Quick and Easy Vegan Slow Cooking (15 page)

*To ensure the dish is gluten free, if necessary, please check all packaged ingredients, as noted on
page 39
.

1.
Combine the onion through the bay leaf in the slow cooker.

2.
Set heat to LOW and cook for 6 hours, or until the potatoes and lentils are tender.

3.
Add the broccoli, salt, and pepper; stir well and cook for 2 hours, or until the broccoli is soft.

4.
Remove the bay leaf, then use an immersion blender to blend until smooth.

5.
Taste and season with the salt and pepper as required. Add stock to adjust the texture of the soup to reach your preferred consistency.

Butternut Squash and Pear Soup

T
HIS SOUP ISN’T
excessively sweet, just fragrant, and light for such a filling soup. You need the pears to be ripe but not overly so, with a nice sweetness. They should not be too soft or they’ll just turn to mush when you try to peel them. If you can’t find reasonably priced pear juice, do what I did once and buy a can of pear halves in juice. Drain the juice, use it in this recipe, then blend the pears to use in place of applesauce. You can also use canned pears in place of fresh for this recipe. Use the rest of your butternut squash in a stew such as Curried Sausages with Apricots, Squash, and Pistachios (
page 127
).

Serves 4 to 6
Preparation time: 30 minutes

½ large or 1 small butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into ½-inch cubes (about 4 cups)

2 medium ripe pears, peeled, cored, and cut into 1-inch cubes

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 teaspoon coriander

1 teaspoon cumin

½ teaspoon cardamom

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon black pepper

¼ teaspoon allspice

½ cup pear juice or vegetable stock, store-bought or homemade (
page 43
)

3 cups vegetable stock
 

Additional stock

Salt and black pepper
 

Toasted pumpkin seeds to garnish, optional

*To ensure the dish is gluten free, if necessary, please check all packaged ingredients, as noted on
page 39
.

1.
Combine the squash through the stock in the slow cooker.

2.
Cover, set heat to LOW, and cook for 6 hours, or until the squash is tender enough to mash using the back of a wooden spoon.

3.
Blend with an immersion blender until silky smooth, adding stock to reach your preferred consistency.

4.
Taste and season with the salt and pepper as required.

5.
Serve garnished with pumpkin seeds if desired.

Spicy Carrot Soup

A
SORT OF ASIAN-SOUTHWESTERN
fusion vibe is going on in this
extremely spicy
soup. The heat is tempered somewhat by the natural sweetness of the carrots, coaxed out even more with the long cooking time, the creaminess of the coconut milk, and the lifting addition of lime. You may be expecting a vibrant orange soup, but the final color will be more yellow than orange. To save time washing dishes, use a handheld box grater and grate the carrot directly into the slow cooker. It may take longer, but there will be less to clean. If you’d rather use your food processor for speedy grating, go right ahead.

Serves 6 to 8
Preparation time: 25 minutes

2½ pounds carrots, grated

½ medium onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 shallot, finely chopped

1 celery stalk, finely chopped

1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger

1 or 2 jalapeño or serrano peppers, minced (see Note)

1 teaspoon ancho or chipotle chile powder (see Note)

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon black pepper

3 cups vegetable stock, store-bought or homemade (
page 43
)

1½ cups canned coconut milk
 

1 tablespoon lime juice

Salt and black pepper
 

Sliced jalapeño pepper or lime, optional

*To ensure the dish is gluten free, if necessary, please check all packaged ingredients, as noted on
page 39
.

1.
Combine the carrots through the coconut milk in the slow cooker.

2.
Cover, set heat to LOW, and cook for 8 hours, or until the carrots are very soft and flavors are completely melded.

3.
Blend until smooth using an immersion blender.

4.
Add the lime juice, taste, and season with the salt and pepper as required.

5.
Garnish with the sliced pepper, if using.

NOTE
: Remember that the level and intensity of heat is up to you. If you like less heat use jalapeño, and maybe even only half of one if you are super heat phobic, and choose ancho chile powder, which is more aromatic and smoky than hot. If you feel hotter is always better, use the serrano peppers (at least two) and the chipotle chile powder, or even try the super spicy variation. Remember: It is better to start off not spicy enough and add more heat later. Err on the side of caution.

VARIATION:

SUPER SPICY CARROT SOUP

In addition to choosing the hotter options, add 1 teaspoon chile flakes with the chile powder and serve with your choice of hot sauce on the side.

Sweet Potato with Lime Soup

T
HIS IS A
rich and creamy smooth soup that goes down very easily. The richness is lifted and lightened by the touch of lime. Perfect for a rainy autumn (or spring) day when you need a belly full of warmth. If, on another day, you are using the oven for something else, you can roast the sweet potatoes ahead of time and hold in the fridge until required for this recipe. Use lowfat canned coconut milk if this is a consideration for you, or substitute half the coconut milk with vegetable stock. The soup will be less rich but still very yummy.

Serves 4 to 6
Preparation time: 40 minutes, including roasting the sweet potatoes

2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks

1 tablespoon canola oil

Salt and black pepper
 

½ cup vegetable stock, store-bought or homemade (
page 43
)
 

½ medium onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 celery stalk, finely chopped

1½ tablespoons lime zest from 2 medium limes

½ cup vegetable stock

1½ cups canned coconut milk
 

Additional stock

1 to 3 tablespoons lime juice from 2 medium limes, to taste
 

Salt and black pepper
 

Lime wedges or zest spirals, optional

*To ensure the dish is gluten free, if necessary, please check all packaged ingredients, as noted on
page 39
.

1.
Preheat the oven to 425°F. In a 9 by 13-inch baking pan, toss the sweet potato in the oil, season with the salt and pepper, and roast for 30 minutes, until soft and lightly caramelized.

2.
Add the ½ cup vegetable stock to deglaze the baking pan, collecting all the stuck pieces of sweet potato. Transfer to the slow cooker and add the onion through the coconut milk; stir to combine.

3.
Cover, set heat to LOW, and cook for 5 hours, or until the flavors are well melded and the sweet potato is very soft.

4.
Using an immersion blender, blend the soup until smooth. Add stock as required to make to desired consistency.

5.
Just prior to serving add the lime juice 1 tablespoon at a time, tasting after each addition until it is to your taste, stirring well to make sure well mixed. Season with the salt and pepper as required.

6.
Garnish with a wedge of lime, or a spiral of lime zest, if desired.

VARIATION

SQUASH SOUP WITH LIME

Also very good made with butternut (or other winter) squash, prepared the same as you would the sweet potatoes.

Leek and Potato Soup with Fennel