Organic Granny

  This pleasant herbal soup-- called Dovga-- comes from Azerbaijan, a country straddling Eastern Europe and West Asia in the South Caucasus region. Bordered by the Caspian Sea to the east, it shares boundaries with Russia, Georgia, Armenia, Turkey, and Iran. We dipped-- and cleaned up our bowls with-- warmed pita bread. All in all, this soup was a flavorful blend of Russian and Middle Eastern influences.   Here is how I put it together: (please read over complete recipe to establish all ingredients needed)   DOVGA DELIGHT  Cook on the stove:  1/2 C. Quinoa (or Rice) in 1 1/2 C. water. Set aside.  1/2 to 1 cup Green Peas (put aside for garnish) Combine in the Vita-Mix Cannister: 2 Small Yellow Onions, cut up  1 Green Onion, cut up  1 Celery stalk, cut up  2 T. Fresh Mint Leaves  4 T. Fresh Cilantro  2 C. Fresh Spinach Leaves  1/2 tsp. Celtic Sea Salt (or to taste)  Pepper to taste  Blend in Vitamix (or other blend...

From what I've heard, authentic classic Thai dishes attempt to represent all possible ranges of palate experience with taste and texture: salty, sour, sweet, crunchy, creamy, spicy, cooling! While this is a HUGE challenge for any cook, I think that you will find the following Vegan take-off of a Thai Coconut Veggie Soup achieves this pretty well-- toss in some peanuts before serving to add 'crunchy'.   Most of the ingredients you will have in your kitchen already, but there are a couple of surprises that you might want to go out and purchase for your continued foray into the exotic!  But ALL Vegan! Thai Coco-Veggie Soup INGREDIENTS: * 1 medium, organic onion, diced * 2 red bell peppers, diced * 3 cloves organic garlic, minced * 1 organic carrot, sliced * 1 can chickpeas or sweet green peas (organic, please) * 2 tbsp Virgin Coconut Oil  * 1/2 tsp cumin * 1/2 tsp coriander * 1/4 tsp cayenne * 2 1/2 cups diced tomatoes * 1 cup coconut milk * 1 cup organic peanut butter...

  I have the great pleasure of having friends from a number of different African countries, so I know better than to label this post with something like "A is Also For African Soup". That being said, though, there are several "groundnut" recipes on-line that claim to come from various countries in Africa (eg., Nigeria, Ghana, Zimbabwe). In that cosmopolitan spirit of sharing, here is my 'groundnut' (what we call peanut)soup. I know that some of the ingredients are not commonly used in African soup, but that is the blessing of 'inspired' fare-- the author can innovate! I once had a profusion of kale in my prairie garden and offered some to my friend N. She was elated and filled up two large plastic garbage bags with the leaves. I don't have kale in the house today, but I do have cabbage... so that is what I have used in this recipe. I also don't have fresh ginger, but pure Ginger Essential Oil (make sure it is pure- no petrochemicals used in p...

                                                         At one time I was a HUGE FAN of organic coconut milk in soups. Today's soup is a re-run of your vegan or plant-based, classic Cream of broccoli combination substituting coconut milk for dairy. You could also use rice milk (to keep it vegan) if you desire.  This soup was previously published in 2008 in my Whirled Soup blog and continued to be one of the Most Popular Recipes on that site! This is a simple and gratifying soup to make. Enjoy! INGREDIENTS *2 lbs. of fresh organic Broccoli *1 medium organic Onion, chopped *1 Bay Leaf *14 oz. organic Coconut Milk *Celtic Sea Salt to taste *Ground Nutmeg to taste INSTRUCTIONS Cover Broccoli, Onion and Bay Leaf with Filtered Water in a large pot and bring to a boil. Turn down to simmer until broccoli is tender. Important: Discard Bay Leaf. Ca...

  Enjoy the vibrant flavors of this Lemon Zest Soup, a refreshing blend of Fall vegetables and buttermilk (or vegan-friendly alternative). This cold soup is delicious and makes use of the abundant vegetables found at a Farmer's Market (or in your own backyard), The original recipe contains buttermilk. I suggest that you find the best source (organic if possible) of buttermilk around. If you are vegan, you can substitute a nut milk, soy milk, or rice milk instead, squeezing some lime or lemon into it for about 15 minutes before making the rest of the recipe..   Ingredients: 4 C. Buttermilk (or substitute) 2 C. vine-ripened tomatoes (could be 2 large tomatoes) 2 C. fresh, young (milky but not green)corn kernels 1 C. fennel root (or English cucumber if there is no fennel available) 18 fresh basil leaves 1/4 lemon skin, chopped-- should be a fairly tender skin (organic preferred) Celtic Sea Salt to taste 1/4 tsp. black pepper Method:  Add all ingredients to the Vita-Mix®...