Roasted Red Pepper and Cauliflower Soup

Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
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Roasted Red Pepper and Cauliflower Soup

Turn roasted vegetables into creamy, filling, nutritious soup.
Course: Soup
Cuisine: Vegan
Servings: 4

Equipment

  • blender

Ingredients

  • 1 head cauliflower in florets
  • 2 red bell peppers chunked
  • 1 sweet potato peeled, diced
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp curry powder
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 4 cups vegetable broth
  • 1/2 cup almonds, for garnish chopped
  • 1/4 cup chives or cilantro, for garnish chopped

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
  • Mix the spices together in a small bowl.
  • Put the pieces of cauliflower, peppers, and sweet potato onto a large baking sheet or two. I like to use parchment paper for easier cleanup. Sprinkle with the spices. Roast for 30 minutes until the vegetables are soft.
  • In a blender, put two cups of the broth and the roasted vegetables. You can also use an immersion blender: put the vegetables and broth in a saucepan.
  • Transfer the soup to a saucepan and simmer for 10 minutes. Add salt if you think it needs it, and more broth if you like it thinner.
  • Spread the almonds on a baking sheet and toast them for a couple of minutes. Be careful – they burn easily!
  • Serve the soup, garnished with the toasted almonds and chopped cilantro or chives. Also very nice garnished with a dollop of plant yogurt.

Israeli Couscous with Kale and Mushrooms

Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Print Recipe

Israeli Couscous with Kale and Mushrooms

Pearl pasta with lots of sautéed mushrooms and healthy greens. A main-course dish.
Course: Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Servings: 4

Ingredients

  • 2 cups vegetable broth divided
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 cup Israeli couscous
  • 5 cups sliced mushrooms button or cremini
  • 6 cups chopped kale
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 Tbs tamari
  • 1 Tbs nutritional yeast
  • 1 tsp white miso
  • 1 Tbs lemon juice
  • 1/3 cup chopped walnuts toasted
  • 1/8 tsp black pepper

Instructions

  • In a medium pot, add 1½ cups vegetable stock, bay leaf, and couscous. Bring to a boil, then immediately reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for 10-15 minutes, or until couscous is tender and liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and fluff with a fork.
  • While couscous is cooking, in a large saucepan, heat ¼ cup of vegetable stock over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes, or until tender. Add kale, garlic, tamari, nutritional yeast, and remaining ¼ cup of vegetable stock. Stir to combine. Reduce heat to medium and cook an additional 3-4 minutes, or until kale is wilted and tender.
  • Add cooked couscous to mushroom and kale mixture. Add in miso, lemon juice, toasted walnuts, and black pepper; stir until combined. Serve hot or at room temperature.

“Possible” Burgers

Everyone loves a burger, and veggie burgers are readily available these days. But they’re not always the healthiest item. The main ingredients in the Impossible Burger are water, soy protein concentrate, coconut oil, and sunflower oil. Fourteen grams of fat. Similarly, the popular Beyond Burger is made mostly of water, pea protein (a peas-mung bean-rice blend), expeller-pressed canola oil, refined coconut oil. Twenty grams of fat. They look, cook, and taste like a beef burger but neither contains any actual vegetables. Still, they are an appealing alternative to those who are transitioning to a plant-based way of eating.

I’ve tried many veggie burger recipes, and this is one that I like. It holds its burger-patty shape, it’s 100% whole foods no oil, and it tastes great!

veggie burger
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time24 minutes
Refrigeration Time1 hour
Total Time1 hour 40 minutes
Print Recipe

Dave’s “Possible” Burger

My favorite plant-based burger recipe. Makes 8; great for prep.
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: burger, vegan
Servings: 12

Equipment

  • food processor

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoon ground flax Dissolve in 1/4 cup water.
  • 2 cups cooked short-grain brown rice short-grain has extra starch
  • 2 cups rolled oats
  • 2 15-oz cans beans black or pinto, drained and rinsed.
  • 2 stalks celery chopped
  • 1/2 large onion chopped
  • 6 cremini mushrooms about 1/2 cup, chopped
  • 1/2 cup walnuts
  • 2 jalapeno peppers Remove seeds and membrane.
  • 2/3 cup ketchup, barbeque sauce, or tomato sauce
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1/2 tsp ground black pepper

Instructions

  • Combine the ground flax with 1/4 cup water and set aside. This is a flax "egg."
  • Place 1 can of beans in a large bowl and mash with a fork, breaking them into pieces.
  • Add the oats and rice.
  • Put the other can of beans, the celery, onion, walnuts, mushrooms, and pepper into a food processor. Pulse until finely chopped. Add to the beans.
  • Stir in the flax egg.
  • Add the remaining seasonings and mix thoroughly.
  • Divide into 12 and form into patties.
  • On a baking sheet covered with parchment paper, bake at 375 for 12 minutes on each side. Or panfry for 7 minutes per side.
  • Store in fridge or freezer.

Notes

Who is Dave, you ask? I don’t remember where I got this recipe, but it’s a keeper!