Pumpkin Beer Cheddar Soup

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

My friend, Jeff Dunn, to whom I gifted half of the recipe in a red-lidded carton tied with a bow, texted me that “The soup is Phenomenal!! I think this is my new favorite soup of all time.”

This is a rich,creamy, deeply flavored, and dramatically cleaned up version of a dairy-based beer Cheddar soup recipe I came across. It was made with lots of dairy, coconut milk, and no pumpkin, rather pumpkin beer.

While I didn’t taste that soup, I can’t imagine a tastier nor velvetier version than mine made with pureed pumpkin, coconut milk, the vegan beer of your choice, and a small amount of vegan Cheddar supplemented with cheesy and ultra-healthy nutritional yeast.

Pumpkin Beer Cheddar Soup

(vegan & plant-based)
Yield: 6 servings

1 medium-large yellow onion, diced
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 vegetable bouillon cube or 1 teaspoon paste
1-15 ounce can pureed pumpkin
1-15 ounce can coconut milk, lite or regular
12 ounces vegan beer (Google to identify vegan brands)
1 cup shredded vegan Cheddar
1/2 cup nutritional yeast
Ootional toppings: grated vegan Cheddar, sliced green onions, roasted and lightly salted pumpkin seeds or pecan halves, pomegranate arils, dried cranberries or cherries, sprig of rosemary, sage leaves, croutons, etc.

Cover bottom of large soup pot with water and add onion and salt. Place over medium heat and simmer, stirring frequently, until onion is soft. Add garlic and saute 30 seconds. Add cornstarch and stir well to combine. Add remaining ingredients, in order, stirring after each to completely combine. Simmer for 10 minutes or so until beer mellows and all flavors marry. Season with additional salt if necessary and serve topped as desired.

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Oil and Sugar Free Silver Dollar Pumpkin Pancakes (vegan & plant-based)

Yield: 8 silver dollar pancakes (1 or 2 servings)

This healthy take on pancakes is ready before your craving makes you hangry! Though pumpkin calls autumn to mind, I love them on a midsummer morning. And you won’t miss the oil, sugar, or egg replacer.

1/2 cup all purpose flour

2 tablespoons canned pumpkin puree

1 tablespoon granulated stevia

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4-1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Pinch sea salt

1/2 cup non dairy milk (I use flax with protein)

Topping of choice (For the photo, I used delicious spiced figs made by a friend, a dab of vegan sour cream, a pecan half, and a cinnamon stick)

In a small bowl, whisk all ingredients together. Preheat skillet sprayed with non-stick spray to medium-high. Using about 1/8 of the batter, create 4 small disks about 2-inches in diameter and 1/4 inch thick. Cook a couple of minutes on each side until golden brown, slightly puffed, and cooked through. Repeat with more non-stick spray and remaining batter. Top as desired and serve immediately.

#sugarfree #oilfree #veganpancakes #plantbasedpancakes #pumpkinpancakes #vegan #veganrecipes #veganfoodshare #veganfoodporn #plantbased #plantbasedrecipes #plantbasedfoodshare #plantbasedfoodporn

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Vegan Pumpkin Coconut Curry Soup

For the 18th (!) Annual Christmas, Chanukkah, Curry, and Cakes Party & Swap for some 25 of my girl tribe, I kept the menu simple, healthful, beautiful, and delicious.

This one time buffet dinner morphed into a cocktail party-swap a few years back and then, last year, into a moveable feast and swap featuring curried pumpkin soup.  Soup is self-serve from the stove, but I make it festive with a buffet of toppings.  This year’s tasty accompaniments were vegan blue cheese-chutney cole slaw, quartered persimmons, and vegan sugar cookies.  Oh, and wine. Lots of wine.

This year’s soup creation was superior to last and I am pleased to share it with you, as I wouldn’t change a thing.

Vegan Pumpkin Coconut Curry Soup

Yield: 10 cups

1- 29 ounce can pureed pumpkin

1-15.5 ounce can lite coconut milk

1-30 gram package Jaswant’s Kitchen Chana Masala seasoning packet or the equivalent (you may prefer less–it is spicy)

4 cups vegetable stock or broth

Toppings bar: grated coconut, sliced green onions, roasted pumpkin seeds, dried cranberries or cherries, etc.

Whisk together all ingredients except toppings in a large soup pan or Dutch oven and bring to a simmer over medium to medium-high heat.  Simmer, stirring occasionally, until heated through.  Serve topped as desired.

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Vegan Single Microwave Pumpkin Pancake
it is lo-cal with no added fat or sugar

Yield: 1 pancake

Breakfast just got a whole lot quicker, healthier, and more fun!

Many of you know that I am not a breakfast eater. Sorry, it is simply not the most important meal of the day for me. I drink some soy milk and call it done. But, I have a yoga class at 12:30 and I was hungry, but not wanting to weigh myself down.

I happened to think that if I can make a single microwave chocolate chip cookie that is delicious and ready in a minute and a half, surely I could do the same thing with a pancake.

And I did!  I am so excited to share it with you.

Here is my simple recipe:

2 tablespoons self-rising flour
1 tablespoon powdered stevia
1 tablespoon flaxseed meal
1 tablespoon canned pureed pumpkin
2 tablespoons non dairy milk (I use unsweetened soy)
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice
Optional garnish: 2 teaspoons maple syrup, pecan halves, pinch sea salt

In a cup or small ramekin, whisk together all ingredients. Shape into a pancake about 1/2- inch thick on a microwave-safe plate. Microwave for 1 minute, carefully flip with a spatula, and microwave for another 30 seconds. Garnish as desired and serve. Note: microwaves have variable power, so you might need to experiment with cooking time.

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Vegan Smokey Bean, Pumpkin, and Kale Chili

 

Yield: approximately 10 1-cup servings

I am happy to share another recipe that uses a traditional holiday ingredient–pumpkin–in a dish that bears no resemblance to Thanksgiving or Christmas foods.  I love holiday food as much as the next gal, but enjoy a break in between.

As a chili recipe, I don’t think this one needs a lot of preamble. However, I would say that what sets this recipe apart from the thousands of chili recipes out there, if I do say so, is the beautiful and careful balance of flavors–tangy, hot, sweet, and ever-so-slightly bitter–and textures–chewy, silky, and creamy. The velvety pumpkin soothes the acidity of the tomatoes and chilies in a magical way.

Plus it is bursting with healthful ingredients. And the whole pot is under 2,000 calories or less than 200 calories per 1 cup serving. That’s a whole lot of low calorie, low fat goodness.

Warm up with a cup!

Vegan Smokey Bean, Pumpkin, and Kale Chili

Note: All cans should be approximately 15 to 15.5 ounces:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

1 bell pepper diced (yellow, orange, or red)

3 to 4 celery hearts, finely diced

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

3 to 4 large cloves garlic, minced

1 can fire-roasted tomatoes

1 chili in adobo sauce

1 tablespoon maple syrup

2 cans beans, rinsed and drained, any kind (I like a tri-bean mix plus cannelini beans)

1 can corn, drained

Optional: 1/2 bunch cilantro, tied with kitchen twine

1 can pumpkin puree

1 can green enchilada sauce, medium heat

1 package taco seasoning

1 tablespoon ground cumin

12 ounces beer or nonalcoholic beer

12 cups lighty packed baby kale (I don’t remove stems, but you can)

Up to 1 cup water

Optional garnishes: vegan sour cream, vegan grated cheese, sliced green onion, fresh or pickled sliced jalapeno, sprigs of fresh cilantro, roasted and lightly salted pepitas, corn chips, etc.

Heat olive oil in a large heavy pot like a Dutch oven over medium to medium-high.  Add onion, bell pepper, celery, and a pinch of sea salt.  Saute, stirring frequently, until softened.  Add garlic, and saute, stirring, for 30 seconds.  Then, simply add all remaining ingredients, except kale, bring to a light boil, lower heat, and simmer for about 30 minutes to allow flavors to meld.  Add water to think if necessary.  Remove cilantro.  During the last 10 minutes of cooking, stir in handfuls of kale and allow to wilt. Serve in cups, mugs, or bowls garnished as desired.

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Vegan Smoky Pumpkin, Black Bean, Chorizo and Kale Bisque

Soup 2Yield: 4 to 6 servings

This rich, smoky and healthy bisque is perfect for a day like today in Eastern, Virginia: cool, rainy, and a bit dreary.  This soup will warm you from the inside out and brighten the darkest of days and nights which come so early this time of year.

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

7 ounces vegan chorizo (I use a half a package of Trader Joe’s brand)

2 large cloves garlic, minced

Optional: 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast (adds richness and depth of flavor)

1 tablespoon adobo sauce froma can of chilies in adobo

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

12 ounces flavorful vegan beer (check out Barnivore for an A-Z list of vegan beer, wine and liquor)

1-15.5 ounce can pureed pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)

1-15.5 ounce can black beans, drained

3 to 4 cups fresh baby kale

2 cups vegetable stock or broth

Juice of 1/2 medium lime

Opttional: 1/4 cup vegan cream cheese or your favorite nut cream

Toppings: fresh cilantro leaves, roasted pumpkin seeds, sliced avocado, halved grape tomatoes, vegan sour cream or more nut cream, etc.

 

In a large Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium-high.  Add onion and saute, stirring frequently, for a couple of minutes.  Add chorizo and garlic and continue sauteeing and stirring for another couple of minutes.  Lower heat if the onion or garlic starts to scorch.  Stir in all remaining ingredients, except lime juice, until well combined and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 20 to 30 minutes to allow flavors to combine. Stir in lime juice and serve warm topped as desired.

 

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Vegan Pumpkin-Apple Spice Muffins

Yield: 1 dozen muffins

Pumpkin-Apple Spice Muffins

My apologies for yet another hiatus…this one precipitated by the death of my adored mother, Sallie Gough–who inspired my love of cooking, art, and much more–on October 2.  But I’m back and, hopefully, facing at least a year of no major losses. Yet and still, I live in a perpetual state of grace and gratefulness for the last two months of so many gestures of love and compassion that I couldn’t pay them back in two lifetimes.

In fact, I created these muffins for my nextdoor neighbor, Sonny–who has been helping me out, especially with the new dogs, since Joe passed away–and his darling daughter the young soccer star.  He came over this morning with his coffee and visited with me while I sipped tea and unloaded the dish washer, leaving with the muffins to waft under the nose of his adolescent daughter who loves to sleep in, especially on chilly fall mornings.  They were a hit.

The love child of my vegan  Sweet Potato and Pumpkin Butter Muffins and my Peanut Butter and Apple Muffins, this recipe makes the most of two of my favorite autumnal ingredients that I happened to have on hand: pumpkin puree and fresh local apples.  Enjoy with a cup of hot tea or glass of cold soymilk.

1/2 cup canned pureed pumpkin

1/2 cup canola oil

1/2 cup unsweetened soymilk (you can use plain, but you might want to slightly decrease the sugar)

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup demeraral sugar

2 cups white whole wheat flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Pinch ground allspice

Pinch ground cinnamon

Pinch ground cloves

2 medium apples, skin on, finely grated finely grated or chopped (fine like food processor-fine)

Line muffin cups with papers or oil well with nonstick spray.  In a large mixing bowl, whisk together pumpkin , canola oil, soy milk and vanilla until well combined.  Whisk in sugar, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and sea salt just until a smooth, thick batter forms.  Then stir in grated apples only until incorporated.  The moisture from the apples will loosen the batter a bit.  Divide evenly among prepared muffin cups and bake for 20 to 23 minute or until a toothpick inserted in the center of one comes out clean.  Allow to cool about 10 minutes in the pan and then remove to cool completely or to enjoy while warm.

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Vegan Pumpkin, Kale, and Cannelini Bean Bisque

Pumpkin, Kale, and Cannelini Bean BisqueYield: 4 to 6 servings

Contrary to my best intentions, I am not posting as much as I’d hoped since my husband passed away–suddenly and unexpectedly–on July 30…

…but I hope when I do, the recipes are worth waiting for.

As those of you who have experienced a loss such as this know, it’s a game-changer.  And, while we basically understand the rules of the game, we don’t know–and can’t necessarily anticipate–how they will play out, both in positive and negative ways.

I knew I would be busy with schoo, once it started on September 8, and my freelance work.  But, add to the mix a pair of 8 1/2 month old puppies (my dear, dear Minnie passed away less than a month after Joe); the administration of Joe’s estate; and a fuller, more diverse, and less predictable social life than I was accustomed to (I’m “trending,” don’t you know–ha!), and time has a way of ticking past, albeit in very meaningful ways, though sometimes with a steep learning curve.

However, I deeply value this blog and the opportunity to, not only share recipes with all of you but to connect with you arouond food, so I hope you will forgive me the infrequency of posts as I figure out how to achieve balance.

Speaking of that less predictable social life…last night, I served this impromptu soup–inspired by a recipe in my latest Southern Living Magazine (worth the subscription just to read Rick Bragg’s “Southern Journal” essay in the back of each issue)–to two girlfriends, one of whom brought her guitar, played a mini-concert in my breakfast room, and spent the night.  What a beautiful, beautiful gift.  This woman’s spirit is infused with magic.

The soup was a hit.  So, as the weather begins to turn colder, nourish body, mind, and soul with a cup of this nutritious deliciousness.  On the side, I like to serve a rice cake topped with one of my vegan cheese spreads (search this website for lots of tastt options) and a dab of my friend Rich’s chimichurri.  It’s the perfect mini-meal and, remember, I have proclaimed this the Year of the Mini-Meal.

 

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 yellow onion, diced

1/8th teaspoon salt + more to taste

2 large gloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon sugar (I use demerara)

1/2 teaspoon onion powder (I love its sweetness)

1/2 teaspoon coriander

3/4 teaspoon ground cumin

3/4 teaspoon smoked paprika

1-15 ounce can pureed pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)

4 1/2 cups vegetable broth or stock (I use one called a “no-chicken” broth that tastes richer to me) OR 4 1/4 cups vegetable broth and 1/4 cup red wine

2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

2 to 3 cups chopped fresh kale

1-15.5 ounce can rinsed and drained cannelini beans

Optional garnish: dollops of vegan sour cream or crema

In a 4 quart soup pot, heat olive oil over medium high.  Add onion and salt and saute, stirring, for about 2 to 3 minutes or until softened and beginning to show color around the edges.  Add garlic and sugar and saute, stirring, until nicely caramelized.  (This only takes a few minutes because of sugar.)  Stir in spices, followed by pumpkin, and slowly stir in liquid and nutritional yeast.  Add kale, a handful at a time, and let it begin to wilt before adding the next handful.  Stir in beans and heat through, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes.  Lower heat if necessary.  Taste and adjust seasoning, as you might choose to add more salt–since pumpkin is naturally sweet–cumin, and smoked paprika.  Serve topped with vegan sour cream or crema.

 

 

 

 

 

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Vegan Thai Pumpkin and Tofu in Coconut Red Curry Sauce–A Restaurant Leftover Redux

Thai Pumpkin and Tofu in Coconut Red Curry Sauce--Restaurant Leftovers Redux

Yield: 2 servings

I LOVE Thai food but, let’s face it, those creamy coconut milk dishes–even vegan–are pretty indulgent in the calorie department.  So, recently, when we went out for Thai, I allowed myself part of my dinner of pumpkin and tofu in coconut red curry sauce–which was mostly velvety rich sauce–and brought the rest home.

Rather than just eat the leftovers “as is,” I decided I could make them more healthful and colorful while stretching them into two more meals with the addition of just a very few fresh ingredients.

So, that’s what I did, and it was outstanding!  Following is my easy recipe.  Because restaurant dishes will vary, just trust your instincts and taste buds when you set about doctoring up your leftovers.

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Half of a medium yellow onion, slivered (or 1 small yellow onion)

Sea salt to taste

1 red bell pepper, stemmed and seeded, diced

Approximately 1 cup leftover vegan pumpkin and tofu in coconut red curry sauce with optional white rice (or something similar)

2 handfuls baby kale

2 to 4 tablespoons vegan fish sauce (sold at Asian markets as “vegetarian”)

Optional: approximately 1/4 cup fresh Thai basil, whole leaves or coarsely chopped + more for garnish if desired (sold in Asian markets)

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

1/4 cup lightly roasted and salted cashews

In a large cast iron skillet–or wok–over medium-high, heat oil.  Add onion and a pinch of salt and sauté for about 3 minutes, stirring frequently, until softened and beginning to turn translucent.  Add bell pepper and continue sautéing and stirring for another 2 to 3 minutes or until bell pepper is softened.  Add leftover pumpkin and tofu in coconut red curry sauce or similar dish, including any rice, up to about 1/2 of the amount of curry, and heat through, stirring.  (Any more rice, and the finished product will be too thick and dry.)  Sprinkle kale over the top and gently fold in just until it wilts slightly.   Add remaining ingredients, except cashews, including more salt to taste.  Heat through, and serve immediately topped with cashews and optional garnish of additional Thai basil.  If mixture becomes too thick, think with a little coconut milk, vegetable stock, or even water.

 



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