Vegan Recipes from Cassie Howard

Vegan Insanity >> Vegan recipes that are delicious and easy to make. Plus, kitchen, cooking & shopping tips!

Lentil Soup with Cumin & Coriander

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Lentil-SoupWhen I was a kid, my favourite soup was chicken noodle. Preferably from a can. And preferably without any chicken and mostly noodles.

I would often eat canned soup for lunch on the weekends. It was easy enough for me to make myself once I knew how to use a can opener and the microwave (that’s right, I didn’t even cook it in a pot on the stove).

Chicken noodle soup was my thang. For years. Even as an adult, it was one of my favourite things to eat when I was too lazy to come up with something a bit more creative.

Vegan-Lentil-SoupNow, though, I’m obviously done with chicken noodle, but I still love the comfort of soup. My current favourite is vegetable, but this lentil soup is a close second.

It’s easy to throw together, it’s crazy good for you, and it tastes amazing. Way better than chicken noodle soup ever did.

Side note: Photographing soup is HARD. Photographing brown soup is even harder. Perhaps the green parsley on top will help? What if I stick some green in the background?

Be jealous of my food photography skillzzzz. Or not.

Lentil-Soup-VeganWhen it’s cold and gray outside (like today at my house!), soup is the perfect remedy. Try this lentil soup and let me know if you enjoyed it as much as I did!

Lentil Soup with Cumin & Coriander
Recipe Type: Entree, Lunch
Author: Vegan Insanity
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 4 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1 small yellow onion, minced
  • 4 medium carrots, chopped
  • 4 celery stalks, chopped
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 cups green or brown lentils, uncooked (I used brown)
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 tsp coriander
  • 8 cups vegetable broth
  • 1 large bay leaf
  • 2 whole sprigs fresh thyme
  • 1 cup chopped spinach
  • 1/2 cup chopped tomatoes
  • Salt & pepper, to taste
Instructions
  1. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.
  2. Add in the onion, carrots, celery and garlic, and cook until tender and browned.
  3. Add the lentils, cumin, coriander, broth, bay leaf and fresh thyme. Give it all a good mix, then add lid and simmer over low heat until the lentils are tender, 30-40 minutes.
  4. Remove the bay leaf and thyme, and add in the chopped spinach and tomatoes. Cook for 3-4 minutes, or until spinach has wilted.
  5. season with salt and pepper, and serve, with some fresh parsley on top for colour (if desired).

 

Butternut Squash Soup with Roasted Chickpeas

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Butternut-Squash-SoupBrrrr, it’s cold outside! Why did I choose to live somewhere that’s cold for 9 months out of the year?

Despite the cold outside, I am warming up inside with this bowl of butternut squash soup. Mmmm. Super easy to make, super healthy, and super duper warm-you-up-inside. It’s like a hug. A soup hug. Go ahead and give it a squeeze.

There. Don’t you feel better?

Vegan-Butternut-Squash-SoupThis soup is smooth and velvety. Bright and bold. Flavourful and healthy.

Amazing and amazing. No, but seriously. It’s GOOD. As long as you have a large pot and an immersion blender, you are just an hour away from a warm, comforting bowl of butternut squash soup.

Butternut-Squash-Soup-VeganThe oven-roasted chickpeas are important!

Plain soup is boring. It’s like serving chili without tortilla chips or bread. Just wrong! Chickpeas will add a nice little somethin’-somethin’ to your soup – so don’t skip them!

Butternut Squash Soup with Roasted Chickpeas
Recipe Type: Soup
Author: Vegan Insanity
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
  • 1 medium butternut squash
  • 2 large carrots, chopped
  • 1 large yellow onion, peeled and chopped
  • 1/2 cup cooked chickpeas
  • 6-8 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
  • 2-3 cups vegetable broth
  • 1 cup non-dairy milk (I used almond milk)
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt
  • 3/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp basil
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400F.
  2. Cut the squash in half and scoop out the seeds (you can throw them out or save them for roasting later). Drizzle with 1 tsp olive oil, and place the squash cut-side down on a large baking sheet. Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until you can easily pierce the middle of the squash with minimal resistance.
  3. While the squash is cooking, line another large baking sheet with parchment paper or a non-stick mat. Add the chopped carrots and onion, chickpeas, and the smashed garlic. Separate the chickpeas from everything else, since they will not be going in the soup. I put them on the left side of my baking sheet and everything else was on the right. Drizzle with 1/2 tbsp olive oil and bake for 20-30 minutes, or until tender.
  4. Once everything is cooked, add it all (except the chickpeas!) to a large pot over low-medium heat. Add broth and milk, and use an immersion blender to blend until the soup reaches your desired consistency.
  5. Add spices, stir, and simmer 5-10 minutes. Serve warm, topped with roasted chickpeas.

Healthy-Vegan-Butternut-Squash-Soup

Sweet Potato & Roasted Red Pepper Soup

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sweet-potato-and-roasted-red-pepper-soup

 

You know, sweet potato is pretty much a miracle food. You can do so much with it! I love it roasted and served over salad, on it’s own, juiced (yes, you can juice a sweet potato!) and more recently… in soup!

This one is so freakin’ good, I cant even tell you. We enjoyed it with crusty bread and Earth Balance butter, and had it again for leftovers the next (by the way – even better on day two!).

Sweet Potato & Roasted Red Pepper Soup
Recipe Type: Soup
Author: Vegan Insanity
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 6
When the cold weather hits, it’s time for the comfort of soup! This dish is sure to please any soup lover that is looking for a little bit of comfort.
Ingredients
  • 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled & chopped
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 cup chopped celery
  • 1/4 cup chopped carrots
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3-4 large roasted red peppers, chopped
  • 4-5 cups vegetable broth
  • 1 cup coconut milk
  • Large handful of fresh basil, chiffonade
  • Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375F. Place the sweet potatoes and onions in a large bowl. Drizzle with about half of the oil, then sprinkle on 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper. Toss to coat the sweet potato and onion completely.
  2. Roast for 20-22 minutes, or until golden brown. Set aside.
  3. Heat the remaining oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add celery and carrots, and cook for about 5 minutes. Then, add the garlic, roasted red pepper and sweet potato & onion mixture. Cook for another 5 minutes.
  4. Add the vegetable broth and coconut milk and bring to a boil. Once the mixture begins boiling, reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer, uncovered, for 15 to 20 minutes, or until sweet potato chunks can easily be pierced with a fork.
  5. Remove from heat, and using an immersion blender, puree the soup until it reaches your desired consistency.
  6. Add salt and pepper to taste, throw in your fresh basil, and serve.