Red miso soup with spinach and tofu

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A variation on a warm and nourishing favourite, simple enough for breakfast. This recipe easily doubles.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups water
1 ‘spring’ dried kombu (about 1/2″)
1/4t coarse sea salt
1 scallion, minced, 3″ – 4″ green reserved for garnish
1t fresh garlic, minced
2t tamari
125g tofu, cut in 1/3″ cubes
1 cup baby spinach
1T red miso
Coarse sea salt and black pepper to taste

Optional: Wakame, shiitake mushrooms, and sesame seeds all make nice additions to this soup. A little nutritional yeast will also add flavour and nutrition. A few drops of toasted sesame oil will also enrich the other flavours, as will a few drops of apple cider or plum vinegar.

Method

In a small pan with a lid, bring the water to a light boil. Add everything up to and including the tofu. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for about 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Remove the kombu. Add the spinach and miso. Stir until the spinach is wilted and the miso is dissolved. Ladle out, garnish with scallion sliced on an angle, and enjoy.

Pepper, tomato and onion stew (lecsó) with black lentils and kale

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Inspired by lecscó, my version adds a little nuance with the poblano pepper and rounds the dish out with some kale and black lentils. Shown here with freshly made spätzle (gluten free, plant-only) dusted with nutritional yeast, but fresh bread, roasted or mashed potatoes, rice or similar accompaniments should all go well.

Ingredients

1/3 cup black beluga lentils
3/4 cup water
1 ‘sprig’ dried kombu (about 1/2″)
4 scallions, minced (about 1/2 cup)
1/4t coarse sea salt
1 cup red peppers, cored, seeded, 1/3″ dice
1 cup Hungarian peppers, cored, seeded, 1/3″ dice
3/4 cup poblano peppers, cored, seeded, 1/3″ dice
1/2T smoked paprika
1/2T coconut sugar (or a little maple syrup)
1/2T lemon juice
1 cup tomato passata (or puree)
1/2 cup vegetable stock
2 cups green curly kale, stemmed and chopped
Coarse sea salt and black pepper to taste

Optional: There are a number of regional variations for lecsó, but tomatoes, onions, and peppers form a common base. Use some fresh tomatoes, slice the peppers and onions in strips rather than dice and use green pepper rather than poblano for a more traditional version. If you do, saute the onions first, add the paprika and sugar and then the rest of the peppers. Lecsó is often stewed. You ca make this dish in a slow cooker if you prefer (just be careful not to overcook the peppers). A tablespoon of cooking oil will also add some richesse to this dish.

Method

Bring the water to a boil in a small pan with a lid. Add the lentils and kombu. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 30 minutes or until all the water has been absorbed. Remove the kombu and set the lentils aside to cool for 5 minutes, covered.

With the lentils underway, bring a large frying pan to heat on medium high. Add the peppers, scallions and sea salt. Stirfry for 3-5 minutes, or until the peppers are starting to wilt. Reduce heat to medium. Add the paprika and coconut sugar. Saute for 3-5 minutes.

When the pan starts to brown, add the lemon juice and deglaze. Add the passata and stock, and return to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer for about 20 minutes uncovered or until the passata has been reduced by about 1/3, stirring periodically (but gently).

When ready, add the kale and black lentils. Stir to combine. Let stand 2-3 minutes to cool and to wilt the kale. Season to taste and serve.

Miso soup with tofu, shiitake mushrooms and kale

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Simple and nourishing, this makes 4 small bowls or 2 large ones.

Ingredients

1T water
2 scallions, minced about 4″ green reserved for garnish
1 cup shiitake mushroom caps, stemmed and sliced 1/4″
250g tofu, 1/4″ cubes
1T tamari
1T lemon juice
4 cups water
1 ‘spring’ dried kombu, about 1″
2-3T red miso (use low sodium if you can find it)
1 cup green kale, stemmed and coarsely chopped
Coarse sea salt to taste
1/2 cup purple carrots, matchsticked

Optional: 1/2t toasted sesame oil add some additional flavour to this dish, and a teaspoon of white sesame seeds will add colour, flavour and nutrition. I often add nori flakes to mine as a garnish as well. White and yellow miso often have a milder flavor than red. Regular orange carrots are also fine for this dish and add a lovely colour contrast.

Method

Bring a medium pan to heat on medium high heat. Add the scallions and water and stir fry for 1 minute. Add the shiitake and tofu stir fry for 2 minutes.
Add the tamari and lemon and deglaze the pan. Stir fry for another 2 minutes or until most of the moisture has been absorbed, the tofu is lightly browning, and the pan is starting to dry again.

Add water and kombu. Bring to a gentle simmer and simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat, remove the kombu, add the miso and stir to combine. If you’re new to miso, add 2T to start and add more to taste. Add the kale and stir to combine.

Let stand a minute to wilt the kale lightly. Season to taste. Ladle out. Garnish with scallion greens sliced on an angle and the matchsticked carrots, and serve.

Note, miso ‘tea’ also makes a light, simple snack or breakfast. Bring a cup or so of water to a boil, pour over a 2-3 teaspoons of miso in a mug, and stir until dissolved.

 

Tomato, artichoke drop soup with brown rice and kale

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A warm and filling soup. The tapioca binds the artichoke and tofu into a nice, lightly chewy drop dumpling. This makes 4 small bowls or 2 large ones.

Ingredients

For the soup
1/4 cup long-grain brown rice
4 cups vegetable stock
2 cups tomato passata (or tomato puree)
1/4 cup scallions, minced, with about 4″ green reserved for garnish
1T garlic
1/2T dried basil, rubbed
1t dried oregano, rubbed
1/2t dried thyme, rubbed
1T lemon juice
1/4t black pepper, freshly ground
2 cups green curly kale, stemmed and coarsely chopped
2T nutritional yeast
1/2 cup carrots, matchsticked (I use purple carrots)
Sea salt and black pepper to taste.

For the artichokes
120g extra firm, high quality tofu
1/4t coarse sea salt
1/2 cup artichoke hearts (not jarred)
1/4 cup tapioca flour
1/2t dried ground turmeric
1/2t baking powder
1/4 cup cold water

Optional: Replace the basil, oregano, and thyme with a tablespoon of “Italian herbs” mix or herbes de Provence.


Method

In a large pan with a lid, toast the rice for 2-3 minutes on medium high. Add the stock, return to a simmer, cover reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 – 40 minutes until the rice is soft. Add the passata, herbs and spices to the soup. Cover and simmer another 10 minutes.

While the soup finishes, puree the artichoke ingredients until smooth. Uncover the soup and increase the heat to medium to return the soup to a light boil. Scoop about 1T artichoke mixture onto a spoon and drop into the soup. Repeat (quickly) until all of the mixture has been dropped.

Simmer for another 2 minutes (be sure not to overcook). Add the kale and nutritional yeast. Stir to combine. Add the carrots, reserving a few for garnish if you like. Let stand 2 minutes to cool. Season to taste. Ladle out, garnish with scallion green sliced on an angle and serve.

Portobello mushroom, potato and asparagus bowl

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With artichokes, sun-dried tomatoes, kale and kalamata olives, this is a simple, colourful bowl with a lot of rich flavours. This makes a smaller side dish for 4 or a larger bowl for 2.

<h3>Ingredients</h3>

For the potatoes
2 cups potatoes (quartered minis or 1/2″ dice)
1T tamari
1/2T balsamic vinegar
Coarse sea salt to taste

For the mushrooms and asparagus
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, (dehydrated, not jarred) rehydrated in 1/4 cup boiling water and chopped
2T water
1/4t coarse sea salt
1/4 cup scallions, minced, 4″ reserved for garnish
1T fresh garlic, minced
2 portobello mushrooms, stemmed and sliced, 1/4″
1T lemon juice
1 cup asparagus, cut in 1″ pieces (6-8 stalks)
1 cup artichoke hearts (not jarred), chopped
1 cup packed green curly kale, stemmed, coarsely chopped
2T kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
2T nutritional yeast
Coarse sea salt and black pepper to taste

Optional: Stir fry with a little oil rather than water for a richer dish.

<h3>Method</h3>

Start the potatoes, then make the mushrooms. Preheat the oven to 450F. Toss the potatoes in the tamari and vinegar. Roast on the middle rack in a baking sheet or roasting pan until browned and fork tender, turning periodically. Expect about 30 – 40 minutes. Ovens vary; use the texture and colour of the potatoes as a guide. Don’t overcook. Remove from heat when done and set aside.

At about the 20 minute mark, combine the sun-dried tomatoes with the boiling water to rehydrate. At the 30 minute mark, bring a large or wok with a lid to heat on medium high. Add the 2T water, sea salt and scallions and stir fry for 1 minute. Add the garlic and stir fry for 1 minute. Add the mushrooms and stir fry for about 3 minutes, until they start to loose their moisture.

Add the lemon. Toss to combine. Lower heat to medium low, cover and let simmer for 5 minutes. Return heat to medium high. Stir fry until the pan begins to dry (should be 2-3 minutes). Add the asparagus and artichoke hearts. Stir fry for 1 minute. Add the water from the sun-dried tomatoes. Stir fry for another 5 minutes or so until the pan begins to dry again. Add the kale. Stir fry for 1 minute.

Remove from heat. Add the sun-dried tomatoes, olives, potatoes, and nutritional yeast. Stir to combine. Let stand, covered, 2-3 minutes for the potatoes to absorb some of the flavour of the dish. Season to taste. Bowl out, garnish with scallions cut on an angle and serve.

Spicy coconut milk stew with black beans, sweet potatoes, and mixed baby greens

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Ingredients

2T water
1/4t coarse sea salt
2 scallions, minced (3″ – 4″ reserved for garnish)
1T fresh garlic, minced
1t fresh ginger, grated and minced
1t crushed red chili (or to taste)
1 cup coconut milk
1 cup vegetable stock
1 ‘sprig’ dried kombu (about 1″)
2 cups sweet potato, peeled and cut 1/2″ dice
2 cups green cabbage, shredded (I use coleslaw mix)
2 cups cooked black beans
1 cup mixed baby greens (I use spinach, kale and chard)
1/2 cup ripe tomato, cored, seed and cut 1/4″ dice
Coarse sea salt and chili or black pepper to taste

Directions

Bring a large frying pan with a lid to heat on medium. Add the water and the scallions and water saute for 2 minutes. Add the ginger, garlic and chili and saute for another minute. Add the coconut milk and chili. Stir to combine. Simmer lightly for 2 minutes. Add the stock, kombu and sweet potato.

Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the cabbage and stir to combine. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the black beans. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes, or until the sweet potato is fork tender. When the sweet potatoes are tender, remove from heat and remove the kombu.

Add the baby greens and stir gently to combine. Let stand 2 minutes to cool and for the greens to wilt. Season to taste. Ladle out and garnish with chopped tomato and scallion greens sliced on an angle.