Onion soup

 

It’s a proper onion soup weather now. It has been cold and icy here, so I’m always ready for a warming soup. I made this onion soup with organic dry cider, thyme and miso and it was so tasty. I added some cheesy bread croutons on top and dinner was ready.

Have you also been enjoying some wintery soups lately?

Your VegHog

 

Ramen with tempeh and mushrooms

 

It has been a busy week at work once again. I can’t wait for some days off over Christmas, even though it’s still a while to get there. The temperature is close to 0 celsius here in Copenhagen and I’m hoping for some frost. It’s a dark time of the year, but many people and companies have put their Christmas lights up, so there is also cheerful light in the darkness. We have also put several lights up and it’s so nice in the evenings.

I made a warming vegan ramen soup with enoki and shiitake mushrooms, teriyaki tempeh, pak choi, miso, spices and noodles. Ramen is a really great dish for this season. It’s kind of a light soup full of flavour and veggies. There is a new locally sourced and produced frozen tempeh product in our supermarkets and it’s really great and versatile. It’s made from peas and lupin. In this soup I used the teriyaki flavoured variant and it was really good. I prefer tempeh so much to tofu, but I still need to get used to the fact that I can now easily get it anytime.

 

Have a nice weekend!

Your VegHog

 

Onion soup

 

I made an onion soup with cheesy bread croutons yesterday. It was a great dinner after a day out in the bit chillier autumn weather. I’m very much embracing the soup season right now and was able to get the most beautiful and tasty biodynamic onions from a local farmer. Therefore it was an easy decision to make an onion soup. I made a vegetarian version this time, as I used real butter for frying the onions and cheese on the croutons, but the recipe is also easy to veganise. I made the soup with addition of dry British cider, which added acidity, warmth and depth to the flavour.

Take a look at the easy recipe below, if I got your interest. It is a cheap and basic soup to make. All you need is a little bit of patience.

 

Onion soup

Ingredients

6 onions

2 tbsp butter

1 garlic clove

1 cup dry cider

1 vegetable stock cube

1 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp miso

2 bay leaves

3 tsp fresh thyme

1l water

 

Croutons

Crusty bread

Olive oil

Salt

Grated Gouda

Fresh thyme

Method

Peel and cut the onions to half rings. Start cooking them at medium temperature in the butter and stir occasionally. Cook them for quite a long time until they are browned and caramelised.

Once the onions are cooked, add the minced garlic and cook it for a few minutes. Deglaze the pan with the cider and then add the seasoning and water. Let simmer until you are happy with the flavour.

While the soup is simmering, make the bread croutons. Cut the bread into cubes and toast them in the oven until crispy. Add the seasoning and the cheese and return to the oven. Bake them until the cheese is melted.

Serve the soup with the croutons and enjoy!

 

Your VegHog

 

Leek and potato soup

 

Soups are so good, don’t you think. I have made a few soups lately and this plant based leek, potato and lentil soup is one of them. It was so nice and easy to make so here is my basic recipe.

 

Leek and potato soup

Ingredients

1 onion

2 garlic cloves

2 leeks

6 potatoes

1tbsp vegetable oil

½ cup yellow lentils

1 vegetable stock cube

1 tsp salt

½ tsp ground black pepper

Fresh chives

 

Method

Chop the onion, garlic and leeks. Peel the potatoes and also cut them to cubes.

Sautée the onion and garlic in oil. Then add the leeks to the pan and soften them.

Add the potatoes, lentils and seasoning.

Cover with water and let simmer under lid until all components have cooked.

Blend the soup until smooth and enjoy! I added a drizzle of wild garlic oil on the top for serving.

 

Your VegHog

Vegan onion soup and garlic bread

We've been a bit sick this week, some throat and ear pains, coughing, general tiredness mixed with allergies. So therefore soup has been on the menu for a few times. It was quite annoying to be ill, when it was +28 degrees outside, but what can you do. At least the soups seemed to help quickly, and I'm fine again.

I made this vegan onion soup with vegan garlic bread on the side. I'm sharing the soup recipe below, but not the garlic bread. The garlic bread was just made on my basic thin pizza crust with some margarine, pre-cooked garlic, fresh parsley, salt and pepper. I tend to make garlic bread in a different way every time, but this was a very good variation. I guess it could be cheesy too, but it was perfectly nice just with this topping. 

Vegan onion soup

Ingredients

4 large onions

Vegetable oil

1 tbsp wheat flour

1 cup red wine

2 tbsp vegetable stock powder

1 tbsp yeast flakes

Salt to taste

Ground black pepper to taste

Fresh thyme

Method

Slice the onions into half rings and start slow cooking them at low heat under lid in a pan with vegetable oil. Cook and stir until they are caramelised and browned. This takes quite a while, but it is necessary in order to make a proper onion soup, so be patient and keep stirring so that the onions won't burn.

Add the flour followed by the wine. Then add the seasoning and some water and let simmer until the soup is nicely cooked.

Serve the soup with garlic bread, or bread of your choice, on the side and enjoy.

Your VegHog

Leek, kale and potato soup

It's been another busy week here, and the next one won't be any different. Luckily then I'll have a long weekend to relax more, and maybe to post more, as I have some dishes in store. Yesterday we took part in the people's climate march in Copenhagen, where also Greta Thunberg was speaking. I think there were about 30.000 people there. Today it's also the EU parliamentary election day. I already voted in advance, but I will be following the results closely. It would be nice to see a big green impact all over Europe.

Now to something else green. This is a healthy green soup full of veggie and legume goodness. I used leeks, kale and potatoes in this soup, as the name suggests, and there were also green lentils to make it more wholesome. Have a look at my recipe below.

Leek, kale and potato soup

Ingredients

3 leeks

8-10 small potatoes

¼ cup green lentils

1 onion

3 garlic cloves

1 cup kale

3 tbsp vegetable oil

2 tbsp vegetable stock powder

1 tsp salt

½ tsp ground black pepper

Method

Slice the leeks, and also use the green tops. Carefully wash the green tops, as there usually is dirt. It's best to cut them lenghtwise and wash the leaves individually.

Peel and square the potatoes, and also chop the onion and garlic finely.

Heat vegetable oil in a pan and start cooking the onions. Cook them until they are soft and slightly browned and then also add the garlic.

Cook the lentils in a separate pan, and set them to side.

Add the cut leeks to the onion and garlic and cook under lid until the leeks are soft.

Add the potatoes to the pan, season with vegetable stock powder, salt and ground black pepper, and add water. Cook until the potatoes are done.

Chop the kale coarsely and remove all thick stalks. Then add them and the lentils to then pan and let cook for a few minutes.

Purée the soup in a blender and cook it still for a while after the puréeing.

Serve with crusty bread on the side and enjoy!

I'm sharing this recipe with this month's Eat Your Greens. It's hosted by Shaheen from Allotment 2 Kitchen. Go and have a look at her wonderful blog. You also still have time to submit your Eat Your Greens recipe for May.

Have a nice day everyone!

Your VegHog

Tomato and lentil soup with oregano dumplings

I've just returned from a small holiday to Norway. The fjord landscapes were very beautiful as always, and there was still some snow. I enjoyed visiting Oslo very much again, but I'm also happy to be back home. This weekend I will just be relaxing some more, cooking at home and going to my local vegetable market.

Today's recipe is an easy but very pleasing vegan tomato and lentil soup. What makes it a little bit more special, are the oregano dumplings added to it. They make the soup very wholesome. My partner has actually created this recipe, and I have many times demanded him to cook the soup. Now he told me how to make it, and I think that I will make it many times. I want to share this goodness with you.

Tomato and lentil soup

2 onions

3 garlic cloves

5 small carrots

2 tbsp vegetable oil

½ cup red lentils

1 vegetable stock cube

1 bay leaf

1 can tomatoes

3 tbsp tomato purée

Salt to taste

Ground black pepper to taste

Smoked paprika to taste

Oregano dumplings

1 cup wheat flour

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp salt

¼ tsp ground black pepper

1 tsp baking powder

1 tbsp vegetable oil

½ cup water

Method

Chop the onions, garlic and carrots.

Heat vegetable oil in a saucepan and cook the onions until they are soft.

Then add the carrots, soon followed by the garlic, and cook them for a while.

Add the lentils, vegetable stock cube, bay leaf and 2-3 cups water.

Let simmer until the lentils are fully cooked. Add more water, if needed.

Add the tomatoes and seasoning, and let simmer until the flavours have blended nicely.

Mix the dumpling batter.

When the soup is on a slow simmer, drop tablespoon sized pieces of the batter to the soup.

Let them cook for about 15 minutes until they are done.

Serve the soup and enjoy!

I'm sharing this recipe with My Legume Love Affair #126 hosted by Shaheen from Allotment 2 Kitchen. My Legume Love Affair was started by Susan from The Well-Seasoned Cook, and is now hosted by Lisa from Lisa's Kitchen.

Have a great weekend!

Your VegHog 

Spicy onion squash soup

Halloween is approaching soon, and if you need cooking ideas for the season, a nice pumpkin or squash soup is always a good idea. This is my favourite soup of the season. It can be made with various squashes or pumpkins and it contains a lot of warming Thai style spices and coconut milk. The soup is vegan and oh so comforting.

Spicy onion squash soup

Ingredients

1 small onion squash

3 carrots

2 onions

1 cloveless garlic

2 red chillies

2 cm fresh ginger

½ cup red lentils

Vegetable oil

½ tsp ground cumin

½ tsp ground coriander

1 tbsp vegetable stock powder

250 ml coconut milk

2 bay leaves

1 tbsp white miso

2 tsp palm sugar

1 lime

Fresh coriander

Method

Peel and chop the onion squash and carrots. Chop the onions, garlic, chillies and ginger. Soak the lentils.

Start cooking the onions in the vegetable oil. Once they are soft, add the squash and carrots, followed by the garlic, chillies and ginger. Then also add the lentils to the pot.

Season with ground cumin, ground coriander and vegetable stock powder. Then add the coconut milk, bay leaves, white miso and palm sugar and let simmer.

Purée the soup once all ingredients have cooked nicely.

Add fresh coriander, lime and a little bit of grated lime zest to the soup and serve.

Your VegHog

Onion soup with potatoes and carrots

It's the soup season now, and I've been indulging in different vegan soups. We had a lovely carrot-ginger-orange soup at work that I definitely have to replicate at home. It was a very good and punchy flavour combination. If I make it, I'll share it here as well. What's your favourite soup of the season? And do you prefer smooth or chunks? I must say that I can't name any favourites, as there are so many good soups, and sometimes I feel like smooth and sometimes like chunky.

Now I made a bit different chunky soup. I love onion soup, but I thought to give it a little twist by adding some potatoes and heirloom carrots to it. I used red wine in this soup, but in my experience also dark beer and cider are an excellent choice for such soups. I guess you can get creative with whatever you happen to have around. See the recipe below, if you want to know how I made it.

I hope that you all have a wonderful weekend!

Onion soup with potatoes and carrots

Ingredients

4 onions

3 garlic cloves

2 tbsp rapeseed oil

1 tbsp spelt flour

½ cup red wine

1 l vegetable stock

5 small potatoes

2 heritage carrots

½ cup fresh parsley

1 tsp sea salt

½ tsp ground black pepper

Method

Chop the onions into half rings and start sautéeing them in the oil. Cover them with a lid and let them sautée until they start turning brown.

Then add the finely chopped garlic and the flour and mix.

Peel the potatoes and carrots and cut them into smallish pieces. Add them to the saucepan.

Pour the red wine in and let it reduce. Then pour the vegetable stock in and let simmer.

Season the soup, and let it simmer until the vegetables are cooked and the liquid has thickened.

Enjoy!

Your VegHog

Tomato alphabet soup

The VegHog's Cheap Eats Week 2017 ends today and I will be posting a round up later today. I just wanted to quickly squeeze this tomato alphabet soup recipe in, as it's cheap to make and very filling. I always like the look of the alphabet pasta and should be using it more. It's kind of a gloomy Sunday over here, as this weekend has been quite chilly. It's just the right weather for soups and stews, so that's very suitable for cheap eats. You can make this soup by adding alphabet pasta to any tomato soup, but I wrote the recipe down below, how I made my tomato soup this time. I used a bit more tomato purée than usual in order to be saving on the fresh tomatoes.

Tomato alphabet soup

Ingredients

1 cup alphabet pasta

300 g vine tomatoes

3 garlic cloves

1 tbsp olive oil

100 ml tomato purée

2 tbsp vegetable stock powder

1 tsp salt

½ tsp ground black pepper

Fresh basil leaves

Method

Cook the alphabet pasta separately in water until done.

Chop the tomatoes coarsely and the garlic finely. Cook the garlic in olive oil for a couple of minutes and add the tomatoes. Then also add the tomato purée, vegetable stock powder, the seasoning and some water and let the soup simmer under lid for at least 30 minutes.

Add the pasta to the soup and cook for a few minutes more. Mix the fresh basil in just before serving.

Enjoy!

Your VegHog

Red pea soup

And we're still on The VegHog's Cheap Eats Week 2017. Hopefully you are enjoying it and getting tips for cheaper eating. Actually homecooked vegetarian meals are always quite economical, if you have a basic larder of spices and a couple of sauces. Anyhow, I feel good if I can save a bit money sometimes.

Today's recipe is a Finnish style pea soup that requires quite a bit of patience. This particular soup I cooked for about seven hours before serving, so make sure you have a minimum of about four hours to spare. These red fox peas seemed to be a bit more sturdy than regular dried green peas. Many of these red peas stayed intact even after such a long cooking time. The target is to get many peas turn into full mash and become one with the vegetable stock forming a very thick soup. You don't need much of this soup to be full and this definitely is a very cheap soup to make.

Pea soup is traditionally eaten in Finland on Thursdays and on Shrove Tuesday, and it's also often served to the soldiers in the Finnish army.

Red pea soup

Ingredients

300 g dried red fox maple peas

2 large onions

3 garlic cloves

1 tsp vegetable stock extract

1 tbsp ground mustard seeds

Salt to taste

Ground white pepper to taste

Dash of liquid smoke

Sprinkle of smoked paprika

2 tbsp tomato purée

Method

Soak the dried peas overnight. Fill a large saucepan with water and boil the peas there heavily for the first 15 minutes.

Chop the onions and garlic and add the onions and the vegetable stock extract to the saucepan and let simmer under the lid for several hours.

Stir occasionally and add the seasoning towards the end.

Enjoy!

Your VegHog