Supertoddler's Little Vegan Meals - Super Noodle Soup

Today I bring you another of Supertoddler's favorite Little Vegan Meals. In addition to fighting crime and destroying a tidy house in a matter of seconds, Supertoddler also souper loves...soup. This dinner features his favorite comfort soup - a brothy noodle soup with carrots and onions. Quick and easy to make, this pairs nicely with whole grain toast, fruit {Supertoddler's choice was grapefruit and blood orange}, and soy milk.

Super Noodle Soup
2 big servings

1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 medium onion, finely diced
2 carrots, thinly sliced
4 cups vegetable broth {I use Better than Bullion No-Chicken Broth Paste}
2 oz angel hair pasta, broken into thirds

1. Saute the onion and carrot over medium heat, until softened, about 8 minutes.

2. Add the broth and bring to a boil. Stir in the angel hair pasta, and allow to bubble for 5 - 8 minutes, until pasta and carrots are both tender. Serve with toast or bread for dipping.

You can add just about anything to this soup, including beans, panfried tofu, vegan "chicken", or other vegetables. Supertoddler prefers his Super Soup just like this...but maybe someday I'll sneak in some celery.

Broccoli and Lemon Orzo Soup

This is one of my all-time favorite soups. It's simple to put together, delicate enough to eat when you're not feeling well, but with a complex enough flavor to enjoy when you feel great and just want some good soup. It's on the brothier side, which lend itself well to being served with a loaf of crusty artisan bread.

The quality of the vegetable stock you use here is important. Use one that is relatively neutral and that you enjoy the flavor of. As with any brothy soup, it's only as good as the quality of your broth. Another note -- orzo is magical. As this soup sits, the orzo will soak up any remaining liquid. If you want to eat leftovers of this soup the next day, either plan on eating it more "casserole" or "stew" style...or add more broth/lemon to return it to its original soup state.

Broccoli & Lemon Orzo Soup
Serves 6.

1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
8 cups good vegetable broth
1 lb of broccoli, cut into bite­size pieces
3⁄4 cup orzo
the zest of one lemon
the juice of half a lemon
2 tbsp dill, chopped

1. In a large pot over medium­high heat, cook onions in olive oil until starting to caramelize, about 7 minutes. Add garlic and cook for another 2 minutes.
2. Pour in vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Add orzo and cook for 4 minutes. Add broccoli and cook for an additional 5 minutes, until broccoli is tender and orzo is cooked through. Add zest, juice, and dill. Serve immediately.

Pumpkin Peanut Thai Soup

I really love the idea of pumpkin soup. However, the more different pumpkin soup recipes I try, the more disappointed I become. They all feel like they are covering up the fresh delicately sweet pumpkin taste, rather than enhancing it.

I knew I wanted pumpkin soup for Halloween dinner, and I knew that now was the time to branch out and create my own recipe. And boy oh boy, did I. This soup was so delicious and creamy, and the pumpkin flavor really shone through. The hints of peanut and Thai curry played up the sweetness and richness. If you're looking for a complex soup that's at the same time deliciously simple, you've found your match.

Pumpkin Peanut Thai Soup
Serves 4

1 small to medium pie {or sugar} pumpkin
1 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion
1 cup coconut milk
2 cups vegetable broth
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1 tbsp Thai curry paste {I used green}, or to taste
salt & pepper, to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Cut the pumpkin in half, remove seeds, and place cut sides down in a greased baking dish. Cover with foil and bake for 1 hour to 1 1/2 hours, until flesh of the pumpkin can be easily pierced. Allow to cool until the pumpkin halves can be comfortably handled.

2. Scoop the flesh of the pumpkin into a food processor and pulse until smooth. Set aside.

3. Heat the olive oil in a medium soup pot. Add the onion and sautee until golden, about 8 minutes.

4. Add the pumpkin puree, coconut milk, vegetable broth, peanut butter, and curry paste. Puree using an immersion blending to your desired consistency. Heat for 10 to 15 minutes to allow flavors to combine and all ingredients to heat uniformly.

5. Taste for seasonings, and add more curry paste, salt, or pepper if desired.

6. Serve with a dollop of vegan sour cream, some roasted salted peanuts, and a dash of paprika.

Chickpea Noodle Soup - the cure for the vegan cold

In my household, most of the time we are healthy. I mean, being superheroes and ninjas must provide us with a heartier constitution. However, today we are dying of the plague or something equally drastic.

Being the mom, I braved the wind and cold to gather supplies, and selflessly came home and made Chickpea Noodle Soup, pausing to lean against the counter every few minutes. Okay, so maybe I'm being a little dramatic, but I do feel pretty awful.

Before making the soup I looked at a few recipes online, but nothing stuck out for me, so I decided to just go for it and wing it. Boy oh boy am I glad I did.

Chickpea Noodle Soup
Serves 6

1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
8oz mushrooms, chopped
3 carrots, thinly sliced
2 celery stalks, thinly sliced
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 1/2 cups chickpeas {15oz can drained and rinsed}
8 cups water
3 tbsp Better Than Bullion No Chicken broth paste
1 cup frozen green peas
1/2 lb linguine or other pasta
1 1/2 tbsp nutritional yeast
fresh black pepper

1. In a large soup pot, heat olive oil over medium high heat. Add onion, and cook until caramelized. Add garlic and sautee until golden brown.
2. Add mushrooms and cook until all of the liquid has evaporated and they are cooked through. Add carrots, celery and thyme. Cook for 5 minutes, until softened.
3. Add chickpeas, water, broth paste, and peas. Bring to a boil. Add the pasta and nutritional yeast, and cook until pasta is tender, about 12 minutes.
4. Ladle into bowls, garnish with fresh black pepper, and serve with crusty bread.

Almost Irish Crock Pot Stew

A simple delicious stew from Fresh From the Vegetarian Slow Cooker. Served with crusty bread it was a quick, hearty, and filling meal, not to mention a wonderful thing to come home to.

Creamy Broccoli and Potato Soup

Creamy Broccoli & Potato Soup was the perfect October dinner, especially when served with a crusty loaf of artisan bread from the local bakery.

It makes me want to figure out how to make a Broccoli & Potato Cheese Soup {vegan of course}. I see some experimentation in my future!

Tomato and Avocado Soup

Homemade chunky tomato and avocado soup is perfect for a day where you're feeling under the weather. It was a snap to put together in the blender, and then just took a little heating on the stove. I can see this being really versatile, blending other vegetables and herbs into the soup to suit your own tastes.