Kristen Suzanne's Sun-Drenched Sicilian Soup

Seeing as there are only 3 more weeks of summer left, I am determined to make as many raw soups as I can to enjoy the remaining bounty of garden-fresh produce. Not my garden, mind you. I gave up trying to have a veggie garden after 4 years of aphid-chewed crucifers, blighted tomatoes, sunburned basil, woody eggplants, and puny zucchini (hey, that sorta rhymes!) Now I enjoy the fruits of others' garden labors and save myself the agony of watering, mulching, and weeding a garden that fails me time and time again. Green thumb, I do not have. I can just imagine a little garden Yoda shaking his head at me.

As I've stated before, one of my very favorite summer foods is fresh, juicy tomatoes. I keep buying them by the bagful and they get used up in a variety of ways. Last night, I used 2 gigantic beefsteak tomatoes and some fresh basil from my Dad's garden to make Sun-Drenched Sicilian Soup from Kristen Suzanne's Easy Vegan Raw Soups.

This is my favorite kind of raw soup - just dump everything into the Vita-Mix...

And blend away! There are sun-dried tomatoes, fresh tomatoes, zucchini, fennel bulb (I subbed celery), EVOO, garlic, fresh basil, dried rosemary, oregano & cinnamon, sea salt & pepper, and apple cider vinegar in there. So fresh and tasty!

On the side, we enjoyed a simple spinach salad with chopped cucumbers, carrots, celery, pine nuts, chopped dates, lime juice, EVOO, and sea salt. I would have used lemon juice, but I only had fresh limes on hand.

We loved the soup! It was super thick and velvety, likely because there is no water added to the ingredients. It was full of fresh summer flavor and made a great meal on a hot night!

Eat Raw, Eat Well

To me, nothing tastes better on a hot summer day than a crisp, crunchy salad and a bowl of cool, flavorful soup. I do tend to eat a high-raw diet in the summertime, only because it's what my body craves and what makes me feel the best. The problem is, I eat lots of salad and I tend to make the same few variations. I also love raw soups when they're done right, but I've only had about a 50/50 track record with them. I'm always looking for new ideas and inspiration, so I was psyched when my library got a copy of Eat Raw, Eat Well by Douglas McNish.

This book has 400 raw recipes (!!) for soups, salads, salad dressings, dips, entrees, desserts, breakfast items, snacks, and everything else you can imagine. What really drew me in was how simple and basic the recipes seemed to be...minimal ingredients, not a lot of fussy prep to be done, and not a ton of recipes requiring a dehydrator. I do have a dehydrator, by the way, but I pretty much loathe using it. It must take me 30 minutes to clean the damn thing every time I use it, so I don't use it very often. No-dehydrator-required raw recipes are always a plus in my book!

Because I love raw soups (but often strike out with them), I immediately turned to the soup chapter. The first recipe that caught my eye was the Red Pepper and Tomato Bisque, which seemed like a  perfect way to use my abundance of yellow tomatoes! It was my kind of recipe: just tomatoes, bell peppers, celery, avocado, sea salt, dried basil, water, and EVOO.

I really liked the clean, simple flavors of the soup. Nothing complicated or fancy, just straight-up delicious! I also made a big arugula salad with cucumbers, celery, and peppers, topped with the luscious Walnut Mustard Vinaigrette from Let Them Eat Vegan! New favorite salad dressing alert!!

Since the first soup turned out so well, I was definitely eager to try another one. I hit up the farmer's market for some fresh produce, including those juicy tomatoes and the two jalapenos you see at the bottom left. I had plans for these babies.

I had to try the Smoked Tomato and Jalapeno Soup. It was just calling my name.

I was intrigued that the recipe called for everything to be blended in a food processor, rather than a blender. Every other raw soup I've made has come out of the Vita-Mix. I was a little skeptical, but I decided to roll with it, and man, am I glad I did. This soup was AWESOME!! Holy moly...this might be my favorite raw soup EVER!! The flavors were so deep and complex, and the texture was thick and a little chunky. If I had used the Vita-Mix, that lovely texture would have been lost. This soup has fresh tomatoes, soaked sun-dried tomatoes, jalapenos, garlic, lemon juice, hemp oil (I used EVOO), smoked paprika, cumin, chili powder, and sea salt. The smoked paprika brought this soup to another level, I swear. I am going to have to add it to other raw soups! My hubby loved this soup, too, and asked me to make it again (which I did, later that week!)

I served the soup with a big salad on the side...baby spinach, baby arugula, yellow tomatoes, celery, purple pepper, cucumber, and avocado, topped with Detox Vinaigrette from the book. I found the vinaigrette to be a little...timid in flavor. I prefer big, bold flavors for my dressings, so I wasn't that impressed. Still, I liked that it included dulse in the ingredients. I love dulse!

 Overall, this was a very satisfying meal. That soup...to die for!

I think I might need to buy this book!

Raw Soup, Raw Soup, and More Raw Soup

I have a strange relationship with raw soups. When they are good, they are soooo good. And when they're bad, they are soooo bad. I'll never forget the raw cauliflower soup I made a couple of years ago. It was so horrible. I still have nightmares about that soup. It was also the soup that wouldn't die. It just so happened that the recipe made a huge quantity, so I was stuck with tons of this leftover vomit soup. I ended up freezing it in a large ziploc bag, and every now and again I would break off a hunk, defrost it, gag it down, and wish I had no tastebuds. (The question I ask myself now is: why? Why did I make myself keep eating this? I know you don't like to waste food, but you could have made an exception, just this once!!) Ahem. Anyway, this post is not about the cauliflower soup. 

It's about some raw soups that I love, like Gena's Raw Tortilla Soup.

I love raw soup-and-salad combos in the summer months. It made for a wonderful dinner al fresco!

This is another raw soup I enjoyed recently - Red Pepper and Tomato Bisque from Eat Raw, Eat Well:

I know, it doesn't look that attractive (at all), but it was mighty tasty, and easy to make, too. Just throw everything (red peppers, tomatoes, avocado, EVOO, seasonings) in the Vita-Mix and pulverize!

However, there was a recent raw soup fail. I couldn't manage to take a decent picture of it, which should have been my first clue. I won't say where the recipe came from, but it was supposed to be a raw curry soup. It was somewhat better the next day (as many raw soups often are), but I wouldn't make it again.

At least I didn't have to freeze any leftovers!

Comfort Foods

Some days you just need a hug.

Some days your tummy just needs a hug, too.

Here are some of my recent tummy-huggers :)

Soft Broccoli Polenta from Appetite for Reduction...it's warm, creamy, and oh-so-comforting:

Sometimes I like it along with a bowl of soup, like this Monkey Minestrone from Eat, Drink & Be Vegan:

Other days, comfort comes in the form of a bunch of healthy, raw ingredients I can just toss in the Vita-Mix, like Kristen Suzanne's Raw Moroccan Gazpacho:

Along with the soup, I served a quick Moroccan Raw Carrot Salad from Olive Trees & Honey:

A few days ago, I cooked some Lemon Chickpea Lentil Soup (also from ED&BV), steamed broccoli, and Chickpea Pancake with Rosemary from 1,000 Vegan Recipes.

This "pancake" is actually socca, a savory flatbread made with chickpea flour. The unleavened batter is poured into a preheated cast-iron skillet and baked in a hot oven for about 15 minutes. It has a delightfully crispy-yet-soft texture that satisfies your craving for salty carbs :)

Finally, here's a big steaming bowl of Chickpea Rice Soup with Cabbage from the PPK. It's loaded with super nutritious foods (cabbage, carrots, chickpeas, onions, garlic) and it's a breeze to whip up.

I think I learned some lessons from this post:

Soup comforts me.
Chickpeas comfort me.

I think I'll go hug a chickpea today :)

Vegan MoFo Day 5: Awesome Arizona, Part 3

After spending several days in Jerome and Sedona, it was time to pack up and hit the road again. Our destination was a place that was on my bucket list: the Grand Canyon.

We arrived at the South Rim around 4 pm on Halloween. We took some pictures, but mostly, we just stood there and stared. Pictures can't really capture it!

By the way, it's really funny to be at the Grand Canyon on Halloween. That night, we saw lots of little ghosts and goblins running around the park!

I wanted to wake up early and see the sunrise, so we got dressed and drove over to one of the lookout points. Of course, I had a particular lookout point in mind...

Hmph...the Bradys didn't have a chainlink fence...they must have heard about Jan's plans to sleep on the rim.


Another day, another hike. After fueling up on bagels and peanut butter, we hit the South Kaibab Trail just before 8 am for a hike to Skeleton Point.

Along the way, we noshed on some Clif bars and more bagels with peanut butter. We also carried lots of water in our Camelbaks to keep us hydrated.

We weren't sure how long the hike would take, because the hike back up takes longer (walking uphill). The guide recommended 4 to 6 hours roundtrip. However, the guide must have been referring to ordinary, meat-eatin' folk. Not us Super Veg*ns!

Yup, that's 3 hours and 49 minutes on my stop watch. Without no stinkin' beef jerky.

We might have been Super Veg*ns, but that didn't mean we weren't Super Hungry when we finished. Luckily, we just followed this guy straight to the dining hall...

I was so hungry, I think I would have eaten the insole of my hiking boot if left with no other options. Fortunately, there were some veggie tostados (ask them to hold the cheese and the sour cream, and it's vegan!) and veggie chili available for sale. It wasn't exactly fine dining, but when you're that hungry, you're just happy it's edible!

We woke up early the next morning to catch another beautiful sunrise. We stopped at the Desert View Watchtower before leaving the Park and heading to Flagstaff.

But first, I had some business to attend to at the El Tovar Hotel:

"But Clark...don't you want to look at the Grand Canyon?"

"It's great, let's go!"

We spent one night in Flagstaff. I think it's probably a cool place to go to school, but we didn't find a whole lot to do there. I do remember going on a nice run, eating some good vegan pizza at New Jersey Pizza Company, and watching a Patriots football game in our hotel room. All in all, not too exciting :)

We spent our last full day in Sedona, enjoying one last hike (Doe Mountain) and a drive through Red Rock Crossing. 

 We also wanted one last look at Cathedral Rock before heading to Scottsdale.

We had a very good, and very memorable, last meal in Scottsdale before flying home the next day. We ate at a little Jamaican restaurant called The Breadfruit, mostly because I have this thing for actual breadfruit. I say the meal was memorable because my hubby decided to spear something I'd cast aside on my dinner plate and pop the whole thing into his mouth. 

What was this thing I'd cast aside?

An entire Scotch bonnet pepper. 

If only he'd asked, "Gee honey, why did you set that particular thing aside on your plate?"

I would have answered, "Because, honey, this pepper was so hot that, even though it is fully intact and has not been cut or pierced in any way, it still made my rice hot enough to nearly melt my face off."

But he didn't ask. And so....yeah, The Breadfruit. It was memorable! 

NB: if you happen to consume an entire Scotch bonnet pepper, do not attempt to quench the flames by guzzling down a huge glass of water. From my hubby's facial expressions, I gather that it didn't help.

So, in honor of our fantastic trip to the Southwest, I decided to (un)cook up an old favorite - Raw Tortilla Soup from Gena's blog. Bell peppers, tomatoes, celery, sun-dried tomatoes, lime juice, cilantro, and southwestern seasonings (cumin, chili powder, paprika) are blended together (I also add a zucchini for thickness and extra nutrition) and then topped with some chopped avocado, tomato, scallions, cilantro, and corn. I love to scoop up the soup with some baked tortilla chips!

We also had some salad on the side - baby spinach, arugula, cucumber, celery, corn, tomato, and avocado, tossed with some lime juice, Bragg's, and olive oil. The soup is a family favorite, and my hubby loves it because it does not include Scotch bonnet peppers. 

I hope you enjoyed our little trip to Arizona! Stay tuned for our next travel adventure!!

Dill-licious Raw Green Soup

There is nothing better than making something out of nothing. Witness last night's dinner...I had some sad-looking baby spinach, a few pieces of lacinato kale, some huge zucchini my mother-in-law gave me, a few scallions, an overripe avocado, and a huge bunch of fresh dill leftover from the prior night's Tofu Dill Salad Sammiches. What I didn't have was a plan for dinner. All I knew is that I didn't feel like making salad, and I wanted something cool.

Then I had my a-ha moment: back in my pregan (that's pre-vegan) days, my hubby and I used to love a zucchini quiche that I made out of Better Homes and Gardens magazine. This quiche is amazing...but definitely not vegan! But I realized that I had virtually everything I would need to turn that quiche into a raw soup!

I quickly got to work....some chopped zucchini, the spinach and kale, some scallions, an avocado, some dill, some nooch, some water, and some spices were tossed into my Vita-Mix. I blended it up, drizzled in some EVOO, and took a taste. It was incredible...and the flavors were very much like I'd remembered! I decided to put it to the ultimate taste-test: I didn't mention what I had made to my hubby. I poured him a bowl of soup, topped it with some diced tomatoes, dill, and a pinch of garlic salt, and asked him to take a bite. He took a bite, paused, and then said something that was music to my ears:

"It tastes like that zucchini quiche you used to make!!"

SCORE!!

Course, genius that I am, I did NOT write down my measurements as I was going along. I tried my best to remember what I'd done, and so here it is!

Dill-licious Raw Green Soup
Serves 4 with a side dish

Soup:
2 extra-large zucchini, chopped
2 cups raw greens (I used baby spinach and lacinato kale)
3 stalks scallions, chopped
1 avocado
1 cup fresh dill
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 cup (or more) water
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt

Topping:
1 large Roma tomato, diced
few sprigs fresh dill, for garnish

Blend soup ingredients on high until fairly smooth, then go to low and drizzle in 1 tablespoon EVOO. Return to high and blend 1 minute until smooth.

Pour into bowls and top with Roma tomato, fresh dill, and sprinkle of garlic salt.

I served the soup with some roasted cauliflower that I tossed with some dried herbs and nooch.

I love how GREEN this soup is! Zucchini, scallions, spinach, kale, avocado, dill. That's some serious green power!

Raw Moroccan Gazpacho and Carrots with Moroccan Spices

I *heart* Morocco. I've never actually been there (YET!! YET!!), but I am just enamored with it. I love the food, the culture, the style, the landscape, everything. I want to go there and eat vegetable tagines and walk through a souq and buy spices and beautiful fabrics. Two of my favorite movies - Casablanca and The Man Who Knew Too Much - are set in Morocco. I turned my bedroom into a Moroccan-inspired retreat. I dreamed of actually going to Morocco this year to celebrate my 10-year wedding anniversary, but with a young son, it just wasn't going to happen. I told my hubby that he better plan on going for our 25-year anniversary!! :)

I'm just crazy about Moroccan food. So, you can imagine my utter delight when I spied this recipe on Kristen Suzanne's blog - Raw Moroccan Gazpacho! Hello!

Raw tomatoes, cucumbers, cilantro, and spices are blended up, then topped with some diced tomato, pine nuts, and raisins. Why on Earth didn't I discover this recipe sooner?? I loved it!!

I also made some Carrots with Moroccan Spices from Raw Food Made Easy for 1 or 2 People:

Sliced carrots, lemon juice, carrot juice, olive oil, parsley, mint, and some dried spices.

Served with some lavash crackers, this was a wonderfully light, flavorful meal for a hot summer's night.

Question: What's your favorite type of ethnic cuisine?