Broccoli Soup with Garlic Croutons
Healing Lemon Thyme Lentil Soup
Soothing Mushroom Ramen Soup with Crispy Tofu
BROCCOLI SOUP WITH GARLIC CROUTONS
We don’t need tons of ingredients for a really good, creamy broccoli soup. The coconut swirls on top are a must-have and the homemade garlic croutons are an excellent crispy addition!
Makes: 2 servings | Time: 30 min
Ingredients for the Broccoli Soup
4 cups (1 liter) water
1 head of broccoli
¼ cup (60 ml) full-fat canned coconut milk + more for swirls
1 small bunch of parsley
½ teaspoon salt + more to taste
Ingredients for the Garlic Croutons
1 teaspoon olive oil
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
1½ cups (45g) bread cubes
Instructions
1. In a large pot, bring the water to a boil.
2. Chop the broccoli into florets, wash them, and add them to the boiling water. Let them cook for about 7 minutes, until softened.
3. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the soft broccoli to a blender and add 2 cups of the broccoli water. Check out Bianca’s Kitchen Hack below for how to prevent blended hot liquids from exploding all over your kitchen. Preferably, also let the hot liquid cool down before blending.
4. For the garlic croutons, add olive oil, salt, garlic powder, and bread cubes into a pan and pan-fry the bread cubes until golden on all sides.
5. Blend the broccoli soup until it is completely smooth, add in the coconut milk, parsley, and ½ teaspoon salt + more to taste.
6. Once you’re happy with the taste, reheat the soup in the pot, pour it into bowls, add the coconut milk swirls, top with garlic croutons, and serve.
Bianca’s Kitchen Hack
How to Blend Hot Liquids
You can make really easy and delicious creamy soups in a blender. However, be careful when working with hot liquids. Don’t fill the blender more than halfway, remove the blender’s center lid piece, and hold a kitchen towel over the top. Trust us on this one; we’ve had soup all over our kitchen walls once. (Well, twice.) Never again.
HEALING LEMON THYME LENTIL SOUP
If you’re feeling a cold creeping in, this is the soup you want to make immediately! The immune-boosting powers of thyme, garlic, turmeric, and lemon will give you just the right amount of energy you need to get well soon.
Makes: 4 servings | Time: 30 min
Ingredients
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 red onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 carrots, sliced
19 oz. (500 g) canned brown lentils, drained and rinsed
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon lemon juice + more to taste
3 cups (750 ml) water
1 teaspoon thyme
¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
½ teaspoon salt + more to taste
Fresh parsley for garnish
Lemon wedges for garnish
Instructions
1. In a large pot, add the olive oil, diced onion, minced garlic, and sliced carrots. Let it cook on medium heat for about 8 to 10 minutes while stirring occasionally until the onion is translucent.
2. Add in the rinsed brown lentils, lemon zest, and lemon juice.
3. Cover with the 3 cups of water, and add in the thyme, turmeric powder, and salt. Bring it to a quick boil and let it simmer for about 15 minutes.
4. Add more salt and lemon juice to taste.
5. Serve and garnish with fresh parsley and a lemon wedge or two.
SOOTHING MUSHROOM RAMEN SOUP WITH CRISPY TOFU
After exhausting days at work, there’s only one option that brings us back all the comfort in the world: soup. This is why we came up with this Asian-style mushroom ramen soup. We love the combination of spinach and mushrooms!
Makes: 2 servings | Time: 25 min
Ingredients
1 teaspoon sesame oil
3 cups (360 g) mushrooms, sliced
1 large carrot, peeled and sliced
1 scallion, thinly sliced + more for garnish
½ teaspoon soy sauce + more to taste
1 cup (100 g) frozen or 2 cups (200 g) fresh spinach
3 cups (750 ml) water
1 tablespoon miso paste + more to taste
2 teaspoons canola oil
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon curry powder
8 slices firm tofu
2 portions (125 g) vegan ramen noodles
Instructions
1. In a large pot with sesame oil, add in sliced mushrooms, carrot, and scallion. Add soy sauce and let it cook until the mushrooms have lost most of their water. Then, add in the spinach, water, and 1 tablespoon miso paste. Give it a good mix, and let it cook for about 5 to 10 minutes until the carrots are soft. Set aside.
2. Meanwhile, heat a large pan with the canola oil and season it with the salt and curry powder. Tilt the pan until spices and oil are combined, then add the tofu slices. Cook on medium to high heat for about 8 to 10 minutes until golden brown on one side, then flip and repeat.
3. Add the ramen noodles into the soup for a few minutes until soft. Add more miso paste and soy sauce to taste.
4. Once the ramen noodles are soft, pour the soup into bowls, add the pan-roasted tofu, and top with a few freshly cut scallions.
RED MUSHROOM SOUP
First things first: obviously there isn’t any fly agaric in this soup, as it’s poisonous. But this simple tomato soup with coconut milk spots looks just like it and is a cute idea for an easy-to-make, kid-friendly meal.
Makes: 2 servings | Time: 10 min
Ingredients
2 cups (500 g) tomato passata*
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon salt + more to taste
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
Ground pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons coconut milk
Instructions
1. In a pot, heat the tomato passata on medium to low heat until hot. Then, add the herbs and spices. Add more to taste.
2. Transfer the soup into bowls. Carefully drizzle little spots of coconut milk on the soup directly before serving. Enjoy!
*Preferably, use tomato passata consisting of only tomatoes and salt. If it already has herbs added to it, you might want to start with less and add more herbs and spices to taste!
CHEAP AND FILLING POTATO SOUP
A simple potato soup definitely belongs on the list of our favorite soups. With only six ingredients, you’ll love this easy-to-make and satisfyingly filling soup. If you’re feeling adventurous, you can play around with different veggies as add-ins for the soup.
Makes: 2 servings | Time: 30 min
Ingredients
1 teaspoon olive oil
3 cups (500 g) potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 cups (500 ml) veggie broth
3 carrots, peeled and cubed
½ cup (70 g) frozen peas
Fresh rosemary for garnish
Instructions
1. In a large pot, heat olive oil on medium, add the potatoes, and stir. Let them cook for about 2 minutes, then add veggie broth until the potatoes are covered.
2. Cook on medium to high heat for about 15 minutes with the lid on until the potatoes are soft, and use a potato masher to mash them halfway through. You still want potato bits left in there.
3. Add the carrots and peas and let everything cook for a couple of minutes until the carrots are soft.
4. Add more veggie broth if there isn’t enough liquid left. Add fresh rosemary for garnish.
Sascha’s Landmine Situation
On a Budget
The good news first: I have never heard a longtime vegan complain about how expensive vegan food is. The bad news: it can be if you continuously substitute vegan meat alternatives; they’re neither healthy, nor that cheap. As a matter of fact, just a few slices of vegan sausage can often burn a hole in your budget. However, fresh produce, lentils, and tofu don’t have to be expensive at all! If you live on a tight budget, you might want to look into cooking in bulk, as most vegan meals are freezer-friendly. Ever checked out the last hour of a farmer’s market? Lots of cheap stuff around! Tired of the same, expensive meat alternatives? Try our seitan recipe (see on pg. 21)!
