Quick and Easy Vegan Slow Cooking (16 page)

R
ICH, SILKY SMOOTH
,
creamy, and oh so absolutely divine. I run out of superlatives when I describe this soup because it is one I just adore! The ingredients are really simple and the method just as simple, but the depth of flavor and the balance is perfect. The leeks and fennel work hand in hand instead of one being dominant. If you prefer a chunkier soup, don’t blend at the final step. Use a potato masher to mash the vegetables so they are partially broken up but not smooth. Serve cold as a modern vichyssoise for a perfect summertime soup, for a change.

Serves 4 to 6
Preparation time: 20 minutes

3 tablespoons olive oil
 

3 medium leeks, trimmed, rinsed, halved lengthwise, and cut into ½-inch-thick slices

1 small bulb fennel, trimmed, cut into ½-inch slices, fronds reserved for optional garnish

3 medium white potatoes, peeled and cut into ¼-inch cubes

3 garlic cloves, crushed with the flat of a knife and peeled
 

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

1 bay leaf

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon black pepper

2 cups light vegetable stock
 

Salt and black pepper
 

Olive oil and fennel seeds, optional

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

1.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add the leek, fennel, potato, and garlic; sauté, stirring only occasionally not obsessively, until vegetables are starting to caramelize, 6 to 7 minutes.

2.
Deglaze with the wine.

3.
Transfer to the slow cooker. Add the bay leaf through the stock.

4.
Cover, set heat to LOW, and cook for 6 hours, or until the fennel is easily crushed against the side of the slow cooker and the potato is tender.

5.
Remove the bay leaf and blend with an immersion blender until silky smooth.

6.
Taste and season with the salt and pepper to taste.

7.
Serve garnished with a tiny drizzle of the oil and a sprinkling of fennel fronds or seeds, if desired.

Sour and Spiced Sweet Potato Soup

without vegan sour cream

T
HIS CREAMY SOUP
is hiding a little surprise. It looks like your run-of-the-mill sweet potato soup, but when you taste it you’re hit with a sour and spicy kick that contrasts so nicely with the smoothness of the sweet potatoes. It’s not overly hot or overly sour, just interesting and different, and it’s perfect for using up all that rhubarb your garden may be producing, if you don’t have a sweet tooth! If you are serving rhubarb haters, however, don’t tell them it’s there; no one need know when it’s all blended together. The longer-than-usual cooking time for red lentils is due to the sourness of the rhubarb.

Serves 4 to 6
Preparation time: 15 minutes

½ medium onion, finely chopped

1 celery stalk, finely chopped

1 jalapeño pepper, minced

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger

1 tablespoon Tandoori Spice Mix, or other mild or medium curry powder

1 bay leaf

¾ cup chopped rhubarb (1 stalk), quartered lengthwise and cut into ¼-inch lengths (see Note)

1 medium potato (any kind), peeled and cut into ¼-inch dice

1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cut into ¼-inch dice

½ cup red lentils

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

Salt and black pepper

Vegan sour cream, optional

*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 stock in the slow cooker.

2.
Cover, set heat to LOW, and cook for 8 hours, or until the lentils and potatoes are tender and the rhubarb is incorporated into the soup.

3.
Remove the bay leaf and blend the soup with an immersion blender until smooth.

4.
Taste and season with the salt and pepper as required. To serve, top with the sour cream, if desired.

NOTE
: You may think rhubarb is a funny ingredient to include in a book of savory recipes, but try it and see! Be sure to remove all leaves and leaf bases from the rhubarb stalks; they are poisonous.

Sort-of Borscht Beet Soup

without vegan sour cream

N
ONTRADITIONAL BUT STILL
really yummy, incorporating elements of the original, this beet soup is a beautiful orange-y red color with darker red highlights from the raw beet shreds and is loaded with earthy goodness. A perfect hearty filler on a cold day. I like to puree about half the soup, leaving chunks of both beet and potato to produce an interesting texture. If you’d like to puree it smooth, or not at all, go right ahead. This soup reheats well, though it does get thicker as it stands and may need additional water or stock to adjust the texture.

Serves 4
Preparation time: 20 minutes

1 medium onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 celery stalk, finely chopped

1 bay leaf

1 medium baking potato, peeled and cut to ¼-inch pieces

2 large beets, peeled and cut to ¼-inch pieces

2 medium carrots, peeled and cut to ¼-inch pieces
 

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

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1½ teaspoons smoked paprika

1 teaspoon ground caraway seeds

1 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon black pepper
 

Salt and black pepper

Additional stock
 

1 small beet, peeled and finely grated (about 4 ounces)
 

Vegan sour cream, optional

*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 carrot in the slow cooker. In a measuring cup or small bowl, whisk together the stock through the black pepper; add to the slow cooker and stir to combine.

2.
Cover, set heat to LOW, and cook 6 hours, or until the beets and potato are tender.

3.
Remove the bay leaf, taste, and season with the salt and pepper as required. Using an immersion blender, blend until as smooth as desired, adding extra stock to reach your desired consistency.

4.
Add the grated raw beet and stir though for color.

5.
Serve garnished with a little sour cream, if desired.

VARIATION:

Use half a medium sweet potato in place of the baking potato for a more earthy soup.

Magnificent Mushroom Soup

W
AY BACK WHEN
I was still working toward my hotel and catering diploma, I worked part-time for a restaurant as a general kitchen hand, dishwasher, and prep cook. One of the many things I remember was a wonderful mushroom soup, recreated here. I’ve changed several things over the years, but I always make this soup; it is so thick, creamy, earthy, rich, and mushroom-y! If you’re a mushroom hater, please, turn to another page. The soup is quite thick, especially after standing, so thin with a little stock as required.

Serves 4 to 6
Preparation time: 35 minutes, including garnish

2 portobello mushrooms, about 8 ounces

2 ounces shiitake mushrooms

6 ounces cremini mushrooms

12 ounces white button mushrooms

3 ounces other mushrooms as desired, or more of one of the above (see Variations)

1 tablespoon canola oil
 

¼ cup all-purpose flour

4 cups mushroom stock, or vegetable stock, at room temperature, store-bought or homemade (
page 43
)

1 tablespoon soy sauce
 

2 shallots, minced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon dried thyme
 

1½ cups soy milk
 

Additional stock
 

2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
 

Salt and black pepper

1.
Finely dice 1 portobello cap, 3 shiitake, 2 cremini, and 3 white button mushrooms into no more than ¼-inch pieces. Sauté in a large skillet in the oil over high heat until brown, about 10 minutes. Take care that the mushrooms do not overbrown. Set aside. (If desired, you can do this step at the end of the main soup cooking time.)