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Mushroom Garlic Bisque

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Mushroom Garlic Bisque -- Epicurean VeganI had a feeling I was going to like this mauve-colored soup because it not only has mushrooms, but wine as well. Yep, I love it. This comes from a cookbook that I’ve recently rediscovered—I’ve had it for years. Beyond the Moon Cookbook is all vegetarian, so I had to veganize the soup, which was no problem. Served with some rustic bread, this soup was ideal for a chilly fall evening.

INGREDIENTS:
2 C dry red wine
1-1/2 lbs mushrooms, quartered (about 6 cups)
1 Tbs Earth Balance margarine
1-1/2 C onions, chopped
10 large garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1-1/2 C fresh bread crumbs (I used an olive loaf and chopped up about 1/2 of it)
1 C Tofutti sour cream
2-1/2 C almond milk
2 Tbs tamari
1 tsp salt
2 Tbs fresh basil, chopped
Dash of black pepper

DIRECTIONS:
In a large soup pot, heat 1-1/2 cups of the wine and add the mushrooms .

Mushroom Garlic Bisque -- Epicurean VeganSimmer, partially covered, until the mushrooms have absorbed all wine, about 20-25 minutes. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a skillet and add the onions, garlic, and thyme until the onions are soft, about 5 minutes.

Mushroom Garlic Bisque -- Epicurean VeganPuree the onions in a food processor.

Mushroom Garlic Bisque -- Epicurean VeganAdd the bread crumbs, sour cream, and three-quarters of the cooked mushrooms.

Mushroom Garlic Bisque -- Epicurean Vegan(fresh bread crumbs)
Process until smooth.

Mushroom Garlic Bisque -- Epicurean VeganStir the puree into the soup pot with the left over mushrooms. Whisk in the milk, tamari, salt, basil, pepper, remaining 1/2 cup red wine, and 2-1/2 cups of water. Heat until warmed through, stirring often. Ladle into soup bowls and enjoy!

Vegan New England Chowder

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Vegan New England Chowder -- Epicurean VeganI have had this recipe from Weekly Vegan Menu bookmarked for some time now, and since today was drizzly and cold, it was about time I made it. I changed a couple of things like using button mushrooms instead of oyster and pureeing 1/2 the soup for a more chowder consistency. The flavors in this soup are spectacular and was perfect for a day like today.

INGREDIENTS:
2 T olive oil
1 onion, diced
1/2 a bell pepper, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
4-6 C mushrooms, diced
1 C corn
3 C vegetable stock
3 C russet potatoes, peeled and diced
2 tsp Old Bay Seasoning
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 tsp Liquid Smoke
2 C nondairy milk (soy or almond)
1/4 C cornstarch
1 Tbs Worcestershire sauce
Tofutti sour cream (optional)
Vegan cheddar, shredded (optional)

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350. I recommend having all your ingredients out, chopped, and ready to go before starting:

Vegan New England Chowder -- Epicurean Vegan

In a large soup pot, heat the oil and add onion, garlic, bell pepper, thyme, basil, and oregano. Once they are hot and on high heat, add the mushrooms and cook about 10 minutes.

Vegan New England Chowder -- Epicurean Vegan

While this is happening, roast the corn in the oven for 10 minutes.

Vegan New England Chowder -- Epicurean VeganAdd the potatoes, then the stock, Old Bay, Liquid Smoke, salt, pepper, and Worcestershire sauce to the pot. Cook over medium heat until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Whisk together the nondairy milk and cornstarch and add to the pot along with the corn. Bring to a simmer, but not a boil. Taste for seasoning. Here, I added (in batches) half of the soup to my food processor and just pureed a little; just enough to still be a bit chunky. I then added it back to the pot and mixed it with the un-pureed soup for the perfect chowder consistency. Top with a bit of cheese and sour cream, if desired. Enjoy!

Vegetable Soup

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Vegetable Soup -- Epicurean VeganI have been craving soup for two days now and since I’m not big on the canned variety, I finally made my own fresh batch. It was exactly what I’ve been needing. This has got me all geared up for fall soup season!

INGREDIENTS:
8 C vegetable broth (you can substitute up to 3 cups with water if you wish)
3 organic potatoes, peeled and diced
1 large carrot, peeled and sliced thin
3 celery stalks, sliced thin
1 small onion, diced
6 mushrooms, sliced thin
1/2 C white wine
1/3 C fresh parsley, chopped
2 Tbs fresh chives, chopped
1-1/2 Tbs fresh oregano, chopped
1 tsp dried tarragon
1 Tbs dried minced onion
1 Tbs garlic powder
Salt and pepper, to taste
DIRECTIONS:

In a large soup pot, bring the broth to a boil. Add the potatoes, carrots, onion and celery. Cook for about 20-25 minutes, or until the potatoes, carrots, and celery soften. Add the mushrooms, fresh herbs, tarragon, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and wine; cook another 5-8 minutes. Voila! You’re done and ready to enjoy!

Potato-Leek Soup

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Potato-Leek Soup -- Epicurean VeganThis is an all-time favorite that is really simple and always delicious. It’s incredibly easy to prepare by using a food processor or even an immersion blender. The recipe is simple and a great base for then adding other ingredients such as veggie ham, peas, carrots or other herbs of your choice. You can also puree it to your desired consistency. I like this soup with some chunkiness to it, but feel free to blend away if you want it creamier.

INGREDIENTS:
2 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2″ pieces
4 leeks, thinly sliced
3 Tbs Earth Balance
4 C vegetable broth
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp white pepper
1-1/2 C soy milk (or other non dairy milk)
Fresh chives, chopped (optional)
Tofutti sour cream (optional)
Vegan cheddar, shredded (optional)

DIRECTIONS:
In a large soup pot, saute the leeks in the Earth Balance for 5-7 minutes, or until the leeks are soft and tender.

Potato-Leek Soup -- Epicurean Vegan

Add the potatoes, broth, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and cover. Simmer for 20 mins.

Potato-Leek Soup -- Epicurean VeganRemove from heat and in batches, scoop out (broth and all) into a food processor and add about a 1/4 to 1/2 C of soy milk. Now…like mashed potatoes, I like my potato soup with chunks of potato–none of this smooth whipped stuff. So…where you stand on the potato-texture debate, will determine how long you process the soup. For me, I just whirl it around for about 3-5 seconds–just enough to mix it all together and be left with small chunks. Otherwise, whirl away until you’ve reach your desired consistency. I then transfer each batch to a large bowl. Repeat the previous steps and then transfer back into  the soup pot. I like to serve a bowl of this with a dollop of sour cream and some chopped chives. A little vegan cheddar cheese never hurts though. Enjoy!

Potato-Leek Soup -- Epicurean Vegan

Vegetable Chili

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Vegetable Chili -- Epicurean VeganA great, hearty vegan meal! And such a cinch to make. I added about 7-oz of Gimme Lean Ground Beef Style, but it’s certainly optional. You can use any meat alternative you’d like, or even add about a 1/2 cup of barley.

INGREDIENTS:
7-oz (half a tube) Gimme Lean ground beef style (optional)
1 small eggplant, cubed
1 onion, chopped
2 tsp minced garlic
2 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1-28oz can diced tomatoes, juice and all
2 to 2-1/2 cans of water (I use an empty kidney bean can)
1 small can tomato paste
1 pkg. chili seasoning
Salt, to taste
Vegan cheddar, shredded
Tofutti sour cream

DIRECTIONS:
Saute the Gimme Lean with the garlic until browned. Basically, combine everything in a large soup pot and simmer for about 30 mins. Serve in individual bowls (about 8 servings) salt to taste, top with cheese and a dollop of sour cream.  Enjoy!

Miso Soup with Tofu and Baby Spinach

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Miso Soup with Tofu and Baby Spinach -- Epicurean VeganThis soup has all my favorite ingredients! Mushrooms, spinach, tofu, green onion….It’s a very light soup that would go great with half a sandwich and is tasty, tasty, tasty! Plus, with prep and cook time, it was ready in about 25 minutes. This is great soothing soup–it’s the new chicken soup. Add or substitute your favorite ingredients like celery, leeks or shredded carrot.

INGREDIENTS:
6 C water
1 1/2 C baby spinach leaves, cut into thin strips
1/2 C thinly sliced mushrooms
3 Tbs minced scallions (about 3 large green onions)
1 Tbs Tamari or other soy sauce
1/3 C mellow white miso paste
4 oz extra firm silken tofu, drained and cut into 1/2″ dice

DIRECTIONS:
Place the water in a large pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the spinach, mushrooms, scallions, and tamari. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until the vegetables soften, about 3-6 mins. Reduce the heat to low. Place 1/4 cup of the soup mixture in a small bowl and add the miso, blending well. Stir the mixture back into the soup and add the tofu and simmer for 2 minutes, being careful not to boil. Serve hot. Serves 4. Enjoy!

Miso Soup with Tofu and Baby Spinach -- Epicurean VeganRecipe source: Vegan Planet

Szechuan Hot and Sour Soup

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Szechuan Hot and Sour Soup -- Epicurean VeganVery easy and very delicious! It smelled so good as it simmered. I could easily taste each ingredient such as the toasted sesame oil and cilantro.

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 dried cloud ear or shiitake mushrooms, soaked in very hot water to cover, 20 mins (I used the shiitake)
2 C canned or fresh sliced bamboo shoots (The recipe didn’t specify what sized can. I used 14 oz of small, cute, little bamboo shoots)
4 tsp peanut oil
8 oz (just over 1/2 a usual pkg of tofu), drained and cut into thin strips
1 garlic clove, minced
1 Tbs peeled and minced fresh ginger root
4 C Vegetable stock
2 Tbs tamari or other soy sauce
2 Tbs rice vinegar
1/2 tsp sugar
1 tsp Asian chili paste
1 tsp cornstarch dissolved in 2 tsp water
1 Tbs toasted sesame oil
1 Tbs fresh chopped cilantro
2 Tbs chopped scallions (I left these out)
One thing I thought it needed was at least a 1/2 C of chopped green onion. I say add with the mushrooms.
Salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS:
Drain the mushrooms and discard the stems. Cut into thin strips and set aside. If using canned bamboo shoots, drain and rinse, then cut into thin strips (unnecessary if they’re the ones in the can–typically) and set side. If using fresh ones, soak in water to cover for 30 mins. Cut into thin strips, cook in boiling water until tender and set aside.
Heat 2 tsp of peanut oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the tofu and cook, stirring until golden brown, about 5 mins. (I found that 10 mins was better). Set aside.
Heat the remaining 2 tsp oil in a large pot. Add the garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the stock, tamari, vinegar, sugar, chili paste, and mushroom strips. (If you don’t want crunchy bamboo shhots, add them now). Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium and simmer until mushrooms are tender, about 5 (to 10) mins. Add the tofu and bamboo shoots and bring back to a simmer. Stir in the cornstarch mixture and cook until heated through, about 5 mins. Stir in the sesame oil, scallions, cilantro, salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot.
This was such a delicious soup and can be quite changeable. Try 8-10 oz rice noodles during last 5 mins of cook time. If  you’re going to do that, I would recommend adding at least another cup of broth and nearly doubling some of the other ingredients like the rice vinegar, sesame oil, tamari, chili paste and cilantro.
This made about 4 servings with no leftovers. Next time, I might just double it. I was impressed with the various flavors and the ability to taste so many of them at once. I loved it! Enjoy!

Szechuan Hot and Sour Soup -- Epicurean VeganRecipe source: Vegan Planet

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