yet to try

Creamy Vegan Potato Soup

Author: Sam Turnbull • It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken

• Prep time: 10 mins
• Cook time: 20 mins
• Total time: 30 mins
• Serves: 6-8 Servings

Ingredients

• 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
• 3 Stalks of Celery, chopped
• 2 Medium Carrots, peeled and chopped
• 1 Yellow Onion, chopped
• 4 Cloves of Garlic, minced
• 3 Medium Russet Potatoes, peeled and chopped
• 1 L (4 Cups) Vegetable Broth
• 1 Cup Coconut Milk (or other Unsweetened Non-Dairy Milk, I like coconut because it's rich)
• 1.5 teaspoons Salt or to taste

Optional Toppings:

• Coconut Bacon (or any other vegan bacon)
• Green Onions
• Vegan Cheddar Cheese
• Chives

Instructions

1. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. When it is hot, toss in the celery, carrots, and onions. Sauté the veggies, until they soften and begin to brown. Add the garlic and sauté for one minute more. Add the potatoes and veggie broth. Cover and simmer for about 15-20 minutes, until a fork can easily pierce all the way through the veggies.
2. Use an immersion blender straight in the pot. Blend until it is perfectly smooth. If you don't have an immersion blender, you can carefully scoop some soup into a standing blender, and blend in very small batches. Remember to not fill your blender up too high or you will have a hot soup explosion! I like my soup creamy and silky, but if you prefer some veggie chunks in yours remove some of the soup, blend, and then mix the two back together again.
3. Once blended, stir in the coconut milk or non-dairy milk of choice. Taste, and add salt according to your preference.
4. Sprinkle on some delicious toppings, if you are into that kind of thing (you should be into that kind of thing), and enjoy!

http://itdoesnttastelikechicken.com/2014/11/05/creamy-vegan-potato-soup/

Also

http://funnyloveblog.com/2015/02/19/easy-loaded-baked-potato-soup-vegetarian/

http://www.food.com/recipe/unbelievably-easy-potato-soup-74275

http://www.thenovicechefblog.com/2016/05/the-best-vegetable-enchiladas/

http://chefgeorgehirsch.com/dailyfood/eggplant-squash-gratin-as-seen-on-george-hirsch-lifestyle.html

http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/zucchini_eggplant_tomato_gratin/

Bonus recipe:

Most of the recipes I looked at used Italian Breadcrumbs. But I really feel these need fresh breadcrumbs, so I’ve included instructions for making your own. I didn’t season mine because I didn’t want them to overpower the delicate flavors of the cheeses. Fresh breadcrumbs absorb flavors and moisture more than packaged ones, so I thought it gave the whole meatball a better, lighter texture. I added a bit of garlic powder (fresh garlic did not work with this, it was overpowering and a touch bitter), basil, oregano and fennel. The fennel really took it up a notch. I think next time I might add a bit of red pepper flake.

Spinach and Ricotta Vegetarian Meatballs

  1-1/2 to 2 cups fresh breadcrumbs (instructions below)
  1 cup ricotta cheese
  1 cup grated Parmesan, asiago, romano cheese mix
  1-1/2 cups fresh spinach, chopped
  1 tbsp fresh oregano or 2 tsp dried oregano, crushed
  2 tsp fresh basil or 1/2 tsp dried basil, crushed
  1/2 tsp garlic powder (not salt)
  1/2 tsp fennel seeds
  Salt and pepper
  4 eggs, beaten

  1/4 cup fresh bread crumbs
  1/4 cup grated Parmesan, asiago, romano cheese
  Olive oil

Breadcrumbs: this took a full 1-lb loaf of day-old Italian or French bread. I bought it from the day-old rack for cheap. I tore it into small pieces, spread out on a baking sheet and dried it in a 200 degree F oven for about 30 minutes. I didn’t want them toasted or seasoned because I thought it would overpower the delicate flavors of these meatballs. Once they were dried, I ran them through the blender. I reserved 1/4 cup for rolling the balls in before cooking.

Meatballs: Mix together ricotta, grated cheeses, spinach and spices. Add the eggs and mix well. Then add the breadcrumbs, 1/2 cup at a time. You want it to come together to form soft balls, but you don’t want it to be dry. Once you can form a soft ball with some structure, you don’t need to add more breadcrumbs.

Scoop up a heaping tablespoon (I used my cookie dough scoop) and roll the mixture into balls.

Mix together 1/4 cup breadcrumbs and 1/4 cup grated cheeses in a bowl and roll each meatball in the mixture, coating on all sides.

You can bake or pan fry these. I chose to pan fry, it used a bit of oil, but it gave them a nice flavor. Baking them would be my option if I was doubling the recipe.

To fry: heat olive oil in a skillet on medium and add the meatballs, leaving enough space between them to easily turn them. They are soft, so it’s a delicate process. The good news is, if you really want them round (instead of kind of flattened) you can reshape them after they come out of the pan. Turn them until they are golden brown on all sides.

To bake: place them on a well oiled baking sheet or use parchment paper. Brush them with a bit of oil if desired. Leave space around each one so they brown evenly and bake at 375 degrees F for 30-40 minutes until golden brown. You can turn them halfway through if desired.

Fire Roasted Tomato and Basil Sauce

  28 oz fire roasted crushed tomatoes or better yet, click here to make your own.
  2 tbsp tomato paste
  1 tsp crushed garlic
  2 to 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
  1 tsp dried oregano (or 1 tbsp fresh chopped)

Add ingredients in saucepan, bring to a low boil, reduce to low and let simmer while prepping meatballs.

Serve sauce and meatballs over your favorite pasta.

That’s it for this week. What do you have cooking as you wrap up another weekend?