Vegetable Soup

My Mom made the absolute best vegetable soup in the world! I've tried to copy it without using meat, but haven't gotten the results I've wanted...until now. This soup satisfies my hunger and my soul. I can close my eyes and remember eating Mom's soup as a child. Hope you enjoy it as much as I do. The liquid smoke and No Beef Base are optional, but highly recommended for the deep, rich flavor I look for in vegetable soup.

Vegetable Soup

1 small wedge cabbage, shredded
1 can green beans, mostly drained
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 large onion, chopped
3 small gold potatoes, medium diced
1 cup frozen corn
1 bag frozen roasted vegetables, optional
4 carrots, scrubbed and sliced
1 can lima beans, mostly drained
1 can diced tomatoes
1 small can tomato sauce
1 small can water
vegetable broth
salt and pepper to taste
garlic powder
onion powder
liquid smoke, optional
1 teaspoon Better Than Broth No Beef Base, optional
1/4 cup rice or other grain (to give the soup a little substance)

 

Put all ingredients in a Dutch oven and bring to a boil. Lower fire and cover. Cook on low (hard
simmer) until cooked, about 1 hour, adding vegetable broth as needed.

Eggplant Dressing

My Mom was a vegetarian until she married my father. One of her favorite recipes (and mine!) from her vegetarian days was eggplant dressing. It's just like dressing with meat, only subbed with eggplant. I'm the only one in my house that like eggplant so I always get a really small eggplant. It makes just enough for me to have for a meal. Mom, of course, used oil to cook her eggplant but I use vegetable broth and I think it's a lot better!

Eggplant Dressing

1 small eggplant, peeled and diced

1/4 sweet onion, sliced or diced
vegetable broth
black pepper
garlic powder
onion powder
sea salt, optional
Brown rice, cooked

Line a sauce pot with vegetable broth and place eggplant and onion in pot. Season with a light touch, you want the flavor of the eggplant to come through. Cook on medium until it comes to a boil, then lower heat, cover, and cook until eggplant and onion are tender and taste done. Add a little vegetable broth as needed to ensure eggplant stays nice and moist.

Mix into rice (as a dressing) or serve over rice. I use Lundgren's Wild Rice Blend (that's what the black bits are in the photo). This is also really good on pasta!

Add salt to each individual serving, if desired.

Black Bean Quinoa Salad

So you just got invited to a barbeque and you've been asked to bring a pasta side dish. Hmmm...you're supposed to cook something you don't get to eat? Ha! I don't think so!!! This salad is good when you first make it, but if you can, make it the day before or even that morning for dinner. The flavors blend so deliciously if it's allowed to sit in the fridge for a while!

Quinoa (pronounced Keen-wa) is actually a seed, but a lot of people think it's a grain, so who am I to tell them different? You can find it in just about any grocery store now. One brand is Red Mill, another is Ancient Harvest. It seems that every store puts quinoa in a different place, so if you don't find it in the health food sections with the grains, try the "gourmet" area. Or pretend you're me and have a clerk find it for you. That'll teach 'em for not putting a product where I think it should go! LOL!

FYI - This is another recipe that lets you decide how much of certain ingredients you want to use. For instance, if you don't care for corn, don't put much, or any. Substitute...play with your food!

Black Bean Quinoa Salad

2 cups water
1 cup quinoa (red quinoa is great in this salad, but more difficult to find)
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
vegan cheddar cheese, shredded or cubed (can use nutritional yeast)
frozen corn (you can defrost if you want to, but not necessary)
frozen sliced sweet peppers (can use fresh)
oil-free Italian dressing

 Follow the package directions for cooking the quinoa. The ratio is 2:1 water to quinoa, so you can make as much or as little as you like. When it's all cooked, the package usually says to fluff and let it sit for 10-15 minutes. I don't want any of my cheese to melt, so my quinoa sits in the freezer to get nice and chilled. When the quinoa is chilled, add the rest of the ingredients except the dressing, and stir. At this point the quinoa is still able to absorb a little liquid and you don't want dry quinoa salad, so pour in a little more dressing than you think you really need. By the time you're ready to serve, it will be all absorbed and just right. Stir, fluff, and serve!