Winter is here, and all I want is a warm bowl of hearty soup to add a little more warmth and coziness to the days. I’m most definitely a summer girl, but I do appreciate the experience of making a thick soup stuffed with veggies, starchy vegetables, and legumes on a cold day. It also doesn’t hurt that soups keep really well and are their tastiest on day 3. Last weekend I spent about 90 minutes in the kitchen making three fabulous vegan winter soups to share with you: Three Bean Chili, Green Gumbo, and Sweet Potato Red Lentil Bisque. They’re all so delicious I can’t decide which to eat at each meal time. As you’ll see, they’re all very easy to make and super nutritious.
click through to see the recipes…
Vegan Three Bean Chili
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For my three bean mix I used kidney, black, and pinto beans. This recipe requires that you soak your beans overnight. If you don't care to do that you can use 4 cans of beans. If using canned beans cut down the cook time to 20 minutes and add the tomatoes when you add the beans. Plan to serve the chili over rice or cornbread.
Author: Jenné
Serves: 6
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 2 tablespoons cumin
- 1½ tablespoon chili powder
- 1 red onion, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 jalapeño peppers, seeds removed and minced
- 1 lb beans assorted chili beans, soaked overnight 8 hours
- 6-7 cups water or veggie stock
- 1 can diced tomatoes
- 1 medium sweet potato, diced
- 2 teaspoons vegan stock paste or 1 bouillon cube
- cilantro for garnish
Instructions
- Warm coconut oil in a large pot.
- Add 1 tablespoon of the cumin and 1 tablespoon of the chili powder and fry for 30 seconds.
- Add the diced onion, garlic, and jalapeño pepper and cook until tender (about 3 minutes).
- Add the beans followed by the water.
- Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until tender, about 45-60 minutes, keeping the lid ajar.
- Once the beans are tender add the diced tomatoes, sweet potato, the remaining cumin and chili powder, and veggie stock paste/bouillon.
- If you want the chili a little thinner add more water and season to taste with salt.
- Continue to cook another 30 minutes, until the potato is soft.
- Serve with fresh cilantro.
Vegan Green Gumbo
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Look for mustard greens and collards at your local grocery store or farmer's market. Both of these are staple southern greens, and high in minerals, vitamins, antioxidants, and other fancy phytonutrients.
Author: Jenné
Serves: 6
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 3 garlic, minced
- 1 cup celery, diced
- 10 oz baby bella mushrooms, sliced
- 6 c water or vegetable stock
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 tsp porcini powder (optional)
- 2 tsp vegan stock paste or 2 bouillons (don't do this if you use stock)
- 1 bunch mustard greens, chopped
- 2 vegan sausages, chopped (here's a link to my recipe on Instagram)
- hot sauce, for serving
- ½ bunch collards, stems removed and thinly sliced
Instructions
- Warm olive oil in a large pot.
- Add the onions, garlic, and celery and sauté until onions begin to get translucent.
- Add the sliced mushrooms, and stir well. Cook until they soften, about 8 minutes.
- Add the water or veggie stock, pepper, and dried thyme and bring to a simmer. Cook for 10 minutes.
- Add the paprika and porcini powder, and stock paste/bouillon, then stir in the greens. You'll have to push them down into the pot to fit them all in. As they cook they'll reduce in size.
- Cook for another 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and hot sauce to taste then serve.
Sweet Potato Red Lentil Bisque
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This soup is super luxurious and creamy when pureed into a bisque, though it's also delicious left chunky. Do whatever you prefer.
Author: Jenné
Serves: 6
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 2 shallots, halved and sliced
- 1 cup red lentils, rinsed
- 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 1 can coconut milk (full fat)
- 3 c water or vegetable stock
- 2 teaspoons vegan stock paste or 1 bouillon cube
Instructions
- Warm coconut oil in a large pot.
- Add the coriander and cumin seeds and fry them for 30 seconds on medium heat.
- Add the shallot and stir well. Cook for 3 minutes, until it starts to soften.
- Add the red lentils and potatoes, followed by the coconut milk, water, and vegan stock paste/bouillon.
- Bring to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes, until the potatoes are tender.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Puree until creamy.