I love soup! It has the feeling of home and health like no other food I can think of. I grew up with soups from the can, a few from the stove--but they usually had a ham bone or some other carcass thrown in--ick. I like food pictures--vegan cookbooks with food pictures are usually going to end up in my hands. But somehow, I have a ton of cookbooks with no pictures. One cookbook even has over 600 recipes--not one picture--that book is a challenge for me (but I guess at the time, I just had to have it we've all been there). So, I turned to one of my favorite cookbooks--a Moosewood cookbook, New Recipes from Moosewood Restaurant, for inspiration. No pictures. However, I do love Moosewood cookbooks. (Note--they are not all vegan, but are vegetarian, and so easy to convert to vegan given a bit of thought.) Mollie Katzen , the founder of Moosewood, has been around awhile--on the vegetrian scene, that is. She is a true hero of vegetarian cooking and an inspiration to me. Cooking heroes are important. So as I was thumbing through the print, I found a soup I had to try. It was only 78 degrees yesterday, and only going to reach 70 something today--this is July in the semi-south and it's perfect soup weather! Cannot believe I just wrote that! I modified the Mushroom-Sesame-Tofu Soup and with it served a wonderful side of Vegan Mock Crab Wontons (recipe below). Another few words about "mock" meats--there is a local company here called Match Meats. Their mock meats are sold in only a few local grocers and Whole Foods. I mentioned before that I am a supporter of cooking with these, but not every single day. In this case, I had a yen for a really good, crunchy side to accompany this somewhat Asian soup. And then, my craving turned to an old favorite: crab rangoon! I think my Vegan Baked Mock Crab Wontons are a nice homage to the original. Remember to taste this soup as you go along--nothing is worse than finishing a lovely soup only to put your spoon in and discover you've made something "without" taste--so have that spoon ready! Enjoy!
Vegan Mushroon Tomato Miso Soup
3 tablespoons peanut oil
1 1/2 onion chopped
1 inch fresh ginger, grated (leave the skin on it--it is fine)
2 cloves of garlic minced
2 celery stalks chooped
1 8 oz. package mushrooms sliced
1/4 cup celery leaves chopped (can omit)
1 stem fresh basil chopped (can use 1/2 teaspoon dry)
1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper (or a couple squirts of hot sauce, up to you)
1/2 teaspoon salt or Spike or Mrs. Dash
2 or 3 bay leaves
1 24 oz. can of whole tomatoes with juice
1 cup veggie stock (or water)
2 teaspoons tahini
2 teaspoons miso (light or dark is fine--I used dark)
1 cake of marinated tofu chopped into 1/2 cubes (I used marinated Five-Spice)
2 or 3 green onions chopped (with green parts)
1-2 teaspoons of sesame oil
Heat the oil in a soup pot on medium. Saute the onion and ginger for about three minutes. Add the celery and garlic and saute about another four or five minutes. Stir in the mushrooms and cover and let heat for about another 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes, bay leaves, celery leaves, chopped basil, about 2 tablespoons of green onion (save the rest to sprinkle on top), cayenne pepper, salt, and veggie stock. Cover and simmer on medium-low for about 2o minutes. Reduce heat and add the tahini and then miso--to taste--I love miso but you cannot let miso boil--it will turn bitter if boiled, so give it a nice stir until both the tahini and miso are dissolved--keeping on low heat, but serving as soon as possible. Add the chopped tofu--but not all of it--I like to save some for dressing it at the end. At the very, very end of cooking, I drizzled some sesame oil into the soup-it really took the flavor to another level in a very nice way--taste this as you go. I serve a ladle full with topping of chopped green onions and chopped marinated tofu.
Baked Vegan Mock Crab Wontons
1 package wonton wrappers
1 package Match Meats Crab flavor (thawed)
1/2 cup Tofutti Cream Cheese
3 tablespoons Vegan Mayo
1/2 red pepper diced
3 green onions chopped thin plus green parts (reserve green parts for topping after baking)
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 tablespoon Old Bay Seasoning
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper or a dash of hot sauce
1 teaspoon Spike or Mrs. Dash
Preheat oven to 350. Lightly spray a muffin tin. Place wontons in tins. Bake for 5 or 6 minutes.
Remove from oven and let cool. Meanwhile, place mock crab in a medium sized bowl. Add cream cheese, mayo, pepper, green onions, dijon, dry mustard, Old Bay, cayenne and Spike or Mrs. Dash. Mix with a spoon. Add by tablespoon full to wontons. Bake for 18-20 minutes until just beginning to brown on top. Remove from oven. Top with remaining chopped green onions and serve!
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