Quick and Easy Vegan Slow Cooking (17 page)

2.
Chop the remaining mushrooms into ½-inch pieces and place in the slow cooker.

3.
Combine the flour, stock, and soy sauce in a measuring cup or bowl and whisk until the flour is completely dissolved. Transfer the mixture to the slow cooker.

4.
Add the shallots through the thyme to the slow cooker; stir well.

5.
Cover, set heat to LOW, and cook for 6 hours, or until the mushrooms are very soft and the soup has thickened.

6.
Add the soy milk and blend with an immersion blender until smooth. Add additional stock to reach your preferred consistency.

7.
Mix in the nutritional yeast and about ¾ cup of the reserved sautéed mushrooms. Taste and season with the salt and pepper as required.

8.
Garnish with the remaining sautéed mushrooms and serve hot.

VARIATIONS:

SMOOTH MUSHROOM SOUP

Omit the garnish step and incorporate those mushrooms into the soup.

DRIED MUSHROOM-INFUSED MUSHROOM SOUP

For the 3 ounces “other” mushrooms, use ½ cup dried porcini or shiitake mushrooms. Submerge in boiling water in a large bowl, cover for 20 minutes, drain, and add to the recipe as indicated. Use the soaking liquid (well strained) as part of the measure of mushroom stock.

CREAMIER MUSHROOM SOUP

Replace ¼ cup of soy milk with soy creamer; be warned: this variation is heavy and rich.

MEGA MUSHROOM SOUP

Add an extra portobello cap for an immensely mushroom-y soup (my husband’s preference).

Poached Garlic and Roast Cauliflower Soup

T
HE EXTRA STEP
of roasting adds such a depth of flavor and sweetness to the final soup that it is so worthwhile. You can do it in advance and add the cold roasted veggies to the soup if you find that easier. The soup itself is smooth, thick, and creamy with a mild garlic and rich cauliflower taste, lifted by hints of the caraway and sage. It is wonderful served with Spelt Crackers (
page 241
) if you’re a cracker dunker.

Serves 6 to 8
Preparation time: 30 minutes, including roasting the cauliflower but not making the poached garlic

1 head cauliflower, roughly chopped into large florets

2 tablespoons Garlic Infused Oil (
page 54
) or olive oil

Salt and black pepper
 

1 onion, finely chopped

22 cloves Poached Garlic (
page 54
) (see Note)

1 bay leaf

2 teaspoons dried rubbed sage

1 teaspoon dried thyme

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon black pepper

¼ teaspoon caraway seeds

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

Additional stock

Salt and black pepper

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

1.
Preheat oven to 425°F. In a 9 by 13-inch baking pan toss the cauliflower in the oil to coat. Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper and roast until golden and soft, about 25 minutes.

2.
Combine the onion through the stock in the slow cooker, add the roasted cauliflower, scraping out the baking pan to remove all traces. Stir well.

3.
Cover, set heat to LOW, and cook for 4 hours, or until the cauliflower is very soft and essentially falling apart and the flavors are well combined.

4.
Remove the bay leaf and blend the soup using an immersion blender until completely smooth, adding stock if required to reach your ideal consistency.

5.
Taste and season with the salt and pepper as required.

NOTE
: Yes, I do mean 22 cloves of poached garlic; it’s not a typo! This is about 2 heads’ worth.

Roasted Carrot and Sweet Potato Soup

T
HICK, EARTHY, AND
just a little sweet, this soup bursts with orange goodness. The flavors of the carrots and the sweet potato are enhanced by the quick blast of high heat in the oven, which gives a little light carmelization, then simmering for hours develops those flavors even more. Perfect for a day when you need warming from the inside out, any time of the year. If your produce is organic, there is no need to peel it. Leftovers will thicken as they stand, so add more stock as required when you reheat.

Serves 4 to 6
Preparation time: 35 minutes, including roasting the vegetables

1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cut into ½-inch pieces

3 medium carrots, peeled and cut into ½-inch pieces

2 tablespoons Garlic Infused Oil (
page 54
) or canola oil

Salt and black pepper
 

2 tablespoons red wine or vegetable stock, store-bought or homemade (
page 43
)
 

1 medium onion, finely chopped

8 cloves Poached Garlic (
page 54
)

1 celery stalk, finely chopped 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger

½ teaspoon cardamom

½ teaspoon coriander

1 teaspoon tomato paste

1 teaspoon blackstrap molasses

3 cups vegetable stock
 

Additional stock

Salt and black pepper

*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. Toss the sweet potato, carrot, and oil in a roasting pan, season with the salt and pepper, and roast for 25 minutes, or until aromatic and starting to caramelize on the bottom. Remove from the pan and transfer to the slow cooker.

2.
Deglaze the roasting pan with the red wine and transfer to the slow cooker.

3.
Add the onion through the stock to the slow cooker; stir to combine.

4.
Cover, set heat to LOW, and cook for 6½ hours, or until the vegetables are completely soft.

5.
Blend until smooth using an immersion blender; add stock if desired. Taste and season with the salt and pepper as required.

Green Curry Lentil Soup

G
REEN IS GOOD.
Green is power. Green is healthy. Go green! Wonderful in springtime, especially if you can use fresh peas instead of frozen, this soup is infused with the subtle heat of Thai curry paste. The vibrantly colored finished soup has a smooth feel, which is enhanced by the bright pops of flavor and texture from the peas. You’ll never look at green the same way again.

Serves 4 to 6
Preparation time: 10 minutes

2 garlic cloves, minced

½ medium onion, finely chopped

1 celery stalk, finely chopped

¼ cup finely chopped cilantro stems and leaves

2½ teaspoons Thai green curry paste

1 teaspoon coriander

1 teaspoon cumin

1 cup red lentils

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

½ head broccoli, florets and stalk finely chopped

One 14½-ounce package frozen spinach (see Note)

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon black pepper
 

Additional stock, as required
 

1 cup fresh or frozen green peas
 

Salt and black pepper

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

1.
Combine the garlic through the stock in the slow cooker. Cover, set heat to LOW, and cook for 4 hours, or until tender.

2.
Add the broccoli through the pepper in the order given
without stirring
. Cover and cook 2 hours, or until the lentils are tender and the spinach is broken up. Stir well.

3.
Using an immersion blender, blend the mix until smooth and creamy. Add stock as required to reach your preferred consistency.

4.
Add the peas, cover, and cook 30 minutes or until tender.

5.
Add the salt and pepper to taste.

NOTE
: If you prefer to use fresh spinach instead of frozen, add 4 cups roughly chopped about 30 minutes before the end of the cooking time.

Lentil, Cauliflower, and Potato Soup

T
HESE INGREDIENTS ARE
old friends in Indian cuisine, but this is not an Indian-inspired soup. The flavors that shine are the main ones—the cauliflower especially—and these are lifted and enhanced by the herbs and spices, with a twist of caraway at the end. This is a soup that lends itself very well to being served either chunky or smooth. Chop the potato and cauliflower as finely as the celery and onion so that everything will cook as stated. Use the rest of your cauliflower to make a side dish, such as Ginger and Garlic Cauliflower (
page 219
), for another night.