SOUP page 3

EDAMAME BEAN SOUP-Hari Krishna inspired

2 cups of shelled edamame, plus 1 cup

1 cup of raw cashews

½ bundle shallots, chopped small

4 cups vegetable stock

1 heaped tablespoon white miso paste

1 cup chopped mint (½ for soup, ½ to garnish)

6 tablespoons of plain coconut yoghurt

1 teaspoon of raw sugar

salt and ground black pepper to taste.

4 sheets of nori, cut into fine slices.

Soak cashews in hot water for an hour before preparation or in cold water the night before. Drain the cashews and transfer them to a food processor. Add 3 cups of stock, 2 cups of shelled edamame, the shallots, miso, 1 cup of mint, yoghurt, and sugar. Blend until smooth. Transfer to a saucepan over low heat and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring often, adding the fourth cup of broth as you stir. Taste, add salt and ground black pepper, then the remaining cup of shelled edamame. Before serving, add the strips of nori. Edamame soup is delicious, hot or cold.

GAZPACHO-Raw Vegetable Soup, an Italian favourite.

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1 small cucumber, chopped

1 small white onion, peeled and chopped

salt & black pepper

1 small red capsicum, membrane and seed removed and chopped

1 small green capsicum, membrane and seeds removed and chopped

4 large ripe tomatoes, chopped

1 dessertspoon raw sugar

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

2 cups vegetable juice

2 tablespoons finely chopped herbs for garnish

Blend all ingredients until smooth and creamy, and season to taste. Transfer to a serving bowl and chill until cool. In Italy, Gazpacho is often served in a big bowl placed on the table, garnished with ground black pepper and garnished with herbs.

LENTIL SOUP- Turkish inspired

1 cup of dry brown lentils

1 can of chic peas (dry chic peas take a long time to soften

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 large onions finely chopped

250g of frozen spinach

about 4 cups of water, depending on the consistency preferred

¾ cup of tahini paste

2 tablespoons lemon juice

½ teaspoon of salt

salt and pepper to taste

Soak the brown lentils overnight, rinse them clean, then place them in a saucepan with much water and ½ teaspoon of salt and cook, removing any white foam that may appear until they are almost tender. Add the red lentils and continue cooking until both brown and red lentils are tender. You may have to top up the water a few times. Fry the onion in the oil until it turns golden brown. Add the water, onions, butter and spinach to the lentils, then simmer for 20 minutes. Add the tahini and lemon juice, season to taste. Serve hot with bread as a meal.

MIDSUMMER SOUP.

4 cups vegetable stock

2 carrots, grated

2 tablespoons copha

1 tablespoon chutney

salt & pepper to taste

12 large, stoned prunes

juice and zest of 2 limes

1 teaspoon curry powder

2 garlic cloves finely chopped

1 dessertspoon caraway seeds

2 large brown onions, finely chopped

2 cups fresh seasonal herbs chopped

4 ripe tomatoes, skinned, seeded, and chopped

Cover the prunes with boiling water and set them aside. Saute the onions and garlic in copha, add the carrots, turn the heat low, and cover the saucepan, cooking for no more than five minutes. Add the stock, boil, lower the heat, and simmer for 15 minutes. Add all ingredients except prunes and simmer for 15 minutes. Serve prunes on each soup plate topped with hot soup.

MISO SOUP Japanese nspired.

¼ cup miso

1 cup firm tofu

4 cups stock or Dashi

1 cup chopped spring onions

1 dessertspoon lemon grass

1 dessertspoon crushed ginger

Simmer Dashi (or stock) with miso, lemon grass, and ginger for 10 minutes. Add ¾ cup of spring onions and turn off the heat. Before serving, finely dice tofu and add it to the soup. Chop the remaining spring onions very finely and sprinkle them on top.

MUSHROOM SOUP.

250g mushrooms, chopped

½ cup plain flour

½ teaspoon maple syrup or honey

1½ cups vegan cream ( I use Flora)

1 small brown onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves crushed

3 tablespoons vegan butter

2½ cups of broth or stock

freshly ground black pepper and salt to taste

1 tablespoon each fresh basil and thyme

powdered sweet paprika and extra thyme for garnish

Add onions, mushrooms, broth, or stock to a saucepan over low heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Cool, add herbs, garlic, maple syrup or honey—cool and purée. Separately melt the butter, add the flour, the purée, and cream. Simmer until almost boiling. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve garnished with herbs and paprika.

Footnote: In Indo-European mythology, the sun hero is sometimes represented as hiding under mushrooms, while in Welsh folklore, poisonous mushrooms are thought to be the meat of the goblins.

ONION SOUP- Swiss specialty.

1 leek cleaned and sliced

1 bunch spring onions sliced

3 large brown onions chopped

2 cups stock

pinch chilli powder

2½ cups vegan cream

½ cup grated, vegan cheese (Mini Chol is great)

salt and pepper to taste

finely chopped green and red peppers combined for garnish

Purée the onions, leek and spring onions with the stock. Transfer to a saucepan, then simmer for ten minutes, stirring often. Add the cream. Reheat it, but don't boil it. Just before serving, add peppers and cheese.

PARSNIP SOUP- Scottish Highland inspired.

2 onions sliced

6 scrubbed parsnips chopped with skin intact

3 cloves garlic,

¼ cup vegan butter,

1 teaspoon curry powder

1 tablespoon smooth peanut butter

4 cups water

2 teaspoons soy sauce

1½ glasses dry sherry,

1 cup fresh roasted peanuts

Fry the onions, parsnips, and garlic in the butter. Lid the saucepan tightly and simmer over very low heat until tender. Add the curry, peanut butter, purée. Add water, ½ a glass of dry sherry, and soy sauce, then heat, but do not boil. Serve the Parsnip Soup with a glass of dry sherry and nuts.

PAUPER SOUP- English inspired.

6 diced leeks

2 big potatoes, scrubbed and sliced with skins intact

Any number of mushroom stems (collected over time and frozen)

Leftover veggies and greens (collected over time and frozen)

1 tablespoon of sesame oil

½ cup olive oil

6 slices browned toast

3 tablespoons plain flour

about 4 cups of any plant or coconut water. The amount will depend on the required consistency.

1 cup of any chopped herbs

1 cup of nutritional yeast

salt and pepper to taste

thin slices of bread topped with freshly grilled vegan cheese

Vegan cheese grated

Soften the toast in just enough water to wet it. Brown the leeks and potatoes in half the oil and add mushroom stems. Purée with the toast previously softened in water. Heat the remaining oil, stir in the flour, brown it, and add milk or coconut water, nutritional yeast, herbs, and seasoning. Garnish with bread topped with cheese.

POTATO SOUP Irish recipe.

Brown any amount of scrubbed, diced Yukon Gold, russets or red potatoes, tomatoes, and onions in vegetable oil. Remove from heat and stir in salt, some sweet paprika and a dessertspoon of liquid smoke. Lid it, let it cool, then purée. Add enough well-flavoured stock to make a thick soup. Add chopped fresh parsley, thyme, and some al dente (just cooked) vermicelli. Simmer for ten minutes—scatter croutons on top before serving.

PUMPKIN SOUP-from the Victorian Goldfields

1 whole medium pumpkin

1 large brown onion chopped

3 garlic cloves chopped

½ cup olive oil

1 cup of fresh orange juice

1 cup of broth

1 cup of stale beer or another cup of broth

2 tablespoons coconut sugar

1 tablespoon grated nutmeg

1 dessertspoon of Garam Masala

2 tablespoons finely fresh ginger finely chopped or one tablespoon of powdered ginger

salt and black pepper to taste

1 teaspoon per bowl of sumac for garnish

Scrub the pumpkin and dry it. Leaving its skin intact, slice it into lumps that would fit in the palm of your hand. Put olive oil in a casserole dish, add the pumpkin with membrane and seeds intact, roll it around to ensure every piece is covered in oil, and bake it in an oven on medium heat until the pumpkin is soft. Remove from the oven and cool enough to handle. Discard the membrane and half the seeds (wild birds love this). Reusing the oil, the pumpkin was baked in, and the onion and garlic were fried till golden; add the ginger. While stirring, cook for one minute; then add broth, beer (if you are using it), orange juice, sugar, nutmeg and Garam Masala. Simmer for ten minutes. Remove from heat, cool, then puree. Return to saucepan, simmer for ten minutes, taste, season with salt and pepper, and add more broth or beer according to your taste and preferred consistency. Serve piping hot and garnished with sumac.

SPINACH SOUP.

2 packets of frozen spinach

1 large brown onion, chopped

1 cup of toasted walnuts crushed

1 tablespoon white or brown miso

2 tablespoons fresh dill weed chopped

3 cups stock

1 cup apple juice

1 cup of coconut cream, plus another half cup of coconut cream.

juice of 1 lemon

1 tablespoon light oil

salt and pepper to taste

½ cup toasted, shredded coconut for garnish

½ cup vegan parmesan for garnish.

Sauté onion in oil. Add spinach and all other ingredients except the coconut cream and garnish ingredients, and simmer until the spinach is tender. Beat in the coconut cream. Enjoy hot or cold. Either way, add a dessert spoon of well-mixed coconut cream and swirl it into the surface of the soup. Mix the coconut and parmesan and use as a garnish.

SWEET CORN SOUP-New England Recipe

2 peeled brown onions, finely chopped

1 large can of creamed sweet corn

3 tablespoons vegan butter

2 turnips finely diced

2 tablespoons flour

1 tablespoon maple syrup or honey

1½ cups stock

2 bay leaves

2 cups almond or soy milk

1½ cups firm tofu chopped very small.

Gently soften turnips and onion in butter over low heat. Add flour, stock, bay leaf and honey. Stir till boiling, then simmer for 30 minutes. Add corn and milk. Reheat to almost boiling. Remove bay leaves. Add the tofu just before serving.

SWEET SUMMER SOUP - Italian Recipe.

2 cups water

1 cup pitted prunes

1k pitted cherries

2 grated green apples

1 big jar of Morello cherries

1 dessertspoon mixed spice

½ cup coconut cream

1 cup each red grape and orange juice

½ cup each arrowroot & water to make a thin paste

½ cup each concentrated orange juice and maple syrup

toasted slithered almonds and fresh grapes for garnish.

Simmer pitted Morello cherries, grape and orange juices, water, prunes, and apples until tender. Remove from heat and slowly add arrowroot and water paste, then the spice and coconut cream. Return to the heat and simmer for ten minutes while stirring continuously. Remove from the heat and add maple syrup. Serve chilled with a tablespoon of almonds sprinkled on top and grapes on a side plate.

WATERCRESS SOUP - English inspired.

2 bunches of watercress

1 clove garlic

2 cups stock

½ cup lemon juice

1 cup vegan cream (I favour Flora brand)

2 tablespoons vegan butter or olive oil

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon mace

pepper and salt to taste

extra watercress for garnish

Purée the watercress with garlic, juice, vinegar, and mace. Then, add the stock. Simmer for twenty minutes, stirring often. Blend the butter or oil with flour and a little water to form a paste, add it to the soup, and slowly stir in the cream. Serve chilled with watercress garnish.

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