Soups and Stews

Corn Chowder

karenwpullen Recipes, Soups and Stews , , ,

This is a delicious cold soup that’s slightly sweet and unexpected. I served it as a canape in the party that marked the end of my plant-based Rouxbe culinary course, in shooter glasses with a little piece of cornbread on top.

Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Print Recipe

Corn Chowder

Delicious, especially when corn is fresh.
Course: Soup
Cuisine: Vegan
Servings: 0 servings

Equipment

  • blender

Ingredients

  • 3 ears corn
  • 1 onion yellow
  • 1 bell pepper red
  • 3/4 pound small potatoes
  • 2 1/2 cups vegetable broth
  • 2 1/2 cups soy milk
  • 1 tablespoon chives minced
  • salt and pepper

Instructions

  • Cut the corn off the cob.
  • Dice the onion, bell pepper, and potatoes.
  • In a soup pot, sauté the onion over low heat until it's soft.
  • Add the remaining ingredients and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.
  • Puree in a blender, in batches no more than half full.
  • Add salt and pepper to taste, and the minced chives. Refrigerate.

Plant-Based Palak Paneer

karenwpullen Main Dishes, Recipes, Soups and Stews , , , ,

Palak paneer is a north Indian dish of creamed spinach (palak) and, traditionally, cubes of cottage cheese (paneer). I replace the cream with cashews, and the cottage cheese cubes with tofu. The ingredients are simple: a curry of the spinach puree, tomato, onion, ginger and garlic.

Print Recipe

Palak Paneer, Plant-Based No-Oil

Course: Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine: Indian, Vegan
Servings: 0

Equipment

  • blender

Ingredients

  • 1 bunch fresh spinach about 4 cups, washed, stems trimmed, chopped
  • 16 ounces extra firm tofu pressed
  • 2 teaspoons curry powder
  • 2 teaspoons nutritional yeast
  • 1 onion chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon dried ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
  • 1 teaspoon garam masala
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 15-oz can diced tomatoes
  • 1/2 cup raw cashews softened by soaking 1 hour in hot water
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

Instructions

  • Cut the tofu into cubes and place in a bowl. Sprinkle with the nutritional yeast and curry powder.
  • Bake the tofu cubes at 400° for 15 minutes.
  • Blanch the spinach by dropping it into boiling water for 2 minutes. Take it out and put it in a bowl of ice water (this helps keep it green). Remove and drain off the water.
  • Sauté the onion, garlic, and spices in a small pan for a few minutes until the onion is soft.
  • Drain the cashews.
  • Place the onion mixture, spinach, cashews, tomatoes, water, and salt into a blender. Blend until smooth. Pour into a serving bowl.
  • Add most of the tofu cubes to the paneer; save a few to garnish on top.

Notes

Chopped roasted cashews make a nice garnish, or a swizzle of plant-based plain yogurt. Serve with rice or naan, maybe some mango chutney and plant-based raita.

Rice Pilaf with Asparagus

karenwpullen Main Dishes, Recipes, Side Dishes, Soups and Stews , , ,

I love rice pilaf. It’s the combo of rice AND orzo, those rice-size bits of pasta, enhanced with asparagus cooked just right–not hard, not soft. This is a pretty dish, too. Save some asparagus tips to garnish the top of each serving.

asparagus pilaf
Prep Time15 minutes
50 minutes
Print Recipe

Rice Pilaf with Asparagus and Pine Nuts

Course: Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine: Vegan
Servings: 4

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups brown rice cooked in vegetable stock (1/2 cup dry)
  • 1 1/2 cups orzo pasta cooked (1/2 cup dry)
  • 1 onion chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 bunch asparagus trimmed
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
  • 1/2 teaspoon basil dried
  • 1/4 cup pine nuts toasted
  • 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves

Instructions

  • Cook the rice and orzo separately, per package directions.
  • Sauté the onion until soft. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 more minute.
  • Cut the asparagus into 1/2-inch pieces at an angle. Add to the pan.
  • Add the lemon juice, turmeric, and basil, and turn the heat down low. Let the asparagus steam for 3 minutes.
  • Toast the pine nuts. Watch them – they burn easily!
  • Mix the rice, orzo, and asparagus into a serving dish. Sprinkle with chopped fresh basil and pine nuts.