Soups up! So my go-to Fall meals are always soups. I love them! They're savory, deliciously warming, and absolutely easy to make. Win, win and win! The broccoli and potatoes are so beautiful right now, so you must make this soup: Broccoli Potato Soup with Fresh Herbs. Simple flavors team up to provide a light, but filling soup. If you like your soups chunky (I do) then you can just blend half of it, or make a soup more reminiscent of cream of broccoli by blending the whole thing. Whatever toots your horn! I think this soup will always be one of my favorites, because it was the first soup I ever made. Not only the first soup as a vegan, but the first soup EVER! (I'm not counting the soups, that you get from a can or a box...come on now!) I was so proud of myself when I pulled it off. The only thing is the the original recipe calls for fresh mint, and I say OMIT! Yuck! I hated the mint in there. Just the dill is perfect. This recipe is taken from Veganomicon by Isa and Terry.
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil (I usually use 1T)
1 medium-size onion, cut into 1/4 inch dice
3 cloves garlic (double it!)
1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon
Several pinches of freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
6 cups vegetable stock, or 4 cups veggie stock plus 2 cups water
2 pounds potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch chunks (I don't peel mine, you're prerogative)
4 cups chopped broccoli, including the stalks: chop them into thin slices, and the tops into small florets
1/4 cup fresh dill
Heat a soup pot over medium heat. Saute the onion in the live oil for 5-7 minutes, until softened. Add the garlic, tarragon, black pepper, and salt, and cook for 1 more minute. Pour in the vegetable stock and add the potatoes. Cover and bring to a boil. Once the soup is boiling, lower the heat and let simmer for 15 minutes. Add the broccoli and cook for 15 more minutes.
Use an immersion blender to blend about one-third of the soup. Transfer back to the soup. Add the fresh dill and let the soup sit for about 10 minutes to let the flavors meld. Serve!
Makes 8 large or 16 small biscuits
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup soy milk
1 cup flour
1 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup shredded vegan cheddar cheese
5 tablespoons vegan margarine
3/4 canned pumpkin
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a small bowl, combine apple cider vinegar and soy milk. Set aside and allow the mixture to curdle.
In a large bowl, stir together flour, pastry flour, baking powder and salt. Stir in cheese, coating shreds with flour so that they don't clump together. Add margarine, and use a pastry cutter to break up the margarine and cheese shreds until course crumbs form.
To soy milk mixture, add pumpkin and whisk until well combined. Pour mixture into dry ingredients. Use a spoon to mix until a dough forms, and then continue mixing with clean hands until just combined. Do not overmix,
On a liberally floured surface, pat dough out to about 1/2 inch thickness. Using a biscuit cutter (about 3 inches in diameter) (or just the top of a juice glass, which is what I use), lightly press into the dough to cut out a circle, and then gently lift the cutter back up, without twisting. Continue until all the dough has been cut into biscuits.
Carefully place the cut biscuits onto an ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes or until the bottoms are lightly browned.