, if necessary, please check all packaged ingredients, as noted on
page 39
.
1.
Toss together the tomatoes, peppers, onion, and oil in the slow cooker. Season with the salt and pepper.
2.
Cover, set heat to HIGH, and cook for 4 hours, or until the vegetables have released their liquid and are reduced to about half the original volume. Uncover, add the stock, and cook on HIGH for 2 hours, or until enough of the liquid has cooked off that the mixture is further reduced by a quarter.
3.
Turn off the slow cooker and allow to cool until you can easily transfer all the contents to a blender.
4.
Blend until smooth and creamy.
5.
Transfer the blender jar to the fridge and chill for at least 2 hours, or overnight.
6.
Just prior to serving, reblend if desired; add the finely chopped raw vegetables to the chilled soup mix and stir well. Taste and season with the salt and pepper as required.
7.
Serve cold drizzled with a little olive oil to garnish.
VARIATION
For an additional hint of smokiness, roast the red pepper under the broiler (see
page 20
) prior to placing in the slow cooker.
Chilled Corn Soup
W
HEN SUMMER PRODUCE
is here and corn is ridiculously cheap, super fresh, and deliciously sweet, I like to use it in many ways. Although I like to serve this soup chilled, it also tastes good warm and freshly made, especially if served alongside Cornbread Scones (
page 243
) for a total corn overload experience. If you want to serve it chilled, this becomes a make-ahead soup. You can cook the corn and strip the cobs in advance, then hold and complete the remaining steps on another day, if desired. Steps 1 and 2 are also a great method for cooking corn on the cob, if you aren’t in a hurry!
Serves 4
Preparation time: 20 minutes, divided
6 medium ears corn, husked, cut in half if too long to fit in your slow cooker
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and black pepper
5 cups vegetable stock, store-bought or homemade (
page 43
)
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 teaspoon lime zest
1 teaspoon coriander
2 tablespoons cilantro stalks and leaves, finely chopped
½ to 1 jalapeño pepper, finely chopped, to taste
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons finely chopped red pepper
Salt and black pepper
Cilantro leaves, optional
*To ensure the dish is gluten free, if necessary, please check all packaged ingredients, as noted on
page 39
.
1.
Place the husked corn into the slow cooker. Drizzle with the oil and sprinkle with the salt and pepper; turn to coat.
2.
Set heat to HIGH and cook for 3 hours, or until the corn is tender and very aromatic.
3.
Remove the corn from the slow cooker and allow to cool on a cooling rack. Turn off the slow cooker.
4.
With a sharp knife slice the cooked kernels from the cobs. Set aside the kernels.
5.
Place the stripped cobs in the slow cooker with the stock through jalapeño.
6.
Cover, set heat to LOW, and cook for 6 hours. With this step you are making a rich, corn-flavored stock.
7.
Remove the cobs with tongs and use the back of a knife to scrape out any remaining pieces of corn or liquid on the cobs. Add these scrapings to the slow cooker.
8.
Put the reserved kernels in the slow cooker. Cover, set heat to LOW, and cook 1 hour to meld flavors.
9.
Blend until smooth using an immersion blender. If you would like a super smooth soup, strain through a sieve to remove any remaining pieces of corn.
10.
If serving warm, stir in the red pepper. Add the lime juice 1 tablespoon at a time, and taste after each addition. Taste and season with the salt and pepper as required, unless planning to serve chilled.
11.
If serving chilled, transfer to a storage container, allow to cool to room temperature, and refrigerate overnight. Just prior to serving, stir in the red pepper and the lime juice 1 tablespoon at a time; taste and season with the salt and pepper as required.