Easy Vegan Creamy Soups
I like these after work in the winter, when I have little time to cook. Add bread and a salad and you're good. I usually use 1 part potato to one part other veg. You can increase the veg proportion -- the potato adds creaminess. When I'm not doing vegan, I may also add a bit of low-fat cream cheese for creaminess.
Ingredients:
1 cubed potato and water (or stock) to cover into a saucepan.
Directions:
Bring to a boil, then simmer. Add ONE of the following combinations:
Ingredients:
2 peeled stalks of broccoli (or one cup of florets) chopped, a bit of dried onion, and a vegetable bouillon cube, OR
2 carrots, chopped, and 1/4 teaspoon of curry powder
1 cup of mushrooms and 1-3 tablespoons of your favorite wine, OR
2 stalks of celery, chopped, and 1/4 teaspoon of tarragon, marjoram, or savory, OR
1 package of frozen spinach or kale, a grating of nutmeg and a 1/4 teaspoon of lemon juice, OR
1 cup of frozen corn and 1 teaspoon of fresh parsley, OR
1 cup of frozen peas, 1/8 teaspoon each of ginger and goodly amount of pepper, and 1-3 teaspoons of vinegar (interesting and tasty combination, based on a medieval recipe), OR
1 sweet potato or half an acorn squash, peeled and chopped, and 1/2 teaspoon of Italian herb mixture
Directions:
Simmer the soup until the vegetables are tender. Puree in blender or food processor until smooth. Add salt/pepper to taste. Serve forth.
NOTES:
Instead of stock or vegetable bouillon cubes, you can take out 1/2 cup of soup after pureeing and dissolve a tablespoon of miso in it, then return it to the pot and mix.
Almost all of these combinations are good with the addition of 1/2 an onion and a clove or two of garlic sauteed in sherry.
Other possible additions (not combined, of course):
Ingredients :
a tablespoon of tomato paste
1/2 cup of leftover beans or grains
a few dried mushrooms or dried tomatoes
a few tablespoons of sauerkraut
a tablespoon of capers or chopped pickle added before serving
a tablespoon of yogurt swirled in right before serving (pretty!)
toasted pumpkin/squash seeds or wheat germ sprinkled on top
