Vegan - Vegetarian Soup Secrets

It’s actually quite amazing the incredible rich, nutritious and delicious soup and broth that can be made with only vegetable ingredients. In fact it makes my mouth water and my nose crinkle just thinking about a pot o’soup simmering away on the stove, filling the house with its warm, rich aroma. One of the best ways to start a veggie stock is with a little oil - some of my favorite oils to use for soup are: olive, coconut and toasted sesame. Sauté over low gentle heat 2-3 tablespoons oil with several of the following chopped herbs and veggies: o Purple, red, yellow or white onion o Sweet onion o shallots o leeks o Scallions, chives, garlic chives o Garlic, purple garlic, elephant garlic o Ginger o Peppers – sweet, green, red, yellow, orange o Hot chili peppers or jalapenos o Celery o Grated carrots o Washed chopped parsley rno Cilantro or Parsley Start right in your soup pot; sauté this mixture, made with what you have on hand, till lightly golden and smelling irresistible - if you want to get really exciting add a few tablespoons of wine – red or white. Then fill up this soup pot with a good amount of water – 2 quarts or so. Don’t try to turn soup into an exact science – it is a creative process; use what you have on hand and make it taste awesome. Next go wild with whatever herbs and spices you have, hopefully fresh out of the perennial garden – if not, dried herbs will do – don’t hold back, use your taste and intuitive sense to create a great original blend to compliment the ingredients of grains, beans and veggies you intend to add. As you might one day find through experience – it doesn’t take much grain to fill a soup pot with hearty stock – maybe ½ cup or so depending on the grain. Once beans have been soaked, they are more digestible with less cooking time – providing a hearty filling nourishing balanced soup. Simmer till all ingredients are tender, tastes melded, and voilå, invite Little Red Riding Hood, Grandma and Goldilocks and the Three Bears to dinner – oops - where are the crackers? Why Become Vegan or Vegetarian? Simple diet is best; for many dishes bring many diseases: and rich sauces are worse than heaping several meats upon each other. - Pliny Story has it that once upon a time in the long ago there was an ice age over much of Planet Earth…small settlements of nomadic humans managed to survive when there was no vegetation to eat by killing other animals and consuming their flesh. This was a far cry from the “garden” before the ice age, where they could pick all kinds of fruits, vegetables and seeds. After many long years when the small groups of humans had almost forgotten what it was like to have plant foods for their survival; they were able to make settlements where deep alluvial soil had settled, and amazingly rich plant life began to grow. These spots were so wonderful, they became excellent gardeners and fed their flocks along with themselves, as they almost began to forget the days when all they had was meat for survival…anyway…so story has it…