I prefer a well-rounded diet (emphasis on round). One that includes food from the five basic groups. The U.S. Department of Agriculture identifies them as protein, dairy, fruits, vegetables and grains.
I call them bacon, mozzarella, margarita, fries and bread pudding. I like all things meaty, cheesy, salty, greasy and creamy.
Recently I wished to cook for an on-the-mend friend who is vegan (she's really lovely, so I look past this one character flaw). She likes all things twiggy, leafy, seedy, fruity and weedy.
How was I going to do this? Hmm. No meat. No fish. No chicken. No chicken broth. No eggs. No cheese. No milk.
No clue.
Poking around on Pinterest, I was amazed to find a wealth of vegan recipes, particularly soups, that looked actually edible -- enticing even. Intrigued about ingredient swaps (coconut milk in exchange for milk products in creamy soups; protein-rich grains instead of meat), I decided on a butternut squash soup and a vegetable quinoa soup and sent the ingredients lists to the picky patient for her blessing. She approved all with the caveat that the coconut milk might not be needed because butternut squash already was creamy. Squash ... indulgent? Vegans can be so funny! Deciding she needed the coconut milk of human kindness, I dumped it in. Oh, the extravagance!
The soups were not only satisfactory, they were slurpable -- enough to share the recipes. If you are a vegan, follow as written.
If you are a heathen, consider adding heavy cream, some sausage or a sprinkle -- or an entire block -- of parmesan. And a side of beef.
Vegan Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
8 cups peeled and diced butternut squash from about 2 medium (see note)
2 cups peeled and chopped carrots
1 medium yellow onion, peeled and cut into 8 wedges
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt, divided use
8 cups vegetable broth
1 (14-ounce) can coconut milk
1 tablespoon minced ginger
Black pepper, to taste
1 teaspoon pure maple syrup, plus more to taste
Fresh cilantro, chopped, optional
Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Line 2 baking sheets with silicone liners or parchment paper. Toss the butternut squash, carrots and onion in olive oil with 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and spread out on prepared baking sheets. Roast for about 1 hour, until the vegetables are cooked but not burnt. Allow them to cool slightly.
Transfer vegetables to a large saucepan and add the broth, coconut milk, minced ginger and remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer, partly covered, for about 15 minutes. Remove soup from heat and allow to cool slightly.
Use a hand-held immersion blender -- or pour the soup into a traditional blender in batches and puree on high for 30 to 60 seconds -- to puree until smooth and creamy. Return the soup to the saucepan, season to taste with black pepper and warm it over low heat. Add maple syrup to taste.
To serve, ladle soup into bowls and garnish with sprinkles of chopped cilantro leaves.
Makes 8 servings.
Note: For the squash, I used 2 (16-ounce) bags of diced squash found in the produce department.
Recipe adapted from The Blender Girl blog (healthyblenderrecipes.com)
Quinoa Vegetable Soup with Kale
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
3 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
3 ribs celery, chopped
2 cups chopped seasonal vegetables such as zucchini, yellow squash, bell pepper or sweet potatoes
Salt
4 garlic cloves, minced
½ teaspoon dried thyme
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed
4 cups vegetable broth
2 cups water
2 bay leaves
Pinch red pepper flakes
Ground black pepper
1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 bunch fresh kale leaves, tough ribs removed, chopped
Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, celery, seasonal vegetables and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring often, until the onion has softened and turned translucent, 6 to 8 minutes.
Add garlic and thyme. Cook while stirring, about 1 minute. Pour in diced tomatoes and cook for a few more minutes.
Pour in the quinoa, broth and the water. Add 1 teaspoon salt, the bay leaves and red pepper flakes. Season with black pepper. Increase temperature, bringing mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer.
Cook for 25 minutes. Add the chickpeas and kale. Continue simmering for 10 minutes or until the kale has softened.
Reduce heat to low. Remove the bay leaves. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Ladle into bowls.
Makes 6 servings
Recipe adapted from the Cookie and Kate blog (cookieandkate.com)
Chowder me with email:
jchristman@arkansasonline.com
What's in a Dame is a weekly report from the woman ' hoood. You can hear Jennifer on Little Rock's KURB-FM, B98.5 (B98.com), from 5:30-9 a.m. Monday through Friday.
Style on 10/11/2016