Category Archives: Soup

Vegetarian Mushroom Barley Soup

This is a hearty and delicious soup adapted from ChickInTheKitchen who in turn adapted it from Zingerman’s Deli in Ann Arbor.

Ingredients

2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 large onion, diced
2 ribs celery with leaves, cut in halve lengthwise and diced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 qt. vegetable stock
1 lb. Baby Bella mushrooms (or another kind), sliced
1 oz. dried porcini mushrooms, reconstituted in hot water (save the water)
1 c. pearl barley
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp black pepper

Preparation

Rehydrate the dried porcini mushrooms in 1 1/2 cups of hot water.  When the porcini are moist and soft, pour off and save the water being careful to leave behind any grit that may have been on the mushrooms.  If your porcini are gritty (many are), wash them several times in several changes of cold water to remove as much grit as possible.

Heat a large heavy bottom pot, add the olive oil warm to medium heat.  Add the chopped onions and cook over moderate heat stirring frequently until the onions are soft, about 5 minutes.  Add the garlic, celery, carrots and mushrooms.  Continue cooking at moderate heat and stirring frequently for 10 minutes.

Add the vegetable broth, saved mushroom water, barley, salt, pepper and thyme.  Bring to a boil at high heat, then reduce the heat to simmer and cook stirring occasionally for 45 minutes.  The amount of salt you need will vary with the sodium content of our vegetable broth.

Nutrition

8 servings

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 295 g
Amount Per Serving
Calories

161
Calories from Fat

38
% Daily Value*
Total Fat

4.3g
7%
Saturated Fat

0.8g
4%
Trans Fat

0.0g
Cholesterol

0mg
0%
Sodium

743mg
31%
Total Carbohydrates

23.0g
8%
Dietary Fiber

5.2g
21%
Sugars

2.8g
Protein

8.1g
Vitamin A 41% • Vitamin C 4%
Calcium 3% • Iron 10%
Nutrition Grade A
* Based on a 2000 calorie diet

Curried French Green Lentil Soup

This is a delicious and hearty soup based on a recipe from Bon Appetit.  Note that French green lentils are different from generic green lentils.  The French green lentils are small, dark green, and speckled with black.

I prefer to buy dry chickpeas, cook them in a slow cooker and freeze them in 2 cup aliquots, but you use canned chickpeas.  Just be sure to drain and rinse them before use.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium carrot, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped, divided
3 tablespoons curry powder
1 cup green lentils
4 1/4 cups vegetable broth, divided
2 cups chickpeas, cooked
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
3/4 tablespoons Original Natural Buttery Spread
2 green onions, thinly sliced

Preparation

  • Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add onion and carrot; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook until onion is translucent, stirring occasionally, about 4 minutes. Add half of chopped garlic; stir until vegetables are soft but not brown, about 4 minutes longer. Add 2 tablespoons curry powder; stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add lentils and 4 cups vegetable broth. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Increase heat and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium; simmer until lentils are tender, about 30 minutes.
  • While the onions and lentils are cooking, use a blender to puree the chickpeas, lemon juice, 1/4 cup vegetable broth, remaining tablespoon of olive oil, and remaining garlic.
  • Add chickpea puree and Earth Balance spread to the lentils. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and add additional curry powder, as desired. If the soup gets too thick, add water by 1/4 cupfuls to thin to desired consistency.

Nutrition

6 servings

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 321 g
 
Amount Per Serving

Calories

463

Calories from Fat

102
% Daily Value*

Total Fat

11.3g
17%

Saturated Fat

1.6g
8%

Trans Fat

0.0g

Cholesterol

0mg
0%

Sodium

48mg
2%

Total Carbohydrates

69.7g
23%

Dietary Fiber

24.4g
97%

Sugars

10.2g

Protein

23.6g
 
Vitamin A 37% • Vitamin C 15%
Calcium 13% • Iron 44%
Nutrition Grade A
* Based on a 2000 calorie diet

Hot and Sour Soup

Hot and Sour Soup is a classic Chinese and Asian dish with many variants according to different regional preferences.  This is a vegetarian version based on TasteHongKong.com, relatively straightforward to prepare and quite tasty.

Ingredients

5 pcs dried shitake mushrooms, rehydrated
5 pcs dried black fungus, also know as wood ear, rehydrated
1 fresh bamboo shoot
1 carrot
2 oz soft tofu, cut into bite size rectangular slabs
3-5 slices fresh ginger
6 cups mushroom stock from soaking mushrooms
2 tsp canola oil
1 tbsp white vinegar
1 tbsp black vinegar, also known as Chekiang vinegar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp chili bean sauce
1/2 tsp ground white pepper
1 large egg, beaten
1/2 tsp sesame oil
corn starch paste (2 tsp corn starch : 4 tsp water)

Preparation

Rinse the dried mushrooms and black fungus, also known as wood ear, then soak them in 3 cups of water overnight. Squeeze water from mushrooms and reserve water from soaking. Remove and discard stems (retain 3 mushrooms for this soup and reserve the remaining for other uses, like making noodles or stir fries).

Julienne the ginger, carrot and bamboo shoot.  Thinly slice the mushrooms, tofu, and cloud ear. To slice the cloud ear, roll it up and slice the roll.  All the ingredients should be shredded as thin as possible.

Heat a pot over medium heat with a tea spoon of oil. Sauté ginger until fragrant. Toss in mushrooms, carrot, bamboo shoot, and cloud ears. Stir them for a while, 1 to 2 minutes, then pour in stock. Bring it to a boil, then gently lay in tofu.

Season with vinegar, salt, soy sauce, chili bean paste, white pepper, and thicken with corn starch paste. Stir to avoid any lumps.

As soon as the liquid thickened to your liking, turn heat to the lowest level and gently pour a thin layer of beaten egg over the soup using a spoon to guide the egg.  Try to avoid pouring the egg in rapidly as it will sink to the bottom and forming lumps. After a few seconds, quickly stir the egg juice in swirls to create feather-like patterns.

Sprinkle in sesame oil; garnish with coriander. Serve hot.

Adjust the seasoning to your taste, these are on the lighter side.  If you find the soup too sour, try balance it with some sugar.

Nutrition

6 servings

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 266 g
 
Amount Per Serving
Calories

201
Calories from Fat

59
% Daily Value*
Total Fat

6.5g
10%
Saturated Fat

1.1g
5%
Trans Fat

0.0g
Cholesterol

35mg
12%
Sodium

1222mg
51%
Total Carbohydrates

23.7g
8%
Dietary Fiber

12.9g
51%
Sugars

1.6g
Protein

11.5g
 
Vitamin A 27% • Vitamin C 2%
Calcium 5% • Iron 14%
Nutrition Grade B+
* Based on a 2000 calorie diet

Spicy Swiss Chard and Tomato Soup

Good hearty soup from VegetarianTimes.com.

Ingredients

1 tbs. olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced (1 Tbs.)
½ tsp. red pepper flakes
1 medium onion, chopped (1 ½ cups)
2 medium carrots, sliced (1 cup)
2 stalks celery, chopped (½ cup)
1 small zucchini, sliced (1 cup)
½ tsp. chopped fresh rosemary
2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
2 15-oz. cans diced tomatoes
1 15-oz. can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
½ cup sun-dried tomatoes
6 oz. Swiss chard, chopped
½ tsp. chopped fresh thyme
1 cup fresh basil

Preparation

  1. Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and red pepper flakes, and cook 1 minute, or until garlic is fragrant. Stir in onion, carrots, celery, zucchini, and rosemary, and cook 10 to 15 minutes, or until onions are soft.
  2. Add broth, 1 can tomatoes, and beans. Scoop 1 cup mixture into food processor or blender, and add remaining can of tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, and sun-dried tomato oil. Purée until smooth, stir mixture into soup, and season with salt and pepper, if desired. Simmer 10 minutes.
  3. Add Swiss chard and thyme; simmer 5 minutes more, or until chard is wilted. Remove pan from heat, and stir in basil.

Nutrition

8 servings

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 304 g
Amount Per Serving
Calories

239
Calories from Fat

23
% Daily Value*
Total Fat

2.6g
4%
Trans Fat

0.0g
Cholesterol

0mg
0%
Sodium

98mg
4%
Total Carbohydrates

41.4g
14%
Dietary Fiber

16.0g
64%
Sugars

6.1g
Protein

15.1g
Vitamin A 101% • Vitamin C 48%
Calcium 12% • Iron 31%
Nutrition Grade A
* Based on a 2000 calorie diet

Tortilla Soup

Spicy Mexican soup based on a recipe from Epicurious.

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil
8 corn tortillas
1/4 tsp salt
.75 tbsp Olive oil
3 plum tomatoes
4 cups vegetable broth
2 cups water
tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion
2 cloves garlic
14 oz Tomatoes, Crushed, Canned
1 jalepeno pepper
1 serrano pepper
1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes

Preparation

  1. Cut the tortillas into thin strips and toss with 1 tbsp of olive oil and 1/4 tsp salt.  Bake 350°F until crisp and lightly browned.  About 10 minutes.
  2. Spray large nonstick saucepan with vegetable oil spray. Add onion and garlic; cover and cook over medium-low heat until almost tender, stirring often, about 5 minutes.
  3. Stir in tomato paste, cumin and chili powder. Add broth and 2 tablespoons cilantro; bring to boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer until flavors blend, about 15 minutes.
  4. Add tortillas, tomatoes, beans, zucchini and jalapeño to soup. Cover; simmer until zucchini is tender, about 5 minutes.
  5. Season with salt and pepper and ladle soup into bowls.
  6. Sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons cilantro.

Nutrition

8 servings

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 452 g
Amount Per Serving
Calories

200
Calories from Fat

70
% Daily Value*
Total Fat

7.8g
12%
Saturated Fat

1.2g
6%
Cholesterol

0mg
0%
Sodium

740mg
31%
Total Carbohydrates

29.2g
10%
Dietary Fiber

6.1g
24%
Sugars

2.5g
Protein

7.8g
Vitamin A 34% • Vitamin C 61%
Calcium 10% • Iron 19%
Nutrition Grade A
* Based on a 2000 calorie diet

Minestrone

A classic soup.  This is a low fat vegan derivative of Ellie Krieger’s recipe.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 large carrot, diced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
6 cups vegetable broth
1 15-ounce can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
16 oz vegetable medley, frozen
1 cup elbow pasta
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Preparation

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds. Add the celery and carrot and cook until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in the green beans, dried oregano and basil, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste; cook 3 more minutes.

Add the diced and crushed tomatoes and the chicken broth to the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer 10 minutes. Stir in the kidney beans and pasta and cook until the pasta and vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Season with salt. Ladle into bowls and top with chopped basil.

Nutrition

8 servings

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 438 g
Amount Per Serving
Calories

317
Calories from Fat

50
% Daily Value*
Total Fat

5.5g
8%
Saturated Fat

0.9g
5%
Trans Fat

0.0g
Cholesterol

0mg
0%
Sodium

594mg
25%
Total Carbohydrates

47.5g
16%
Dietary Fiber

12.0g
48%
Sugars

5.8g
Protein

19.5g
Vitamin A 48% • Vitamin C 30%
Calcium 8% • Iron 26%
Nutrition Grade A
* Based on a 2000 calorie diet

Shrimp Noodle Soup

This is an Asian soup that is delicious and low fat.  The olive oil is non-traditional, but adds a nice flavor and is a healthy oil.

Ingredients

8 oz shrimps, medium size, deveined but leave the shells on

2.5 teaspoon olive oil
1.5 medium onions
1 tbsp ginger
2 cloves garlic
4 stalks celery
2 medium carrots

 8 cups vegetable broth
2.5 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1/3 head napa cabbage
8 oz rice vermicelli, medium size, soaked according to package

1 cup frozen peas

Preparation

Trim the legs/feelers off the shrimp and split open the back of the shells to devein them, but leave the shells on.  Set aside.

Prepare the rice vermicelli according to the instructions on the package.  Different brands vary enormously.  Some require only a couple of minutes in water to hydrate the noodles, others need to be soaked for an hour or more.  The noodles should be soft and translucent before you add them to the soup.

In a large pot, add the olive oil and cook the onions under low to moderate heat for about 5 minutes, until they begin to soften.  Add the ginger, garlic, carrots and celery and continue stir frying another 5 minutes.

Add the vegetable broth and seasonings and bring to a boil.

Add the rice vermicelli and napa cabbage, cook for about 5 minutes.

Add the green peas and cook for another 5 minutes.

Add the shrimp and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.

Serve immediately.  Should be eaten with chop sticks as well as a spoon.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 405 g
 
Amount Per Serving
Calories

227
Calories from Fat

32
% Daily Value*
Total Fat

3.6g
5%
Saturated Fat

0.8g
4%
Trans Fat

0.0g
Cholesterol

60mg
20%
Sodium

1463mg
61%
Total Carbohydrates

34.2g
11%
Dietary Fiber

2.7g
11%
Sugars

3.9g
Protein

13.8g
 
Vitamin A 94% • Vitamin C 35%
Calcium 10% • Iron 12%
Nutrition Grade A-
* Based on a 2000 calorie diet

Peasant Cabbage Soup

A quick, nutritious and low fat soup.  Not high in protein, but low in fat.  Hits the spot on a chilly day and adds that extra dish that rounds out a meal.

Ingredients

1 large onion
1/2 head cabbage
1 tbsp olive oil

5 roma tomatoes
6 cups vegetable broth
(1 russet potato, peeled and chopped up, optional)
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
3 tbsp brown sugar

Preparation

Chop the onion and begin sauteing with the olive oil in a large pot over moderate heat.  Stir frequently.

Chop the cabbage and add it as you are chopping to the onion.

Dice the tomatoes.

When the cabbage and onion have softened (about 10 min. cooking time), add the tomato, vegetable broth and remaining ingredients.  Bring to a boil and simmer for 15 min.

You can add a peeled and chopped up russet potato with the tomatoes and broth if you want to add substance to this soup.

Nutrition

12 servings (with a potato included)

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 230 g
Amount Per Serving
Calories

69
Calories from Fat

18
% Daily Value*
Total Fat

2.0g
3%
Cholesterol

0mg
0%
Sodium

488mg
20%
Total Carbohydrates

9.8g
3%
Dietary Fiber

1.7g
7%
Sugars

5.4g
Protein

3.6g
Vitamin A 9% • Vitamin C 37%
Calcium 3% • Iron 6%
Nutrition Grade A
* Based on a 2000 calorie diet