Organic Granny

T here was once a dental emergency-- I lost part of a porcelain crown in the front of my mouth-- and lovely Parsnip-Cabbage Soup recipe is part of a 'liquid' diet meant to create less stress on my exposed root and to help me get rid of a cold I had. It worked.   This soup is quite substantial and schmecht gut (as they say in my Duolingo German class)... filling and tasty. Anyone who has done a lot of cooking in the past can freely and intuitively spice up or spice down. For novice cooks, the recipe is quite satisfying, but you might want to add more of your favourite condiments if you find it too bland.   I, personally, love the flavour of parsnips. I have a bunch of them because they were in "the expiry" cart at Edible Island, our favourite health and organic produce shop.   I also love fresh green cabbage (and raw sauerkraut, but that's for another day).   Some of the recipes I looked at called for the inclusion of an apple. I believe that appl...

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...

 This smoky, fullsome lentil soup really tastes gourmet (or is that gourmand?) when Coconut Milk is added at serving time.   I separate out the soup to be eaten for this meal, and any left-over soup I pour into glass mason jars and put in the fridge for another meal. Just stir in water when the soup is too thick, and thin to the consistency you like. The seasonings will stay vibrant throughout. Ingredients: 450 g or 2 cup dried Brown Lentils 2 tablespoons Coconut Oil 1 to 2 Onions, chopped 6 cloves Garlic, chopped or minced 4 Celery Ribs, chopped 4 Carrots, sliced in coins 6 cups vegetable broth (or bouillon) 1/2 cup Quinoa 2 teaspoons Paprika 1/2 teaspoon Cumin Celtic Sea Salt and Pepper, to taste 1 T. Bragg's GF Soy Flavoring OR GF Tamari(optional) dash Liquid Smoke 14 oz. can Coconut Milk Instructions: 1. Pick through Lentils, rinse, and cover with water to soak overnight (or 6 hours) 2. Throw out soak water and add fresh water to cover lentils in a large stock pot. Co...

  This delicious bean-sauerkraut soup preserves the probiotics by adding in, and blending, sauerkraut at the end of the cooking process. I am very cognizant of the delicacy of the enzymes in the sauerkraut, and am reluctant to cook the heck out of it as a result. I am so happy for the Vita-Mix that allows me to add the sauerkraut at the end and to "cook" without undue heat (through the friction of its motor-driven rotor at 240 mph). Other high speed  Ingredients: 1-2 tablespoons Olive Oil (or 2 cubes Golden Bouillion ) 1 large Onion, chopped 3 ribs of Celery, chopped 4 large Carrots, chopped 2 cups cooked Beans (your choice) 2 cups Tomato Spaghetti Sauce or Stewed Tomatoes 8 cups Vegetable Broth or Water 2 cups Sauerkraut 1-2 teaspoons Fresh Thyme herb, or to taste METHOD:  **In a large soup pot, heat the Oil and saute the Onion and Celery until golden (alternatively, use bouillion and 1/2 cup warm water for oil-free cooking) **Add the Carrots, Beans, Tomato Sauce, and Ve...

  This delicious mushroom and wild rice soup makes a very satisfying meal when it is chilly outside.  I was shocked at the cost of the wild rice(about $16/pound) but the cup we used in the recipe came out to costing less than $2 a bowl which is still pricey but quite worth the yumminess it imparted to the dining experience. INGREDIENTS 1 medium red onion, chopped 3 garlic cloves, minced 2 celery stalks, chopped 1 cup wild rice 2 medium carrots, chopped 1 large sweet potato, diced 1 cup baby green peas 250-500 g (1/4- 1/2 pound) Portobella and/or Crimini mushrooms, cleaned and sliced 6+ cups of water 1 can full fat coconut milk 2 tablespoons Italian spice* 1/4 cup nutritional yeast 2 cubes Golden Bouillion  Salt and pepper to suit METHOD Soak the wild rice 6 hours, or overnight. Cook the wild rice prior to making the soup (or you can cook it in the soup, but you will have better results if you cook it in advance.) Clean, chop and set aside vegetables *You can make up your ...

  Here is an heirloom recipe passed to me by my lovely new Facebook friend, Nancy Pugh, who got it from her friend Helen Heenan, New Zealand, who got it from her grandmother. That is the beauty of "networking" at its most organic! I have made a couple of minor adjustments (you guessed it: I used the Vitamix)  INGREDIENTS: 2 medim large sweet potatoes, diced into ~ 1 cm cubes  1 - 2 tsp. curry powder of choice  75 g coconut oil ( 2 T.) 2 cloves, minced garlic  Nondairy Milk or Vegetable Stock METHOD: Cook all ingredients together, low heat to melt coconut oil.  Add water to cover & cook together until sweet potatoes are cooked through. Transfer into the Vitamix cannister and whir until homogeneous (don't drain before doing that).   Add non-dairy milk or vegetable stock just before serving, to desired thickness. May freeze. Taste improves with age.  ------------------------------------------------------- **The use of the word "whirled" is m...

  Cozy up with this hearty Lazy Perogy Soup! Perfect for chilly days, it’s a comforting, healthy lunch with simple ingredients you can easily swap It is cold outside again-- really unseasonal for our gorgeous hunk of Vancouver Island-- so here is my feel-good-on-a-cold-day soup recipe. Please feel free to substitute other things you have in the kitchen for what you might not have that is in today's recipe:  **Heat 8 cups water to boiling and cook 4-8 perogies.  Set them aside. ** Saute 2 medium onions , chopped and 1/2 small green cabbage , shredded in a large soup pot with   1 T. Coconut or Olive oil or bouillon or vegetable broth. ** When the onions are fragrant and translucent, add:   **2 C. Organic Tomato Pasta Sauce  **3 C. Filtered Water  ** 1 C. Natural Sauerkraut (not the kind made with vinegar and cooked to death)   ** 1 Can Organic Navy Beans  **Add the cooked perogies to individual soup bowls with the soup.  **...

                                                         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...