Variation from How To Cook Everything Vegetarian (on our book list = one you should own!)
Vegetable Soup

Servings/Yield

6 servings
THE BEST Vegetable Soup I’VE ever made… nomnomnom

½ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 onion medium , chopped
2 carrots, diced
2 celery stalk , diced
1 ½ to 2 cups potatoes, skin on, diced
Salt
Freshly Ground Black Pepper
8 cups vegetable stock
1 cup tomato , cored, peeled, seeded, and chopped (can ok – include juice)
2 cups mustard greens, or kale
½ cup parsley, leaves
Method

1. Put three tablespoons of the olive oil in a large, deep saucepan or casserole (use a soup pot) over medium heat. When hot, add the onion, carrot, and celery. Cook, stirring, until the onion softens, about 5 minutes.

2. Add the hard vegetables and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, for a minute or two, then add the stock and the tomato; bring to a boil, then adjust the heat so the mixture bubbles gently. Cook, stirring every now and then, until the vegetables are fairly soft and the tomatoes broken up, about 15 minutes. (You may prepare the soup in advance up to this point. COver, refrigerate for up to 2 days, and reheat before proceeding).

PopVeg NOTE: If you’ve got kiddos who don’t love luscious tomatoes… take them out at this point, puree them in a blender or with a stick immersion blender in a separate bowl… and put ‘em right back in there. It works WONDERS… and they’ll love it.

3. Add the soft vegetables (GREENS) and the parsley and adjust the heat once again so the mixture simmers. Cook until all the vegetables are very tender, about 15 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning, add the remaining olive oil, and serve.

PopVeg Note: Add lots of fresh ground black pepper. Then add some more. Then add a bit of salt. And some more pepper.

Now… according to the recipe, it’s ready to serve… but if you can gently simmer if for more time (an hour? More and you might want to add some water)… it gets EVEN better.

AMAZING and wonderful, flavorful, HEALTHFUL, fabulous soup.

Enjoy!!

The Joy of Vegan Baking Cookbook
Vegan WOW Cornbread

Servings/Yield

9 servings
GREAT cornbread! NOMNOMNOM

1 ½ cups nondairy milk, Prefer: Almond, plain
1 ½ tablespoons distilled white vinegar
1 cup cornmeal , WATCH OUT – some corn meal has beef in the box!)
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons canola oil
½ to 1 cup whole kernal corn, (Optional… but not really)
Method

PREHEAT OVEN to 425 degrees f/220 c.

Lightly oil a 9×9 inch baking dish.

In a small bowl, combine milk and vinegar and set aside (essentially making butter milk or sour milk, but vegan).

Mix the cornmeal, flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in a large blow. Add the milk and vinegar mixture as well as the oil. If adding the corn kernels, now is the time to do so.

Stir until just blended. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared baking dish.

Bake until the top is golden brown, 25-30 minutes.

You may serve it at room temperature, but it’s most delectable hot out of the oven.

BUT THE BOOK: The Joy of Vegan Baking… it’s amazing!!!

From the book – The Vegan Scoop (You REALLY want to own this)

“BUTTER” Pecan “Ice Cream” – VEGAN

Servings/Yield

1 quart
1 cup soy milk, (or almond) divided
2 tablespoons arrowroot powder
2 cups soy creamer
3 tablespoons non-hydrogenated nondairy butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
½ cup pecans , chopped
Method

VEGAN BUTTER PECAN “ice cream”
YUMMY

From The Vegan Scoop – a book you need to own!!

In a small bowl, combine 1/4 cup soymilk with arrowroot and set aside.

Mix soy creamer, remaining 3/4 cup “milk,” “butter,” and brown sugar in a saucepan over low heat. After mixed, bring to a boil briefly.

Once mixture begins to boil, remove from heat and immediately add arrowroot cream. This will cause the liquid to thicken noticeably.

Add Vanilla extract.

Refrigerate mixture until chilled, usually 2 to 3 hours. Freeze according to your ice cream maker’s instructions.

PopVeg note: I use a KitchenAid icecream maker attachment… worked fantastic. I put it in the bowl after cooling… THEN inserted the tool… THEN raised the bowl. Took about 30 minutes, but wow. Great stuff.

Also note – I have not done this – but I believe if you chill it, then stir it vigorously, then freeze it… you’ll get a great result… no ice cream maker needed. Maybe not as good… but darned good anyhow.

The longer it freezes … the more hard packed it is. It’s an amazing, easy, VEGAN ice cream.