I have loved split pea soup since I was a kid.  I remember buying cans of Campbells condensed split pea soup and making it for lunch with a grilled cheese sandwich.  A few years ago when I started to reduce the amount of meat I was consuming I was having a hard time making this soup because most recipes contained ham and chicken broth in it.   So I did some playing around and came out with this delicious soup that is meat free!  It gets even better… it’s made in a slow cooker!

Vegetarian and Vegan

Ingredients:
1 small Yellow Onion, chopped
3 Carrots, chopped
2-3 Yukon Gold Potatoes, chopped
2 Garlic cloves, chopped
1 bag of green Split Peas
6 cups of Vegetable broth
1 tablespoon of nutritional yeast
1/2 teaspoon of Hickory Liquid Smoke
2 Bay leaves, dried
1 tablespoon of Parsley, fresh or dried
1/2 teaspoon of Black Pepper
1/4 teaspoon of Salt
2 tablespoons of Olive oil

Additions:
Freshly baked bread

Instructions:

Chop your onion, carrots, potatoes and garlic.  Pour olive oil into the crockpot, then all the chopped ingredients.  Next add the bag of split peas, broth, nutritional yeast, liquid smoke, bay leaves, parsley, pepper and salt.  Mix thoroughly in crock pot. Turn it on to low for 7-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours.  Once cooked, stir the pot once more prior to serving.

Serve into bowls with a side of yummy bread. Happy eating!

6 servings

A new obsession of mine: Israeli couscous, also known as Pearl Couscous.  I’ve always loved couscous but this is like on a whole other level!  First recipe put together since discovering this new delicious item.

Vegetarian and Vegan

Ingredients:
1 can of Chickpeas, thoroughly rinsed
1 cup of Carrots, shredded
1/2 cup of Red Onion, chopped
1/2 cup of Parsley, chopped
2 cups of Israeli Couscous, uncooked
1/4 cup of Olive Oil
2 tablespoons of Red Vinegar
1 tablespoon of Lemon
1/2 teaspoon of Black Pepper
1/4 teaspoon of Salt
Optional: 3/4 cup Feta crumbles

Instructions:

Cook couscous following the package directions. Approximately 10 minutes. While the couscous is cooking, chop onion and parsley.  Rinse chickpeas.  Once couscous is cooked and luke-warm, pour into a large bowl.  Add carrots, onion, parsley and remaining ingredients into large bowl.  Stir thoroughly.  Place into refrigerator to cool.

Pour into a bowl for a snack or as a side for a sandwich or (veggie) burger.  Happy eating!

6-8 servings

Not too long ago I discovered Pho, a delicious Vietnamese soup with usually meat and rice noodles.  I had the vegetarian version and was instantly hooked! I created this recipe to be similar to that but have my own flare to it. I hope you enjoy it!

Vegetarian and Vegan

Ingredients:
Olive oil
1 Yellow Onion, small, cut in long thin pieces
3 Carrots, full sized
Vegetable broth
Better Than Bouillon, No Chicken Base (Highly recommend, can be found on amazon.com if not at your local grocery store)
2 cups of Broccoli, chopped
1 Red Bell Pepper, cut in long thin pieces
Rice Noodles, 4 servings worth, prepare by package directions (2 servings worth would be enough as well if you want less noodles)
1 teaspoon of salt

Toppings (which I highly recommend them all!):
Cilantro
Basil
Bean Sprouts

Additions:
Hot sauce of your choice. I like Sriracha.

Instructions:

Cut up the carrots and half of the onion and put into a large pot, or dutch oven, with olive oil. Cook until the carrots begin to get semi-soft, stirring occasionally. Add in 4 cups of vegetable broth, and 6 cups of water with 6 teaspoons of the Better Than Bouillon. Add the broccoli, red bell pepper, and salt. Bring to a boil. Once the rice noodles are ready, put into pot. Cook until rice noodles are cooked. You can add more vegetable broth to your liking.

Serve into a large bowl and top with fresh greens of cilantro, basil and bean sprouts. Happy eating!

6 servings

Nothing like having a good bowl of chili once fall comes around. When those temperatures drop, I love having a bowl to warm up my body and soul.

Vegetarian and Vegan

Ingredients:
Olive oil
2 Sweet Potatoes, medium sized
1 Yellow Onion, small or medium
3 cloves of garlic, diced or minced
2 tablespoons Chili powder
1 tablespoon Cumin powder
1 teaspoon Smoked Paprika
1 teaspoon of onion powder
1/4 teaspoon of cheyenne pepper, if you want the extra heat (I went without)
1 can of Black Beans
1 can of Diced Tomatoes with Green Chiles (Or diced tomatoes without chiles if you prefer a milder chili)
1 can of Tomato Paste
Vegetable broth
1/2 cup of Quinoa
Salt and Pepper to taste

Optional Toppings:
Sour Cream
Shredded Cheese
Avocado (vegan choice)

Additions:
Jiffy Corn Bread Mix

Instructions:

In a big pot, or dutch oven, put in 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Dice the yellow onion and sweet potatoes, then place into the pot. Turn stove onto medium heat. Add garlic and seasonings. Stir ingredients together. Cook until onion is almost translucent and the sweet potatoes are semi-soft, stirring occasionally.

While waiting for the onion and potatoes to cook, I whipped up a batch of corn bread muffins and popped them into the oven, all in time for the next step in the chili.

Next, add in the can of black beans, tomatoes with chiles, half can of the tomato paste, 2 cups of vegetable broth, and 1/2 cup of quinoa. Bring to a simmer. Cook until quinoa is cooked, about 20 mins. Salt and pepper to your taste.

Serve into bowls and top with your favorite topping. And if you made corn bread muffins, grab one or two to have with! Happy eating!

5 servings

Thanks for joining me!

Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton