Vegan Curried Split Peas and Kale Soup

Winter came a little late this year, and every evening when I come inside from walking my dog, Spike, I am chilled to the bone. Nothing helps but a steaming hot bowl of soup. This is a delicious and hearty vegan soup that is perfect for the cooler months. 

My favorite technique in this soup is the addition of a pureed garbanzo bean mixture, which results in a creamy texture without the addition of "cream of whatever" condensed soup or heavy cream.  The subtle spice from the curry and crushed red pepper will warm you up, while the protein and fiber from the split peas and garbanzo beans fill you up. The addition of nutrient dense kale makes this soup even better for you.

Ingredients

4 tbls olive oil, divided

1 large yellow onion, small dice

1 cup carrots ,chopped

1 cup celery, chopped

3 tbls good madras curry powder 

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper

3 cloves garlic, minced or grated, divided

1 1/2 cup dried split peas
Kosher Salt
1/2 tsp White Pepper
1 tbs rice vinegar

6 1/4 cups vegetable broth, divided

1 (15.5oz) can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed 

Juice of 1 lemon

1 bunch kale, rinsed, removed from stem, and chopped

Cilantro for garnish

1 lemon, cut into wedges for garnish

Heat 2 tbs olive oil over medium high heat in a large pot. Saute onion, carrots and celery until just tender. Add garlic, cook 2 minute. Add curry powder, white pepper and crushed red pepper and stir, cook 1 more minute. Deglaze pan with rice vinegar. 

Add split peas, 6 cups vegetable broth, and salt to taste. Cover and simmer for 50 minutes, or until split peas are al dente. 

While split peas are simmering, in a food processor, add garbanzo beans, 1/4 cup broth, olive oil, and lemon juice. Puree until smooth. 

After soup simmers, add kale and allow to wilt, about 5 minutes. Stir in the pureed garbanzo bean mixture and stir. Soup will be creamy and slightly thick. Add salt as needed More crushed red pepper can be added if you like a little more spice. Heat all the way through, then serve with chopped cilantro and lemon wedges. 

Tahini and Roasted Garlic Hummus

My roommate recently hosted a Clothes Swap at our house, and asked me to prepare some finger foods that all the girls could enjoy between trying on shirts and tossing them all over our living room. Of course, I was happy to do so.

I don't know a single person who doesn't love hummus. It is my go-to snack. Sometimes, hummus is my entire lunch. The only downfall? If you eat a lot of it, it can get kind of expensive.  Making it from scratch is a great way to cut costs. It also gives you the freedom to flavor it however you would like without all the additives. 

The real money saver is making your own tahini, which is just a roasted sesame seed paste. The bulk section of your grocery store will have white sesame seeds for much less than buying them pre-packaged. If you follow this recipe, there will be leftover tahini. It can be refrigerated and reused for more hummus, or it is great for a tahini dipping sauce or dressing.  

For this gathering, I decided to prepare roasted garlic hummus with a variety of veggies for dipping. Roasting the garlic takes a little longer than some of the other varieties, but it is definitely worth the effort. The roasted garlic adds a sweet smokiness to the hummus, while zesting in a fresh garlic clove at the end gives it more garlic flavor and a bit of a bite. 

Tahini

1 cup White Sesame Seeds

5 tbsp Olive Oil

Place sesame seeds in saute pan over low heat. Stir frequently. Cook until seeds are toasted and fragrant, around 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat, allow to cool. 

Combine cooled toasted sesame seeds and olive oil in food processor. Blend. Add more oil if necessary to bring the mixture together. Tahini can be slightly chunky. Remove from food processor and reserve in bowl.

Roasted Garlic Hummus

1 large head of Garlic
Olive Oil for drizzling

2 cans Garbanzo Beans, drained and rinsed
4 tbsp Tahini
3 tbsp Olive Oil
1/3 cup warm Water
1 Clove Fresh Garlic, minced or zested
Juice of 1 large Lemon
Kosher Salt

Preheat oven to 400F. 

Peel off and discard outer paper of the head of garlic. Cut off the tops of the cloves, approximately 1/4 inch. Place on a piece of foil and drizzle with olive oil, allowing the oil to soak between the cloves. Wrap the garlic in the foil by bringing the corners of the foil together at the top and folding over, leaving some room inside. Place the pouch on a baking sheet and roast for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool while preparing other ingredients. 

In food processor, combine garbanzo beans, tahini, olive oil, water, lemon juice, zested fresh garlic clove and salt to taste. Once roasted garlic is cool enough to handle, squeeze cloves into the food processor. Blend ingredients until smooth.

The hummus can be served immediately or made ahead and refrigerated. To plate, drizzle the top with olive oil and sprinkle some sumac or paprika. Serve with pita bread, crackers, or cut up veggies, such as broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, red and yellow bell peppers, and radishes. 

Vegan Vanilla Cupcakes w/ Vegan Frosting and Blueberry Sauce

I'm quite new to the blogging phenomenon. But as it is, I can talk about anything cooking or baking related for hours on end, so I decided to give it a shot. Currently, I am working for an amazing coffee house in Tulsa, OK. I am very lucky to have such a wonderful place that allows me to express my creative side and broaden my culinary education. Some of my postings will involve things we do at the shop, and others will be my experiments at home.

These cupcakes are some of my favorites. They may seem a little plain jane, but not only are they delicious, they make a great template for decoration. I adore the hint of almond and the moist texture. In the past two days, I have made as many batches and sold them before they even hit the case!

Cupcakes

1 Tbsp cider vinegar

1 ½ c vanilla soy milk

2 c AP flour

1 c sugar

2 tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

½ c canola oil

1 tsp vanilla extract

½ tsp almond extract

 Combine vinegar and soy milk in a measuring cup. Let stand until curdled, about 5 mins.

 Whisk together flour and next 4 ingredients.

 Whisk together soy mixture, oil, and extracts in a small bowl. Pour milk mixture into flour mixture; stir until just blended.

 Fill cups 2/3rds full. Bake 12-15 mins. Makes 24 cupcakes or 6 large cupcakes.

Frosting

1/2 cup vegetable shortening (softened)

1/3 cup soy milk

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/4 tsp. salt
4 cups powdered sugar

  Add the shortening to electric mixer, and beat until smooth. Add next three ingredients, continue beating until combine.
  Turn mixer on low, add powdered sugar slowly. Check consistency after incorporated, and add more sugar if needed. 

Blueberry Sauce

2 cups frozen or fresh blueberries
1/2 cup water, plus 2 tbsp water
2 tbsp cornstarch

 In a medium sauce pan, bring blueberries and water to a boil, reduce to simmer. Stir berries to break them up.
 In a small bowl, add 2 tbsp to cornstarch to make a slurry. Mix well, then add to berry mixture. stir well and cook until thickened. Approximately 5 min. 
 Once sauce has thickened, pour into a strainer to remove skins and seeds. Let sauce cool. 

 

I usually put the blueberry sauce in a squeeze bottle to apply on top of the cupcakes, and add fresh berries. Also, this recipe works very well with other berries.

For those that have not done much vegan baking, you would be suprised how simple and delicious it can be. I know I was! It is a great way to reduce fat and feel good (or alright, at least) about eating sweets. I hope you enjoy!!