Some food historians believe that soup was one of the first true signs of human civilization. Sure, you had your farming of grains and building of homes—but it seems undeniable that shortly after that first guy discovered the benefits of fire, he put a pot of soup over it and invited his buddies over to the cave for a potluck. Sounds like civilization to me.

Soup is an easy-to-make lunch that you can prepare in large quantities and then freeze, so you can enjoy it over a long period of time. You can bring it to work in a thermos or have it stocked up in your freezer for quick dinners when you have to work late. So it’ll help you deal with modern civilization too.

BEEFLESS STEW

This stew is the perfect fall lunch, and it makes a lot, so you can have leftovers for a few days. It’s hearty, has warm flavors without being too spicy, and brings a nice, rustic charm that makes me wish the leaves outside were red and orange. Like regular old “meaty” stew, this stew is even better the next day. The onion and “beefy” flavors really come out after the stew sits for a bit, so I suggest not eating it all in one meal. You’ll see what I mean the next day. I was genuinely sad to see the bottom of my bowl the first night, but the next day it was like saying good-bye to a friend. And because I’m impatient, the best part for me is that you can get the same flavor from this stew in an hour that it would take you four hours to achieve with a “meaty” stew.

MAKES 5 TO 6 BOWLS OF STEW

Olive oil cooking spray

8 red potatoes, cut into pieces about the size of your vegan beef

1 (8-ounce) bag baby carrots

1 (9-ounce) bag Gardein beefless tips or vegan beef seitan

1 red onion, sliced

1 cup frozen peas

1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes

2 cups Better Than Bouillon vegetable broth, made per the instructions on the package

1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce

cup nutritional yeast or whole wheat flour (the whole wheat flour will make the stew thicker; we like more broth, so we went with the nutritional yeast)

2 tablespoons vegan Worcestershire sauce

2 teaspoons Bragg’s liquid aminos

1 teaspoon agave nectar

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 teaspoon marjoram leaves

1½ teaspoons thyme leaves

1½ teaspoons onion powder

½ teaspoon celery seed

1 teaspoon Tony Chachere’s Creole seasoning

Crushed black peppercorns

Preheat the oven to 325°F.

Spray a glass baking dish with olive oil cooking spray. Place the potatoes in the dish skin-side down. Add the baby carrots in one layer, then the vegan beef, and finally the sliced onion. Spray the ingredients with more olive oil cooking spray. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes, or until the onions and vegan beef are brown. After you remove the dish from the oven, place the vegan beef and onions into a bowl and the potatoes and carrots into a Dutch oven or large stewpot with a cover.

Mix the peas, tomatoes, broth, tomato sauce, nutritional yeast, vegan Worcestershire sauce, Bragg’s, agave nectar, olive oil, and herbs and spices into the vegetables in the Dutch oven, keeping the vegan beef and onions separate for now. Stir a few times to make sure the herbs are mixed in. Put the Dutch oven into the oven with the lid on and let the vegetable mixture simmer for 30 minutes, checking it and stirring once. Remove from the oven and taste. This is when you can check to see if your vegetables are tender, and add more Bragg’s or pepper if the mixture is too bland for your taste. We added a few dashes of black pepper and put the Dutch oven back in for another 10 minutes because our potatoes weren’t right yet. Once the seasonings are to your liking, mix in the onions, place the Dutch oven on the stovetop, and simmer for 10 minutes over medium heat.

Separate the vegan beef into however many servings you’re planning on. To serve, put one serving of vegan beef into a soup bowl, and then ladle the stew over it. This will reheat your vegan beef and keep it from getting mushy in the broth.

Store any leftover stew and vegan beef separately.

5-BEAN CHILI

This is the recipe for our family chili. I’m pretty sure every vegan family has one, so I hope you’ll still give ours a chance—because it’s really good. We can’t recommend enough baking up some Cheezy Jalapeño Corn Bread (here) to go with it!

MAKES 5 TO 6 BOWLS

2 cups Better Than Bouillon vegan beef broth, made per the instructions on the package (you may want to add another ½ cup if you don’t like your chili thick)

1 (14-ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

1 (14-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 (14-ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 (14-ounce) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed

½ cup dry lentils

1 (14-ounce) can corn, drained

1 green bell pepper, diced

1 red onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 (28-ounce) can Mexican-flavored diced tomatoes

2 tablespoons chili powder

1½ teaspoons cumin

1 teaspoon Bragg’s liquid aminos

½ teaspoon oregano

Dash of liquid smoke

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon olive oil

Shredded Daiya vegan cheddar cheese or your favorite vegan cheese to sprinkle over the top

Add the broth, beans and lentils, vegetables, seasonings and oil to your slow cooker and set it on low heat. Cover and cook for 5 to 6 hours, stirring occasionally.

If you don’t have a slow cooker, you can use a large stewpot and cook, covered, over medium heat for 5 to 6 hours. Be sure to stir the chili often. The beans are more likely to stick to the sides in a stewpot.

When you serve—sprinkle with vegan cheese and don’t forget your corn bread.

WHITE CHILI

I admit I’m partial to lime juice, so that might be why I’ve fallen in love with this chili. But it’s also possible that this chili takes beans and broth to a new place in their relationship. Hard to say… who can explain love?

MAKES 4 TO 5 BOWLS

1 red onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 cups white wine

5 cups Better Than Bouillon vegetable broth, made per the instructions on the package

4 tablespoons lime juice

4 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

3 teaspoons cumin

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon lemon pepper

1 teaspoon dried oregano

¾ teaspoon hot sauce

½ teaspoon Bragg’s liquid aminos

1 cup frozen whole-kernel corn

1 (15-ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

1 (15-ounce) can butter beans, drained and rinsed

1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup frozen peas

1 cup frozen green beans

3 stalks celery, chopped

Vegan Parmesan for topping

Bread for dipping and eating with your soup

In a huge soup pot with a lid or a Dutch oven, cook the red onion, garlic, and olive oil over medium heat until the onions are tender.

Add the wine, broth, lime juice, seasonings, and vegetables. Cover and heat to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer. Remove the cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Serve with vegan Parmesan and your favorite bread.

SHORTCUT GUMBO

I do declare! I like my gumbo rouxy and so spicy it’ll make you smack your mama.^*

MAKES 6 TO 8 SERVINGS

2 tablespoons olive oil

Dash of liquid smoke

1 (14-ounce) package Tofurky Italian sausages, Field Roast Italian sausages, or your favorite vegan sausages, cut into coins

1 (14-ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and quartered

2 cups vegan shrimp (we recommend May Wah shrimp balls, but you can also substitute seitan or your favorite vegan chicken)

Dash of beer (we suggest a pale ale)

¼ cup margarine

2 medium red onions, sliced

1 green bell pepper, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons whole wheat flour

3½ cups Better Than Bouillon vegan beef broth, made per the instructions on the package

½ teaspoon Louisiana hot sauce

½ teaspoon Bragg’s liquid aminos

¼ teaspoon crushed black peppercorns

1 teaspoon Tony Chachere’s Creole seasoning

¼ teaspoon thyme

2 dried bay leaves

½ cup frozen cut okra

3 celery stalks, diced

1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes

¼ cup chopped fresh parsley

3 cups cooked brown rice

In your cher cast-iron skillet or frying pan, heat the olive oil and liquid smoke over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the vegan sausage, artichoke hearts, vegan shrimp, and beer. Stir occasionally and simmer until the vegan sausage begins to brown. With a slotted spoon, remove the vegan sausage and vegan shrimp from the skillet and set them aside.

Add the margarine to the skillet and let it melt. Toss in the red onions, green bell pepper, and garlic and cook for 5 minutes, or until your vegetables are tender. Remove the vegetables from the skillet and set aside. Gradually stir the flour into the cast-iron skillet. Cook over medium heat until the flour mixture begins to bubble. Add the broth, hot sauce, Bragg’s, pepper, Creole seasoning, thyme, bay leaves, and vegetables, and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.

To serve, spoon the cooked vegan shrimp, vegan sausage, and vegetables over your cooked rice. Then use a ladle to fill the rest of your bowl with soup. Sprinkle a little parsley over the top. Mix it all up in your bowl before you eat; you may want to invest in some dipping bread too. Not that we’re telling you what to do or anything.

FRESH LEMON AND ASPARAGUS SOUP

When professional chefs make soup, there are several key factors. All the vegetables should be cut into a uniform size, and the broth should be poured through a china-cap strainer more than once. So I feel like I’m showing my amateur status by posting this as a “soup.” See, I could have strained this soup into a fine light broth, but then it would lose a lot of the asparagus… and isn’t that the star of asparagus soup? I thought about calling it a chowder, but “Asparagus Chowder” didn’t exactly sing to me. So soup it is. And what a soup! I recommend making this recipe in the spring, when there’s still a lot of great asparagus available in grocery stores and farmers’ markets.

MAKES 6 TO 8 BOWLS

1 pound fresh asparagus spears

2 medium shallots, thinly sliced

3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for sautéing

1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

2 cups Better Than Bouillon vegan chicken broth, made per the instructions on the package

3 stalks celery, diced

1 (14-ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained

½ cup white wine or apple juice

½ teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon onion powder

½ teaspoon crushed black peppercorns

1½ teaspoons Bragg’s liquid aminos

1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

2 teaspoons fresh lemon zest

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Shredded smoked cheddar Sheese or vegan Parmesan to sprinkle over the top

Sauté the asparagus and shallots in olive oil.

Once the asparagus and shallots are tender, set a few spears of asparagus aside to garnish your soup. Put the rest of the asparagus and shallots in a food processor or blender with 3 tablespoons of the olive oil. Blend until smooth. Add the cannellini beans and blend until smooth again. This should take about a minute and a half.

In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, heat the bouillon, celery, artichoke hearts, and white wine over medium heat. Once the mixture begins to boil, add the asparagus blend, and stir. Then add the cumin, onion powder, black pepper, Bragg’s, and thyme. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes on low heat, stirring occasionally.

After 5 minutes, remove from the heat and stir in the lemon zest and lemon juice. Serve hot, with your saved asparagus tips fanned out over the top as garnish and grated vegan cheese sprinkled over that.

SHYU RAMEN BOWLS FEATURING THE VEGAN HARD-BOILED EGG

Real Japanese ramen is more than noodles. It has beautiful, colorful vegetables and flavorful broth in countless variations. Needless to say, when you make this traditional dish vegan, it’s pretty much heaven. Adding little touches like the Vegan Hard-Boiled Egg will take your ramen out of the dorm room and into those big-city noodle shops where the menus are in Hiragana and the mock meat selection is so impressive you wonder why anyone in Japan eats meat at all.

MAKES 4 LARGE BOWLS

VEGAN HARD-BOILED EGG

1 (14-ounce) package extrafirm tofu, drained and pressed

3 tablespoons nutritional yeast

1 teaspoon cumin

½ teaspoon onion powder

¼ teaspoon turmeric

¼ teaspoon Tony Chachere’s Creole seasoning

1 tablespoon olive oil for cooking

SHYU RAMEN BOWLS

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 cups vegan chicken, diced (we recommend Gardein Chick’n Scallopini)

6 cups Better Than Bouillon vegetable broth, made per the instructions on the package

4 cloves garlic, minced

¼ cup white wine or Chinese rice wine

2 tablespoons lime juice

2 tablespoons Bragg’s liquid aminos

¼ cup shredded carrots

1 (15-ounce) can baby corn, drained

1 (8-ounce) can sliced water chestnuts, drained

¼ cup fresh pea pods

¼ teaspoon minced fresh ginger

1 (8-ounce) package Chinese misua wheat noodles

40 to 48 baby bok choy leaves (10 to 12 per bowl)

1 sheet nori, cut into strips

Chopped green onion and black sesame seeds to sprinkle over the top

Preheat the oven to 300°F.

To make the Vegan Hard-Boiled Eggs, cut the block of tofu into 4 rectangular pieces. With your 1-teaspoon measuring spoon, scoop a half-circle cup out of each piece of tofu. These cups are what you are going to fill with your “yolk,” so make sure they aren’t too shallow, but also not so deep that they make your “eggs” fall apart. Then, with a soupspoon, gently cut the corners off your rectangular “eggs” to create lopsided oval or egg shapes.

Put the tofu pieces you scooped out of and cut off your “eggs” in a small bowl. Mash the tofu pieces into a paste with a fork, and mix in the nutritional yeast, cumin, onion powder, turmeric, and Creole seasoning to make your “yolk.” Then, with your soupspoon, fill the cups you made in the “eggs” with the “yolk” mix. You’re going to have some “yolk” left over, so it’s okay to overfill the “eggs.”

Coat a glass baking dish with olive oil. Place the “eggs” in the baking dish and into the oven for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside to put into your soup once they’re cool enough to pick up with your hands.

Next prepare the ramen bowls. In your international superstar wok, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Then fry up your vegan chicken until it’s crispy and brown. You want a thick “skin” to form on the outside of the vegan chicken so it won’t get spongy in the broth. Set aside and cool in the wok.

In a large soup pot, heat the bouillon, garlic, white wine, lime juice, Bragg’s, and carrots to a boil. Add the baby corn and water chestnuts. Boil for 1 minute. Now add the pea pods, ginger, and noodles and boil for another minute. The noodles should cook pretty fast, but read your package to see what the manufacturer suggests for cooking time. Once the noodles are tender, add the baby bok choy leaves and remove the pot from the heat.

To serve, first distribute the noodles, vegetables, and broth among 4 bowls; then mix in pieces of the vegan chicken. Gently place 1 vegan egg on top of each bowl and sprinkle with slices of nori, green onions, and sesame seeds.

THE ULTIMATE CORN CHOWDER EXPERIENCE

We both frakking love corn and potatoes. I mean, of course we do. We’re American. Who doesn’t love corn and potatoes? Our society has been fattening us up on French fries and corn syrup since we were little eaters. That’s why we tried to do something different with this classic soup, which is paired with sandwiches in cafeterias all over this grand nation of ours. We added protein and extra veggies, making this a whole meal in a bowl—a wonderful, filling meal you could bring to lunch all week because it reheats so well.

MAKES 6 TO 8 BOWLS

½ red onion, diced

2 tablespoons olive oil

6 red potatoes, cubed and boiled until tender (I like to leave my skins on, but that’s your call)

1 (15-ounce) can creamed corn

1 cup frozen corn

½ cup frozen peas

½ cup frozen green beans

1 (15-ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

3 tablespoons Bragg’s liquid aminos

1 cup frozen hash browns, thawed

1 cup soy milk

1 cup Better Than Bouillon vegetable broth, made per the instructions on the package

½ teaspoon vegan Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

1 teaspoon lemon pepper (add more if you like your soup with a kick)

1 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed

1½ teaspoons onion powder

Fresh parsley and vegan bacon bits to toss on top

Place the onions and olive oil in a large soup pot or Dutch oven and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Once the onions become tender, add the potatoes, vegetables, beans, Bragg’s, hash browns, soy milk, broth, vegan Worcestershire sauce, nutritional yeast, lemon pepper, rosemary, and onion powder, mixing thoroughly. When the soup begins to boil, cover the pot and lower the heat to a simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. You’ll know the soup is done when the hash browns have begun to disintegrate.

Serve with fresh parsley and vegan bacon bits sprinkled on top.

I don’t like to tell people what to do… but eat this with some sourdough bread. Just do it. No time for questions. You have soup to eat!

BEER AND CHEESE SOUP

Beer and cheese soup may sound a bit odd to some, but in reality it’s pretty tasty stuff. It has all the key flavors of French onion soup: rich, savory, “beefy” broth with vegan cheese mixed in. We suggest getting some toasted bread for dipping in your soup and cleaning your bowl. If you consider your heart to be full of adventure and a love of beer, this soup is a must-try!

MAKES 4 TO 6 BOWLS

2 tablespoons margarine

1 medium red onion, chopped

4 stalks celery, chopped

2 tablespoons flour

¼ cup nutritional yeast

½ teaspoon lemon pepper

1 (12-ounce) bottle beer (we used brown ale, but any dark beer will work)

2 cups Better Than Bouillon vegetable broth, made per the instructions on the package

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 tablespoon Bragg’s liquid aminos

Dash of liquid smoke

1 teaspoon dried thyme

2 cups shredded Daiya vegan cheddar cheese or your favorite vegan cheese

Paprika

Baguette for dipping in your soup

In a large soup pot or 2-quart saucepan, melt the margarine over medium heat. Once the margarine is melted, toss in the onion and celery and stir to evenly coat the vegetables with the melted margarine. Let them cook until they’re tender.

Stir the flour, half the nutritional yeast, and the lemon pepper into your melted margarine. It will make a smooth paste; watch out for clumps. You can break them up by gently pressing them against the side of the pot. Stir in the beer, broth, olive oil, Bragg’s, liquid smoke, and thyme. Heat to a boil, boil for 1 minute, then taste. If it’s too salty, add water 1 tablespoon at a time. If it needs more salt, add more Bragg’s 1 teaspoon at a time.

Gradually stir in the vegan cheese. Reduce the heat to a simmer. Keep checking, and remove from the heat once your vegan cheese melts. Serve with a dash of paprika over the top and some bread to dip in it.

CHICKEN AND WILD RICE SOUP

When I first posted this recipe to our blog, it was prime cold season. All over Facebook, statuses were littered with stuffy heads, runny noses, and sore throats. Many of us grew up eating chicken noodle soup in these times of crisis, but after I went vegan, that tradition fell by the wayside because I couldn’t find a vegan chicken product that didn’t get spongy in soup. But with advancements in food technology have come vegan chicken products that can safely be used in comforting chicken noodle soup. I prefer wild rice to noodles, but there’s a substitution note in the recipe if you’re more the conventional type. This recipe is very simple, so you can make it for yourself if your mom, partner, or whoever isn’t available. Or you can be an angel and make it for that special someone in your life when he or she isn’t feeling well.

MAKES 4 TO 6 BOWLS

2 cups vegan chicken, defrosted (we recommend Gardein Chick’n Scallopini)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup cooked wild rice^*

5 cups Better Than Bouillon vegetable broth, made per the instructions on the package

1 cup sliced carrots (coins)

1 cup sliced celery

1 red onion, chopped

1 cup frozen peas

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried thyme

2 dried bay leaves

½ teaspoon celery seed

Dash of crushed black peppercorns

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

In a glass baking dish, toss the vegan chicken and olive oil until your vegan chicken is completely coated. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, flipping once to make sure it cooks evenly. Once the vegan chicken is brown and crispy, remove from the oven and cool.

In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, heat the remaining ingredients over medium heat until they boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer.

To serve, slice or chop the vegan chicken, and then divide into 4 to 6 portions. Fill each soup bowl three-quarters of the way with soup, then toss one portion of vegan chicken on top.

SOUTH AMERICAN CORN AND QUINOA SUMMER STEW

Have I ever told you I can read minds?^* Right now, you’re thinking this: South American? That’s pretty general. There’s a wide range of distinct cultures in South America. How authentic is this recipe? Well, I was trying to find a chilled soup during a particularly merciless heat wave and kept stumbling across soups from South America that sounded delicious, like canja de galinha, which is a Portuguese/Brazilian soup made with chicken and lemon. We also had this package of quinoa our friend brought back from Peru that was begging for a special project. So I collected what I liked about all of these soups and made this hybrid. Viva summer stew!

MAKES 4 TO 6 BOWLS

1½ pounds red potatoes, cubed

1 cup mixed whole string beans,

6 cups Better Than Bouillon vegan chicken broth, made per the instructions on the package

2 large corncobs, broken in half

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 zucchini, sliced

3 tablespoons diced fresh cilantro

1 tablespoon cumin

1 red bell pepper, diced

½ cup lemon or lime juice

cup quinoa, uncooked

1 tablespoon beer (I suggest an India Pale Ale, or ginger ale if you’re not into alcohol)

4 cloves garlic, minced

¼ teaspoon crushed black peppercorns

½ teaspoon hot sauce

Fresh lemon or lime slices

In the largest soup pot you can find, throw in all the ingredients except the lemon slices, and simmer over medium heat for about 1 hour. You want your vegetables to be tender but still crisp, so remove your pot from the heat when your vegetables are ready, even if it hasn’t been an hour.

Let the stew sit and cool to room temperature, which may take another hour. You can also put it in the fridge to chill more quickly. Serve at room temperature with a slice of fresh lemon, which you can smash into the soup with your spoon when you begin to eat.

You may want to serve this stew with extra napkins too. You’re supposed to eat the corn off the cob with your hands, and that can get a little messy. But if you love corn, you won’t even notice.

MINESTRONE

Minestrone is as common on Italian dinner tables as pasta. Some say that minestrone predates Rome’s conquering of the Italian peninsula in the second century BCE, but back then it was made with spelt, not pasta, because Marco Polo hadn’t yet gone on his adventures.^* Besides being a nutritious and healthy dish that predates the republic, it’s easy to take for granted, because it’s often already vegan. But minestrone is an easy dinner that pretty much makes itself. All you need is a slow cooker and some patience; even Betty Crocker can’t rush happiness. This soup takes about a half hour to prep for and about 6 hours to make. We like ours with Easy Olive Oil Garlic Toast (see here).

MAKES 6 TO 8 BOWLS

1 (28-ounce) can stewed tomatoes with basil

5 cups Better Than Bouillon vegetable broth, made per the instructions on the package

2 tablespoons Bragg’s liquid aminos

1 cup raw kale, chopped

½ red onion, finely chopped

cup red wine

1 (15-ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

1 large zucchini, sliced

3 celery stalks, chopped

½ cup baby carrots

¾ cup frozen green beans

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped

2 teaspoons dried oregano

¼ teaspoon dried thyme leaves

2 bay leaves

1 teaspoon celery seed

1 cup small vegan pasta (such as mini shells or macaroni)

1 tablespoon olive oil

Crushed pink Himalayan salt and crushed black peppercorns

Smoked cheddar Sheese or vegan Parmesan for sprinkling

Toss the tomatoes, broth, Bragg’s, kale, onion, wine, beans, zucchini, celery, carrots, green beans, garlic, basil, oregano, thyme, bay leaves, and celery seed in the slow cooker and set it to high. Every 45 minutes while the vegetables cook down, stir your soup to keep the vegetables on top from drying out, and break up your tomatoes by pressing them against the side of your slow cooker. Do this for about 5½ hours. Once your carrots are tender, add the pasta. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes, or until your pasta is tender. Add salt and pepper to taste.

To serve, fill your bowl with soup and grate smoked cheddar Sheese or sprinkle vegan Parmesan over the top.

GARLIC, PORTOBELLO MUSHROOM, AND KALE SOUP

There are a few truths in this wild universe of ours. One, kittens are cute. Two, a rainy afternoon is a good time to catch up on your novel reading (and writing). And three, this soup is easy and delicious while being different enough to make it special. Even the most inexperienced chefs can make this soup.

MAKES 4 TO 6 BOWLS

¾ cup cubed red potatoes

½ red onion, diced very small

3 cloves garlic, minced

¼ cup diced fresh celery

1 large carrot, sliced

1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

6 cups Better Than Bouillon vegetable broth, made per the instructions on the package

Dash of Liquid smoke

¼ teaspoon celery seed

1½ teaspoons Italian seasoning

1 tablespoon Bragg’s liquid aminos

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 cup raw baby kale

½ cup sliced baby portobello mushrooms

cup frozen peas

¼ cup cooked wild rice

French-fried onions to sprinkle over the top

Toss all the ingredients except the wild rice and French-fried onions in a slow cooker on the highest setting or a large stewpot and heat over a medium heat. Cook for 2 to 3 hours, or until the carrots are tender. Before you serve, mix in the wild rice. Sprinkle French-fried onions over the top.

GREEK LEMON SOUP

In Greece, there is an amazing lemon-and-egg combo called avgolemono. People eat it as a sauce over dolmas and artichokes, or just as a soup with pieces of chicken. I like to combine both versions and make a bright vegan soup, perfect for that time of year when it looks like spring outside but is still freezing. I like to serve it with the Pesto Chicken and Vegetable Sandwich (here).

MAKES 4 TO 6 BOWLS

6 cups Better Than Bouillon vegan chicken broth, made per the instructions on the package

cup orzo

2 teaspoons nutritional yeast

¼ teaspoon turmeric

cup lemon juice

¼ teaspoon lemon zest

Pinch of fresh thyme leaves

1 clove garlic, minced

½ teaspoon crushed black peppercorns, plus additional as needed

1 (15-ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

1 (14-ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained

Crushed pink Himalayan salt

1 lemon, sliced

Chopped fresh parsley for garnish

In a large pot, bring the broth to a boil on a high heat, and then add the orzo. Cook until tender, stirring occasionally. Turn the heat down to a simmer. With a whisk, blend in the nutritional yeast and turmeric. Once the nutritional yeast dissolves, add the lemon juice and zest, thyme, garlic, black pepper, beans, and artichoke hearts. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Now taste test your soup to see if it needs any salt or pepper. Add what you need a little at a time.

Serve warm with a slice of lemon and some fresh parsley on top. Before you eat, take your spoon and press the lemon slice into the soup. The fresh lemon pulp will add a nice kick!

1-HOUR BOEUF-LESS BOURGUIGNON STEW WITH HERB DUMPLINGS

Julia Child described boeuf bourguignon as “certainly one of the most delicious beef dishes concocted by man.” It’s hard to not hear Julia’s unique voice in your head as you prepare this classic French dish, which has not only been made more compassionate and healthy, but also can be made in 1 hour. The original “meaty” dish takes more than 10 hours and requires a lot of prep work. This stew is actually pretty light for how flavorful and rustic it is. My favorite part is the dumplings on top, which have convinced me that everything is a little better with a dumpling on top.

MAKES 6 SERVINGS

BOEUF BOURGUIGNON

1 (9-ounce) bag Gardein beefless tips or beef seitan

1 large red onion, ½ sliced into rings, the other ½ diced

4 carrots, sliced into coins

3 stalks celery, chopped

1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes

1 cup sliced white mushrooms

¾ cup fresh spinach

1 cup frozen peas

1 cup frozen green beans

1 cup red wine or apple cider

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 teaspoons Bragg’s liquid aminos

1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves

½ teaspoon onion powder

½ teaspoon ground mustard seed

½ teaspoon celery seed

½ teaspoon crushed black peppercorns

¼ cup chopped fresh parsley

½ cup Better Than Bouillon vegan beef broth, made per the instructions on the package

2 tablespoons whole wheat flour

Pinch of nutritional yeast

Crushed pink Himalayan salt and crushed black peppercorns

HERB DUMPLINGS

1½ cups vegan Bisquick mix

¼ teaspoon dried sage leaves, crumbled

½ teaspoon dried thyme leaves

½ cup soy milk

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Place the vegan beef in a glass baking dish. Cover with a layer of red onion slices. Bake the vegan beef and red onion for around 10 minutes, or until both are golden brown and tender. A brothy liquid will form in the bottom of the baking dish; you’ll use this in the next step of the recipe.

While the vegan beef is baking, start the rest of your stew. In a large soup pot, combine the remaining stew ingredients, and heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally. When the stew begins to boil, cover and reduce the heat to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Pour the liquid from the glass baking dish into the stew but don’t add the vegan beef and onions yet. Stir until mixed in. Taste your stew and add more Bragg’s or pepper to taste.

Let the stew simmer for 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from the heat when the vegetables are tender. The carrots are the key—it’s a judgment call on how tender you like them. Keep in mind that you will also bake the stew for another 5 to 8 minutes later in the recipe.

While the stew simmers, make the dumplings. In a large bowl, combine the Bisquick mix, sage, and thyme thoroughly with a whisk; then pour in the soy milk. Stir it all together with an electric handheld mixer until blended.

Once your vegetables are the desired tenderness, pour the stew into a large casserole dish or Dutch oven. Place a layer of baked red onion slices on top, and then a layer of vegan beef. You’re making a net with the red onion to keep the vegan beef from sinking into the stew. Then, using a soupspoon, drop spoonfuls of dough on top to make your dumplings.

If you’ve turned off your oven, you’re going to need to preheat it back to 400 F. Bake uncovered for 5 to 8 minutes, or until your dumplings are golden brown and you can remove a toothpick from them cleanly. If you run out of dumplings before you run out of stew, don’t worry—you can always use the dumpling recipe again to bake up extras in less than 10 minutes.

MINESTRA MARITATA—ITALIAN WEDDING SOUP

When we were planning our wedding, a handful of things may have made me a tiny bit bridezilla-y. At the top of my completely reasonable and rational list of what was required for a perfect wedding was vegan Italian wedding soup. That one request ended up shaping the entire menu for our reception. Ironically, Italian wedding soup is actually more of an Italian-American tradition that in the Old Country has very little to do with making a lifelong commitment. The soup we know in the States as Italian wedding soup is actually called minestra maritata—or married soup—because of the “marrying” of meat and green vegetables in one soup. Either way you look at it, this soup is a delicious tradition that will make any day you have it the happiest day of your life.

MAKES 4 TO 6 SERVINGS

Olive oil cooking spray

2 cups Lightlife Gimme Lean vegan ground beef or Match vegan ground beef

6 cups Better Than Bouillon vegan beef broth, made per the instructions on the package

2 cloves garlic, minced

¼ cup fresh basil leaves

2 teaspoons Bragg’s liquid aminos

2 cups fresh spinach

1 zucchini, sliced

1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes

2 stalks celery, diced

½ red onion, diced

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 tablespoon red wine

½ teaspoon oregano

Crushed pink Himalayan salt and crushed black peppercorns

1 cup small shell pasta

Vegan Parmesan for topping

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Spray a glass baking dish with olive oil cooking spray. Form your meatballs using the vegan ground beef, using no more than one tablespoon per meatball. Place them in the glass baking dish so they aren’t touching. Spray another coating of olive oil cooking spray over the top when done.

Bake the meatballs until they’re brown and slightly crispy on the outside. It shouldn’t take more than 30 minutes.

While the meatballs are baking, add the broth, garlic, basil, Bragg’s, vegetables, olive oil, wine, oregano, and salt and pepper to taste to a large stewpot and bring to a boil over high heat. When the soup begins to boil, add the pasta shells and cover the pot. After 10 minutes, turn the heat down to a simmer. Once the zucchini and pasta shells are tender, taste test your soup to see if it needs any more salt or pepper. Add what you need and get ready to eat!

To serve your soup, fill 4 to 6 bowls three-quarters of the way with soup; then top with a few meatballs and a few dashes of vegan Parmesan.

SOPA DE FRIJOLES NEGROS

This soup made me think a lot about our friend Cassandra, who is in Cuba going to medical school. This soup is smoky and spicy in all the right ways, just like her. I wish everyone had a Cassandra. You’re going to need to soak your beans overnight for this recipe. So you’ll want to start it the night before you want to serve it.

MAKES 6 TO 8 BOWLS

1 pound dried black beans, rinsed and soaked overnight

2 tablespoons olive oil

½ red onion, diced

5½ cups Better Than Bouillon vegetable broth, made per the instructions on the package

Dash of liquid smoke

¼ cup rum or apple juice

1 bay leaf

1 tablespoon cumin

1¼ teaspoons oregano

5 cloves garlic, minced

1 green bell pepper, diced

1 large tomato, diced

½ cup frozen corn

3 teaspoons Bragg’s liquid aminos

Pinch of turmeric

Pinch of paprika

Pinch of cayenne pepper

Hot sauce, optional

1 ripe sliced avocado, sliced green onions, and vegan bacon bits or crumbled smoked tempeh for garnish

In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Cook the red onion in the heated oil for about 5 minutes, or until the onion is tender, stirring occasionally.

Stir in the beans, broth, liquid smoke, rum, bay leaf, cumin, oregano, garlic, vegetables, Bragg’s, turmeric, paprika, and cayenne pepper and heat to a boil. Let the soup boil for 3 to 4 minutes. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cover the pot. Let the soup simmer for 2 hours. After 2 hours, continue simmering, checking regularly until the beans are tender. Remove from the heat. If you find that the soup is getting too salty, add water 1 tablespoon at a time to adjust the flavor. If it gets too bland, add Bragg’s 1 teaspoon at a time. You can also add a dash or two of hot sauce if you’re feeling caliente.

To serve, top with avocado slices, green onions, and bacon bits.

VEGGIE LOVERS’ PIZZA SOUP

When we first saw pizza soup, I admit that we wrote it off as one of the recipes we were dreading. We were being biased and unfair. We never even read the recipe, and there we were making jokes about how bowls of melted cheese shouldn’t really be called “soup.” But this soup isn’t anything like what we thought. It’s actually a flavorful and unique vegetable soup with some melted cheese and toast on top. It’s delicious, and the bell peppers, mushrooms, and basil make it pretty and colorful as well.

MAKES 4 TO 6 BOWLS

2 tablespoons olive oil

½ red onion, diced

1 green bell pepper, diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 bottle of your favorite pale ale or pilsner

2 cups Better Than Bouillon vegan beef broth, made per the instructions on the package

1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes

3 tablespoons Bragg’s liquid aminos

¼ cup fresh basil, whole leaf or lightly chopped

¼ cup chopped fresh spinach

½ cup sliced fresh white mushrooms

1½ teaspoons Italian seasoning

1 teaspoon fennel seed

¼ teaspoon onion powder

1 (15-ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

1 to 1½ cups shredded Daiya vegan mozzarella or your favorite vegan cheese (¼ cup per bowl)

4 to 6 slices toasted French bread

Vegan Parmesan, red pepper flakes, and dried oregano to sprinkle over the top

In a soup pot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Once the oil is warm, toss in the red onion, bell peppers, and garlic. Stir occasionally, cooking until the red onion is tender. Then stir in the ale, broth, tomatoes, and Bragg’s until blended.

Stir in the basil, spinach, mushrooms, Italian seasoning, fennel seed, onion powder, and beans. Heat to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for around 10 minutes. Stir occasionally.

Turn on the broiler or set the oven to broil.

Pour your soup into oven-safe bowls. Sprinkle a little vegan cheese over the soup, place a slice of toast on top, and sprinkle more vegan cheese on the toast. Then sprinkle on some vegan Parmesan. Broil the soups for 30 to 90 seconds. I recommend checking on them every 30 seconds and removing them once the vegan cheese melts and the Vegan Parmesan begins to brown.

Sprinkle some red pepper flakes and dried oregano over the top, like a pizza, and serve. I know some of you love some ranch dressing with your pizza. If you go that way, we have a recipe for Vegan Ranch Dressing (here) that you can use.

16-BEAN, LEEK, AND KIELBASA SOUP

Someone needs to say it. SyFy Channel’s vampire and werewolf movie marathon was a little too heavy on the werewolves and had a significant lack of vampires. That’s not to say it wasn’t still completely wonderful. I mean, who doesn’t love a good monster movie? But sometimes a gal needs more dialogue during the big, bad death scene than most werewolf movies allow… and less icky transformation scenes and poorly made muzzle faces. So what do the Shannons make for dinner when there’s this level of distraction? We pull out the slow cooker, let ‘er rip, and return to debating which movie has better werewolves, taking into account origin stories, transformation scenes, and CGI cheating, of course.

MAKES 6 TO 8 BOWLS

1 (20-ounce) package 15-bean soup (a package of assorted dried beans you can find in the soup section of your local grocery store)

6 cups Better Than Bouillon vegetable broth, made per the instructions on the package

4 carrots, diced

4 stalks celery, diced

½ red onion, diced

2 teaspoons olive oil, plus more for cooking

1 tablespoon red wine

1 tablespoon Bragg’s liquid aminos

2 dashes of liquid smoke, plus more for cooking

1 teaspoon thyme

½ teaspoon crushed black peppercorns

½ teaspoon celery seed

½ teaspoon Tony Chachere’s Creole seasoning

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 clove garlic, minced

1 leek, sliced

1 cup frozen green beans

1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes

cup beer

1 (14-ounce) package Tofurky kielbasa sausages or Field Roast’s Smoked Apple and Sage Sausages, cut into coins

French-fried onions for topping

SLOW COOKER INSTRUCTIONS

In the slow cooker, combine the beans, broth, carrots, celery, onion, 2 teaspoons of the olive oil, wine, Bragg’s, 2 dashes of the liquid smoke, thyme, black pepper, celery seed, Creole seasoning, onion powder, and garlic. Cover and cook on the lowest setting for 8 to 10 hours, stirring occasionally, until the beans are tender. Once the beans are tender, stir in the leek, green beans, and tomatoes. Cover and start cooking your vegan sausages.

STEWPOT INSTRUCTIONS

In your largest stewpot, mix the beans, broth, carrots, celery, onion, 2 teaspoons of the olive oil, wine, Bragg’s, 2 dashes of the liquid smoke, thyme, black pepper, celery seed, Creole seasoning, onion powder, and garlic. Cover and cook over medium heat for 6 to 8 hours, stirring occasionally, until the beans are tender. Then stir in the leek, green beans, and diced tomatoes. Cover and start cooking your vegan sausages.

Whether you used the slow cooker or the stewpot, the next step should be the same: In your hunky cast-iron skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the beer, and a dash of liquid smoke over medium heat. Toss your vegan sausage in the skillet once the liquid is warm. Brown your vegan sausage until the beer has cooked off and the edges are crispy.

You’ll know your soup is ready when the green beans are tender and warm. To serve, fill your soup bowls and then drop 3 to 4 coins of sausage into each serving, sprinkling some French-fried onions over the top.

SPRING ONION RAMEN

This is an easier but equally lovely version of Shõyu Ramen Bowls (here).

MAKES 4 TO 6 LARGE BOWLS

3 tablespoons sesame oil

1 large sweet onion, sliced very thinly (we suggest using a Walla Walla Sweet Onion)

2 cups fresh pea pods

1 carrot, shredded

6 cups Better Than Bouillon vegetable broth, made per the instructions on the package

1 tablespoon Bragg’s liquid aminos

15 to 20 green onions, sliced (you’ll want a little extra to sprinkle over the top)

¾ teaspoon hot sauce

1½ teaspoons ginger paste

1 (8-ounce) package Chinese misua wheat noodles

1 cup baby bok choy leaves

Black sesame seeds, French-fried onions, and if you’re feeling fancy, a Vegan Hard-Boiled Egg (here)

In your international superstar wok, heat the sesame oil over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, toss in the sweet onion and stir-fry until the onion begins to turn translucent. Then toss in the pea pods and carrots. Stir-fry for another minute.

In a large soup pot, heat the broth, Bragg’s, 1¼ cups of the green onions, the hot sauce, and the ginger paste. Stir with a slotted spoon until the ginger paste dissolves into the soup. Then add the onion mixture and turn the heat up to a boil. Let the soup boil for 1 minute. Add the noodles and boil for another minute. The noodles should cook pretty quickly, but read your package for suggested cooking time. Once the noodles are tender, add the baby bok choy leaves and remove the pot from the heat.

To serve, fill your bowl with noodles and vegetables; then garnish with black sesame seeds and French-fried onions. You can level up your ramen pretty quickly by adding a Vegan Hard-Boiled Egg or two.

BEEFLESS AND BARLEY SOUP

When I realized I’d have to come up a vegan beef and barley soup for this book, the ten-year-old in me smiled and said, “You owe me this for all those spelling tests I worked so hard on, which you promptly forgot about once you discovered spell check.” [Ed. note: true story]

When I was a little eater, I loved beef with barley soup from a can. My dad would make it for me when he was left in charge, and he always served it with cheddar Goldfish crackers. I can say with no hesitation that this soup is much better than anything you could get from a can. Don’t forget to pick up some Eco-Planet Non-Dairy Cheddar Crackers—they’re pretty close to those smirky little “cheesy” Goldfish. The recipe below has stewpot and slow cooker versions.

MAKES 4 TO 6 SERVINGS

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 red onion, chopped

cup frozen green beans

cup frozen corn

cup frozen peas

cup sliced white mushrooms

cup pearled barley, uncooked

5 cups Better Than Bouillon vegan beef broth, made per the instructions on the package

3 tablespoons Bragg’s liquid aminos

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 tablespoon diced fresh parsley

½ teaspoon dried oregano

1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, Italian flavor with garlic and basil

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 (9-ounce) package Gardein beefless tips, or 9 ounces beef seitan

SLOW COOKER INSTRUCTIONS

In a 4- to 5-quart slow cooker, mix the red pepper, half the red onion, frozen vegetables, mushrooms, barley, broth, Bragg’s, thyme, onion powder, parsley, oregano, tomatoes, and olive oil. Cover and cook on low heat for 8 to 8½ hours, until the barley is tender.

STEWPOT INSTRUCTIONS

In a large stewpot, mix the pepper, half the red onion, and the frozen vegetables, mushrooms, barley, broth, Bragg’s, thyme, onion powder, parsley, oregano, tomatoes, and olive oil. Cover and simmer over low to medium heat for 9 hours, until the barley is tender, stirring the pot occasionally.

Whether you used the slow cooker or the stewpot, the next steps should be the same:

Preheat the oven to 400°F. 15 to 20 minutes before you’re ready to serve.

In a glass baking dish, place the vegan beef and cover it with a layer of the remaining red onion. Bake for around 10 minutes, until both are golden brown and tender.

To serve, fill your bowls with soup, and then add the roasted red onion and vegan beef. Enjoy!

If you have leftovers, store the vegan beef separately from the soup so it doesn’t get soggy.

CURRY AND WILD RICE SOUP

This is one of those soups that people expect in a vegan cookbook. It’s easy, just the right amount of hot and deliciously spicy, and good for you. All-around awesome. No cookbook, vegan or otherwise, is complete without it.

MAKES 4 TO 6 BOWLS

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

4 cups Better Than Bouillon vegetable broth, made per the instructions on the package

3½ teaspoons garam masala curry powder

½ cup coconut milk

½ cup frozen peas

2 cups cooked wild rice

1 cup raw broccoli florets

1 red bell pepper, sliced

1 teaspoon crushed black peppercorns

5 large fresh basil leaves, chopped

1 teaspoon lemon zest

2 teaspoons lemon juice

In a large stewpot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat until warm. Use a whisk to blend in the flour. Once the flour and oil have made a paste, add the broth and continue to whisk your soup until the flour has blended in. Add the curry powder and coconut milk and continue to whisk until the curry powder has blended into the soup.

Toss in the peas, wild rice, broccoli florets, and bell pepper and simmer until the vegetables are tender. With a large wooden spoon, mix in the black pepper, basil leaves, lemon zest, and lemon juice.

Serve warm and often.

SMOKY WINTER VEGETABLE BISQUE

Bisques are French soups originally made with crustaceans that were too beat-up to be sold in the market. Over the years, the term has also been used to describe cream-based vegetable soups. Sometimes the term means both. So, not traditionally the most vegan-friendly soups on the block. This bisque has vegan Worcestershire sauce to add a subtle savory/fishy flavor, and some vegan sour cream and blended garbanzo beans to create the “creamy” effect. This is also a great recipe to bring for lunch, because it’s very filling and goes perfectly with toasted slices of Whole Wheat Sunflower Herb Bread (see here).

MAKES 4 TO 6 BOWLS

2 parsnips, cubed

1 large turnip, cubed

3 large sweet potatoes, cubed

1 large rutabaga, cubed

1 raw beet, cubed

2 large carrots, sliced

cup olive oil

3 cups Better Than Bouillon vegetable broth, made per the instructions on the package

1 cup white wine

1 teaspoon vegan Worcestershire sauce

2 teaspoons Bragg’s liquid aminos

2 dashes of liquid smoke

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

¼ teaspoon dill weed

1½ teaspoons rubbed sage

1 (15-ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

cup vegan sour cream

1 tablespoon almond milk

Vegan bacon bits or crumbled smoked tempeh to sprinkle over the top

Smoked chili oil to drizzle over the top, optional

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

In a large mixing bowl, toss the parsnips, turnip, sweet potatoes, rutabaga, beet, and carrots with olive oil until they are completely covered. In a shallow glass baking dish, spread the vegetables in an even layer. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.

While the vegetables are baking, fill your largest stewpot with the broth, wine, vegan Worcestershire sauce, Bragg’s, liquid smoke, garlic, onion powder, thyme, dill weed, and sage. Heat at the highest heat until the pot begins to boil. Then add the baked vegetables and garbanzo beans. Boil for another 3 minutes. The vegetables will begin to dissolve into the broth. Remove from the heat and let sit for 1 minute.

Add the vegan sour cream and almond milk and puree with an immersion blender in the pot, or in a food processor or blender, until your bisque is smooth and creamy.

Serve with vegan bacon bits sprinkled over the top and a drizzle of smoked chili oil. The oil is optional but adds a kick and a little extra flavor to your snowy-time soup.

SIESTA TACO SOUP

Betty Crocker cookbooks generally refer to Mexican recipes as “fiesta” whatever-it-is. Since we made our taco soup in the slow cooker, it only seemed right to throw the “siesta” in there—sleepy little soup that it is. I actually kind of like those “fiestas,” though. They’re just the perfect level of campy for Betty Crocker. They remind me of something Betty Draper would serve to her kids during a break in her chain smoking. I’m not sure why that appeals to me, but in a weird way it totally does. We didn’t add some of the traditional taco toppings, like sour cream and avocados, this time but maybe you should… I would skip the lettuce, though.

MAKES 4 TO 6 SERVINGS

1 (28-ounce) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes

2 cups Better Than Bouillon vegetable broth, made per the instructions on the package

1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 (15-ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 (15-ounce) can lentils, drained and rinsed

1 red onion, very thinly diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 to 2 fresh jalapeños, sliced (the more you add, the spicier the soup will be)

1 yellow bell pepper, diced into large pieces

2 teaspoons chili powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

2½ teaspoons cumin

¼ teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon oregano

2 teaspoons Bragg’s liquid aminos

Dash of liquid smoke

Crushed pink Himalayan salt and crushed back peppercorns

1 tablespoon hot sauce (add a few dashes more if you want take up the spice a notch)

2 to 3 cups tortilla chips (½ cup per bowl of soup), broken up a bit but not crushed

1 to 1½ cups shredded Daiya vegan cheddar cheese or your favorite vegan cheese (¼ cup per bowl of soup)

Sliced black olives and chopped fresh cilantro for garnish

Toss the tomatoes, broth, beans, lentils, onion, garlic, jalapeños, bell pepper, chili and onion powders, cumin, paprika, oregano, Bragg’s, and liquid smoke into your faithful little slow cooker and mix. Fire up your slow cooker to high and cook for 2 hours. Then taste test the soup and add salt, pepper, and hot sauce until you like the flavor. Cover the slow cooker back up and cook for another hour.

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

You’re going to know your soup is ready when you taste test it and your heart does a little two-step—and when your onion has dissolved. Fill oven-safe bowls three-quarters of the way with your new favorite soup, then sprinkle tortilla chips and vegan cheese over the top and bake until the vegan cheese gets all melty, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the oven using mitts—your bowls are going to be hot. Let your bowls cool for about 15 minutes, or until you can handle them without burning yourself. Then sprinkle olives and cilantro—or really whatever your favorite taco topping is—over the top and serve warm.

FRENCH ONION SOUP

Once upon a time, there was a very tall woman with an oddly lovable voice who brought French cooking to the servantless American cook. We all know the story of how Julia Child came to master the art of French cooking, but what we may not know is that several dishes we find in almost every U.S. restaurant were made popular due to the influence of this culinary Amazon. One of these is French onion soup, or in French, soupe à l’oignon.

This soup is dark and savory in a “beefy” way that is hard to forget. The flavor actually comes from the caramelized onions, which makes the soup easy to veganize. The hard part is getting the layer of vegan cheese to melt and brown just right. It is possible, though, so don’t skip that step. You’ll be happy you were brave enough to reach for the stars.

MAKES 4 TO 6 SERVINGS

CROUTON AND BROILED VEGAN CHEESE TOPPING

4 to 12 (½-inch-thick) baguette slices (1 to 2 per serving)

to ½ cup olive oil

1 to 3 cups shredded Daiya vegan mozzarella cheese or your favorite vegan cheese ( to ½ cup per bowl)

4 to 6 teaspoons vegan Parmesan cheese (1 teaspoon per bowl)

ONION SOUP

2 tablespoons margarine

5 red onions, sliced (the thinner the better)

6 cups Better Than Bouillon vegan beef broth, made per the instructions on the package

¼ teaspoon crushed black peppercorns

½ teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

2 bay leaves

1 tablespoon sherry or dry white wine (you can use flat ginger ale if you don’t do alcohol)

1 teaspoon Bragg’s liquid aminos

1 clove garlic, minced

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Brush both sides of your baguette slices with olive oil and place them on a cookie sheet lined with foil. Bake for 5 minutes; then flip the baguette slices and bake for another 5 to 10 minutes, until toasted and golden brown. You want to make sure they are completely toasted so they don’t become soggy in your soup later. Make your soup while you bake your croutons.

In a Dutch oven or large soup pot, melt the margarine over medium heat. Once the margarine is liquefied, toss in the sliced onion and mix with the margarine until the onions are completely coated. Cook uncovered for 10 to 15 minutes, until the onions begin to turn a light golden brown and become translucent. Turn down your heat if the onions start getting crispy edges.

Once the onions have caramelized, add the broth, black pepper, thyme, bay leaves, sherry, Bragg’s, and garlic. Cover and increase the heat to high. Once the soup begins to boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 15 more minutes.

Turn on the broiler or set the oven to broil.

Fill 4 to 6 oven-safe bowls or large ramekins three-quarters of the way with onion soup. Place 1 to 2 croutons on top of the soup, depending on how big your bowls are, and top with an even layer of vegan cheese.

Broil with the vegan cheese about 5 inches from the flame for about 1 minute—just long enough to melt. Then sprinkle an even layer of vegan Parmesan over the melted vegan cheese. Return the soup under the broiler and broil for around another minute, removing when the top is a light golden brown. Be sure to watch the soup the whole time it is under the broiler to make sure it doesn’t catch fire.

HOT AND SOUR SHIITAKE MUSHROOM MISO SOUP

In college in Olympia, Washington, I was lucky enough to have a roommate whom I adored more than I probably ever told her I did. I don’t always get along with women, so to live with one whom I liked this much meant a lot to me. The point of this story is that she loved the hot and sour soup in Olympia. When she left town over the summer to work on Block Island on the East Coast, we worked together on a plan to help ease her through her withdrawal. It involved several secondhand plastic thermoses from children’s long-lost lunch boxes and overnight shipping. Don’t worry, it got there in time, and she survived the summer. Whenever I think of hot and sour soup, I think of the weeks of prep and testing that went into that mission, and how I look forward to meeting up with Libbe again someday over some great Pacific Northwest Asian food.

MAKES 4 TO 6 SERVINGS

3 tablespoons miso paste

4 cups water

cup rice vinegar

3 tablespoons Bragg’s liquid aminos

3 tablespoons sherry

2 teaspoons ginger paste

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 teaspoons Sriracha sauce

1 teaspoon crushed black peppercorns

½ teaspoon sesame oil

7 to 8 shiitake mushrooms, sliced

3 carrots, sliced

1 (8-ounce) can sliced bamboo shoots

1 cup whole baby bok choy leaves

1 (14-ounce) package extrafirm tofu, cubed

2 teaspoons lemon juice

2 teaspoons chopped fresh cilantro

1 tablespoon sliced green onion

In a large stewpot, mix the miso, water, rice vinegar, Bragg’s, and sherry until the miso dissolves. Heat to a boil over high heat. Once the mixture begins to boil, turn the heat down to a simmer and add the ginger paste, garlic, Sriracha sauce, black pepper, sesame oil, shiitake mushrooms, carrots, bamboo shoots, bok choy leaves tofu, and lemon juice and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir occasionally to make sure the ginger dissolves. Your soup is ready when the mushrooms are tender. Toss in the cilantro and green onion and serve to your oldest and dearest.

CREAM OF BROCCOLI SOUP

Cream of broccoli/mushroom/whatever soups have always seemed a little weird to me. Not to get all technical or grammar-nerdy or gross on you, but broccoli can’t produce cream—only mammals can do that (sorry, I know, gross). So really it should be cream and broccoli soup—right? Right? Ahem. Either way, this soup is simple, delicious, and hearty—perfect for a cold winter’s day.

MAKES 4 TO 6 BOWLS

½ cup margarine

1 red onion, thinly sliced

3 stalks celery, sliced

½ cup whole wheat flour

5 cups miso soup, made per the instructions on the package

1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

2 tablespoons Bragg’s liquid aminos

¼ cup white wine

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon onion powder

Pinch of turmeric

1 cup nutritional yeast

1½ cups broccoli florets

½ teaspoon smoked paprika

4 to 6 tablespoons shredded Daiya vegan cheddar cheese or your favorite vegan cheese (1 tablespoon per bowl)

2 dashes of liquid smoke

Crushed pink Himalayan salt and crushed black peppercorns to taste

Vegan bacon bits for garnish

In a Dutch oven or large soup pot, heat the margarine over medium heat until melted. Toss in the onion and celery. Use a metal spatula to mix the vegetables until coated with the melted margarine. Toss in the flour and continue to mix until the flour is blended into the margarine.

Add the miso soup, beans, Bragg’s, white wine, garlic, onion powder, and turmeric and use a wooden spoon to blend the flour mixture into the miso soup. Cover and simmer for 3 minutes.

Slowly pour in the nutritional yeast and blend with a whisk until smooth. Add the broccoli florets, smoked paprika, vegan cheese, and liquid smoke, and stir your soup with a wooden spoon. Cover and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes. Once the broccoli is tender, pour the soup into a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Pour the soup back into the Dutch oven or soup pot and heat back up to a simmer.

Before serving, give your soup a taste test and add any needed salt and pepper. Sprinkle vegan bacon bits over the top to add a little awesome.

HEARTY NEW ENGLAND CHOWDER

This recipe uses the classic vegan trick of replacing clams with oyster mushrooms, like we did when we made Linguine and Vegan Clam Sauce (here). But even though the “clams” are wonderful, the real stars of this recipe are the artichokes and potatoes. The slight “fishy” flavor is really nice and represents what I remember when I think of this wintery favorite. I must stress that you’ll want some crackers or bread to get every last drop of this chowder. This is a clean-your-bowl situation.

MAKES 4 TO 6 BOWLS

2 tablespoons olive oil

Dash of liquid smoke

1 large red onion, diced

¾ cup sliced oyster mushrooms

1 tablespoon white wine

1 teaspoon fresh thyme

3 stalks celery, diced

2 russet potatoes, baked and cubed

1 cup Better Than Bouillon vegetable broth, made per the instructions on the package

1 teaspoon onion powder

½ teaspoon dill weed

½ teaspoon celery seed

1 teaspoon crushed black peppercorns, plus more as needed

1 teaspoon vegan Worcestershire sauce

1 (14-ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained

½ teaspoon sea kelp or seaweed granules

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

1 cup soy milk

1 tablespoon Bragg’s liquid aminos

Crushed pink Himalayan salt and crushed black peppercorns to taste

In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil and liquid smoke over medium heat. Toss in the red onion and oyster mushrooms once the oil gets warm. Cook, stirring occasionally.

Once the onion is tender, toss the white wine, thyme, celery, and baked potatoes into the pot and gently mix. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, until the potatoes start to break down a little. Then stir in the broth, onion powder, dill weed, celery seed, 1 teaspoon of the black pepper, and the vegan Worcestershire sauce with a wooden spoon. Once the chowder begins to boil, stir in the artichoke hearts, sea kelp, fresh parsley, soy milk, and Bragg’s.

Simmer another 5 to 7 minutes. Give your chowder another taste test and add any needed salt or pepper. Once the soy milk thickens, remove the soup from heat and enjoy with a good book, cup of tea, and some crackers!

CREOLE-SPICED BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND SWEET POTATO SOUP

This hearty soup has a thick, rich, creamy flavor, without relying on cream or cheese—vegan or otherwise. It’s a nice, healthy recipe that tastes like something you should feel bad about eating. It’ll also freeze well—so you can enjoy the fruits of your labor all week long.

MAKES 4 LARGE SERVINGS

1 butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cubed

1 cup diced carrots

2 leeks, thinly sliced

1 sweet potato, cubed

5 cups Better Than Bouillon vegan chicken broth, made per the instructions on the package

1 tablespoon Tony Chachere’s Creole seasoning

2 dashes of liquid smoke

1 teaspoon crushed black peppercorns (you’ll want more to sprinkle over the top)

2 teaspoons Louisiana hot sauce

1 tablespoon dry white wine

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon cumin

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons olive oil

Dry-roasted pepitas to sprinkle over the top

Toss all the ingredients except the pepitas into a large soup pot or Dutch oven and heat to a boil. Cover and reduce the heat to a simmer. Simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, or until all the vegetables are extremely tender.

Now, if you have an immersion blender, you can use it to puree your soup, but if you are using an enameled Dutch oven you may not want to do that, because immersion blenders can chip your Dutch oven coating. Instead, you can puree your soup in batches in a regular blender.

Serve with black pepper and pepitas sprinkled over the top and large French-style faux-cheese-crusted croutons (Crouton and Broiled Vegan Cheese Topping, here).

This recipe makes several large bowls of soup… but don’t be afraid—prepare for glory! No surrender! That is vegan law! No vegan soup shall be spared!

SANDWICHES

Funny thing about sandwiches… I feel weird calling them “recipes.” I mean, are they really recipes, or are they more combinations of food items with a dash of cooking and condiment tips? Either way, they’re crucial to an epic lunch. So let’s continue…

TOFURKY REUBEN

Like a lot of Bettys, I’m a simple woman. I love my husband and my cats. I love Patsy Cline and a nice tall glass of iced tea. I love walking through Manhattan in red shoes in the rain. And I love Reuben sandwiches. I mean, it’s a sandwich that includes both sauerkraut and rye bread… brilliant. But even the happiest cowboy sings a sad song. When it comes to Reubens, for me that sad song is the Thousand Island dressing. Even when I wasn’t vegan that stuff skeeved me out. So needless to say, when I made my own vegan version, I was pleasantly surprised when I loved it! I don’t think I’ll be dumping it on any salads anytime soon, but I do promise that from this moment on, all my Reubens will include this tasty condiment. This recipe makes one good-size sandwich.

MAKES 1 SANDWICH

2 slices marbled rye bread

2 tablespoons Bragg’s liquid aminos

6 to 8 slices Peppered Tofurky Deli Slices, separated

3 to 5 slices smoked cheddar Sheese or Daiya vegan Havarti cheese wedge

2 tablespoons Thousand Island Dressing (here)

Sauerkraut (it’s your call how much you want to add; my Reubens are around 40 percent sauerkraut)

Preheat the oven to 250°F.

Place the rye bread in the oven to dry out a little and help keep it from getting soggy.

Put the Bragg’s in a shallow bowl and dip the Tofurky in it, to give it a corned beef–pastrami flavor.

Take the rye bread out of the oven. Stack one slice with all the Tofurky, then all the vegan cheese slices on top of that. Put both slices of rye bread back in the oven. Turn the oven up to 350°F. Remove the bread from the oven in about 5 minutes, when it is the desired toastiness and the vegan cheese is melted.

Put Thousand Island Dressing and sauerkraut on the slice with no Tofurky. Put the slices together. You now have a vegan version of one the greatest deli sandwiches ever!

BAKED BLACK PEPPER TOFU REUBEN

The road to happiness is paved with olive oil, liquid smoke, and tofu. For a different take on this deli classic, you can always use baked tofu to add a little something special. During the years when mock meat technology was catching up to my dreams, this was the recipe I used to re-create one of my very favorite sandwiches in the world.

MAKES 2 SANDWICHES

½ teaspoon crushed black peppercorns

1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons olive oil

1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons lemon juice

Dash of liquid smoke

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon Bragg’s liquid aminos

½ (14-ounce) package extrafirm tofu, cut into strips

4 slices marbled rye bread

4 to 6 tablespoons Thousand Island Dressing (here)

6 to 8 slices smoked cheddar Sheese or Daiya vegan Havarti cheese wedge

Sauerkraut (it’s your call how much you want to add; my Reubens are around 40 percent sauerkraut)

In a shallow dish, combine the black pepper, olive oil, lemon juice, liquid smoke, garlic and Bragg’s. Cut your tofu into strips that are as even as possible, so when they’re baking they all bake evenly. Marinate your tofu slices in the oil and pepper mixture for 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Cover a cookie sheet with foil and place your marinated tofu slices on the foil about an inch apart. Reserve your leftover marinade. Bake the tofu for 20 minutes; then flip and bake for another 20 minutes, until crispy and golden brown. When ready, remove from the oven and cool until you can touch them. Once you can comfortably touch your baked tofu, divide the pieces into two equal portions. This is a good time to toast your bread and make your Thousand Island Dressing.

Turn the heat on the oven down to 250°F.

Put the bread in the oven to dry out and slightly toast, to help keep it from getting soggy.

Immediately after taking your bread out of the oven, dip your baked tofu into the leftover marinade before placing it in an even layer onto two of the pieces of bread. Then place vegan cheese slices on top of the baked tofu. Put all 4 slices of bread back in the oven.

Turn the oven up to 350°F. Remove the bread from the oven in about 5 minutes, when the bread is golden brown and the vegan cheese is melted.

Put Thousand Island dressing and sauerkraut on the bread with no tofu slices. Put those slices together with the tofu and cheese slices, and you’ve just made yourself some sandwiches that will make you believe in love again.

THE MVP AVOCADO SANDWICH

I won’t lie: if there were a Sandwich Hall of Fame, this fella would be in there all Heismanning it up. If there were a Little Miss Sandwich Pageant, this sandwich would be singing “The Impossible Dream” while twirling flaming batons and ending all its sentences with a wink. If there were a Fellowship of the Sandwich, this sandwich would be infiltrating Mordor. I’m glad no one was around to see me eat this epic creation, though, because to be honest, this little guy is messy. I looked a tiny bit like the Swamp Thing after I was done eating it. I had a green avocado beard, but it was worth it! I think you’ll agree.

MAKES 4 SANDWICHES

1 loaf artisan sourdough baguette

½ cup Fresh Herb Vinaigrette (here)

4 to 6 slices Tofutti American slices or 1 cup shredded Daiya vegan cheddar cheese

2 large ripe avocados, pitted, peeled, and sliced

½ fresh lemon

Lemon pepper

Turn on the broiler or set the oven to broil.

Cut the baguette horizontally in half. Drizzle the vinaigrette over the top half of the baguette. Spread vegan cheese over the bottom slice; if you’re using Tofutti slices, you’ll want to cut them in half. Place both baguette halves on your beloved pizza stone, so that the dressing and vegan cheese are top-up and can melt onto the bread. Broil for 5 minutes, until the bread gets a golden crispy edge and the vegan cheese is melted. Remove from oven.

Spread slices of avocado over the melted vegan cheese. Squeeze the lemon half over the avocado slices. Sprinkle the desired amount of lemon pepper over the avocados. Then close and cut the loaf into 4 pieces.

Please use your sandwich influence for good rather than evil.

BOURBON STREET VEGAN CHICKEN PO’BOY

On our honeymoon in New Orleans, we stayed in a hotel right off of Bourbon Street. We’re early birds, so while everyone else was partying the night away on Bourbon, we’d long since gone to bed, only to then be up and walking around at the wee hour of 8 a.m. like proper old married people. Bourbon Street at 8 a.m. looks like a frat house after a keg party, only if the frat house were a main thoroughfare through a major American city. There was literally no one else around for blocks, so we got to stroll through the picturesque French Quarter all by ourselves every morning. It was a perfect honeymoon—except when Dan came down with West Nile virus or some horrible thing that laid him up in bed for two days feverishly reading Interview with the Vampire for the millionth time. In conclusion, this vegan chicken recipe has all the spice and flavor of our Bourbon Street honeymoon, with none of the influenza.

MAKES 4 SANDWICHES

2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil

2 cups vegan chicken, defrosted (we recommend Gardein Chick’n Scallopini)

¼ cup bourbon

1 cup ketchup

1 tablespoons vegan Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons Bragg’s liquid aminos

1 tablespoon brown sugar

2 tablespoons garlic powder

¼ teaspoon yellow mustard

2 tablespoons pomegranate juice

2 teaspoons applesauce

Dash of Louisiana hot sauce

Dash of liquid smoke

1 batch Creole Veganaise (here)

1 loaf French bread, split horizontally but not sliced in half

Romaine lettuce leaves (most po’boys use iceberg, but I just can’t endorse that)

4 to 6 slices tomato

1 slice red onion, broken into rings

Pickles or various pickled things, like okra or peppers

Dijon mustard or A.1. steak sauce, optional

Heat 2 to 3 tablespoons of the olive oil in your favorite cast-iron skillet or frying pan over medium heat. Toss in the vegan chicken to brown a little on each side.

In a large bowl, mix the bourbon, ketchup, vegan Worcestershire sauce, Bragg’s, brown sugar, garlic powder, yellow mustard, pomegranate juice, applesauce, hot sauce, and liquid smoke with an electric handheld mixer with whisk attachments. Make sure that the mixture is smooth and that you like the taste. If it’s too hot, add more ketchup; if it isn’t hot enough, add more hot sauce.

Spread the Creole Veganaise over both sides of the French bread evenly. You probably won’t use the entire batch, but use as much as you like.

Dip your vegan chicken into the bourbon sauce. Cover it evenly on both sides; then toss it into the skillet. Flip it a few times, really keeping an eye on it. The bourbon sauce will cook onto the vegan chicken in a thick coating. Take the vegan chicken out of the skillet and put it straight into your po’boy. You’ll want to drizzle any extra bourbon sauce over the vegan chicken. Just trust me.

Pile the lettuce, tomatoes, onion rings, and pickles onto your sandwich, and add either Dijon mustard or A.1. steak sauce if you like that kind of thing. I’m a devoted A.1. steak sauce fan myself.

Slice your loaf of French bread into 4 equal pieces.

DRESSED CREOLE VEGAN SHRIMP PO’BOY

Here’s how you know that vegan shrimp is a great replica of the real deal: Dan hates it. No joke. Before he was vegan, he always disliked shrimp—both because of its oceany, salty, briny flavor and because of shrimps’ unmistakable resemblance to insects. And now Dan hates vegan shrimp, because its taste and texture are too similar to real shrimp’s. So if you love real shrimp, you’ll love this recipe. If not, well, there are plenty of other recipes in this book for you to choose from.

MAKES 4 SANDWICHES

3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons beer

1 to 2 tablespoons Tony Chachere’s Creole seasoning

1 teaspoon lemon pepper

2 teaspoons lemon juice

Dash of liquid smoke

1 to 2 cups vegan shrimp, defrosted (we recommend May Wah shrimp balls cut in half)

1 batch Creole Veganaise (here)

1 loaf French bread, spilt horizontally but not sliced in half

Dashes of Louisiana hot sauce, optional

Romaine lettuce leaves (most po’boys use iceberg, but that’s not okay)

4 to 6 slices of tomato

Slice red onion, broken into rings

Pickles or various pickled things like peppers or green beans

Dijon mustard or A.1. steak sauce, optional

Heat your olive oil over medium heat in your friendly neighborhood cast-iron skillet or frying pan.

In a large bowl, blend the beer, Creole seasoning, lemon pepper, lemon juice, and liquid smoke with an electric handheld mixer with whisk attachments. Add the defrosted vegan shrimp to the bowl and toss. Make sure to get a heavy even coating.

Once the oil is hot, toss in the spicy vegan shrimp and fry ‘em up!

Spread the Creole Veganaise evenly over both sides of the French bread. You won’t use the entire batch, but use as much as you like. Once the vegan shrimp has crispy edges, use a slotted spoon to pull them out of the skillet and place them on the bread. Toss a few dashes of hot sauce over the vegan shrimp if you like your food very spicy.

Pile the lettuce, tomato, onion rings, and pickles onto your sandwich and add either Dijon mustard or A.1. steak sauce if you like that kind of thing. I’m a devoted A.1. steak sauce fan myself.

Slice your loaf of French bread into 4 equal portions.

FRENCH DIP SANDWICH

This sandwich makes me feel like dancing around to a Brigitte Bardot pop song all yé-yé-girl-style. Our take on this exquisite sandwich includes portobello mushrooms and a lot of passionate, savory flavor.

MAKES 2 SANDWICHES

2 tablespoons olive oil

Dash of Bragg’s liquid aminos

2 large portobello caps, sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced

Dash of dried rosemary

Dash of dried thyme

Dash of crushed black peppercorns

1 package Oven Roasted Tofurky Deli Slices, separated

½ baguette, sliced horizontally

1 cup Better Than Bouillon vegan beef broth, made per the instructions on the package

In your aimé cast-iron skillet or frying pan, heat the olive oil and Bragg’s over medium heat. Once the oil is warm, add the sliced portobello, garlic, rosemary, thyme, and black pepper. Let the mushrooms simmer a bit while you stir occasionally. Once the mushrooms are tender, add the Tofurky slices and toss. Make sure that all the ingredients get blended and coated evenly.

Preheat the oven to 300°F. and slightly toast the bread in the oven. In a saucepan, prepare the broth, which will be the jus.

Once the mushrooms and Tofurky are tender, warm, and juicy, you’re ready to make up your sandwich. All you have to do is pile your mushroom and Tofurky slices onto your bread and slice the bread in half with a serrated knife. Serve with the jus in a ramekin on the side to dip your sandwich in.

Bon appétit!

PESTO CHICKEN AND VEGETABLE SANDWICH

This is an easy and impressive way to level up your vegan chicken sandwiches. I recommend pairing this one with the Greek Lemon Soup here.

MAKES 4 SANDWICHES

2 cups vegan chicken, defrosted (we recommend Gardein Chick’n Scallopini)

3 Roma tomatoes, sliced

2 zucchinis, sliced to about the same thickness as your vegan chicken

cup sliced white mushrooms

cup kalamata olives, pitted

2 tablespoons raw pine nuts

Images cup Super Green Basil Pesto (here)

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced

Crushed pink Himalayan salt and crushed black peppercorns to taste

4 hoagie rolls

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Toss all the ingredients except the hoagie rolls in a large mixing bowl until the vegetables and vegan chicken are completely covered with the pesto mixture. Divide the mixture into 4 equal portions and put each portion on a separate 18 x 12-inch sheet of foil.

Fold the foil over the mixture and seal the edges tightly; then place the foil packets in the oven so that the seals are facing up. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, checking for doneness 10 minutes in. Not all the vegan chicken products cook at the same rate, due to thickness and consistency. You’ll know it’s done when the vegan chicken has golden brown edges and the zucchini is tender.

Once your packets are ready, fill the hoagie rolls to make your sandwich. Each packet will make one sandwich.

You should really invest in some peperoncini, pickles, or olives to go with your sandwiches. Or, if you’re an overachiever, all three.

SLOPPY JOELS

Just as with brownies, every vegan has their favorite sloppy joes recipe. Over the years, I’ve had tasty vegan sloppy joes made with everything from textured vegetable protein to jackfruit. While I wasn’t too in love with the eggplant version (Amanda, if you’re reading this, I’m sorry), my all-time favorite is made with tempeh. I debated using that version here—but one of the most important missions of this book is to teach people how to use vegan products in new and interesting ways. Not every vegan has had a tempeh sloppy joe before, but you can find them in restaurants all over the country. So we opted for using vegan ground beef instead, which really does have the perfect texture and flavor for this recipe. But the great thing about this recipe is that you can substitute the “beef” part of it with tempeh or Boca crumbles or jackfruit or whatever. It’s your call.

MAKES 4 SANDWICHES

2 cups Match vegan ground beef, Lightlife Gimme Lean vegan ground beef, or tempeh

Olive oil for cooking

½ large red onion, diced

½ green bell pepper, diced

cup celery, diced

1 small tomato, diced

1 tablespoon Bragg’s liquid aminos

Dash of liquid smoke

½ teaspoon onion powder

1 cup ketchup^*

1½ teaspoons vegan Worcestershire sauce

teaspoon crushed black pepper

6 whole wheat hamburger buns, toasted

In your brave little cast-iron skillet or frying pan, cook the vegan beef in 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Once you start to see slightly crispy edges on the vegan beef, toss in the onion, bell pepper, celery, and tomato and continue to cook over medium heat. You may want to add another teaspoon of olive oil if you see the vegetables sticking. Once the vegan beef is brown and the vegetables begin to get tender, add the Bragg’s, liquid smoke, onion powder, ketchup, vegan Worcestershire sauce, and black pepper. Simmer for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are the desired tenderness.

Fill the hamburger buns with the sloppy joe mix and get out a bib… because these guys are just as messy as they are delicious.

VEGAN BACON RANCH AND CHICKEN PITA

Smoky vegan bacon, avocado, spinach, roasted chicken, and ranch dressing… you complete me.

MAKES 4 PITAS

2 cups vegan chicken (we recommend Lightlife Smart Strips, Chick’n)

Olive oil cooking spray

8 slices vegan bacon or smoked tempeh

6 to 8 whole wheat pitas

1 ripe avocado, sliced

½ cup raw baby spinach

1 Roma tomato, sliced

cup fresh sprouts

½ cup Vegan Ranch Dressing (here)

4 tablespoons sunflower seeds

If you want to take this to work or school, make your vegan chicken and Vegan Ranch Dressing the night before you want to make your sandwiches.

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Put the vegan chicken in a glass baking dish and spray with an even coating of olive oil cooking spray. Using a spoon, flip the vegan chicken a few times until completely covered with the olive oil. Place the vegan bacon over the top of the vegan chicken. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the oven when the vegan chicken and bacon are golden brown and crispy on the edges. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

When you’re ready to make your sandwiches, gently break up the vegan bacon into bite-size pieces. Slightly heat the pitas using the directions on their package so they are soft enough to fill. Fill each pita with equal portions of vegan chicken, vegan bacon, avocado, spinach, tomato, and sprouts; then drizzle with Vegan Ranch Dressing. Sprinkle some sunflower seeds over the top.

GIRLFRIEND’S MOCK CHICKEN SALAD BAGELWICH

For years, I made vats of vegan chicken salad for just about every occasion. Huge bowls of our original recipe of savory vegan chicken, crunchy celery, bright lemon juice, spicy black pepper, and Vegenaise were enjoyed at baby showers and potlucks. The recipe remained constant through friends falling in love, breaking up, and moving away; through vegan chicken products changing their ingredients so they weren’t vegan anymore; through different (some unfortunate) hair colors and styles. This recipe was something we could count on, like the rising sun and Dan’s devotion to the Red Sox. But the Betty Crocker Project inspired me to make this salad into something exceptional, rather than just reliable. But I guess ultimately that’s what Betty Crocker does… gets all of us to break out of our comfortable little ruts and reach our full potential.

MAKES 4 TO 6 SANDWICHES

2 tablespoons olive oil

Dash of liquid smoke

2 cups vegan chicken, defrosted (we recommend Gardein Chick’n Scallopini)

½ cup Grapeseed Vegenaise

¼ teaspoon lemon pepper

2½ tablespoons lemon juice

3 tablespoons nutritional yeast

2 pinches of celery seed

¼ cup chopped parsley

2 stalks celery, chopped

½ large red onion, chopped

Crushed pink Himalayan salt and crushed black peppercorns

4 to 6 toasted bagels

Cook the vegan chicken the night before you plan to serve.

Heat the olive oil and liquid smoke in your favorite cast-iron skillet or frying pan over medium heat. Once your oil is hot, toss the vegan chicken in and cook until browned and crispy. Remove the vegan chicken from the skillet and place on a plate with a paper towel on it. Once the vegan chicken has cooled enough that you can touch it, chop it into small chunks, place in an airtight container, and refrigerate overnight.

The next day, mix the chilled vegan chicken with the Vegenaise, lemon pepper, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, celery seed, parsley, celery, and onion in a large bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste. Toast your bagels. Serve the vegan chicken salad on a bagel with lettuce, spinach, sprouts, tomatoes, pickles, mustard… whatever sandwich goodies you like.

What’s also great about this salad is that you don’t need bread to eat it. You can eat it by itself or on a bed of lettuce… get creative and reach your own full potential!

NIÇOISE TOFU EGG SALAD SANDWICH

Niçoise salad is one of those French dishes made famous in the United States by Julia Child. Prior to that leggy dame convincing us we could be just as fancy as those French folks, this odd salad made exclusively with raw vegetables was even more obscure than it is now. Since the sixties, this salad has been re-created so many times that it’s often nothing at all like what those fine folks in Nice consider their signature salad. This sandwich obviously falls into that category. I like to think that we captured a lot of the spirit of the Niçoise salad in this sandwich, but it’s funny since most people have never heard of a Niçoise salad—so who’s to say if we went off road with this one. Yes, that last sentence is to be read in Julia’s singsongy voice.

You’ll want to make the vegan diced eggs in this recipe the night before.

MAKES 4 SANDWICHES

½ (14-ounce) package extrafirm tofu, drained and pressed

2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

¼ teaspoon cumin

¼ teaspoon onion powder

teaspoon turmeric

teaspoon Tony Chachere’s Creole seasoning

1 baguette, split horizontally

½ cup Fresh Herb Vinaigrette (here)

4 Roma tomatoes, sliced

1 large green bell pepper, sliced

½ large red onion, sliced and broken into rings

1 (14-ounce) can quartered artichoke hearts, drained

¼ cup kalamata olives, pitted

¾ cup shredded Daiya vegan mozzarella cheese or your favorite vegan cheese

4 dashes of smoked paprika (1 per sandwich)

In a large bowl, break up the tofu into small chunks with a fork. You don’t want it to be a paste, but more like bite-size pieces. Use a large spoon to mix in the nutritional yeast, cumin, onion powder, turmeric, and Creole seasoning with your tofu. Cover and refrigerate overnight. This is your vegan diced egg.

The next day, preheat the oven to 375°F.

Open the baguette and brush both sides with Fresh Herb Vinaigrette. You’ll have some dressing left over. Toast your sandwich in the oven with the split side up until the edges begin to brown.

Fill your baguette with an even layer of vegan diced egg. Then layer on the tomatoes, bell pepper, onion rings, artichoke hearts, and olives. Sprinkle an even layer of vegan cheese over the top. Put the sandwich back into the oven and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes, or until the vegan cheese melts.

Drizzle the remaining Fresh Herb Vinaigrette over the top of the melted vegan cheese. Cut the baguette into 4 equal portions, then add a dash of smoked paprika to each sandwich.

SPICY PEANUT SAUCE TOFU WRAP

This recipe seems like something you’d order in the café of a yoga studio in LA—and, I don’t know, maybe it is. A lot of Bettys enjoy yoga—me, not so much. What I do enjoy is a dish with bold flavors and a subtle kick that just happens to be healthy without really tasting like it. That’s what we’ve got here.

MAKES 4 TO 6 WRAPS

¾ cup chopped raw broccoli florets

cup shredded carrots

1 red bell pepper, sliced thin

1 (11-ounce) can bamboo shoots, julienned

4 green onions, chopped

4 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

¼ cup drained pineapple pieces

¼ cup warm water (you may need more if your sauce gets too thick, see note)

2 teaspoons sesame oil

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

4 tablespoons Bragg’s liquid aminos

¾ teaspoon ginger paste

½ teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon lime juice

1 teaspoon Sriracha sauce

¼ cup creamy peanut butter

1 (14-ounce) package extrafirm tofu, drained and cut into strips

Olive oil cooking spray

4 to 6 whole wheat tortillas

¼ cup dry-roasted peanuts

In a large bowl, mix the broccoli, carrots, bell pepper, bamboo shoots, green onions, cilantro, and pineapple. Cover and refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours. This is your veggie mix.

In a saucepan, heat the water, sesame oil, rice vinegar, Bragg’s, ginger paste, cumin, lime juice, and Sriracha sauce to a boil. Add the peanut butter and reduce your heat to a simmer. Use a whisk to blend in the peanut butter. Now, the more “natural” your peanut butter, the more oily your peanut butter will be, because it’ll have less filler. If your peanut sauce is too thick because of fillers, add more water a tablespoon at a time until you like the consistency. Keep whisking your sauce over low heat until it is smooth and creamy but not pasty. Once it’s done, remove it from the heat. While you make your peanut sauce, you can bake your tofu.

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Place the cut tofu in a glass baking dish and spray with olive oil cooking spray. Flip the tofu and spray on another layer of olive oil. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until the tofu is golden brown.

Reduce the heat to 250°F. After a few minutes, toss the whole wheat tortillas in the oven to warm. You want them to get warm enough that they are pliable but not toasted. Once the tortillas are soft, remove them from the oven.

To make your wraps, use a slotted spoon to place a scoop of veggie mix and a portion of tofu in the center of your tortilla. Drizzle Sriracha-peanut sauce over the top. Sprinkle some dry-roasted peanuts over each wrap before gently folding up the bottom of the tortilla and then the sides. Leave the top open so you can see the tofu and vegetables.

This recipe should make 4 to 6 wraps, depending on how big your tortillas are and how ambitiously you fill them. If you’re a real overachiever, you might wrap your wrap with foil to help keep it together.

Happy eating!

LEMON PEPPER TOFU BAGEL SANDWICH

Baking up a batch of this tofu on Sunday night can give you sandwich fixings (or salad toppings) that will last you all week, and save you loads of money on those overpriced rice bowls and undercooked veggie burgers at lunch counters. Recipes like this are a busy woman’s best friend.

MAKES 4 TO 6 SANDWICHES

1 cup lemon juice

1 teaspoon grated lemon peel

2 teaspoons crushed black peppercorns

2 teaspoons tahini dressing

1½ teaspoons Bragg’s liquid aminos

2 (14-ounce) packages extrafirm tofu, drained and cut into strips

Olive oil cooking spray

4 to 6 whole wheat bagels

Tomato slices, baby spinach leaves, red onion slices, and dill pickle chips for toppings

In a shallow dish, whisk together the lemon juice, lemon peel, black pepper, tahini, and Bragg’s. Put the tofu in the shallow dish and use a ladle to cover it completely with the marinade. Let sit for 20 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Spray a large lasagna dish with olive oil cooking spray; then place the tofu strips in the dish so that they don’t touch. Use a soupspoon to pour a little marinade over the top. Bake for 20 minutes; then flip the tofu and spray the dish with an even layer of cooking spray again, and spoon any extra marinade over the top. Bake for another 20 to 30 minutes, until the tofu is golden brown.

Toast your bagels and make up your sandwiches with tomato, baby spinach, red onion, and pickle chips, or your favorite toppings.

SPICY EGGLESS SALAD SANDWICH

We’ve had a lot of different eggless salad sandwiches over the years, some much better than others. It’s an easy thing to mess up. But I think this salad has the right amount of kick from the Creole seasoning and good flavor from the nutritional yeast and tahini. It makes a nice sandwich when you pair it with some whole wheat bread… they’re like BFFs. I’m sure if they weren’t food, they’d buy each other little broken-heart lockets and talk about boys over soy mochas.

MAKES 4 PRETTY BIG SANDWICHES

1 16-ounce package extrafirm tofu, drained and pressed

cup Grapeseed Vegenaise

2 stalks celery, diced

¼ red onion, diced

¼ cup diced raw kale

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

2 green onions, chopped

4 tablespoons nutritional yeast

½ teaspoon cumin

½ teaspoon onion powder

¼ teaspoon turmeric

¼ teaspoon celery seed

2 pinches of paprika

¼ teaspoon Tony Chachere’s Creole seasoning

¼ teaspoon tahini dressing

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

2 teaspoons pickle relish

8 slices whole wheat bread

In a large mixing bowl, gently mash the tofu. You want to have bite-size pieces, so be careful to not mash the tofu into paste. Stir in the Vegenaise, celery, red onion, kale, parsley, and green onions.

In another bowl, blend the nutritional yeast, cumin, onion powder, turmeric, celery seed, paprika, and Creole seasoning. Once your spices are mixed, blend in the tahini, Dijon mustard, and pickle relish using a whisk. Then gently mix your tahini blend into your tofu-vegetable blend. Cover with foil and put in the fridge for 3 hours. Toast your bread, spread with the eggless salad, and serve.

Years of scientific studies and research have proven that every time an eggless salad sandwich is served on toasted wheat bread, with pickles, an angel gets his wings.

BÁNH MÌ CHAY

The original bánh mì sandwiches are the product of the French colonization of Vietnam. They’re usually made with a wide variety of pork products on small baguettes. I’ve never been to Vietnam, so I can only tell you what vegan bánh mì sandwiches are like in San Francisco and Seattle. I love them, with their lightly seasoned mock meat and vegetables. It’s a special sandwich that you can’t find just anywhere. Ours are made with a whole wheat baguette and a unique combination of vegetables that have a nice texture and crunch.

MAKES 4 SANDWICHES

¼ teaspoon five-spice powder

1 teaspoon rice vinegar

2 teaspoons Bragg’s liquid aminos

2 teaspoons lime juice

2 teaspoons chili-infused oil or olive oil

¼ teaspoon ginger paste

1 teaspoon apple juice

2 cups vegan chicken, cut into bite-size pieces

1 package extrafirm tofu, thinly sliced lengthwise

½ cup julienned daikon radish

1 (11-ounce) can water chestnuts, diced

½ cup shredded carrots

1 cucumber, sliced

1 whole wheat baguette, split lengthwise

½ cup fresh cilantro

Sriracha sauce or Asian hot sauce to drizzle over the top

In a large bowl, whisk together the five-spice powder, rice vinegar, Bragg’s, lime juice, chili-infused oil, ginger paste, and apple juice. Put the vegan chicken, tofu, daikon, water chestnuts, carrots, and cucumber into a glass lasagna dish and pour the marinade over the top. Let the vegan chicken and vegetable mixture sit for 1 hour. Using a fork, fill the baguette with the vegan chicken and vegetable mixture. Sprinkle cilantro over the top; then slice into 4 equal portions. Drizzle a little Sriracha sauce over the top and enjoy!

n ngon nhé!

CAPRESE CHICKEN PITA

Peek into any bistro or deli near the park in Bensonhurst and you’ll find Caprese salad on the menu. This salad is ridiculously easy to make, and it’s the simple nature of it that makes it brilliant. I mean, is there anything more lovely than fresh basil? That’s not a theoretical question. The correct answer is “no.” We used Caprese salad as the base for a pita sandwich that’s fancy enough for a tea party or baby shower, but Brooklyn enough for any blue-collar vegan.

You’re going to want to prepare your chicken the night before you plan to eat these sandwiches.

MAKES 4 TO 6 SANDWICHES

2 cups vegan chicken, defrosted

Olive oil cooking spray

¾ cup fresh basil leaves

3 Roma tomatoes, sliced

1 cup shredded Daiya vegan mozzarella cheese or your favorite vegan cheese

1½ teaspoons capers

4 to 6 whole wheat pitas

Crushed black peppercorns

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Put the vegan chicken in a glass baking dish and spray with an even coating of olive oil cooking spray. Use a spoon to flip your vegan chicken a few times to make sure it gets completely covered. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the oven when your vegan chicken is golden brown and crispy on the edges. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

The next day, gently toss together your basil, tomatoes, vegan cheese, and capers. Make sure you’re gentle so that you don’t crush your tomatoes. This is a Caprese salad.

To make your sandwiches, slightly heat the pitas so they are soft enough to fill. Fill each pita with equal portions of chicken and Caprese salad. Sprinkle a little black pepper over the top.

You’re done. I told you it was ridiculously easy.

MOROCCAN SPICE CHICKEN WRAP

This wrap is a combination of savory and sweet and awesome-sauce. I would never go so far as to say that this is an actual Moroccan dish, but it combines a lot of what makes traditional Moroccan food great. I compare it to that made-for-TV movie Ewoks: The Battle for Endor. I mean, it had adorable Ewoks and lovable, mustachioed Wilford Brimley. Ten-year-old me freaking loved this movie. I loved the tree-house sets and one-sided conversations with the Ewoks. Just typing this now, I can feel my pulse rise. If I have to be honest with myself, it’s actually extremely tangentially connected to the Star Wars universe. But it was enough for me to fall madly in love with it. This wrap is a lot like that.

MAKES 4 TO 6 WRAPS

2 teaspoons paprika

¼ teaspoon crushed black peppercorns

½ teaspoon crushed pink Himalayan salt

¾ teaspoon cumin

¼ teaspoon turmeric

¼ teaspoon allspice

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon ground cardamom

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 cups vegan chicken, defrosted (we suggest using Gardein Chick’n Scallopini)

1 zucchini, thinly sliced

¼ cup hummus

4 to 6 whole wheat tortillas

1 mango, cubed

4 tablespoons fresh cilantro leaves

4 to 6 lemon wedges

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Put the paprika, pepper, salt, cumin, turmeric, allspice, cinnamon, and cardamom in a sealable plastic freezer bag, seal the bag carefully, and shake to mix.

Pour the olive oil in a shallow bowl. One piece at a time, dip the vegan chicken into the oil and flip it a few times to make sure it gets completely covered. Then toss the vegan chicken into the spice bag and shake until the vegan chicken is completely covered. Place your coated vegan chicken in a glass baking dish in an even layer. The more vegan chicken you coat, the more oil will get into your spices, so by the time you get to the last pieces, you might have to press the spices into your vegan chicken through the bag rather than shake.

Once all the vegan chicken is covered, place the zucchini slices over the vegan chicken, and then bake for 10 minutes, or until your zucchini is tender.

While the vegan chicken bakes, prepare your wraps. Spread hummus on each tortilla. When your vegan chicken and zucchini are done, place them on the tortillas in even portions. Spoon on the fresh mango and sprinkle the cilantro over that. Squeeze a lemon wedge over the top.

To wrap a wrap, fold up the bottom third of each tortilla. Then fold in the sides on the right and left of that to form a cone shape. The top of your wrap should be open, so you can see inside your wrap.

This wrap is a little juicy, so you may want to wrap your wrap in foil to help keep all the deliciousness in there.

ROASTED VEGAN CHICKEN GYRO

We’ve all seen it. We go in for our favorite falafel, and rotating around on a pike is a slab of mystery meat, dripping with stuff and looking a little haggard. Yet the line to get a warm pita full of this slow-cooked sliced lamb is long and uncompromising. Why? Well, I have a theory that it’s really the tzatziki sauce that people love. Everyone loves that mellow yogurt-based sauce, with all its clean flavors of dill and cucumber. We make a vegan version a few times a year, and it’s usually gone in about an hour. There’s a secret magic infused in this combination of cool and creamy that will make you crave it nightly. Seriously. Don’t be surprised if the next cat we adopt is named Tzatziki.^* I recommend picking up some fancy olives and making a nice Tabbouleh (here) to go with your gyro.

MAKES 4 TO 6 SANDWICHES

1 tablespoon margarine

1 teaspoon paprika

2 teaspoons Bragg’s liquid aminos

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon hot sauce (you might want a little more to dash over the top)

2 cups vegan chicken, defrosted (we suggest using Gardein Chick’n Scallopini)

4 to 6 lafahs or pocketless pitas

½ red onion, sliced

1 cucumber, sliced

1 Roma tomato, sliced

¾ cup Vegan Tzatziki Sauce (here)

Preheat the oven to 450°F.

Melt the margarine in a small saucepan. Once it is liquefied, used a spoon to mix in the paprika, Bragg’s, garlic, oregano, and hot sauce. Cut the vegan chicken into strips or silver dollar–size chunks if it comes in one large piece. Thread the vegan chicken onto metal skewers; then place the skewers over a glass baking dish that is shorter than the skewers, so that the vegan chicken is raised and not touching the bottom of the dish. The skewers should look like a rotisserie spit. Brush the skewers with the margarine-garlic mixture, rotating them a few times to get melted margarine all over in an even coating. Be sure to get inside any folds or nooks. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the vegan chicken is golden brown. While the vegan chicken is roasting, brush it with the melted margarine to keep it from drying out.

Right before you’re ready to take your vegan chicken out of the oven, put your pita bread in the oven for about 30 seconds. This should warm the bread long enough to make it soft.

Immediately remove the vegan chicken from the skewers directly into the pitas. You want to include the few drops of flavored oil that come off the skewer. Toss onion, cucumber, and Roma tomatoes into your pita; then drizzle Vegan Tzatziki Sauce over the top. Fold your pita, and you’re ready to enjoy one of the most popular sandwiches on the planet (according to Wikipedia).

SALADS

There’s an outdated stereotype that vegans live on salads alone. It’s a silly notion that dates back to the days before you could have a vegan pizza delivered to your house, and when tofu could only be found in Chinatown. We may appreciate a good salad more than our omnivorous colleagues, but I’d bet that has more to do with our enhanced appreciation for food than with any particular affinity for salads. See, there’s a funny thing that happens when you go vegan. It’s like your sense of taste levels up, and you appreciate everything you eat a little bit more. Think about it. That means at least two hours of your day just got a lot better.

In this section we’ve veganized some of the most high-profile salads in the canon, salads that have graced the menus of restaurants around the world for decades. Most are complete meals in a bowl, and all of them are so much better than those iceberg monstrosities you can pick up in a cafeteria or drive-through. These are the salads you’re looking for.

A KINDER AND GENTLER CHICKEN CAESAR SALAD

Little known fact: the original Caesar salad actually didn’t have any little bits of anchovies in it. The only fishy flavor was from the Worcestershire sauce. Legend has it that Caesar Cardini invented the salad in his restaurant in Tijuana, during Prohibition, when his supplies were low. Since then, it’s become a staple at restaurants around the world. Most versions include an anchovy paste or pieces of anchovies to make the salad fancier. Many also add grilled chicken breast or raw eggs to make the dish more substantial. Our recipe makes four salads that use vegan Worcestershire sauce, nutritional yeast, and mock meat to take Caesar salad to a whole new place… a kinder, gentler place, where all the little fish and birds are free and safe.

MAKES 4 SALADS

1 tablespoon olive oil

Dash of liquid smoke

1 cup vegan chicken, defrosted (we suggest using Gardein Chick’n Scallopini)

2 hearts of romaine lettuce, chopped

½ cup French-fried onions

2 tablespoons sunflower seeds

1 cups Caesar Salad Dressing (here)

4 tablespoons grated smoked cheddar Sheese or Daiya vegan Havarti cheese wedge

In a cast-iron skillet or frying pan, heat the olive oil and liquid smoke over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the vegan chicken. Cook until the vegan chicken is evenly browned. Remove from the heat and slice into strips. Separate into 4 equal portions.

In a large bowl, toss the romaine lettuce, French-fried onions, sunflower seeds, and Caesar Salad Dressing. Separate the salad into 4 equal portions, then put a portion of vegan chicken on top of each. Grate some vegan cheese over the top.

GREEK SALAD

The very first night of the Betty Crocker Project, we started with Chicken Tetrazzini and my personal favorite salad: Greek. Let’s face it—is there anything better than lemony olive oil dressing, kalamata olives, and hot peperoncini? You can even find vegan feta cheese at your local food co-op or Whole Foods. We also added garbanzo beans and avocado, because who wouldn’t want more of them? So really, the question isn’t why haven’t you been eating vegan Greek salad this whole time… it’s why aren’t you eating it right now?

MAKES 4 SALADS

2 hearts of romaine lettuce, chopped

½ cup raw baby spinach leaves

½ large red onion, thinly sliced

¾ cup whole kalamata olives, pitted

2 Roma tomatoes, sliced

1 large cucumber, sliced

3 tablespoons French-fried onions

¾ cup vegan feta or extrafirm tofu, cubed

¾ cup peperoncini, drained

1 ripe avocado, sliced

1 (15-ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

1 Images to 2 cups Greek Dressing (here)

Toss all your ingredients except the Greek Dressing in a large bowl and divide into 4 equal portions. Serve the dressing on the side.

TACO SALAD

The night I wrote the blog post about this salad, I had planned on writing this whole thing about how there are a lot of Americans who don’t eat proper Mexican food, citing examples like the caulking guns they use at Taco Bell to serve their bean and guacamole pastes, their strange octagon-shaped taco sandwiches, and of course the role they play in the evil axis that is Yum! brands. But let’s be honest—taco salad isn’t really proper Mexican food. It’s more like Mexican-inspired—but that’s not to say this isn’t delicious! So now as I type this book out while I watch Dexter with a cat on my lap, I think I need to skip the rant about America’s need to experience real Mexican food. Let’s just focus on this Mexican-ish recipe instead.

MAKES 4 SALADS

4 cups vegetable oil

4 (10-inch) flour tortilla shells

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 dashes of liquid smoke

1 tablespoon Texas Pete hot sauce

2 cups Lightlife Gimme Lean vegan ground beef, Match vegan ground beef, crumbled tempeh, or Tofurky ground burger, defrosted

½ large red onion, diced

1 (15-ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed (keep the can)

½ teaspoon Bragg’s liquid aminos

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

¼ teaspoon poultry seasoning (most are vegan, but you need to read the label to make sure)

¼ teaspoon cumin

1 head romaine lettuce, chopped into bite-size pieces

1 cup shredded Daiya vegan cheddar cheese or your favorite vegan cheese

Images cup sliced black olives

1 ripe avocado, sliced

Vegan sour cream, salsa, chopped green onions, and chopped cilantro for toppings

Start by making your tortilla shell bowls.

Remove the label and both ends from your empty kidney bean can.

In a 3-quart saucepan, heat the vegetable oil to a boil. Carefully place 1 tortilla atop the boiling oil in the pan. With long-handled tongs, place the kidney bean can in the middle of the tortilla and very slowly and gently push the tortilla into the oil. Count to 5; then remove the can. If the tortilla hasn’t set into a flower-shaped cup, replace the can and hold for another 5 seconds. Remove the can and continue to fry the tortilla for 1 to 2 minutes longer, turning frequently until crisp and golden brown.

Carefully remove the tortilla shell using the tongs and place on a paper towel on a plate to soak up excess oil. Let cool and repeat with the other tortillas.

In your hardworking cast-iron skillet or frying pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Stir in the liquid smoke and hot sauce. Add the defrosted vegan ground beef, diced red onion, and kidney beans; then mix in the Bragg’s, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, poultry seasoning, and cumin. Make sure everything gets mixed thoroughly and gets an even coating. It should take around 10 minutes for the mixture to finish cooking, but different types of vegan ground beef have different cooking times. Remove from the heat once the vegan ground beef is browned and the onions are caramelized. Let the vegan beef mixture cool before serving. If you serve it warm, the vegan beef will wilt your lettuce.

Once your shells and vegan beef reach room temperature, you can build your salads! Put your lettuce in the tortilla shells as a base and add the vegan beef mixture. Sprinkle on the vegan cheese, olives, and avocado, and then add the vegan sour cream, salsa, green onions, and cilantro, or whatever fixings you want… It’s your party!

VEGAN BACON AND SPINACH SALAD FEATURING THE VEGAN HARD-BOILED EGG

“The Shannon Family Album” is one of our favorite segments on our blog. Over the years, we’ve been lucky enough to meet some of the most amazing animal advocates on the planet. Technology like Facebook has made it easier than ever for vegans all over the world to connect, learn from each other, and build a strong online community that’s promoting a more compassionate world for animals on a scale never before seen. One of those outstanding advocates is a lovely lady named Jasmin Singer. You may know her as half the talented and dedicated duo at Our Hen House—a website that helps people find their own way to change the world for animals. We were honored to have her join “The Shannon Family Album” by testing out this recipe. This salad is one of those mischievous dishes that looks extremely impressive and more complicated than it really is. Even the most inexperienced chefs can pull this off and bring some shock and awe.

MAKES 4 TO 6 SERVINGS

1 batch Vegan Hard-Boiled Eggs (here)

VEGAN BACON AND SPINACH SALAD

6 pieces vegan bacon or smoked tempeh

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 dashes of liquid smoke

5 green onions, chopped

2 tablespoons diced fresh parsley

¼ teaspoon lemon pepper

Pinch of celery seed

2 teaspoons Bragg’s liquid aminos

3 tablespoons white wine

1 clove garlic, minced

¼ teaspoon agave nectar

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

2 tablespoons lemon juice

4 to 6 cups fresh baby spinach leaves

Make your Vegan Hard-Boiled Egg first using the recipe here. Preheat the oven to 300°F.

To make the salad, in your delightful little cast-iron skillet or frying pan, cook the vegan bacon in 2 tablespoons of the olive oil with a dash of liquid smoke over medium heat. Once it’s crispy, remove it from the skillet and set aside. You want the oil on the fake bacon, so you don’t want to put it on a paper towel like many of us just automatically do when we make bacon—even the vegan kind. Chop the vegan bacon into bite-size pieces.

Add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and another dash of liquid smoke to the warm skillet and take the heat down to low. We’re re-creating bacon fat. I know that sounds gross, but I feel I should be honest. Plus it’s not really bacon fat so it’s not really gross. We’re going for the smoky flavor so many people love about bacon but don’t realize that’s what they actually like rather than the pig meat.

Once your oil is warm and smoky, add the green onions, parsley, lemon pepper, celery seed, Bragg’s, white wine, garlic, and agave nectar to your skillet. Heat until the green onions become tender. Then add the white wine vinegar and lemon juice. Remove from the heat. Now you have your dressing!

Put the spinach in a large bowl. Pour warm salad dressing over your spinach and toss your salad to coat. Place the “eggs” around the bowl, and sprinkle vegan bacon pieces over the top of the salad. Serve immediately, so it doesn’t wilt too much.

When you eat it, make sure you get a lot of dressing on your “eggs,” because they taste almost poetic together.

COBB SALAD

Before the Lobster Killer scene of Julie and Julia that sparked this project, I had fallen in love with Amy Adams’s portrayal of Julie Powell. I could relate to her in ways I’m still embarrassed to admit. At that time in my life, I was watching my husband, friends, and peers move past me professionally at a rate that made me cry in the shower from time to time. The Cobb salad scene in particular hit me really hard: watching her politely ask about the projects her friends were working on, and playfully joke with a serious table, well… I’d had my share of dinner parties monopolized by discussions of projects I wasn’t working on. So I wanted to save this recipe for the finale week of the Betty Crocker Project, but then something amazing happened… we got a book deal. Just like in the movie! So I needed to make it sooner. You can serve this recipe at your next dinner party, regardless of how content you are with your current station in life.

You’ll want to prepare the vegan diced eggs, vegan bacon, and vegan chicken the night before you’re going to serve your salad.

MAKES 4 TO 6 SERVINGS

1 cup vegan chicken, defrosted, diced (we suggest using Gardein Chick’n Scallopini)

Olive oil cooking spray

8 slices vegan bacon or smoked tempeh, diced

½ (14-ounce) package extrafirm tofu, drained and pressed

2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

¼ teaspoon cumin

¼ teaspoon onion powder

teaspoon turmeric

teaspoon Tony Chachere’s Creole seasoning

2 hearts of romaine lettuce, chopped

½ bunch watercress, chopped

2 ripe avocados, cubed

1 (5.5-ounce) package Hickory Smoked Tofurky Deli Slices, separated and cut into strips

½ red onion, diced

6 stalks celery, diced

½ cup cubed blue cheese–flavored Sheese or your favorite vegan cheese

2 Roma tomatoes, sliced

2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

1 batch Dijon Vinaigrette (here)

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Put the vegan chicken in a glass baking dish and spray with an even coating of olive oil cooking spray. Use a spoon to flip the vegan chicken a few times to make sure it gets completely covered. Place the vegan bacon over the top. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the oven when the vegan chicken and vegan bacon are golden brown and crispy on the edges. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Make your “vegan diced egg” in a large bowl. With a fork, break up the tofu into small chunks. You don’t want it to be a paste, but more like bite-size pieces. Use a large spoon to mix the nutritional yeast, cumin, onion powder, turmeric, and Creole seasoning with the tofu. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Right before you’re ready to make your salad, chop your chilled vegan chicken and vegan bacon into bite-size pieces.

To make your salad, fill a huge salad bowl with a layer of romaine and watercress. Then layer the following ingredients in rows across the top: avocados, vegan bacon, vegan chicken, Tofurky slices, red onion, vegan diced eggs, celery, vegan cheese, and tomatoes. Sprinkle with chives. Serve with Dijon Vinaigrette on the side.

ITALIAN CHOPPED SALAD

Salads can be hard to mess up and easy to take for granted. This is one of those salads you may never have tried before and didn’t know you wanted to. Yes, this is the Mr. Right Salad that will complete you.

MAKES 4 TO 6 SERVINGS

3 tablespoons olive oil

Dash of liquid smoke

1 cup vegan chicken, defrosted (we suggest using Gardein Chick’n Scallopini)

3 tablespoons raw pine nuts

8 to 10 pieces of crumbled smoked tempeh or Lightlife Smart Deli vegan pepperoni

6 cups chopped romaine lettuce

1 cup fresh whole basil leaves

1 large beefsteak or heirloom tomato, chopped into big chunks

2 cucumbers, chopped into big chunks

¼ large red onion, chopped

1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

1 (15-ounce) can quartered artichoke hearts, drained

Handful of kalamata olives, Sicilian green olives, and peperoncini

1 batch Fresh Herb Vinaigrette (here)

Make the Fresh Herb Vinaigrette the night before you make your salad.

In your handy cast-iron skillet or frying pan, heat the olive oil and a dash of liquid smoke over medium heat. Fry up the vegan chicken, pine nuts, and tempeh till they reach the desired crispiness. Set aside to cool on a plate with a paper towel to soak up oil.

Once the vegan chicken, pine nuts, and tempeh are cooled, chop them up. Place them in a bowl with the lettuce, basil, tomato, cucumbers, onion, beans, artichoke hearts, olives, and peperoncini, and toss. Pour as much vinaigrette as you want over it and serve family-style!

MANDARIN VEGAN CHICKEN SALAD

This was one of the first salads I ever made for the Betty Crocker Project. At the time, I gave Betty Crocker a hard time on the blog for adding sugar to a salad. I mean, I’m okay adding sugar to a cookie or a doughnut. It’s a cookie. Or a doughnut. It’s in their nature to be sweet. But salads are our friends. If you can’t trust a salad to do right by you… who can you trust? That’s why we skipped the candied almonds and kept them raw. Partner it with our Toasted Sesame Dressing (here).

MAKES ABOUT 4 SALADS

1 tablespoon sesame oil

2 cups vegan chicken (we suggest using Lightlife Smart Strips, Chik’n)

1 can water chestnuts, chopped

2 tablespoons Bragg’s liquid aminos

¼ cup raw almond slices

2 hearts of romaine lettuce, chopped

½ cup baby spinach leaves

3 stalks celery, chopped

2 green onions, chopped

¼ cup shredded carrots

1 (11-ounce) can mandarin orange slices, drained

2 tablespoons chow mein noodles (make sure to read your labels to check that your brand is vegan)

1 batch Toasted Sesame Dressing (here)

Heat the sesame oil in your cast-iron skillet or frying pan on a medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the vegan chicken and stir occasionally. Once the vegan chicken starts to brown, add the water chestnuts and Bragg’s and keep tossing the mixture so that the hot oil and Bragg’s cover the vegan chicken and water chestnuts. Once the mixture is fully cooked and has golden brown edges, pull it off the heat and set aside on a separate plate to cool.

Wipe your cast-iron skillet with a cloth towel to get any excess oil or crumbs out of it. It’s okay if a light film of oil remains. Toss the almond slices into the warm skillet and lightly brown them over low heat. You’ll know they’re done when the edges are a soft brown. Set them aside to cool in the skillet.

In a large bowl, mix the lettuce, spinach, celery, green onions, carrots, mandarin oranges, chow mein noodles, and vegan chicken by gently tossing them all together. Then toss the toasted almonds on top and serve the dressing on the side.

AVOCADO AND SMOKED SHEESE SALAD

This might not be the healthiest salad ever made, but it’s so delicious, and when partnered with the Toasted Walnut Dressing (here), it’s packed with those omega-3s vegans need. But I admit I love it because it tastes great. I love it like Captain Kirk loves women with big hair.

MAKES 2 SERVINGS

2 cups chopped romaine lettuce

cup cubed smoked cheddar Sheese or Daiya vegan Havarti cheese wedge

1 ripe avocado, sliced

cup baby carrots

cup kalamata olives, pitted

1 batch Toasted Walnut Dressing (here)

Raw sunflower seeds, dried cranberries, and vegan bacon bits to sprinkle over the top

Toss the lettuce, vegan cheese, avocado, carrots, and olives in a large bowl with the Toasted Walnut Dressing. Sprinkle on the sunflower seeds, dried cranberries, and vegan bacon bits, and serve family-style.

THANKSGIVING SALAD

This is the salad I make the most often. It gets huge fast and becomes a feast all its own, and I make it year-round. This recipe makes 4 salads, so you can share it with your loved ones in the spirit of Thanksgiving.

MAKES 4 TO 6 SERVINGS

3 hearts of romaine lettuce, chopped

½ cup baby spinach leaves

1 (5.5-ounce) package Tofurky Deli Slices, separated and sliced into strips

¼ cup baby carrots

¼ cup whole black olives (the kind you stick on your fingers)

¼ cup sliced celery

½ cup croutons (read your labels to make sure they are vegan)

4 tablespoons dried cranberries

4 tablespoons raw almond slivers

¼ cup French-fried onions

4 tablespoons raw pumpkin seeds

1 batch Fresh Herb Vinaigrette (here)

In a large mixing bowl, toss the romaine, spinach, Tofurky, carrots, olives, celery, and croutons. Divide the salad into 4 equal portions; then top with equal portions of the dried cranberries, almonds, French-fried onions, and pumpkin seeds. Serve your Fresh Herb Vinaigrette on the side family-style.

MEDITERRANEAN SALAD

Prior to the Betty Crocker Project, you could have said our vegan “diet” was pretty Mediterranean. We’re all about eating whole grains and legumes when we can. We use primarily olive oil, and we may have polished off more than one bottle of red wine with dinner from time to time. This salad reflects what the Shannons are really eating when we aren’t making Baked Vegan Chicken and Waffles (here) and baking cupcakes. It’s flavorful, using fruit and herbs in a way that really appeals to my Mediterranean roots. Serve family-style to really get that Mediterranean feel.

MAKES 4 TO 6 SERVINGS

4 cups baby spinach leaves

¼ cup fresh whole basil leaves

2 large navel oranges, peeled, cleaned, and segmented

1 large red bell pepper, sliced

1 cucumber, sliced

4 tablespoons kalamata olives, pitted

½ cup seedless red grapes, cut in half

4 tablespoons pomegranate seeds

1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans

2 tablespoons julienned sun-dried tomatoes

6 peperoncini

1 batch Greek Dressing (here)

In a large serving bowl, toss the spinach, basil, oranges, bell pepper, and cucumber. Sprinkle the olives, grapes, pomegranate seeds, beans, and tomatoes over the top. Serve the peperoncini and dressing on the side.