Pumpkin Bisque

 

Ingredients
1/3 cup chopped shallots
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon minced fresh gingerroot
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1-1/2 cups not-chicken broth
1/3 cup apple cider or juice
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons canned pumpkin
2 tablespoons plus 1-1/2 teaspoons maple syrup
1/8 teaspoon dried thyme
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon pepper
Dash ground cloves
1 cup cooked white rice
toasted pumpkin seed oil for garnish

Instructions
In a small saucepan, saute the shallots, onion and ginger in oil until tender. Stir in flour until blended; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until golden brown. Gradually stir in broth and cider. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.
Stir in the pumpkin, syrup and seasonings. Return to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat; cool slightly.
In a blender, process soup  and rice in batches until smooth. Return all to the pan and heat through (do not boil).
Enjoy!

Pumpkin Soup in a Pumpkin Bowl

 

Ingredients
6 cups Not-Chick'n broth
2 -3 cups pared pumpkin, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 cup thinly sliced onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1⁄2t easpoons kosher salt, or to taste
1⁄2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
5 peppercorns
1 medium sugar pumpkin
1⁄2 cup heavy vegan cream, warmed
1 teaspoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Instructions
In a covered saucepan, heat the broth, cubed pumpkin, onion, garlic, salt, thyme, and peppercorns to boiling; reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, 20 minutes.
Simmer pumpkin mixture, uncovered, 20 minutes longer; transfer to a large bowl.
Preheat oven to 350° F.
Cut the top off the sugar pumpkin and remove the seeds.
Place the pumpkin on a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes; set aside in a warm spot.
Puree 2 cups of the pumpkin mixture in a blender or food processor; return pureed mixture to the pot.
Repeat with remaining pumpkin mixture.
Heat pureed mixture to boiling; reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
Stir warm cream into soup.
Place the warmed sugar pumpkin on a platter; ladle the soup in and garnish with parsley.
Serve hot, scooping out chunks from the sugar pumpkin to eat with the soup.
Enjoy!

Easy, Fool Proof Roux

 

Ingredients
2 cups flour

Instructions
Preheat oven to 425 °F.
Add flour to a dry roasting pan and smooth it out to about 3/4 inch thick. Bake it in the oven at 425°F for 45 to 55 minutes. Once you get the color you like remove it from the oven and take the dry roux and put it in a medium bowl to cool. (Do not leave it in the hot pan). 
It is now ready to use in any recipe requiring dark brown roux. It will get darker when oil or water are added to make a slurry.

Corn Chowder

 

Ingredients
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 ribs celery, chopped
1 Yukon gold potato, chopped
4 ears fresh sweet corn, husked
1 red pepper, diced
1/4 cup ground freeze dried corn kernels (optional)
½ teaspoon celery seed, crushed
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar, or white wine vinegar
2 cups vegetable broth
1 (14-ounce) can light coconut milk 
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Reserve some fresh corn kernels and diced red pepper for garnish 

Instructions
Heat the olive oil in a large dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and a few pinches of salt.
Cook until soft, then add the garlic, celery, and potatoes.
Slice the kernels off the corn, then use the back of your knife to scrape the juices off of the corn cob and add to the pot. Add the red pepper, celery seed, paprika, a pinch of salt, black pepper, and stir. Cook until the potatoes are slightly softened, about 5 minutes, then add the sherry vinegar, ground freeze dried corn,  vegetable broth, and coconut milk.
Cover and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 15 more minutes. Let cool slightly, then transfer half the soup to a blender. Blend until creamy then return it back to the pot and stir.
Taste and adjust seasonings and serve with extra fresh corn kernels and chopped red peppers.
Enjoy!

Creamy Baked Potato Soup

 

Ingredients
2 large russet potatoes
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
cashew cream, as needed
Churn Style Butter, as needed
salt and pepper to taste
a sprig of fresh thyme

Instructions
Preheat oven to 400° F.
Bake the potatoes for one hour at 400°F, until done.
Allow the potatoes to get cool enough to handle, but still pretty warm. Slice them open and remove the potato flesh. Place it in a saucepan.
Slice the potato skins into strips and reserve.
Mash the potatoes. Add onion powder, garlic powder, cashew cream, salt, and pepper. Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat, cover pot, and allow to simmer for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, melt some butter in a skillet, add the reserved potato skins, and sauté over medium heat til crisp on both sides.
Place the soup in bowls, sprinkle with fresh thyme leaves, and garnish with potato skins.
Enjoy!

Cream of Asparagus Soup

Ingredients
1 cup chopped asparagus
1 cup vegetable broth
1 cup Cashew Milk
1/4 cup white wine
2 tablespoons Churn Style Butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, minced
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
salt to taste
Cashew Crème Frâiche for garnish

Instructions
Blend chopped asparagus and vegetable broth into a puree.
Melt butter in a pot over medium heat, and add the white pepper and thyme. Cook over medium low heat for 2 to 3 minutes, allowing the thyme to infuse the butter.
Add the flour and stir well. Cook til the flour smells toasty.
Add the white wine, and stir well.
Add the asparagus puree, straining through a mesh sieve into the pot. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and cook for 7 to 8 minutes, til the raw taste is gone. Don't cook long enough to lose the fresh nutty flavor though.
When it is done, add salt to taste, adjust pepper if needed, and serve with a few dollops of crème frâiche.
Enjoy!

Ravioli in Red Pepper Brodo

 

Ingredients
8 oz roasted red bell peppers, chopped roughly
1 tbsp plant butter
2 large cloves of garlic, minced
4 cups water
1 or 2 cubes of Not-Chicken bouillon
1/4 cup vegan parmesan rinds*
1 tsp paprika
a pinch of white pepper
a pinch of nutmeg
salt to taste
vegan ravioli
red pepper flakes for garnish

Instructions
Melt the butter over medium heat in a large saucepan.
Add garlic and cook til fragrant, about 1 to 2 minutes.
Add chopped peppers, cook another 2 minutes, then add water, bouillon cubes, parmesan rinds, and seasoning.
Bring to a boil, cover pot, reduce heat to low, and simmer soup for thirty minutes.
Remove the rinds (leave them in for a creamier soup), and blend the soup with an immersion blender til smooth.
Taste, adjust for seasoning, raise the heat, and add the ravioli.
Cook the ravioli in the broth til done, and serve.
Garnish with red pepper flakes.
Enjoy!

*For the vegan parmesan rinds, you will need a block or wedge of vegan parmesan cheese, like Violife. Allow it to sit out of its packaging at room temperature, and as it begins to crack, break it up into chunks. Once it's dry, after three or four days, store it in a covered container in the refrigerator. You may substitute shredded parmesan or nutritional yeast for a creamier broth.

Creamy Vegetable Soup

Ingredients

1 cup leftover Vichyssoise

3/4 cup frozen mixed vegetables

1/2 cup shredded vegan cheese

1 tbsp vegan bacon bits

Instructions

Add all ingredients to a saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and cook til cheese is melted. 

Enjoy!

Vichyssoise

Ingredients

1 cup leftover Scalloped Potatoes in White Wine and Herb Infused Cream

1/2 small onion, chopped

1/2 leek, white part only, sliced

1 cup water, more if needed

1 tbsp plant butter

salt and white pepper to taste

chives for garnish (optional)

Instructions

In a pan over medium heat, melt butter. Add onions and leeks and sauté til translucent. 

Add to a blender with the leftover scalloped potatoes, water, salt, and white pepper. Blend til creamy, adding water if needed to form a cream soup consistency, or more leftover potatoes for thicker soup.

Traditionally served cold, but you may heat it if desired. Garnish with chives.

Enjoy!