Blizzards and B Soups

I have shoveled approximately 4 hours in the past two days.  Yesterday, I spent an hour shoveling the newly formed, three inches of slush from my driveway, so that the ice rink it would become might only be an inch or two in depth...as opposed to half of a foot.  I also was hoping that, in de-slushing, my hub might be able to make it into the driveway, as opposed to sliding into it (and maybe our snow-covered truck).  To make it through that experience and celebrate the hub's safe return, it was certainly hearth and soul-warming soup time.

 Cheezey Breezey Broccoli Soup 

At the tail end of high school, through the college years, and until my vegan transition, there was one soup that stood above all others as the solution to life's problems and the filling warm-up on a cold day: Panera's broccoli cheese soup.  I no longer choose to eat it (and may not have anyway now that they post the calories in what I once thought of as a relatively "healthy" lunch choice"), but back in the day, it just made my world a better place.  As I got older and looked for a healthier version of this meal, I often turned to a vegetarian recipe that my aunt had found on a website; since becoming vegan, I've modified that recipe somewhat, but I still hadn't found what I was looking for with the flavor/consistency, until yesterday.   (Continue singing U2 here, if you are so inclined.)  The final product shown here with "Drop Biscuits" from The Joy of Vegan Baking nicely omits the mad scientist lab feel of its creation (think tiny bowls and my plopping in various additions, dirtying several spoons).  Also, the hub has never been the biggest fan of this soup, but he kept saying how impressed he was (since I snuck in some spinach and I know he is not the biggest fan of vegan cheese essence, I was especially excited).  So...overall -- success at this homestead!  Hope you enjoy it as well!

7 c. water w/ 3 t bouillon (or half prepared stock/half water depending on flavor density of stock)

2 bags frozen broccoli florets (usually 14 oz. each)

1 c. thawed chopped spinach (or any other greens you have hanging about)

4 med. potatoes (peeled and diced)

2 med. yellow onion (peeled and diced)

3 T. Earth Balance butter*

 1 t. thyme

5 small cloves of garlic (minced)

2 T nutritional yeast

1/2-1 c. non-dairy milk to desired consistency*

1/2 c. sour cream* (if adding to pot; could also allow individuals to dollop a hearty t. of cream themselves or make swirls yourself with dollops for spruced up presentation)

salt and pepper to taste

*Option: omit butter, and use 3/4 c. sour cream and more toward the 1c. milk to reduce total fat

1. Add broccoli through garlic to large soup pot.  Cover with water until just covered (about 1-2" above veggies) and add bouillon.  (If using prepared stock, add the 3-4 c. of that first and then add water to covering point.)

2. Simmer on med. to med. high heat for 30-40 min.  Remove at 30 minutes to blend with immersion blender to desired consistency; you could also do this step in a standard blender, but more waiting time is involved and it is usually quite a bit messier.  (I HIGHLY recommend getting an immersion blender; they are extremely affordable and incredibly handy for a diverse array of cooking needs.)

3.  Add in nutritional yeast, then add milk to desired consistency, and then add sour cream as best fits your artistic desires and time constraints.  I've tried sour cream in the soup both ways, and the flavor is there either way you add it.

Makes 12-16 meal servings (would be easy enough to half the recipe too)

As intimated, the cheeze is really like a breeze here in that you get the sense of it, but it is certainly not dominating.  Mostly, there is a bit of mellow tang and some additional creaminess to help support the thickening provided by addition of potatoes.  Enjoy!

Baby Bok and Barley Stew  

This stew was inspired by two things: 1) many odds 'n ends and last gasp veggies in the fridge 2) the reading of some article about Sarah Jessica Parker eating mushroom barley soup.  Random -- but delicious!

1 T. sesame oil

2 leeks (cut off tops/bottoms, wash thoroughly, 1/4" slice both white and light green parts)

5-6 celery stalks (cut off tops/bottoms, wash thoroughly, 1/4" slice) 

3 cloves of garlic (peeled, bottom trimmed, minced)

1 16 oz. container of mushrooms (cleaned, destemmed, sliced)

1 2" x 1/4" in. piece of ginger (could add more to add spice)

1 c. barley (rinsed and sorted)

4 c. water (if you want more of a broth to this soup,  you might use 5-6 c. of water and an additional 

                 piece of ginger)

3 carrots (top layer peeled and give to dogs; peel the rest of each carrot until unable to peel further)

2 heads of baby bok choy (washed, bottom cut off, sliced)

1/2 -- 1 T. Bragg's (or other soy sauce like sauce)

salt and pepper to taste

1. Lightly coat the bottom of a soup pot with the 1 T. of sesame oil and heat on med. (adjust between med./med. high as needed for your stove).  Add leeks, celery, and garlic, and saute for 3-4 minutes until leeks are softened.  Add mushrooms and a flash of salt and pepper; saute for 3-4 minutes.

2. Add ginger, barley, and water.  Stir.  Bring to a boil, then lower to med. for 30 min. Stirring a few times.  Test barley for donenessbok choy, and cook an additional 3-5 min. to slightly soften bok choy.  In the last minute, add Bragg's and s/p to taste.  Remove ginger and serve.

Makes: 4-6 servings

Cooking the barley in the soup adds a nice creaminess to the broth; the flavors are very subtle yet cleansing here.  To be honest, I wasn't sure how this would turn out since I was experimenting with the broth and ginger a bit, but I think we'll have this dish more frequently as it was quick and certainly a great way to use up veggies.