very gently. Serve immediately.
Curried Pea Soup
This is about the fastest soup I know. It tastes better if superior quality tinned peas are used. A quick recipe.
1 tin (c.400g)/l can (c.l4–16 oz) peas
1 tbs grated onion
1 heaped tsp curry powder
As required sea salt
30g/l oz/2 tbs vegan margarine
570ml/1 pt/2½ cups soya (soy) milk
1) Blend all the ingredients together in a liquidizer except the margarine.
2) Pour the mixture into a saucepan and heat gently. Add the margarine and mix in well.
3) Serve when well heated.
Cream of Peanut Butter Soup
2 tops celery
285ml/½ pt/11/3 cups water 1 tsp sea salt 4 sticks celery 1 tbs grated onion 30g/l oz/2 tbs vegan margarine 2 tbs wholewheat flour 3 tbs peanut butter 425ml/1/4 pt/2 cups soya (soy) milk As required freshly ground black pepper Sprinkling paprika
1) Chop the celery tops and cook them in the water with the salt for about 10 minutes. Strain, reserving the water but discarding the celery tops.
2) Chop the celery finely. Sauté this with the onion in the margarine for 2 minutes.
3) Stir in the flour. When well blended, add the peanut butter and mix well.
4) Stir in the milk and celery water. Stir over a low heat until the mixture boils. Simmer for 2–3 minutes.
5) Season to taste with black pepper. When serving, sprinkle with paprika.
Chilled Avocado and Tomato Soup
This is a good choice for a hot summer’s day. A quick recipe.
2 tomatoes
1 small onion
1 small green pepper
1 large avocado
570ml/1 pt/2½ cups tomato juice
2 tsp lemon juice
1) Peel and chop the tomatoes. Quarter the onion. Dice the green pepper. Peel and dice the avocado.
2) Pour the tomato and lemon juice into the liquidizer, add the remaining ingredients and blend well.
3) Chill before serving.
Lentil and Dulse Soup
Dulse is a home-grown sea vegetable which gives a lovely flavour to soup.
2 onions
2 cloves garlic
2 tbs vegetable oil
170g/6 oz/1 cup red lentils
1140ml/2 pts/5 cups water
1 vegetable stock cube
30g/l oz dulse
As required sea salt
As required freshly ground black pepper
1) Chop the onions and garlic finely. Sauté in the oil in a saucepan 3–4 minutes.
2) Rinse and add the lentils and water; bring to the boil. Crumble and stir in the stock cube. Chop the dulse and add it to the saucepan. Turn heat as low as possible, cover pan. and simmer for 20–30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste for seasoning, add sea salt if necessary (some stock cubes are quite salty) and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
Curried Avocado Soup
As with other avocado soups, it is not advisable to bring this to the boil, but just warm it gently. This quick recipe does not make a large quantity, but it is rich.
2 avocados
2 tsp curry powder
140ml/1/4 pt/2/3 cup soya (soy) milk Juice of 1 lemon 570ml/1 pt/2½ Cups water ½ vegetable stock cube As required sea salt As required freshly ground black pepper 2 tbs finely chopped parsley
1) Peel the avocados and put the flesh into a liquidizer.
2) Add the curry powder, milk and lemon juice and blend.
3) Heat the water to boiling point and pour half of it into the liquidizer, together with the half vegetable stock cube. Blend again.
4) Add the avocado mixture to the remainder of the hot water in a saucepan and stir over a gentle heat until mixture is warmed through. Taste and season.
5) Sprinkle with parsley before serving.
Wakame and Miso Soup
Wakame is a sea vegetable traditionally used in Japanese miso soups.
30g/l oz dried wakame
1 large onion
2 tbs vegetable oil
1 litre/1¾ pts/4 cups water
2–3 tsp miso
1) Soak the wakame in cold water for about 10 minutes. Drain and chop.
2) Chop the onion finely and sauté in the oil until lightly browned. Pour in the water and bring to the boil. Add the wakame, lower the heat, then cover the pan and simmer for 10–15 minutes.
3) Remove a little of the liquid from the pan and mix it in a small bowl with the miso. Return it to the pan, leave the pan uncovered on the lowest possible heat for a minute or two then serve immediately.
Cream of Mushroom Miso Soup
Traditional miso soups are not creamy, but there is no reason why this ingredient should not be used in a non-traditional soup. It should not boil after the miso is added. Suitable for a dinner party.
455g/1 lb/8 cups mushrooms
1 onion
2 sticks celery
55g/2 oz/1/4 cup vegan margarine 425ml/¾ pt/2 cups water or vegetable stock 2 tbs miso 2 tbs wholewheat flour 425ml/¾ pt/2 cups soya (soy) milk As required freshly ground black pepper 3 tbs finely chopped parsley
1) Chop the mushrooms, onion and celery. Melt half the margarine in a saucepan and add the vegetables. Sauté for about 3 minutes.
2) Add the water or stock, bring to the boil, then lower the heat, cover and simmer for about 10 minutes.
3) Pour the mixture into a liquidizer along with the miso. and leave to cool slightly. Blend thoroughly.
4) Meanwhile, melt the remainder of the margarine and stir in the flour. Gradually stir in the milk, very slowly to avoid lumps, and bring to the boil. Boil for a minute or two, then lower heat to the barest minimum and pour in the contents of the liquidizer.
5) Season with pepper, and serve topped with the parsley.
Split Pea and Wakame Soup
Split pea soup is an old favourite; the addition of a sea vegetable (wakame) makes it even more nutritious – and delicious.
115g/4 oz/¾ cup split peas
1140ml/2 pts/5 cups water
30g/l oz wakame
2 onions
225g/½ lb carrots
2 tbs tahini
As required sea salt and/or soy sauce
1) Cover the split peas with cold water and leave to soak overnight.
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