Low Sodium Mushroom Barley Soup

From Mayo Clinic. For those on a low-sodium diet.

Serves 9

1 tablespoon canola oil1 1/2 cups chopped onions
1 cup sliced mushrooms
3/4 cup chopped carrots
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon chopped garlic
8 cups vegetable stock
3/4 cup pearl barley
3 ounces dry sherry
1/2 small potato, chopped
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions

In a large stock pot, heat the oil to medium-high heat. Add the onions, mushrooms, carrots, thyme, pepper and garlic. Saute until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes.

Add the vegetable stock and barley and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes. Test the barley and see if it is as tender as you’d like it – if not, cook longer. When barley is just about the texture you want, stir in sherry and potato. Continue to simmer until potato is cooked, about 15 minutes. Garnish with sliced green onions and serve.

Nutritional analysis per serving

Serving size: 8 ounces

• Calories 121
• Total fat 4 g
• Saturated fat 0 g
• Trans fat 0 g
• Monounsaturated fat 3 g
• Cholesterol 0 mg

• Sodium 112 mg
• Total carbohydrate 19 g
• Dietary fiber 3 g
• Total sugars 2 g
• Protein 2 g

Italian Marinated Mushrooms

From “Mediterranean Harvest” by Martha Rose Schulman

Serves 4-6

2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar or champagne vinegar
1 bay leaf
2 garlic cloves, crushed
6 whole black peppercorns
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 pound small mushrooms, cleaned, stems trimmed even with the cap

1. In a large, lidded skillet or wide saucepan, combine all the ingredients except the mushrooms, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer 10 minutes. Add the mushrooms to the pan, rounded side down. Simmer five minutes, uncovered. Using tongs, turn the mushrooms over. Simmer for another three to five minutes until just cooked through. Using tongs, remove the mushrooms to a bowl.

2. Place a strainer over the bowl, and strain in the liquid from the pan. Allow to cool, then cover and refrigerate or serve at room temperature. To serve, remove the mushrooms from the marinade with a slotted spoon, place in a serving bowl or on a platter, and have toothpicks and napkins close by. Optional: sprinkle mushrooms with chopped fresh herbs (such as parsley, chervil, or marjoram) when you serve them.

Advance preparation: You can make these three to four days ahead.

Broccoli Tofu Curry

Slightly adapted from Martha Stewart Living September 2021

Serves 4

• 14 ounces extra-firm tofu, cut into bite-size cubes
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 tablespoon tamari
• 3 Thai bird chilis (I couldn’t find these so I substituted slivered red onion)
• Juice of 1 lime
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
• 2 tablespoons minced shallot (I didn’t have a shallot on hand so I substituted red onion)
• 2 tablespoons cilantro stems
• Salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons green curry paste
• 1 (13.5-ounce) can light coconut milk (if you have only coconut cream you can substitute 1/2 a can plus 1/2 a can of water)
• 6 cups broccoli florets (from about 2 large heads). I cut my broccoli florets in half vertically so they cook more quickly and aren’t such a big bite.
• for serving: rice (brown? jasmine? white? you decide)

Put the oven rack in the top position and preheat the broiler on high. Drain tofu on paper towels for 10 minutes and pat dry. On a foil-lined baking sheet, toss tofu with 1 tablespoon vegetable oil (avocado oil) and tamari. Broil, turning once, until golden, 6 to 8 minutes.

Place chilis (or substitute 1/4 cup slivered red onion) in a small bowl and cover with lime juice to pickle them.

Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a pot over medium. Add ginger, shallot, cilantro stems and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring, about 2 minutes. Add green curry paste and cook 1 minute more. Add coconut milk (or coconut cream and water) and 1/2 cup water; season with salt and pepper.

Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and add broccoli florets. Simmer, partially covered, until florets are tender, about 3 minutes. Add tofu, season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve with rice, cilantro leaves, and reserved pickled chilis (or red onion).

Easy Vegan Tomato Lentil Soup

from Runningonrealfood.com

• tbsp olive oil (use water or broth for oil-free)
• 5 cloves garlic, minced (about 3–4 tbsp, minced)
• 1 medium white or yellow onion, diced
• 3 medium carrots, peeled and diced (approx. 1.5 cups)
• 4 stalks celery, diced (approx. 1.5 cups)
• 5–6 cups vegetable stock
• 1 cup uncooked red lentils
• 1 28-oz can diced tomatoes with the juices
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1/2 tsp ground thyme
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes, optional, for heat
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• sea salt and additional pepper, to taste

1. Heat the oil in a large soup pot over medium heat.
2. Add the garlic, onion and carrots and cook for 5-6 minutes, stirring often until soft and fragrant.
3. Add the celery, stock, lentils, tomatoes, herbs and spices and bring to a simmer. Start with 5 cups of broth and if needed, slowly add a little more as it cooks to adjust the thickness.
4. Simmer lightly until lentils are soft and tender, approximately 20-25 minutes.
5. Season with salt and additional pepper, to taste, and add a squeeze of lemon juice.
6. Remove the bay leaves and serve right away. Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 day or frozen for up to 3 months.

Sweet Potato & Black Bean Chili

From Eating Well Test Kitchen

1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium-large sweet potato, peeled and diced
1 large onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons chili powder
4 teaspoons ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground chipotle chile (or smoked paprika)
¼ teaspoon salt
2½ cups water
2 15-ounce cans black beans, rinsed
1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes (or tomatoes with chiles)
4 teaspoons lime juice
optional toppings:
chopped fresh cilantro
sour cream (for non-vegans)

Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add sweet potato and onion and cook, stirring often, until the onion begins to soften, about 4 minutes. Add garlic, chili powder, cumin, chipotle or smoked paprika and salt and cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds. Add water and bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cook until the sweet potato is tender, 10 to 12 minutes.  (I actually cooked it for much longer – like an hour.)

Add beans, tomatoes and lime juice; increase heat to high and return to a simmer, stirring often. Reduce heat and simmer until slightly reduced, about 5 minutes.

To try: Garlicky Tofu Tabbouleh

from America’s Test Kitchen “Vegan for Everybody”

Prep Time 40 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes

6 servings

3 tomatoes (cored and cut into ½-inch pieces)
Salt and pepper
½ cup medium-grind bulgur (rinsed)
¼ cup lemon juice (2 lemons)
14 ounces extra-firm tofu (cut into 2-inch pieces)
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves (minced)
⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1½ cups minced fresh parsley
½ cup minced fresh mint
2 scallions (sliced thin)

Toss tomatoes with ¼ teaspoon salt in fine-mesh strainer set over a bowl and let drain, tossing occasionally, for 30 minutes; reserve 2 tablespoons drained tomato juice. Toss bulgur with 2 tablespoons lemon juice and reserved tomato juice in a bowl and let sit until grains begin to soften, 30 to 40 minutes.

Meanwhile, spread tofu on a paper towel–lined baking sheet and let drain for 20 minutes. Gently press dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Pulse tofu in food processor until coarsely chopped, 3 to 4 pulses. Line baking sheet with clean paper towels. Spread processed tofu over prepared sheet and press gently with paper towels to dry.

Heat 2 teaspoons oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add tofu and cook, stirring occasionally, until tofu is lightly browned, 10 to 12 minutes. (Tofu should start to sizzle after about 1½ minutes; adjust heat as needed.) Push tofu to sides of skillet. Add 1 teaspoon oil and garlic to center and cook, mashing garlic into the skillet, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir mixture into tofu. Transfer to a bowl and let cool for 10 minutes.

Whisk remaining 2 tablespoons lemon juice, remaining 3 tablespoons oil, cayenne, and ½ teaspoon salt together in large bowl. Add drained tomatoes, soaked bulgur, cooled tofu, parsley, mint, and scallions and toss to combine. Cover and let sit until bulgur is tender, about 1 hour. Toss to recombine and season with salt and pepper to taste before serving.

Recipe Notes

When shopping, don’t confuse bulgur with cracked wheat, which has a much longer cooking time and will not work in this recipe. You can substitute firm tofu for the extra-firm in this recipe.

Kale Caesar Salad

From America’s Test Kitchen “Vegan for Everybody” via Sandy Ruggles

Serves 4-6

For Salad

16 ounces curly kale, stemmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
5 ounces baguette or rustic 100 percent whole-grain bread, cut into 3/4-inch cubes (4 cups)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt

For Dressing

6 Tablespoons vegan mayonnaise
1 1/2 Tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 1/2 Tablespoons lemon juice
1 1/2 Tablespoons capers, rinsed
2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
2 teaspoons vegan Worcestershire sauce
1 garlic clove, minced
3/4 teaspoon Dijon mutard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Place the kale in a large bowl, cover with warm tap water (about 110 degrees), and let site for 10 minutes.  Dry thoroughly.

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees F.  Toss bread with oil, pepper and salt in bowl.  Spread on rimmed baking sheet and bake until golden and crisp, about 15 minutes; set aside and cool completely, about 15 minutes.  (Croutons can be stored at room temperature for up to 24 hours.)

Process mayonnaise, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, capers, vinegar, Worcestershire, garlic, mustard, salt and pepper in blender until smooth, about 30 seconds.  With blender running, slowly add oil until emulsified.  Toss kale with dressing in large bowl and refrigerate for ate last 20 minutes or up to 6 hours to chill.  Toss salad with croutons and serve.