This cheat's soup is easy to put together from store cupboard ingredients and a few fresh vegetables. It is the perfect warming meal for days when cooking time is short
This is a customizable soup recipe for times when it is cold and there are hungry vegan mouths to feed. Many ready meals, takeaways and quick options contain animal products so it can be hard to make a speedy meal if avoiding these for any reason.
The soup has some basic ingredients and other items which can be changed according to what is available, seasonal or desired. Do not be put off by the lengthy ingredients list as it is possible to leave out whatever is not available as the only essential components are the broth base, a few vegetables and some seasoning. However making it all as it is here will provide the best flavor and the most health benefits from the variety of vegetables and spices.
Soup Ingredients:
- Vegan stock; either home made or a made-up powdered stock such as Marigold Vegan Bouillon. Allow for about 500ml of stock for each person.
- Selection of firm seasonal or frozen vegetables, diced; choose from sweetcorn, carrots, sweet potato, celery, swede, button mushrooms, sliced runner beans, peas, broad beans, courgette, broccoli, cauliflower, fennel or celeriac.
- Firm tofu, diced; marinated, grilled or braised is also nice but plain tofu is fine. This is a filling and importantly protein rich part of the soup. Allow at least 100g per person but more is fine as vegan diets are seldom too heavy on protein.
- Rice or Buckwheat noodles ( optional ) cooked, drained, rinsed in cold water and then set aside. This also works well with leftover noodles.
- Fresh leafy vegetables, shredded up: choose from Chinese leaves, green cabbage, leeks, spinach and spring onions.
- A couple of garlic cloves.
- Half a lime per person.
- A small piece of fresh root ginger.
- Soy sauce to taste.
- Fresh red chili to taste finely sliced.
- Toasted sesame or other flavored oil to taste.
- Salt and pepper to taste.
Cooking:
- Heat the stock until it starts to boil.
- At this point add the diced vegetables, crush in the garlic and grate in the ginger.
- Cook the stock gently until the vegetables are just done. The time will depend on which vegetables are chosen but if everything is diced fairly small then it should be no longer than five to ten minutes.
- Whilst the soup is cooking, shred up any leafy vegetables and get the bowls ready.
- Once the vegetables are done, add the tofu and noodles if using. Simmer for one minute to make sure that all the ingredients are piping hot.
- Then stir through the leafy greens and simmer very gently for one minute more.
- Turn off the heat and season to taste with the salt and pepper, being careful not to over salt.
To Serve:
- Divide the soup between bowls making sure that each portion contains some vegetables, tofu and noodles if using.
- Squeeze half a lime in to each bowl and leave in the actual piece if you want a stronger flavor.
- Drizzle on some soy sauce, sesame oil and a few pieces of chili; leave these on the table for people to adjust to taste as well.
- Extras:
- Fresh herbs also work well on this soup to give extra flavor; mint, basil and chives are particularly good.
- For vegetables that look stunning and cook almost instantly, prepare with a spiral cutter. These can even be done earlier on in the day and refrigerated.
- Dried sea vegetables and seaweed are a fantastic nutritious addition to this soup. Or for ease try sprinkling with Nori flakes at the table.
- Being piping hot and full of healthy ingredients, this is a good supper for the flu and cold season. Extra ginger, black pepper, chili and garlic can help anyone feeling as if they may have a head cold coming on as they are warming and soothing.
- Try using Miso paste to make the soup base instead of stock.
- Fresh sprouts such as alfalfa, mung, sunflower seed and chickpea are delicious piled on to the hot soup before serving. They also add an extra crunchy texture and are filling and nutritious.
- Sprinkle toasted sesame seeds on the soup before serving for added flavor.
The copyright of the article Quick Filling Vegan Soup for Cold Days in Healthy Cooking is owned by Shefali Choudhury. Permission to republish Quick Filling Vegan Soup for Cold Days in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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