Veggie Bean 'N Noodle Soup

September 21, 2021

The rains are starting here in the Pacific Northwest and we are enjoying cozying up with this warm, quick, veggie soup.

Serves: 4-6

Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

1 tbsp tomato paste

3 cups seasoned white beans* (2 cans)

1 medium onion

3 carrots

4 cloves garlic

1 medium zucchini

dried oregano

dried thyme

pinch hot pepper flakes

14.5 oz diced tomatoes

4 cups vegetable broth, gluten-free option and soy-free option

14.5 oz water

1/2 lb pasta shells, gluten free option

4 large broccoli leaves (replace with chard if broccoli leaves are unavailable)

1/2 cup bean water

If you are cooking beans from dry, put them in Instant pot to cook (or cook these from scratch before you start your soup).

Heat a large pot of salty water (for cooking pasta). When this water comes to a boil, cook the pasta el dente (usually about 2 minutes less than the recommended cook time). Drain and rinse with cold water until fully cooled down to prevent clumping.

Heat oil in a large soup pot. Cut the onions and carrots and cook over medium high heat until onions are soft, about 10 minutes, stirring frequently. While these are cooking, cut the garlic and zucchini. Add the garlic and zucchini to the pot and cook for an additional 4 minutes. Add the oregano, thyme, hot pepper flakes, and tomato paste. Stir to coat, cooking for about 1 minute. Add the diced tomatoes, vegetable broth and the water. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer.

Cut the greens into ribbons. Add the cooked pasta, beans, and greens to soup and simmer for a final 5 minutes. Add salt to taste. If you like, instead of using salt you can use bean water (if you cooked the beans from scratch) or vegetable bouillon paste. Serve and Enjoy!

*Cooking white beans from dry:

In the Instant Pot:

To cook the white beans in an Instant Pot, add 1 1/3 cups of dried white beans to the pot. Cover the beans with water (in the small Instant Pot this is about 6 cups of water), season with 1 1/2 tbsp kosher salt, 2 cloves garlic, 1 tbsp cumin, a sprig of rosemary, and 1/8 tsp cayenne. Set the Instant Pot to pressure cook for 28 minutes letting depressurize naturally. Drain and rinse, reserving 1/2 cup of the liquid, before adding to the dish.

On the stove:

If you don’t have an Instant Pot, you can easily cook white beans from scratch with a little planning. First you will need to soak the beans which can be done one of two ways. 1. you can soak them overnight making sure they have enough water and space to double in size or 2. you can put them in a pot and bring to boil, then turn off the water and let soak for one hour. Again, make sure you have enough water and space that they can double in size.

Once you have soaked your beans, rinse them and then put in a pot with salty water. These will be cooking for about 2 hours so you don’t want as much salt as you would use for pasta, but you do want to add enough that you can taste the salt. The best way to get good at this is to practice. Each time you salt the water, taste it and when the beans are done taste them to see if they are well salted. A well salted bean should taste flavorful but not salty. If it tastes like you are eating salt, you added too much. If the bean lacks flavor then you didn’t have enough salt.

Make sure your pot has enough water as I have definitely cooked all the water off before and burnt the beans! This may seem like a lot of work, however once you get the hang of it the work is almost all passive and the reward is high: beans cooked from scratch taste much better and are much cheaper!

Kidney Bean Chili

February 2, 2021

It’s been raining here all week which made us really want some warm, cozy chili. We especially love this chili served over mashed potatoes but it also grows great with tortilla chips or some garlic bread.

Serves: 4

Time: 1.5 hours (30 minutes active time)

Ingredients

3 cups cooked beans* or two cans kidney beans

8 oz crimini mushrooms, sliced

2 bell peppers, chopped

black pepper

1 onion, (2 cups) chopped

5 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp cayenne

2 cans diced tomatoes

2 cups veggie stock (gluten-free option, soy-free option)

If you are cooking the beans from dry, cook the beans according to the instructions below.

While the beans are cooking, saute the mushrooms in olive oil until browned, about 15 minutes. Grind some fresh black pepper onto the mushrooms about halfway through cooking. Once the mushrooms are done, set them aside and saute the chopped peppers in olive oil about 10 minutes and set aside.

Once the beans are cooked, in a large pot, sweat the onions over medium low heat until they start to go translucent, about 7 minutes. Add the garlic, cook for an additional 2 minutes before adding the spices. Continue to cook, stirring, about 1 minute until fragrant.

Add the tomatoes, sauteed mushrooms, and stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer about 45 minutes, stirring frequently, until the liquid is thickened. Add the beans after 25 minutes of simmering. Add the sauteed peppers and serve hot with garlic bread, tortilla chips, or mashed potatoes.

*Cooking kidney beans from dry:

In the Instant Pot:

To cook the kidney beans in an Instant Pot, add 1 1/3 cup of dried kidney beans to the pot. Cover the beans with water (in the small Instant pot this is about 6 cups of water), season with 1 tbsp kosher salt, 1 tsp chili powder, and 1 tsp cumin. Set the Instant Pot to pressure cook for 17 minutes letting depressurize naturally. Drain and rinse before adding to the dish.

On the stove:

If you don’t have an Instant Pot, you can easily cook kidney beans from scratch with a little planning. First you will need to soak the kidney beans which can be done one of two ways. 1. you can soak them overnight making sure they have enough water and space to double in size or 2. you can put them in a pot and bring to boil, then turn off the water and let soak for one hour. Again, make sure you have enough water and space that they can double in size.

Cook the kidney beans until they are soft but not falling apart (this will take 1.5-2 hours). We recommend checking the beans at about an hour and then every 20 minutes until they are soft but not disintegrating. Make sure your pot has enough water as I have definitely cooked all the water off before and burnt the beans! This may seem like a lot of work, however once you get the hang of it the work is almost all passive and the reward is high: kidney beans cooked from scratch taste much better and are much cheaper!

Butternut Squash Chowder

December 21, 2020

This soup has the creamy chowder goodness and butternut squash yumminess that makes cool weather so exciting! It makes a great side and when we’re cooking it as a stand-alone dish we love to add cooked chickpeas to increase heartiness. This is another dish that goes great with garlic bread!

Photo credit: Tommy Uckert

Serves: 4-6

Time: 1 hr

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, sliced

1 tbsp + 1 tsp salt, divided

1/4 cup white wine

3 cloves garlic, minced

4 tbsp vegan butter (we like Miyoko’s)

1/3 cup all purpose flour (gluten free or regular)

1 medium butternut squash, chopped in 1/2inch pieces

7 cups of vegetable stock

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

2 tsp pepper

3 bay leaves

1 (4 inch) sprig rosemary

1 cup cashew cheese

1 tbsp fresh thyme, minced

1 tbsp fresh sage, minced

1 can chickpeas drained and rinsed (optional)

Heat soup pot with olive oil. Add onions and 1 tsp of salt. Stir until brown (about 10 min). Add garlic and and stir for an additional 1 minute. Add nutmeg, stir for 30 seconds and then add white wine and cook until wine is gone. Add broth, butternut squash, 1 tbsp salt, pepper, bay leaves, rosemary (whole sprig).

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine butter and flour over a low heat until it darkens and smells a little toasty (this is how a roux is made). Add about a cup of broth from the soup to the roux, and stir until roux is dissolved fully in liquid, then add the liquid containing the roux to the soup. Bring the soup to a boil and simmer for 30 minutes or until butternut squash is tender. Add cashew cream, thyme, and sage. If using chickpeas, add them now.

Serve warm, and enjoy!

Black Bean Chili

December 15, 2020

Delicious warm chili for these cold nights. Happy solstice y’all!

We love eating this chili with garlic bread.

Serves: 4-6

Time: 1 hour 30 minutes (35 minutes active)

Ingredients

1 medium onion, chopped

5 cloves of garlic, minced

salt and pepper

1+ 1/4 tsp chili powder

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp taco mix

1/2 tsp garlic powder

2 medium zucchini, chopped

2 medium tomatoes, chopped

1 cup of corn, optional

2 cups drained and rinsed black beans*

3 cups vegetable broth (gluten-free option, soy-free option)

2 tbsp tomato paste

1/2 cup brown or wild rice

1-3 cups of water

1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar

In a big soup pot over medium heat saute the onion and garlic in a little olive oil until the onions are soft and fragrant about 7 minutes. Add the chili powder, taco mix, garlic powder, salt, pepper, tomato paste, and zucchini. Stir well and continue to cook about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and corn (optional) and cook another 3 minutes until the tomatoes start to release their juice.

Add the rice and the broth. Reduce heat to an active simmer and cook about 40 minutes until the rice is almost tender. Add 1 cup of water, beans, and apple cider vinegar and cook another 15 minutes, stirring regularly. If it starts to stick on the bottom, add more water. Enjoy!

*Cooking black beans from dry:

In the Instant Pot:

To cook the black beans in an Instant Pot, add 1 cup of dried black beans to the pot. Cover the beans with water (in the small Instant Pot this is about 6 cups of water), season with 1 tbsp kosher salt, 2 tsp cumin, 1 tsp garlic powder, and 1/4 tsp cayenne. Set the Instant Pot to pressure cook for 19 minutes letting depressurize naturally. Drain and rinse before adding to the dish.

On the stove:

If you don’t have an Instant Pot, you can easily cook black beans from scratch with a little planning. First you will need to soak the beans which can be done one of two ways. 1. you can soak them overnight making sure they have enough water and space to double in size or 2. you can put them in a pot and bring to boil, then turn off the water and let soak for one hour. Again, make sure you have enough water and space that they can double in size.

For this recipe, also add 2 tsp cumin, 1 tsp garlic powder, and 1/4 tsp cayenne to the black beans as they cook. Cook the beans until they are soft but not falling apart (this will take 1.5-2 hours). We recommend checking the beans at about an hour and then every 20 minutes until they are soft but not disintegrating. Make sure your pot has enough water as I have definitely cooked all the water off before and burnt the beans! This may seem like a lot of work, however once you get the hang of it the work is almost all passive and the reward is high: black beans cooked from scratch taste much better and are much cheaper!

Vegan Cincinnati Style Inspired Chili

December 8, 2020

Anne’s husband grew up eating Cincinnati chili when he visited with his grandparents. Anne created this recipe with Beyond Beef so they can give him a nostalgic taste of childhood without cooking meat (because Anne doesn’t enjoy cooking meat). Like any recipe on our blog, this one is an interpretation. We add mushrooms and beans because we like the way the chili tastes with those additions. This recipe can be made without those ingredients if you do not enjoy them. A signature part of the Cincinnati chili from John’s childhood is that it was served with spaghetti and oyster crackers, and if gluten is not a problem for you, we invite you to try it with both. If not, the pasta can be replaced with a gluten-free pasta.

Serves: 4

Time: 1 hr (30 minute active time)

Ingredients

1 13.5oz can kidney beans, drained

1 13.5 oz can of water

8 oz cremini or baby bella mushrooms

1 small onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1/2 tsp cumin

1/8 tsp cloves

1/2 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp salt

1 box of spaghetti (gluten-free option)

oyster crackers (omit for gluten-free option)

For the sauce:

3 tbsp liquid from pickled banana peppers

1 13.5 oz can tomatoes

1/2 tbsp sugar

1/4 tsp oregano

1 tsp cocoa powder

For the beef:

1/2 block Beyond Beef

1 1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/8 tsp cayenne

1/2 tsp taco mix

Heat a large pot. Once hot, add 1/2 block of Beyond Beef (this has oil in it, so you don’t need to add oil). Stir to break beef into small crumbles. Continue cooking for about 10 minutes, stirring regularly. Add the “for the beef” seasonings and cook an additional 2 minutes or until the beef is golden brown and still has some moisture. While this is cooking, thinly slice your mushrooms and chop the onions and garlic.

Set the beef aside and add some oil to the pan. Once the oil heats up add the mushrooms and onions and cook these on a low heat stirring frequently. While these are cooking, put all of the “for the sauce” ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Once the mushrooms have released their liquid and the onions are slightly translucent add the garlic, 1/2 tsp cumin, 1/8 tsp cloves, 1/2 tsp paprika and 1/2 tsp of salt to the pan. Cook for one more minute, being careful not to burn the spices. Add the sauce to the pan along with a can full of water (you can use this water to clean out your tomato can) and simmer this stirring frequently until it reduces by half, about half an hour.

Meanwhile boil a large pot of salty water. The water should taste about as salty as seawater so that the spaghetti soaks in the water and is perfectly salted when done. Don’t worry if these feels like a lot of salt; you will be draining the water. Once the water is boiling add a box of spaghetti and cook according to the package directions.

Once the sauce has reduced add the Beyond Beef crumbles and the drained beans. Cook another 15 minutes allowing flavors to meld. Serve over cooked spaghetti, optionally garnish with oyster crackers.

Enjoy!

Mushroom Stew

March 24, 2020

Growing up, one of my favorite meals was the beef stew that my father made. His stew took several hours of simmering to soften the beef, but this vegetarian version only takes 1 hr. This stew reminds me of all the great parts of the stew from my childhood. It is filling, has lots of veggies for different flavors and textures, and really warms me up on a cold and rainy day. The addition of halved garlic cloves not only reduces prep time, it also provides a sweet and garlicky surprise every couple of bites. If you don’t love garlic the way we do, feel free to mince it to reduce its prominence, or omit it entirely.

Like many of our recipes, this recipe is quite flexible. You could omit the onions and garlic if that is your preference. Potatoes could be replaced with parsnips if you are sensitive to nightshades. And white beans or chickpeas could easily be added (either blended into the liquid or chunky) for more protein. Let us know in the comments how you alter it, and how it turns out!

Serves: 6

Time: 1 hr

Ingredients

olive oil

4 cups cremini mushrooms (11 oz)

1 onion (11 oz)

6 cloves garlic, halved

3 carrots (1/2 lb)

4 potatoes (2 lb)

1 tsp dried thyme

pinch of red pepper flakes

1 1/2 tsp salt

5 cups veg stock (gluten-free option, soy-free option)

1/2 tsp pepper

1 bay leaf

1 cup peas (frozen)

1 bunch of kale, de-stemmed and thinly sliced

1 tsp apple cider vinegar

Slice and saute the mushrooms until browned, over medium heat, about 20 minutes, adding pepper after 15 minutes. In a large soup pot, saute the chopped onions and carrots in olive oil until starting to soften about 14 minutes. Add cubed potatoes, halved garlic cloves, veg stock, 1 1/2 tsp of salt, thyme, pepper flakes, and bay leaf. Bring it to a boil, turn down to a simmer and simmer for about 20 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.

Put the cooked mushrooms in a blender with 3 chunks of potato from the soup. Add hot veg stock from your soup until you cover the mushrooms and chunks of potato. Blend until smooth. Pour this back into the pot of stew and add apple cider vinegar, peas, and kale. Stir to combine new ingredients and simmer for 5 more minutes or until peas are hot and greens are wilted. Enjoy!

White Bean Kale Stew

March 10, 2020

I seasoned this soup with rosemary and thyme this time (haha) around, but any herbs can be used to give the soup a richer and more interesting flavor. I generally grab whatever herbs I have in the kitchen from previous recipes or in the spice cabinet. Some other nice options include: oregano, sage, bay leaves, and hot pepper flakes. If you prefer it with more or less spice, feel free to add or remove some of the cayenne.

serves: 6

time: 1 hr

Ingredients

1/2 onion, (1 cup) diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 large carrots, (1/2 lb) diced

1 small zucchini, diced

3 cups seasoned white beans* (2 cans)

4 medium waxy potatoes, 1 1/2 lbs (yukon golds or red potatoes work well), cut into 3/4 inch cubes

1/2 bunch lacinato kale, chiffonaded, about 3 cups loosely packed

6 cups hot veggie broth

1/8 tsp cayenne

one sprig rosemary, de-stemmed and minced

1/2 tsp dried thyme

parsley

salt

1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar

Put a pot (about 6 cups) of salty water on the stove to boil. The water should taste about as salty as sea water so that the potatoes soak in the water and are perfectly salted when done. Cut your potatoes into 3/4 inch cubes and add to the water (it’s okay if it isn’t yet boiling). Cook the potatoes until they are fork tender but not falling apart, about 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.

In a large soup pot, sweat the onions and carrots on medium low heat for about 7 minutes before adding the garlic and the zucchini. Cook this mixture for about 10 minutes before adding your seasonings: rosemary, thyme, a pinch of cayenne, and a generous pinch of salt. Mix all this together and allow to cook for about 2 more minutes.

Pour the broth over the veggies and stir. Bring up to a simmer before adding the beans and potatoes. Once the potatoes and beans are hot, add the kale, cooking 5 more minutes until the kale wilts. Add the apple cider vinegar and season to taste.

Garnish with chopped parsley and enjoy on a cold rainy night.

*Cooking white beans from dry:

In the Instant Pot:

On the stove:

For this recipe, also add 1 1/2 tbsp kosher salt, 2 cloves garlic, 1 tbsp cumin, a sprig of rosemary, and 1/8 tsp cayenne to the white beans as they cook. Cook the beans until they are soft but not falling apart (this will take 1.5-2 hours). We recommend checking the beans at about an hour and then every 20 minutes until they are soft but not disintegrating. Make sure your pot has enough water as I have definitely cooked all the water off before and burnt the beans! This may seem like a lot of work, however once you get the hang of it the work is almost all passive and the reward is high: beans cooked from scratch taste much better and are much cheaper!