Bread and Tomato Soup

Prep. Time: 40 mins

Serves 6-8

Yummy, easy, a complete meal. –J.M.

2lb canned chopped tomatoes

1/2 c. oil

4 garlic cloves, peeled & minced

10 leaves fresh basil chopped, or 2t dried

12 slices stale Tuscan bread

salt & pepper

1 hot pepper (or 1t red pepper flakes)

6 c. veggie stock made at half strength (ie 3 boullion cubes, 6 cups water instead of regular 1 to 1)

Heat oil in a large heavy saucepan over med. heat, add garlic simmer briefly, then add bread. Fry, sprinkling with sale & pepper, for 5-10 minutes. Add tomatoes, stir, cook for 3-4 mins. Cut hot pepper into a few pieces, add (or just add flakes). Add basil. Add broth, stir, cook on low flame until bread is reduced to mush. Serve hot or cold.

Chili Soup

Prep Time: washing & chopping celery and onion (15mins?)
Cook Time: 40 mins.
Serves 4-6

This is a thin-ish chili, thus we call it “soup.” I always use Muir Glen whole or diced
tomatoes (found in the health-foods section at Stop & Shop) because they are packaged in enameled tins and don’t taste like a can. You can add other vegetables to make this stretch–a cup of frozen corn, chopped carrots, etc.. –H.C.

1 1/2 c, celery, chopped
1 med. onion, chopped
1 T. oil
1 lg. can V8 Juice
1 28-oz can whole (or two 14-oz cans) diced tomatoes
2 cans beans (kidney, cannellini, or a mix), drained & rinsed
2 t. chili powder
cayenne pepper to taste (optional)
1 t. salt
dash pepper

Heat oil (use a large skillet, if you have one, to make this a one-pot dish) and sauté onion with celery until onion is translucent and celery begins to soften.

Transfer to a soup pot (if you don’t have that large skillet) and add everything else, except beans. Cook to boiling, then reduce heat to a simmer and add beans. Cook until celery is soft and beans are warm.

Fab Fall Soup

Prep Time: 1 hr.

Serves 4-6

The flavors make this reminiscent of a mild curry soup. –S.P.

1 small pumpkin or 2 small squash (e.g. butternut), chopped into smallish bits
1 onion, chopped
1 T. oil
1 t. coriander
1 t. cumin
cayenne pepper to taste
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 in. fresh ginger, chopped
1 c. red lentils
1 med. size can of tomato puree (I guess that means about 15 oz.)

Fry onion, garlic, ginger and spices in oil until onion is soft. Add pumpkin (or squash) and lentils and add just enough water to cover. Simmer for 20 minutes–squash and lentils should both be tender–checking water level occasionally. Add tomato puree and heat through. Mash mixture with potato masher or puree in blender. Warm again and serve with fresh pepper (or yogurt or sour cream in non-fasting seasons).

Penne & Chickpea Soup

Prep. Time: 30 mins

Serves 6-8

1/4 c. oil

4 med. garlic cloves, peeled & crushed

1 sprig fresh rosemary , or 1T dried

2 cans (14.5oz each) diced tomatoes with liquid

2 cans (14.5oz each) chickpeas, drained, rinsed and one can’s worth mashed

2 t salt

8 oz penne pasta (or other similar shape)

6 cups water

Pepper

Heat oil in a large heavy saucepan over med. heat, and add garlic and rosemary, sauté until fragrant but not brown - approx 2 mins. Add tomatoes with their liquid, whole and mashed chickpeas, water and salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 10 mins. Add pasta, cook until al dente, add pepper to taste, serve.

Lenten Brownies

Prep time: 20 min. (plus baking time)

Serves: 24

3/4 c. soy margarine
2 c. turbinado sugar*
1 1/2 c. flour
1/2 c. cocoa powder
1/2 t. baking powder
1/4 t. salt
1 c. unsweetened applesauce
2 t. vanilla
12 oz bag (2 c.) dairy-free chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350°.  Cream margarine and sugar. Combine dry ingredients. Add to the creamed mixture, alternating with the applesauce. Add vanilla and 1 ½ c. of the chocolate chips. Spread into greased 9×13 pan.  Sprinkle remaining chocolate chips over the top. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until knife comes out clean.

*Turbinado sugar, or raw cane sugar, is very coarse and (to my taste) less sweet than regular sugar. You can find it at Trader Joe’s, in 24 oz. packages. Chances are, regular sugar would work just fine—you might try decreasing the amount to 1 ½ or 1 ¾ c.. Another possibility, to capture the hint of caramel in turbinado sugar, would be to use 1 c. brown sugar plus ¾ to 1 c. white sugar.

Hearty Pea Soup

Prep Time: Peel, clean, & chop onion, carrot, celery, parsley, & potato (20 mins?)

Cook Time: 2.5 hours (mostly while you do other stuff)

Serves: 4 as a main course

Notes: This recipe is from The New Laurel’s Kitchen and is one of my favorite non-Lenten soups, even though it is perfectly vegan. –H.C.

1 onion, diced

2 T. oil

1 bay leaf

1 t. celery seed

1 c. green split peas

¼ c. barley

½ c. lima beans (frozen or canned)

8 c. water

2 t. salt

dash pepper

1 carrot, chopped

3 stalks celery, diced

½ c. shopped parsley

1 Idaho potato, diced

½ t. dried basil

½ t. dried thyme

Sauté onion in oil until soft, along with bay leaf and celery seed. Stir in peas, barley, and lima beans. Add water and bring to a boil. Cook on low heat, partially covered, for about 1 ½ hours.

Add salt, pepper, vegetables, and herbs. Turn heat down as low as possible and simmer another 30-45 minutes. Thin with additional water as you like. Correct seasonings.

Mediterranean Bean Soup

Prep. Time: 30 mins

Serves 4-6

1 med onion, coarsely chopped

2-3 medium carrots, peeled & coarsely chopped

1-2 garlic cloves, peeled & crushed

2T oil

2 c. white beans (cannellini, navy, etc)

salt & pepper

6 cups boiling water

1T fresh thyme or 1t dried

1-2 bay leaves

1/4 c. chopped parsley

Heat oil in a large heavy saucepan over med. heat, and sauté onion, carrots and garlic until soft, not brown - 10-15 mins. Add drained beans w/ boiling water to pot. Cook for 10 mins, blend 1.5 cups or more before serving and stir back in. Add salt & pepper to taste, garnish with parsley.

Lentil Soup with Pasta and Mint

Prep. Time: 40 mins

Serves 4

Can add bigger and more pasta for a more substantial dish. Recipe doubles well. –J.M.

4 c. water

1 c. brown lentils, rinsed

1 bay leaf

1/4 c. oil

1 c. red onion, coarsely chopped

2 med. carrots, peeled & coarsely chopped

salt

1/2 t. red pepper flakes

3 c. veggie stock

1/3 c. stellini pasta (or other small shape, such as orzo)

black pepper

1/4 c. chopped fresh mint (or half that amount dried and crushed)

Sweet balsamic vinegar for garnish (optional)

In a large pot, combine water, lentils and bay leaf - bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 mins, or until lentils are tender. Drain, reserving 1 c. of cooking liquid. Discard leaf, wipe pot with paper towel. Heat oil in pot & sauté onion and carrots over med. heat until soft - 5 mins. Add lentils and cook 1 min. Add reserved liquid, stock, red pepper, salt to taste and boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 mins. Return to med. heat, add pasta, cook for 5 mins or until pasta is al dente. Add black pepper, stire in mint. Serve, garnished with a drizzle of vinegar if desired.

Very Veggie Chili

Prep. Time: 45 min.

Serves 8

Modify to your tastes by using your own favorite veggies! –S.P.

2 med. onions, chopped

1 green pepper, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 c. vegetable stock

1 pkg. chili seasoning mix (found with gravies, etc. in stores)

2 small zucchini, sliced

2 small summer squash, sliced

1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes

1 (15 oz) can sweet corn

4 (15 oz) cans beans (any variety), rinsed

In 6-qt. pot, sauté onions, pepper, and garlic 5 min. or until almost tender. Add stock, seasoning mix and squash, cook another 5 min., Add tomatoes, corn, and beans; bring to a boil and simmer for 10-15 minutes.

Slow cooker version: sauté onions, pepper, and garlic; layer ingredients in slow cooker, cutting vegetable stock to 1 ½ c. Cook on low at least 4 hours.

Oatmeal

Prep. Time: 50 mins

Serves: 4

While this seems like a big time commitment for breakfast, this stick-to-your-ribs oatmeal can actually be made ahead and reheated in the microwave a portion at a time and is still delicious! –J.M.

3 c. water

1 c. soymilk

1 T oil

1 c. steelcut oats

1/4 t. salt

Bring liquids to a simmer in large saucepan over medium heat. Meanwhile, heat oil to shimmer, add oats and toast them, stirring with wooden spoon (pref) until fragrant and golden, about 1.5 mins. Stir oats into liquid, reduce heat to med-low. Simmer gently until mixture thickens - approx 20 mins. Add salt and stir lightly with spoon handle. Continue simmering, stirring occasionally w/ spoon handle, until oats absorb almost all liquid & oatmeal is thick and creamy with pudding-like consistency, about 7-10 mins. Off heat, let oatmeal stand uncovered 5 mins then serve with favorite topping or plain.