soup Archives - Feast of Plants

The Best Instant Pot Tomato Soup (Vegan & GF)

Feast of Plants — Mon, 06 Feb 2023 11:30:47 +0000

See the recipe Tomato soup is the ideal comfort food. As we head into February, weather predictions are that we’re going to hit minus temperatures again here in London. So, when you come home from this cold, an easy but comforting tomato soup is just what you need to warm you up. There are probably as many recipes for tomato soup as there are fish in the sea at this point, and I’m sure everyone will claim theirs is the best. Recipes will vary wildly from using cream, spices, to using a vegetable base such as carrots and celery. Some people only use fresh tomatoes while others will swear that you only need tinned. Then comes the debate about whether is should be smooth and creamy, or chunky and interesting. Personally, I love a good creamy tomato soup on a cold day. I like to roast my tomatoes first so fresh are a must, paired with some roasted garlic and a good vegetable base and you’ll have a winner every time. To great that great creamy taste while staying vegan, I add cashews to the mix. Cooking them with the rest of the soup negates the need to soak them and they blend well with the rest of the soup. What to serve with it? This is an easy question. The traditional pairing with tomato soup is a good grilled cheese, the creaminess of the cheese really compliments the acidity of the tomatoes. Want to go a little bit fancy? Why not make some grilled cheese croutons for a fun option. As for toppings, a generous lump of basil pesto (vegan of course), or a swirl of vegan crème fraiche both pair very well here. Ingredient tips? This is one of the most accessible recipes and I imagine most items will be easily found in your local supermarket. The perhaps oddest item may be the vegan fish sauce, I use this one but you can substitute some gluten free soy sauce if you’d prefer. This homemade tomato soup is both creamy, smooth and super easy to make - the perfect solution for those cold winter nights!

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Pumpkin Soup with Sage & Walnut Pesto (Vegan, Gluten Free)

Feast of Plants — Tue, 22 Feb 2022 11:00:24 +0000

Here in London, it’s cold and raining, winter is continuing strong through February so it’s ideal weather for soup. Warming and soothing, it’s a dash I’d typically reach for during colder weather and it’s healthy too! I don’t see a lot of pumpkin over here. It’s a very American veg that has been slowly creeping over along with the ever-popular pumpkin spice everything. I’ve been working out what to do with it and this soup has been incredibly popular. Paired with some delightfully autumnal sage and walnut pesto, this soup is incredibly easy but will warm you through after a cold day. Leftovers This soup will store in the fridge for up to 5 days in an airtight container and freezes well. If you have any pesto left over, freeze it into portions using a ice cube tray and you can grab a block as you need it. It pairs well with wintery salads and roasted veg. Enjoy! Makes: Serves 4 Ingredients For the Soup: 1.2kg Pumpkin 1/2 Garlic Bulb 1 Large Onion, chopped 1tsp Dried Thyme 1/2 tsp Dried Sage 1 tsp Paprika 1/2 tsp Turmeric 1/2 tsp Nutmeg 1/2 tsp Chilli Flakes 1/2 tsp Ground Cumin 1ltr Vegetable Stock 400ml Coconut milk Salt & Pepper to taste For the Sage & Walnut Pesto: 1/2 Head of Garlic 45g Fresh Sage 45g Walnuts 80ml Extra Virgin Olive OIl 1/4 cup Nutritional Yeast 2tbsp Fresh Parsely, chopped 1tbsp Lemon Juice 1/2tsp Chilli Flakes 1/2tsp Salt Directions Making the soup: Preheat the oven to 200 C. Start by carving your pumpkin into wedges, removing the seeds and peeling. Toss in a little oil and roast in the oven for 45min-1 hour, or until the pumpkin has softened and started to brown around the edges. At the same time, cut the top off the garlic bulb (assuming you’re making the pesto with the soup, you’ll need a whole bulb for both), and drizzle in a little oil before wrapping in foil for 45mins. Mash the pumpkin once done and place to one side. Place your favourite soup pan on a medium-high heat with a touch of oil. Sautee the onion till softened and add in the dried herbs and spices. Continue cooking for another minute or so, until the spices are roasted the mix smells aromatic. Deglaze the pan well with a touch of stock before squeezing the garlic out of it’s skins into the pot and adding in the rest of the ingredients, including the roasted pumpkin. Bring to a light boil, partially cover, and simmer for 15 minutes Making the pesto: Make sure you’ve roasted the garlic before you begin – see the garlic notes above for guidance if you haven’t yet. I like to make my pesto in a mini food processor but if you haven’t got one, you can go traditional and use a mortar and pestle. Trim the sage leave and discard any stems, these can be tough and as such are unsuited for raw dishes like pesto. Squeeze the roasted garlic cloves into the food processor along with the rest of the pesto. Blend until you have a tasty paste, tasting and adjusting seasoning, oil, or herb levels until you’re happy with it. Store in the fridge until ready for use. When the soup has finished simmering, blend with an immersion blender until smooth and silky. Season to taste before serving with a healthy spoon of pesto and some crusty bread. Notes Can’t find pumpkin? any type of squash like butternut makes a really god substitute. If you can, try to use younger, smaller sage leaves as larger leaves can be a little tough. Sage is also incredibly easy to grow so if you keep a pot in your garden you’ll have a great wintery herb to hand. Allergy Notes; This is naturally vegan and gluten free but the pesto uses walnuts so may not be suitable if you suffer from a nut allergy. substitute the walnuts with an equal quantity of roasted pumpkin seeds for a tasty, zero waste alternative!

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Spicy Miso Ramen with Marinated Tofu (Vegan & Gluten Free)

Feast of Plants — Fri, 29 Jan 2021 15:00:58 +0000

Ramen may never have gone completely out of style but it certainly seems to be going through something of a renaissance in the west. Noodles are so important in Japan that they famously managed to create space worthy ramen back in 2005 when other space foods were still being eaten with a straw. I can’t even begin to be an expert myself, as a white girl living in London who’s never even been to Japan but it’ll often be the first thing I order if available. Tasty noodles floating in a deeply flavourful broth, paired with beautiful toppings. The problem, as with many dishes like it, is two fold for us – how do you make a broth as flavourful without meat, and how do you make it completely gluten free without loosing any further flavour? Lets look at the gluten problem first. Many recipes will suggest simply substituting rice noodles for normal wheat based ramen. While rice noodles have their place, they don’t have the same flavour or texture as a good ramen noodles. Instead, we’re big fans of buckwheat ramen. Slightly deeper in colour than your standard ramen but with good flavour all their own and enough body to stand up to any good broth. As a small note, if you’ve been reading my recipes for a while you’ll know my normal substitute for soy sauce – coconut aminos. It took us a while to find a brand that tastes just right but they’re gluten free, soy free and can taste just like soy sauce. As for veganising what is typically a meat based broth, the first key is to go for miso ramen. This is by far the easiest type to veganise as so much of the flavour comes from the miso based tare rather than relying on meat stock. Of course the broth is still important. Bring out your best vegetable stock, build it up with key aromatics like onion, garlic and ginger. Add the key building blocks of a great dashi, dried shitake mushrooms and kombu and finish with mirin, sesame oil, soy sauce (or coconut aminos in our case), and yeast extract makes a broth anyone would adore. Try it – I’m sure you’ll love it as much as we do! Makes: Serves 4-6 Ingredients For the Marinated Tofu: 400g Firm Tofu, pressed 1/4 cup Cornflour 1 Tbsp Red Miso 1 Tbsp Soy Sauce Substitute (See allergy note below) 1 Tbsp Toasted Sesame Oil For the Broth: 1 Large onion, chopped 2 Garlic Cloves, minced 10g Ginger, thinly shredded 1 Ltr Vegetable Stock 1 Ltr Water 1 Sheet Kombu 20g Dried Shitake Mushrooms 30ml Mirin 1/2 Tbsp Soy Sauce Substitute (See allergy note below) 1 Tbsp Toasted Sesame Oil For the Tare: 135g Red Miso 60g Oil 3g Red Chilli Flakes 1 Tbsp Tahini 1 Tbsp Mirin To finish the Ramen: 280g Buckwheat Noodles Buttered Sweetcorn Spinach Carrot Ribbons Sliced Spring Onions Toasted Sesame Seeds Chilli Oil (for those that like that bit more heat!) Directions I really have to emphasise that your tofu should be pressed before starting this recipe. It won’t absorb the marinade properly if it’s not. If you’re not sure on how to press tofu then can I point you to this excellent guide by Sam from It Doesn’t Taste Like Chicken? Slice the tofu into 1cm thick chunks and dust with the cornflour, leave to settle for 10 minutes. Whisk together the soy, miso and sesame oil. Brush onto the tofu chunks and leave to marinade for an hour, brushing with another layer of marinade halfway through. Preheat your oven to 240 degrees (220 Fan/475 F) and prepare an oven tray with greaseproof paper. Place the marinaded tofu onto the prepared tray, spritz with oil and bake for 30 minutes, turning halfway through. Bring out your favourite, large, soup pan and place onto a medium heat. Add a dash of oil with the onion and sauté, stirring occasionally, until the onions soften. Once the onions have just started to brown, add in the garlic and ginger and continue to cook until the onions are golden brown. Now add in the stock, water, mirin, kombu, soy, sesame oil, and mushrooms. Bring up to a gentle simmer (really – don’t boil this) and continue to cook for 30 minutes. While the broth is cooking, mix up the tare. Whisk together the ingredients to make a smooth paste. Cook the noodles according to packet instructions and drain well, toss with a little sesame oil. When the broth is cooked, remove and discard the kombu. Place a ladle of broth into a bowl and whisk in the tare, before pouring back into the broth and mixing well. Divide the broth between four bowls and place noodles in the centre of each. Surround the noodles with the tofu and your favourite toppings. Enjoy! Notes Allergy Notes; I’m going to keep saying this – Soy Sauce is NOT gluten free as the brewing process contains wheat. A good gluten free option is Tamari which normally contains little to no gluten, is slightly less salty, and thicker than soy sauce. As always, check your brand to make sure you’ve not accidentally picked up one of the few brands which uses gluten. We use coconut aminos in our house, while not quite as rich as soy sauce, it’s both gluten free and soy free but different brands vary tremendously – you may have to look around before finding one that suits you. This recipe is naturally vegan, gluten free, and nut free but it does use both soy and sesame seeds. If sesame is an allergen for you then just skip the sesame oil. I’m afraid I haven’t been able to find a decent soy free miso but if you find one let me know!

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Leek & Potato Soup – Three Ways (Vegan & Gluten Free)

Feast of Plants — Fri, 15 Jan 2021 13:30:05 +0000

There are few things more comforting during cold, damp weather than a bowl of steaming hot soup. A few simple ingredients, cooked together to make something special. The best soups are ones you can throw together with a few kitchen basics and come out with something everyone will love. Leek and potato soup is one of those French classics that everyone has heard of. It’s incredibly simple and only a needs a few simple touches to make it a success that anyone can make. Lets a look at some of the important points here; Leeks – I’m not always a great fan of leeks since they’re so difficult to clean. You’ll likely find grit in between every layer. The easiest way to clean your leeks for this recipe is to half them lengthways first. You should then be able to fan out the leaves and rinse well. Potatoes – If you have a choice, floury potatoes work better in a soup than waxy version. They’re break down easier and make for a more cream soup while waxy potatoes can make it a little gloopy. Maris pipers are my favourites since they also make great roasties! Stock – you can make this with water if you really must but … don’t. A great vegetable stock is the secret to making so many dishes better and adding in that hint of depth. Bacon – this is a traditional base to the soup BUT this is a vegan blog and I haven’t had meat in a long time. I’ve found that adding smoked paprika adds same depth while keeping it vegan – and so much cheaper. Cream – Like so many French soups, this is creamy and would traditionally have plenty of cream and butter stirred through to make it rich. I whip up some tasty, savoury, cashew cream for the same effect. That’s all it takes! I’ve given you three cooking techniques here using the slow cooker, pressure cooker or hob. Slow cooker is my favourite but do what works best for you! Makes: Serves 4 Ingredients 150g Cashews 1800ml Good Vegetable Stock 2 Tbsp Coconut Oil 2 Large Leeks, dark green sections remove & washed 60ml White Wine Vinegar 850g Potatoes, peeled & chopped 1 Garlic Clove, minced 2 Bay Leaves 1 tsp Dried Thyme 1 tsp Dried Rosemary 1/2 tsp Smoked Paprika Salt & Pepper to taste Directions For best results, I recommend soaking your cashews overnight but if you loose track of time then try to soak them for at least an hour in boiling water. Once soaked and soft to the touch, drain and blend with 300ml of the stock until completely smooth. Put to one side until needed. Quarter your leeks lengthways (remembering to wash them when halved), before chopping. Place a large pan onto a medium heat and melt the coconut oil. Add the leeks and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft. Deglaze the pan with the white wine vinegar, making sure to scrape up all those tasty brown bits. This is where our three cooking methods diverge. Slow Cooker: Add all your ingredients, apart from the cashew cream, to your slow cooker and stir well. Be a little heavy handled with the salt and pepper here. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or high for 4 hours. The potatoes should be soft and the leeks will melting away. Pressure Cooker/Instant pot: In most pressure cookers you should be able to sauté the leeks within the cooker – go for it! It’ll keep all the flavours in one place. Add all your ingredients, apart from the cashew cream, to the pressure cooker and stir well. Be a little heavy handled with the salt and pepper here. Seal and cook on high for 9 minutes. This is a soup so a quick release really isn’t a good idea – you want to do an intermittent pressure release. Carefully, open and close the pressure release valve in short intervals. This allows to the pressure to gradually release without the risk of being sprayed with boiling liquid. Hob Cooking: Skip the deglazing step for now. Add the potatoes to the pan and continue to cook until they just start to brown around the edges. Now deglaze with the vinegar, and scrape up all the lovely brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the rest of the ingredients to the pan (apart from the cashew cream) and season very generously with the salt & pepper. Simmer on a low heat, partially covered, until the potatoes are soft and cooked through and meltingly soft. For all cooking methods, once your potatoes are meltingly soft, blend the soup with an immersion blender till smooth. Stir in most of the cashew cream (keep a tiny amount back for garnish). Now taste and season as needed, don’t be shy with adding more pepper if needed. Serve with a swirl of your reserved cashew cream with a side of crusty bread. Notes Allergy Notes; This is naturally vegan, gluten free and soy free. If nuts are an allergen for you then substitute your cashew cream with about a cup of soy cream instead.

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Roasted Red Pepper & Tomato Soup with Gnocchi Dumplings (Vegan, GF, NF)

Feast of Plants — Mon, 14 Sep 2020 14:00:11 +0000

When storm Francis hit a few weeks ago, cravings for bad weather food started. Foods like a warming soup, something comforting to sip while the winds rage outside. While the weather has now recovered, the soup that I came up with at the time is a great recipe and one I’ll keep coming back to as the weather gets colder. Roasting your peppers and tomatoes deepens the flavours. It’s not difficult, and takes very little effort but the massive flavour boost you get in return makes it so worth while. The tomatoes will emerge from the oven as little umami bombs of flavour while the peppers will add depth and sweetness. I admit the Gnocchi is entirely optional here but it’s the perfect addition if you’re looking to turn a light lunch into a satisfying dinner. I used my gnocchi – the sweet potato really compliments the flavours! Makes: Serves 4-6 Ingredients 4 Peppers, preferably red 500g Tomatoes 1 large onion, finely diced 1 Carrots, finely diced 1 Celery Rib, finely diced 2 Garlic Cloves, minced 3 Tbsp Rice 1 Tbsp Dried Basil 1 Tbsp Dried Thyme 1/2 tsp Chilli Flakes 2 Tbsp Vegan Fish Sauce 1.5 Ltr Vegetable stock 300g Gnocchi Salt & Pepper to taste Directions Pre-heat your oven to 200 degrees (190 Fan/400 F). Split the peppers in half and deseed them before placing on a baking tray, skin side up. Halve the tomatoes and place on a tray cut side up. Drizzle the tomatoes with a touch of oil and lightly season with salt and pepper. Place both trays into the oven and roast until the peppers are charred all over and the tomatoes are well roasted, between 45 minutes to an hour. When done, place the tomatoes to one side and put the peppers into a bowl and tightly cover for 10- 15 minutes. The steam will loosen the skin, making it easier to remove. Peel off the skin and discard, you don’t have to be too careful. Place your favourite soup pan on a medium heat with a touch of oil and saute the carrot, onion, and celery until softened and the onions are translucent. Add in the garlic and saute for another minute, until fragment. Using a touch of the stock, deglaze the pan and scrape up any brown spots that have clung to the bottom. Place the gnocchi to one side and add in the rest of the ingredients, including the roasted vegetables and stock. Simmer on low for 30 minutes, or until all the vegetables are ready to fall apart. Using an immersion blender, blend the soup until smooth. Optional: Strain the tomato soup over a fine mesh strainer for maximum smoothness. Place back onto a low to medium heat and add the gnocchi. Lightly simmer until the gnocchi floats. Season to taste and serve with fresh crusty breadrolls. Notes Optional: if you want to make the soup creamy, add a few tablespoons of vegan creme fraish and a touch of oat milk. Allergy Notes; Make sure you use gluten free gnocchi to make this gluten free. It’s naturally vegan, nut free and soy free.

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Moroccan Lentil Soup (Vegan & Gluten Free)

Feast of Plants — Mon, 24 Aug 2020 12:00:54 +0000

When I’ve had a difficult week I start to crave something nutritious and comforting and this lentil soup is both those things. It may not be sexy but it’s easy to make and just so heart warming. With a complex mix of spices and warming harissa, the deep flavours of this soup will make you think it must have been a deep labour of love. In reality, you will have spent very little time chopping some vegetables and standing over the pot, the soup will look after it’s self and bless your kitchen with amazing smells. The perfect soup for a bad day or even just a mediocre one! Enjoy and let me know what you think of this soup. Makes: Serves 4-6 Ingredients For the Soup: 1 Large Onion, diced 2 Celery Stalks, diced 2 Carrots, diced 2 Carrots 3 Garlic Cloves, minced 1 Tbsp Ground Cumin 1/2 Tbso Ground Coriander 1 Tbsp Paprika 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1 1/2 Tbsp Harissa 1 tsp Rosemary 1/2 tsp Turmeric 1 400g tin of Chopped Tomatoes 150g Red Lentil 150g Black Lentils 1.5Ltr Vegetable Stock 1/4 cup fresh Mint, chopped Salt & Pepper, to taste For the Topping: Plant Based Yogurt 1 Small Sweet Potato 1Tbsp Oil 1Tbsp Smoked Paprika Fresh Mint, finely diced Directions Put a large pan on the hob on a low to medium heat. Add a dash of oil and gently saute the onions, celery and carrots, stirring occasionally, until they begin to soften. Now add the garlic and saute for just under a minute, or until the garlic is fragrant. At this point throw in the harissa, rosemary, and spices and continue to saute until fragrant before adding the tomatoes. Cook down, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes have thickened. Finally add the lentils and stock and mix well. Bring to a boil before partially covering, turning the heat to low and simmering for 25-30 minutes, or until the lentil are tender. While the soup simmers, peel the sweet potato and cut lengthways into very thin slices. I’ve found either my mandolin or a very sharp peeler works well here, even most box graters have a side for cutting thin strips. Toss the sweet potato in the oil and smoked paprika before roasting in the oven at 190 degrees (375 F) for about 10 minutes or until beginning crisp. Try not to overlap the slices on the baking tray if at all possible. Once the soup is cooked, blend with an immersion blender until almost smooth. Stir through the mint and season to taste. When serving, ladle into generous bowls and finish with a healthy spoon of yoghurt, a few slices of crisped sweet potato, and a sprinkle of fresh mint. Enjoy! Notes This pairs really well with some warmed flatbread. Allergy Notes; This recipe is easily vegan, gluten free, soy free and nut free. Just make sure the yoghurt you use is safe for your allergy needs.

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Fijian Dhal Soup (Vegan, GF, NF)

Feast of Plants — Wed, 17 Jun 2020 12:00:20 +0000

I picked up this recipe when we visited Fiji a few years ago. While it was part of a truly wonderful holiday, the cooks there struggled with the concept of veganism. Around the repetitive meals and a few not so tasty dinners, this soup became a favourite for both me and Kenny, despite being before he went vegetarian. Totally tasty, I begged the chef for his recipe not even half way through our stay. I’ve made some tweaks since then to make this my own and it makes for a quick, cheap and easy meal. Ready in just 30 minutes, it’s a great backup to have in your pocket for when you need something fuss free but still bursting with flavour. I know it might seem crazy to be suggesting soup just as the weather starts to heat back up but trust this, this tasty soup was perfect in the heat of Fiji and it’ll be just as tasty here – enjoy! Makes: Serves 4 Ingredients For the Soup: 1.2 ltr Vegetable Stock 225g Yellow Split Peas, soaked* 1 tsp Turmeric 1 Medium Aubergine (Eggplant to our american readers) 85g Onion (about half an onion) 2 Garlic Cloves 2 tsp Mustard Seeds 2 tsp Cumin Seeds ½ tsp Chilli Flakes 1 Carrot ½ Celery Rib 1 Tbsp Lemon Juice Oil for cooking Salt & Pepper to taste Directions Put your peas, stock, and turmeric into a large pan and bring to the boil. Now turn down the heat and gently simmer for about 30 minutes, or until the peas are tender. While the peas are cooking, cut all the vegetables into a fine dice (as fine as you safely manage). Place a pan on a medium heat and add a touch of oil. Gently fry the onion until it starts to brown. When ready, add the spices and garlic and fry until the garlic smells fragrant and the spices start to brown. Now add the rest of your vegetables and fry for another 5 minutes, or until the vegetables soften and the aubergine starts to brown. Finally, stir your vegetable mix into the split peas, add the lemon juice and season to taste. Using an immersion blender, puree to your preferred thickness – I like it still with a little texture. Serve garnished with a little coriander and some tasty bread or even poppadoms on the side. Notes * If you don’t want to soak your split peas you don’t have too, but it does help to reduce the cooking time. If you don’t do the soak them then just increase the cooking time on the split peas to about an hour. Allergy Notes; This one is vegan, gluten free, soy free, and nut free – no adjustments needed here!

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Fragrant Coconut Soup with Black Pepper Sweet Potato

Feast of Plants — Wed, 06 May 2020 12:00:00 +0000

I want to be completely up front here – the Black Pepper Sweet Potato in this dish is completely inspired by the Black Pepper Tofu in Yotam Ottolenghi’s brilliant book Plenty (you can find the recipe on his site here)- go buy it, read it and cook many tasty things. We weren’t able to make the original dish as written for a number of reasons but mainly because Kenny hates tofu with a passion, and I was trying to completely avoid soy at the time. Instead I’ve gradually built it out to work with sweet potatoes. The coconut soup then grew from this as I wanted something that would counterbalance the spice and maybe had it’s own different level of complexity. So here you have a soup that’s infused with aromatics like lemongrass, ginger, garlic, and lime leaves but helps to cool the deep heat of the sweet potatoes. This is a dish that will take a while to make as the soup needs to slowly infuse but up until you start the potatoes you won’t have much to do except enjoy the fragrances coming from your kitchen. Try it – let me know what you think! Makes: Serves 4 Ingredients For the Soup: 1 Tbsp Oil 1/2 Onion, finely chopped 20g Ginger, very finely shredded 2 Cloves Garlic, minced 1 Tbsp Lemongrass Paste 5 Lime Leaves (dried) 3 dried Shitake Mushrooms (Optional but adds depth) 1 lime 1 Tbsp Vegan Fish Sauce 3 tins Coconut Milk (400g each) 1 ltr Vegetable Stock For the Black Pepper Sweet Potatoes: 900g Sweet Potatoes, peeled & cut into bite-size chunks 60ml Coconut Oil 2 large Onions, quartered the sliced 4 Red Chillies, thinly sliced 10 Garlic Cloves, minced 15g Ginger, minced 3 Tbsp Corn flour Oil (for frying) 3 Tbsp kecap manis* 4 Tbsp Soy Sauce (see the allergy note below) 2 Tbsp Maple Syrup 35g Black Peppercorns, coarsely crushed Toppings: 2 heads of Pak Choi, thickly chopped 100g beansprouts 50g Spring Onions, cut into batons 225g Vermicelli Rice Noodles** fresh Coriander fresh Mint fresh Thai Basil Directions We’re going to start by prepping your soup so it can slowly infuse over a number of hours. Place a large heavy pan (a cast iron crock pot is ideal here) on a low heat and add your oil. Add your onion, ginger, and garlic and let them very slowly soften and sweat. Don’t let them brown and the heat shouldn’t be high enough for them to burn. This is probably going to take at least 20 minutes with your stirring occasionally. Once the onions are translucent and everything is soft, add your lemongrass paste and, turning the heat up a little, stir through. At this stage you can add the lime leave, dried mushrooms, the zest from half your lime, fish sauce, coconut milk, and stock. Bring to a gentle simmer and turn the heat right down low, cover with a lid tightly, and leave for at least 4 hours, stirring occasionally. Alternative method; If you’d like to use your slow cooker for this then feel free. Once you’ve softened your aromatics, place them and all the ingredients mentioned above into your slow cooker on low for about 7 hours. Lightly poach your sweet potatoes for about 5 to 10 minutes (depending on how large you’ve cut them), or until they are almost cooked through and a fork will almost pierce them with ease. Strain and dust with the cornflour. Heat a wok until ripping hot (seriously, it should be shimmering with heat at least) and stir fry your sweet potato chunks in small batches with a touch of oil to brown them well. They should be browned and ever so slightly crunchy. Put these tasty nuggets to one side. Wipe out your wok and heat up your coconut oil on a medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, ginger, and chillies and saute until completely soft – this should take at least 15 minutes. Now add your soy sauce, kecap manis, maple syrup, and crushed peppercorns. Stir through until mixed completely and now add back your sweet potato. Gently mix and stir until the sweet potato is completely heated through and cooked. Place to one side and wipe out your wok again. Prepare your noodles according to the instructions on the pack – I normally cook mine in the soup itself but if yours need to be reheated in boiling water your may wish to cook them separately. Place your wok on a high heat and very quickly stir fry the pack choi and spring onions until softened and just starting to brown but still bright green. Taste your soup, finish with the juice of your lime (as much as you feel it needs), and season if you really think it needs it. Now we’re plating so grab your biggest bowls! I like to start with a layer of noodles, follow with a layer of beansprouts, pak choi, and spring onions, add a healthy serving of soup, top with a heavy coating of ripped fresh herbs, and finally finish with a large spoonful of the black pepper sweet potatoes. Enjoy! Notes * Kecap Manis is a sweetened, almost syrup like version of soy sauce that is popular in Indonesian cooking. I’ve yet to find a shop bought version that’s gluten free so I tend to make my own. Some varieties of this seasoning are heavily spiced with star anise, garlic or other aromatics but I tend to use quite a simple recipe. Bring to a boil equal quantities of your Soy Sauce substitute and brown sugar, then simmer for about 10 – 15 minutes until everything has dissolved and thickened. Place into a jar and chill until needed. ** These thin rice noodles work perfectly with this soup but each brand has different cooking instructions, check yours and prepare accordingly through if yours want to be soaked in warm water like mine then just throw them into the soup till ready – they’ll have so much more flavour that way! Allergy Notes; I’m going to keep saying this – Soy Sauce is NOT gluten free as the brewing process contains wheat. A good gluten free option is Tamari which normally contains little to no gluten, is slightly less salty, and thicker than soy sauce. As always, check your brand to make sure you’ve not accidentally picked up one of the few brands which uses gluten. We use coconut aminos in our house, while not quite as rich as soy sauce, it’s both gluten free and soy free but different brands vary tremendously – you may have to look around before finding one that suits you.

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Slow Cooker Lasagne Soup

Feast of Plants — Fri, 03 Apr 2020 12:00:00 +0000

Lasagne soup was completely foreign to me until recently thanks to some browsing on social media. It seems to be an american invention but what a great idea it is! All the elements of a great lasagne but with almost none of the work since, in my version, most of the cooking is done in the slow cooker. I like to serve mine with an easy homemade vegan ricotta which serves as a great counterpoint to the rich tomato sauce. This recipe works great for a crowd, uses mostly pantry stables, and is really quite hands off so is ideal for these days were so many people are working from home and trying not to go shopping so much. Remember – #Stayathome and enjoy some good food while you’re at it! Makes: Serves 4-6 Ingredients For the Soup: 1.2 ltr Vegetable Stock 1 Large Onion 2 Sticks of Celery 2 Carrots 1 Green Pepper 3 Garlic Cloves 150g Lentils* 1 tsp Crushed Chillies 2 Tbsp Vegan Worcester sauce 2 tsp Basil 2 tsp oregano 1 tsp Thyme 2 tins Chopped Tomatoes 8 Lasagne Pasta Sheets** 250g Frozen Spinach Salt & Pepper to taste For the Cashew Ricotta: 225g Cashews 150ml Plant based Milk (I like oat or almond milk) 1Tbsp Lemon Juice 1Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive OIl 1 tsp Nutritional Yeast 1Tbsp Vegan Pesto (optional) Directions For best results, I recommend soaking your cashews overnight or a long as possible but if you loose track of time then try to soak them for at least an hour in boiling water. Chop all your veg into small dice and place into your slow cooker with minced garlic, herbs, lentils and stock. Cook on high for 2 hours (or on low for 4 hours), if you’re using brown lentils they should be ever so slightly firm. Add your tomatoes and worcester sauce, stir well and cook on high for another 2 hours (or on low for another 4 hours). While your slow cooker is bubbling away you can whip together your ricotta. Place all the ricotta ingredients except the pesto into a blender and blitz until completely smooth. If using the pesto, swirl it into your ricotto and taste – add salt if you feel it’s needed and place in the fridge till ready to serve. Finally, break up your pasta into easily manageable chunks and stir through along with your frozen spinach. Leave cooking for another 15 minutes or so, or until the pasta is fully cooked. Season to taste (seriously here, you haven’t added any salt to your soup by this point so do taste and season as needed, don’t season before hand as salt can inhibit the cooking for lentils). Serve with a healthy dollop of ricotta on top and enjoy! Notes * I like to use a 2:1 balance of brown lentils to red but this works equally well with just brown lentils. ** We use Gluten free pasta but this should work with normal pasta too Allergy Notes; To make this gluten free, just use GF pasta per the note above. If cashew nuts are a problem for you then there are plenty of tofu based ricotta recipes

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Slow Cooker Potato and Corn Chowder

Feast of Plants — Fri, 20 Mar 2020 13:33:11 +0000

I’ve had a slow cooker ever since I left university, I’d like to say I’ve had one since before they were cool but lets be honest, I don’t think slow cookers ever have been cool. They are however amazingly useful. After university I landed a job working in the city which, as a rule, meant long hours and a long commute. My slow cooker meant that there were days I could come home to a delicious smell and a meal waiting for me. While I was ill and my endo was flaring, the slow cooker was equally invaluable as it meant on bad days I could shuffle down stairs, throw food into the cooker and go back to bed. By the time Kenny got home, dinner would be mostly ready. These days my instant pot is my slow cooker and with its timer function it’s even more useful than the old one I used to have. I’ve been using different versions of my potato and corn chowder recipe for years, even before I became vegan. However, now that I am vegan, its taken me a while to find a version I’m happy with. This week I finally cracked it. This soup is amazingly creamy, flavorful and yet you spend less than 10 mins paying it any attention, the rest of the time it spends in the loving arms of the slow cooker while it happily cooks you dinner. Don’t you want to come home to dinner already made? Serves: 4 as main course Ingredients 700g Potatoes 500g Frozen Sweetcorn 3 tbsp Gram Flour 1.5 Ltr Vegetable Stock 1 tsp dried Thyme 1 tsp dried Rosemary 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder 1/2 tsp Onion Powder 250ml Oat Milk (or as needed) 2 tbsp Vegan Butter 1/4 cup Oat Creme Fraiche Salt & Pepper, to taste Fresh Parsley (Optional) Directions Directions Roughly dice your potatoes and add your sweetcorn, toss them both with the gram flour and seasonings. Add the stock, season with some salt and plenty of pepper and leave in the loving arms of your slow cooker – either on low for 7-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours. When you come back to your slow cooker at the end of the time, add the butter, creme fraiche, and as much milk as is needed – the milk is to help the soup feel creamy but also to ensure its not too thick so add gradually. Depending on your potatoes you may need the full amount or slightly less. Gently stir until everything is fully mixed, season to taste (I like plenty of pepper with mine), top with plenty of fresh parsley and serve with some fresh crusty bread. Wasn’t that easy?

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