vegan gazpacho

a refreshing summer staple

When I first met my husband, he told me about this restaurant he used to frequent with his mother called Salmagundi's at South Coast Plaza in Orange County, CA (unfortunately they went out of business before I moved to So Cal so I never had the pleasure of eating there). When Marty went to Salmagundi's (I just love saying that name), he always got a bowl of gazpacho which he described to me as salsa soup and THE BEST DISH EVER. While I love salsa, I couldn't imagine eating it straight up out of a bowl so I kind of dismissed the idea and wrote it off as something I would never make.

A few years ago, on a blistering hot day, Marty tried again to convince me that  gazpacho was a refreshing dish, perfect for our Tennessee summers. I caved in and decided to give it a try. After searching the internet for ideas, rather than follow one specific recipe, I decided to wing it and throw together whatever sounded good to me. What resulted was a dynamic burst of summery freshness and, from my first spoonful, I was hooked.

Now, Marty and I anxiously look forward to warm weather and ripe, local produce so we can make gazpacho. Once the temperatures get above 70 degrees, our fridge is rarely without a bowl of this lively vegetable medley.

Gazpacho
makes a huge bowl full

• 4 large, very ripe tomatoes (or 2 fresh tomatoes and 1 28 oz can diced tomatoes)
  
• 1 peeled cucumber
• 1 bell pepper (or an extra cucumber)
• 1 small red onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• jalapeno to taste (I usually use 1)
• fresh cilantro to taste (I usually use about 1/2 of a bunch)
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• juice from 1/4 of a lemon
• 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil
  
• salt & pepper to taste
• diced avocado / guacamole / vegan sour cream / raw corn kernels (optional)
  

1. Roughly chop the tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, and onion into large chunks.
2. Add the veggies and everything else to a food processor and pulse until you have very small pieces (the size of a kernel of corn or smaller).
3. Taste and add more vinegar, lemon, olive oil and/or salt & pepper if necessary.
4. Top with diced avocado, guacamole, a dollop of vegan sour cream, sprinkle with corn kernels cut right off the cob or all of the above!

vegan yellow split pea soup

in the style of Atar Allecha

As a newbie to plant-based eating, I've been spending a lot of time perusing cookbooks and blogs (we'll refer to these activities as research -- has a nice ring to it!). One of the sources that I've been using lately is The Real Food Daily Cookbook by Ann Gentry, which includes recipes used at the eponymous restaurants in California. In addition to being vegan, Real Food fare has a macrobiotic slant, which is a direction I'd like to explore more deeply. Since I haven't been to the restaurant, I appreciated Ms. Gentry's introduction and the numerous photographs of the restaurants and food presentation. It's also useful to find notes that indicate which recipes are particularly popular at the restaurant-- this helps narrow the field when choosing dishes to serve to company of various diet orientations!

The first recipe that I tried was the Curried Yellow Split Pea Soup, which played to the warm flavors of Indian cuisine, rather than the sweet, herbal (and usually porky) French version that I grew up with. I was pleased with the texture of the finished soup: the peas were partially-broken down, so they thickened the broth and remained a bit chewy. However, I thought the spice component could use a little more personality.

I decided to brighten the flavor of the soup with ginger and jalapeño, and quickly realized that the combination sounded like the Ethiopian dish, atar allecha (mashed yellow peas). In a nod to Ethiopian cooking, I sautéed the aromatics in niter kibbeh and added fresh jalapeño. The combination gave this mellow soup the sassy little top note that I was looking for.

Atar Allecha Soup
makes 2 1/2 quarts

• 8 cups vegetable broth or water
• 2 cups yellow split peas, rinsed
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped, amount divided in half
• 4 large garlic cloves, finely minced
• 2 celery stalks, finely chopped
• 3 large carrots, finely chopped
• 1 cup butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and diced
• 6 tablespoons niter kibbeh
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped
• Suggested garnishes: sliced fresh jalapeño, minced cilantro, sliced green onion

1. Soak split peas in 3 cups of water for one hour (optional).
2. Drain, rinse, and combine with broth and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes.
3. While the peas are soaking or cooking, heat a large, dry pan over medium-high heat. Stir fry the garlic and half of the chopped onion for two minutes.
4. Add the niter kibbeh to the pan and sauté until onion is transparent, about six minutes. Add the turmeric, salt, and jalapeno to the onion mixture and sauté for two minutes.
5. Pour the onion mixture into the soup. Add the remaining onion, celery, carrots, and squash to the soup and stir to combine.
6. Cover the pot and simmer over low heat for 40 minutes, until the vegetables are tender and the peas have begun to break down. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

vegan red lentil stew

quick and easy

I recently received a box of cookies from my dear friend Leslie.  Every time I think of Leslie, I'm reminded me of this amazing lentil stew recipe she gave me a long time ago.  It has since been modified a few dozen times and the recipe below is for our favorite version.  It doesn't have strong or complex seasonings and usually I prefer it like that; mellow and understated.  However, occasionally I'll use it as a base to improvise with what I have on hand and what I'm in the mood for (perhaps adding a little adobo seasoning, cumin and lime to give it a southwestern flair or a bit of berbere and nitter kibbeh for an Ethiopian kick).

Vegan Red Lentil Stew
serves 4

• 1 cup red lentils, rinsed and drained
  
• 3 cups water
• 1 15 oz can of diced tomatoes
• 1 T soy sauce
• 1 T vegan Worcestershire sauce
• 1-2 bouillon cubes
  
• 1 onion
• 3 celery stalks
• 2 carrots
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1-2 jalapenos (optional)
• 1 t dried basil
• 1/2 t dried oregano
• few sprinkles red pepper flakes
• a few handfuls of fresh spinach or a box of frozen chopped spinach

1. In a medium sauce pan, combine lentils, water, diced tomatoes, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce and bouillon.  Bring to a boil, then turn down to low and simmer.  
2. Meanwhile, roughly chop onion, celery and carrots.  Add them, with the garlic cloves and jalapeno (if using), to a food processor and pulse until finely diced (or finely dice by hand).
3. Add vegetables to sauce pan along with the basil, oregano and red pepper flakes. 
4. If using fresh spinach, chop and add to lentils.  If using frozen spinach, defrost in microwave, wring out extra water and add to lentils.
5. Simmer for 30 minutes total (start timing once you turn the temperature down to simmer), stirring every once in a while.

Out of the goodness of her heart, Leslie shipped me a box of her delicious cookies. This batch was mint chocolate chip and they were just perfect. Slightly crispy around the edges and chewy in the centers with a hint of mint to make them extra special.

For a very reasonable price, she will happily mail you some cookies too! She's not only a terrific baker but she's also a very talented jeweler. Check out her etsy shop, Piece by Peace or her Facebook Fan Page!