Mushroom, Chickpea Noodle Soup

This soup came about with a vague recollection of Happy Herbivore Chickpea Noodle Soup when I didn't have access to her recipe (or the internet at that moment). Turns out my recipe is nothing like Lindsay's with the exception that we both used Chickpeas, Noodles and Mushrooms. Here's my adaptation. Since the idea was inspired by the original recipe, I'm still crediting Lindsay Nixon here. I also accidentally managed to delete all my pictures :( so there are no pictures today. 

Adapted from: Happy Herbivore Chickpea Noodle Soup

Prep Time: 15 min

Ingredients (Serves 4):

1. 1 x 15oz Can of Chickpeas, drained and rinsed 
2. 3 oz dry Spaghetti
3. 1 cup Grape tomatoes, halved
4. 8 oz Cremini mushroom crowns, sliced
5. 1 small white onion, diced (or 2 tbsp dried Onion flakes)
6. 1 tbsp Better than Boullion - Vegetable Base
7. 6-8 cups Water or Home-made Vegetable Broth 
8. 1 tsp Garlic Powder
9. 2 tsp dried Parsley
10. 1 tsp Rubbed Sage
11. Salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste

Directions:

Put everything in a pot and simmer until spaghetti is soft. Taste test for salt, enjoy!!! For as simple as this recipe is, even my omnivore step-kids loved it!! Sorry I don't have pictures today :(

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving)*: Calories 175 (Fat Calories 17)
Total Fat 1.9 g; Carbohydrates 31.0 g; Fiber 4.7 g; Sugars 5.2 g; Protein 9.1 g

* Nutrition facts are provided for the water option as vegetable broth calorie content can vary.

If you liked this recipe, be sure to check out my Recipe Index for more Whole-Food, Plant-Based, No-Added-Oil recipes. You can also like Rugrat Chow! on Facebook. Thanks!

Chunky Potato, Broccoli & Mushroom Soup

This afternoon, I had broccoli and mushrooms in the fridge that needed to be used soon. I have often oven roasted the two together and they make for a great side dish. Oven roasting caramelizes the tips of the broccoli and adds a certain smokiness to the vegetable. Umm Umm Good!! Today however, I was making an Artisan Bread as well and wanted to make something which I could eat with bread. And what's better to eat with bread than a soup. 

Prep Time: 30-40 min

Ingredients (Serves 4):

1. 2 cups Broccoli florets
2. 1 Red onion, chopped 
3. 6 Large Cremini mushrooms
4. 3-4 Medium Redskin Potatoes, diced
5. 6 cups of Home-made Vegetable Broth
6. 1 tbsp Minced Garlic
7. 2 tsp Dried Parsley
8. 2 tsp Dried Basil
9. 2 tbsp Nutritional Yeast
10. 1 tsp Liquid Smoke
11. Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions:

Mix all ingredients with the exception of salt, pepper, liquid smoke and diced potatoes in a large soup pot. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 min until onions and broccoli are tender and breaking apart. 

Using an immersion blender, puree everything until smooth. If you don't have an immersion blender, transfer carefully into a jar blender and blend until smooth. Once pureed, add diced potatoes and salt to taste and simmer on low until potatoes are tender (~10-12 minutes). Add liquid smoke, taste test for salt, garnish with freshly cracked black pepper and serve with fresh bread!! 

My Assessment: This is my green version of a hearty potato soup. When I first made it, it tasted fine but was missing something and that's when I was reminded of my little bottle of magic :) Liquid Smoke. This soup cried out to be eaten after that ;)

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving)*: Calories 196 (Fat Calories 7)
Total Fat 0.8 g; Carbohydrates 41.8 g; Fiber 6.5 g; Sugars 3.8 g; Protein 8.3 g

* Nutrition facts are provided for the water option as vegetable broth calorie content can vary.

If you liked this recipe, be sure to check out my Recipe Index for more Whole-Food, Plant-Based, No-Added-Oil recipes. You can also like Rugrat Chow! on Facebook. Thanks!

Creamy Potato Soup

I tried making another loaf of bread in the bread machine today. What would better accompany homemade bread better than a hearty creamy soup. So I had a sack of red potatoes which I decided to put to good use while the bread machine was working its magic.

Creamy Potato Soup w Cremini Mushrooms

Prep Time: 15 min (and 30-45 min simmer time!)

Ingredients (6 servings):

1. 3 lbs Red Potatoes, diced
2. 1 Medium Red Onion, diced
3. 3 stalks Celery, diced
4. 10 oz Cremini mushrooms, sliced.
5. 1/4 cup Cilantro leaves (and a sprig or two for garnish)
6. 1 tbsp Minced Garlic
7. 3 tbsp Kal Nutritional Yeast
8. 1-2 tbsp Corn Starch (dissolved in a little bit of water)
9. 6 cups Water or Vegetable Broth
10. 1 cup Almond Milk
11. 1-2 tsp Sea Salt (to taste)
12. 1/2 tsp Roasted Cumin powder
13. 1/4 tsp Liquid Smoke
14. Pepper, to taste

Directions: 

Line a deep stockpot with water and add diced celery, garlic and onions. Saute until celery is well wilted and turns transparent (it will take longer than the onion). Add chopped cilantro leaves and mix together and then add diced potatoes and 6 cups of water or vegetable broth. Save the rest to add to the soup as it simmers on the stove. Bring everything to a boil, reduce heat to medium low and allow to simmer on the stove until the potatoes are tender and begin to break up (about 15-20 min depending upon the size of the diced pieces). Add sliced mushrooms and nutritional yeast and 1 tbsp corn starch (dissolved in water). Mix well,  add almond milk and let it all simmer for a 5-10 minutes to allow the corn starch to cook and thicken the soup. Add roasted cumin powder and liquid smoke, mix well. Do a quick taste test for salt, adding more as needed. Garnish with freshly cracked black pepper and a sprig of cilantro.

I think he approved of this recipe!!! 

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving): Calories 207 (Fat Calories 9)
Total Fat 1.0 g; Carbohydrates 44.5 g; Dietary Fiber 5.6 g; Sugars 4.0 g; Protein 7.5 g

Spinach Fried Rice

This is a great way to use up leftover rice and to incorporate some greens into your (and your rugrat's) diet. T and I went out on Saturday night and all we had leftover from our visit to a new Indian restaurant we tried out was some Steamed white Basmati rice. Instead of leaving at the restaurant to be thrown out, much to T's chagrin, I got it boxed up. Here's how I ended up using the leftover rice it this afternoon.

Spinach Fried Rice with Mushrooms & Peas

Prep Time: 10 min

Ingredients (1.5 servings):

1. 1/2 cup Steamed White rice
2. 3/4 cup fresh Baby Spinach
3. 1/4 cup Frozen Peas
4. 3-4 Cremini mushrooms, sliced
5. 1 tsp Minced Garlic
6. 1-2 tsp Minced Dried Onion
7. 1-2 tbsp Low-Sodium Soy Sauce
8. 1/2 tsp Rice Wine Vinegar
9. Salt and Pepper, to taste

Directions:

Line a skillet with water (medium heat) and add minced garlic and onion, soy sauce and rice wine vinegar. As the garlic begins to saute, add frozen peas (straight out of the freezer) and allow to simmer for a minute. Layer the spinach on top of the peas, followed by a layer of sliced mushrooms and finally, add the layer of rice to top. I used whole leaves of baby spinach today but may chop it up into smaller pieces next time as I imagine it will go over better with my boy. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and allow a few minutes for the spinach and mushrooms to wilt and release their water. As the spinach wilts, some of the rice will sink into the brown (soy sauce) liquid at the bottom while some will remain white. I liked the dual tones in this dish. Once all the liquid evaporates, toss everything together and add another splash of water. Cover and let sit for 3-5 minutes until ready to serve. This allows all the flavors to blend together. Garnish with freshly cracked black pepper. 

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving): Calories 240 (Fat Calories 7)

Total Fat 0.8 g; Carbohydrates 51.0 g; Dietary Fiber 3.4 g; Sugars 2.6 g; Protein 7.3 g

Edamame & Mushroom Quick Stir Fry

After I was done with dinner tonight (Stir Fried Broccolini), I realized I did not have any leftovers for lunch tomorrow. I had a couple packs of assorted mushrooms in the fridge, and a bag of shelled Edamame (New Veggie #3) in the freezer and settled on a stir-fry. Both mushrooms and edamame are great in stir fried dishes, but unlike some of the greener veggies like beans and broccoli, still taste good the next day. This stir-fry is one of my most favorite recipes and goes well with a variety of different vegetables and even tofu. It is most definitely a gimme more :) 

Prep Time: 7-10 min

Ingredients*:

1. 1 cup Mushrooms (Cremini)
2. 1 cup shelled Edamame
3. 2 tsp Ginger-Garlic Paste
4. 2 tbsp Low-Sodium Soy Sauce
5. 1 tbsp Vegetarian Oyster Sauce**
6. Freshly cracked pepper, to taste

Directions:

Line a skillet with water and add ginger-garlic paste and soy sauce. Once the ginger-garlic are fragrant, and almost dry, add mushrooms and thawed edamame and toss well. Remove from heat and add oyster sauce and toss again. Garnish with freshly cracked black pepper and serve hot, or pack it away for lunch! Yum every time! 

* This is a 'no added salt' recipe i.e. no salt is added over and above what is already in the condiments.
** In place of Vegetarian Oyster Sauce, I've use Vegetarian versions of Hoisin, Pad Thai and Kung Pao sauces as well. Basically, any Asian sauce works well in this Quick Stir Fry!