Tuesday, October 29, 2013

18 Favorite Soup Recipes

Soup is hands down my favorite food in the world. Why? Because it's always comforting, no matter what season it is, and it's incredibly versatile. You could make a million different soups. In fact, since Mike has been sick this week and the temperature has dropped, we have been eating soup every night this week. Obviously, Fall and Winter are the prime times to make a big batch of soup, chili, stew, dal, curry, whatever. Use your slow-cooker, your stove, and even your oven to make a gloriously delicious soup. 

Soup is also my favorite thing that my Mom makes. I daydream about the vegan corn chowder she made on a snowy day, or even a simple, yet wholesomely satisfying minestrone. It's definitely her specialty, and I'm starting to become "known" as some ridiculous soup-monger, if you will (which isn't far from the truth). The list below, which I obviously couldn't keep at a good number, is a list of all of my favorite soups/curries that I've made since starting this blog. If there is just a link to a cookbook, leave your email and I will gladly share the recipe!

1. Roasted Poblano Corn Chowder//Knead to Cook
To make vegan, simply substitute almond milk. The leftovers freeze great and this soup is perfect for the dead of winter! I love different twists on corn chowder. 


2. Simple Potato Curry//WFM
This curry is so simple, you can't mess it up (unless you use too small a pot, like I did the first time I made this). To make vegan, use plain vegan yogurt. Cumin seeds may be an odd ingredient, but you will be amazed at how much depth of flavor it adds compared to ground cumin.


3. Slow-Cooker Vegan Hot & Sour Soup//The Vegan Slow-Cooker Book
So, if you're truly a vegan soup fiend, you have to get this book. Some of the best soups I've made are directly from it. This is also the soup that turned me on to eating mushrooms (which took me 20 years!). It's incredibly flavorful, perfectly hot and sour, with bits of tofu and tons of mushrooms. 


4. Smoky Red Lentil Soup//The Sprouted Kitchen Cookbook
This recipe is originally from the SK Cookbook, but I have linked the recipe above that was posted online. This soup is so so good. I fell in love with smoked paprika after this. It's the perfect soup for October, when it's just starting to get chilly, and I'm sure it would be great served with vegan quesadillas on the side.


5. Vegetable Minestrone//Shutterbean
Okay, so, this is it. The ultimate minestrone. I have made SO many variations on it, but this one is perfect. I actually am in love with a few versions of it, but here's why this one is special: it uses curry powder AND red wine vinegar, and let me tell you, it will make your head spin. It gives it just a zing to it that's phenomenal. To make GF, I used GF corn quinoa shell pasta.


6. Split Pea Sunshine Soup//My New Roots
This soup is awesome. It's a beautiful color, nourishing, and filled with lots of tasty things. I imagine this would make a great soup for when you have a cold. Split peas are so versatile! I didn't have the craftiness at the time to make her carrot flowers for decoration, but maybe you will.

7. Tomato Zucchini Soup//Joy the Baker
This is the soup that made me fall in love with thyme. After moving out of my parent's house, I was able to experiment more with herbs and spices that I didn't have access to before. Apparently, I don't remember eating a lot of thyme growing up. But now I put it in everything. This soup is so good, even in the summer when zucchini is in its peak season. You can even freeze leftovers for the cold season. It's a great soup for seasonal produce and to learn a little more about thyme.

8. Turnip-Potato Soup with Greens Pesto//Chickpea Magazine
Last year I went to the farmer's market in October and convinced myself to buy turnips. I know, who the hell eats turnips? Well I do, and no, I'm not a serf tending to their garden (a little historical joke for you all). The bitterness of turnips meet the creaminess of potatoes, and are swirled with an essentially "hippie" greens pesto. This soup is incredible! Actually, Chickpea Magazine in general is incredible. So go get a box of turnips from the market and make this lovely soup when it's freezing outside.

9. Rosemary Vegetable Soup//Vegetarian 'Ventures
Again, another herb-centric soup. This is everything I love about winter in one soup. The rosemary is steeped through out the entire dish and it's incredibly comforting. This soup also has kale in it, which is a major plus. This blogger includes a recipe for homemade bread, so if you're not Celiac, I would highly suggest making it! This is also a great soup for when it's coldest out.

10. Tofu Curry Laska//Appetite for Reduction
By now, I don't think it's necessary for me to explain my curry obsession. Every time I make curry, I declare: "This is the best yet." I've said this many times. But this curry laska is out of this world. Slurpy rice noodles, tender bok choy, lime and tofu all meet in this amazingly easy dish. This recipe is from Isa's amazing book, but I have linked it to the recipe that was posted online. 

11. Moroccan Spiced Lentil Soup//Happy Herbivore
This soup is everything. It's so easy to pull together and it has so many spices in it. It even has cinnamon in it. I know, that sounds weird. But trust me on this. All of the spices come together to create this incredibly warming soup that is so nourishing. Perfect for a chilly night with some vegan buttered GF bread and wine.

12. Cure-All Miso Kale Soup//Here!
This might be the new pho. I am lucky to live about 5ish minutes from a great pho place in town, but mustering up the energy to drive when you're sick is not always easy. Enter this soup. If you keep a well-stocked Asian pantry, this soup will come together with out a trip to the store and with out stress. The raw garlic and ginger, along with nourishing miso and kale, is sure to cure anything you caught!

13. Chickpea & Rice Soup with Kale//The PPK
This soup is ridiculously colorful. And it uses a cashew cream, which works so well here to give it a creaminess. It also has tons of vegetables and delicious red rice. I can't recommend Isa's blog enough, but her soup recipes are usually out of this world. I love this soup when it's freezing out with a piece of buttered toast and tea.

14. Rustic Vegetable Chickpea Soup//Foodess
Again, with my minestrone obsession. This soup is also strikingly colorful, with big pieces of swiss chard through out. I love that you use the swiss chard stalks as well, which are full of nutrients from their vibrant colors. And I'm always a fan of soup where I can sneak in little tiny pasta shells. This isn't exactly minestrone, but it's still damn good. A rainbow swiss chard would be lovely in this soup.

15. Garden Corn Chowder with Basil & Chives//The PPK
This soup changed the corn chowder game forever. Not only does this soup use chives and basil, it also uses coconut milk and lime juice to create a Thai flavor profile. And let me tell you...you will have no better corn chowder than this. Although it's laborious, I highly recommend using fresh shucked corn (although frozen will do in the cold months) and using the corn cobs to make the soup extra corny. I have never done this with corn chowder before, but it makes a HUGE difference. 

16. Chunky Celery Soup with Celery Leaf Pesto//101 Cookbooks
This is probably one of the easiest soups on this list, and one of the most delicious. I have made this a few times before when sick and it never gets old. It's a very simple soup, but the celery leaf pesto really adds another level of flavor. I know, who makes pesto from celery leaves? But trust me. It takes only seconds to make, and you will not regret spooning it on top of this soup. This soup will graciously allow you to use an entire head of celery!

17. Summer Squash Curry Soup with Tofu Croutons//Super Natural Everyday
This is the perfect end of summer curry to make, when the summer squash is almost out of season. The curry base is so simple, yet ridiculously flavorful. Mashing curry paste into coconut oil is mind-blowing. I don't know why I've never thought to do this, but it adds so much to a dish. This will use up the last of your summer bounty of squash in the most delicious way. And don't skip the tofu croutons! They are simply seared in coconut oil until golden, for topping the soup.

18. Coriander Spiced Tomato Soup//101 Cookbooks
I guess I've only made tomato soup twice in my life, which is odd. Maybe it's because I can't eat grilled cheese. In any case, this soup is a delicious Indian twist on an American classic. Lovely Indian spices infuse this simple soup with so much flavor. For toppings, I used leftover cooked basmati rice, a swirl of vegan coconut yogurt, and green onions. I also highly recommend serving this with some sort of Indian grilled cheese/quesadilla combo. (I will post the recipe for the vegan quesadilla I made soon!)

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