When it's cold outside, nothing seems to warm one up better than homemade soup. To that end, here are six yummy vegetarian soups to help you through the day, including Autumn Vegetable Minestrone and vegan, gluten-free Hearty Vegetable Sausage Soup. Enjoy!
SLOW-COOKER BLACK BEAN SOUP
This is from Ali Slagle in The New York Times cooking enewsletter. Ali wrote, "Start your slow cooker in the morning and by dinnertime, you’ll have deeply spiced black beans that just need a quick blend to become a velvety and vegan black bean soup. While not essential, a smidgen of baking soda helps the beans soften so they end up almost fudgy. Blending some of the beans with their liquid gives the soup body; for a very smooth soup, purée the whole mixture. A little vinegar and a flourish of toppings keep it from being one-note. Leftovers will thicken overnight, so thin as needed with water or turn them into refried beans."
Yield: 4 to 6 servings; Time: 10 hours
To view this online, go to https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1023023-slow-cooker-black-bean-soup.
Ingredients
1 pound dried black beans (not soaked)
1 yellow onion, peeled, trimmed and quartered
5 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
1 chipotle chile in adobo plus 1 tablespoon adobo sauce
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 dried bay leaves and/or 1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon baking soda (optional)
Kosher salt (Diamond Crystal)
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
Any combination of sour cream, Greek yogurt, corn chips, pickled red onion, cilantro, lime wedges or poached eggs, for toppings
Preparation
In a 5- to 8-quart slow cooker, combine the beans, onion, garlic, chipotle chile and sauce, cumin, bay leaves and/or oregano, and baking soda, if using. Add 6 cups of water and 1 teaspoon salt and stir to combine. Cover and cook on low until the beans are tender, 8 to 10 hours. Taste more than one bean to ensure they’re all cooked through; they should also flatten without much effort when pressed between your fingers.
Remove and compost the bay leaves. Transfer the onion, garlic and chipotle chile to a blender or food processor, along with about 2 cups of the beans and broth. (You can purée more or less of the soup, depending on desired consistency.) Blend until smooth. Pour puréed soup back into the slow cooker, stir in the vinegar, then season to taste with salt. Eat with desired toppings.
BASIC VEGETABLE SOUP
This is from Weight Watchers, and begins, "Some say this soup is the secret to their weight-loss success. It's a great midday snack or dinner appetizer. If you like thick soups, consider pureeing this recipe in the pot with an immersion blender. There are so many variations on this recipe. Add or leave out vegetables to suit your taste. Save time by using frozen vegetables instead of fresh ones (though the texture of the soup might change a bit). You can also buy small amounts of pre-cut vegetables from your supermarket's salad bar."
Prep Time: 35 minutes; Cook Time: 15 minutes; Total Time: 50 minutes; Serves: 12; Serving Size: 1 cup; Difficulty: Easy
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
2 medium cloves garlic, minced
2 medium uncooked carrots, diced
2 small uncooked zucchini, diced
2 cups uncooked savoy cabbage, shredded, or other variety, shredded
2 cups uncooked Swiss chard, chopped
2 cups uncooked cauliflower, small floret
2 cups uncooked broccoli, small florets
1 medium uncooked onion, diced
1 medium sweet red pepper, diced
1 rib medium uncooked celery, diced
2 tsp fresh thyme, chopped
6 cups fat free reduced sodium vegetable broth
2 Tbsp fresh parsley, or fresh chives, chopped
1/2 tsp table salt, or to taste
1/4 tsp black pepper, or to taste
2 Tbsp Fresh lemon juice, optional
Directions
Put garlic, vegetables, thyme, and broth into a large soup pot. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat; reduce heat to low and simmer, partly covered, about 10 minutes.
Stir in parsley or chives; season to taste with salt, pepper and lemon juice.
AUTUMN VEGETABLE MINESTRONE
This is from an older Weight Watchers' emailing list.
Ingredients
2 14.5 oz cans vegetable broth
1 18 oz can crushed tomatoes – undrained
3 medium carrots, chopped (1 1/2 cups)
3 small zucchini, cut into 1/2" slices
1 medium yellow bell pepper, cut into 1/2" pieces
8 medium green onions, sliced (1/2 cup)
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 cups shredded cabbage
2 teaspoons dried marjoram
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 cup uncooked instant rice
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
Directions
Mix all ingredients except rice and basil in a 3-1/2 to 6 quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on low heat setting for 6 to 8 hours or until vegetables are tender. Stir in rice. Cover and cook on low heat setting for about 15 minutes or until rice is tender.
Per serving: WW Points: 1; 195 Calories; 2g Total Fat; 7g Protein; 39g Carbohydrate; 1mg Cholesterol; 1198mg Sodium
TUSCAN WHITE BEAN AND BARLEY SOUP
This is from the August 2013 issue of Heart Insight, page 25. (This is the magazine for the American Heart Association.)
This recipe begins, "An Italian twist on a classic bean band barley soup, this hearty bowl of goodness is pantry-friendly and sure to keep you warm on a chilly fall night." Serves 4
I was unable to find a link online for this, but did want to give a head's up on where I got this.
Note: This recipe originally called for either vegetable or chicken broth. I’ve changed it to only the vegetable broth.
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
1 celery stalk, trimmed and chopped
1 carrot, peeld and chopped
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 cup barley
1 can (15.5 oz) cannellini beans, drained & rinced
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
2 1/2 cups unsalted vegetable broth
2 Tbls greated parmesan cheese, optional
2 Tbls chopped fresh basil, optional
Directions
Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, celery, carrots and pepper. Cook until vegetables are softened, about 5-7 minutes. Add garic and Italian seasoning and cook for 1 minute more. Add barley, beans, tomatoes and stock, and stir. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 25-30 minutes, or until barlye is tender. Season to taste with salt and more pepper. Divide among serving bowls and garnish with parmesan and basil, if desired.
FALL FOLIAGE LEMONGRASS SOUP
This was in the October 2007 issure of Vegetarian Times, page 66. It begins, "Lemongrass stalks have a tangy citrus flavor without the sour taste of lemon juice. Asian groceries and most natural food markets stock whole stalks or packages of frozen, chopped rings. If you can’t find lemongrass, make the soup using pieces of lime zest—just remove them before serving." Makes 6 servings
To view this online, go to https://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipes/fall-foliage-lemongrass-soup/.
Ingredients
2 Tbs. peanut oil, divided
1 large onion, thinly sliced (1 1/2 cups)
3 Tbs. minced fresh lemongrass
3 cloves garlic, minced (1 Tbs.)
1 Tbs. minced fresh ginger
1 lb. rutabaga, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (3 cups)
3 Tbs. low-sodium soy sauce
3 cups Brussels sprouts, quartered (12 oz.)
1 large red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch strips
1 cup cilantro leaves, chopped, plus a few sprigs for garnish
2 Tbs. lime juice
Preparation
Heat 1 Tbs. oil in large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion, and sauté 7 minutes, or until browned.
Stir in lemongrass, garlic, and ginger, and sauté 2 minutes. Add rutabaga, soy sauce, and 5 cups water. Cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 30 minutes, or until rutabaga is tender.
Meanwhile, heat remaining 1 Tbs. oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté Brussels sprouts 5 minutes, or until beginning to brown. Add bell pepper, and sauté 3 minutes more, or until soft.
Stir Brussels sprouts, bell pepper, cilantro, and lime juice into soup. Season with salt and pepper, and garnish with sprigs of cilantro.
HEARTY VEGETABLE SAUSAGE SOUP [Vegan, Gluten-free]
This is from Robin on One Green Planet. Robin wrote, "Cold days call for warm, delicious soup! This hearty dish will fill you up with lots of nourishing ingredients."
To view this online, go to https://www.onegreenplanet.org/vegan-recipe/hearty-vegetable-sausage-soup-vegan-gluten-free/.
Ingredients
1 package of vegan/gf sausage or brats
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 large carrots, sliced
3 stalks of celery, chopped
2 green bell peppers, chopped
1- 28 ounce can of chopped tomatoes or tomato sauce
32 ounces of vegetable stock or broth
2 tablespoons of Italian seasonings
Salt and pepper
Preparation
Add your oil of choice to a large stock pot or Dutch oven over medium flame. Once hot, add your vegan sausage.
Cook until browned on the exterior for about 6-8 minutes. Remove once browned and slice into bite-sized pieces, set aside.
Into your hot pan add your garlic, carrots, celery and bell peppers. Cook until the veggies release their liquid and soften a bit – this may take about 8 minutes or so.
Once tender, add your tomatoes, stock and seasonings. Cover and allow to cook for 30 minutes.
Taste to adjust salt and pepper. Serve over a small pasta or rice, with some crusty bread or crackers.
