This week’s recipe was inspired by a recipe from Vegetarian Times magazine.
was in the mood for soup this week so I went combing through all of my recipes and found this great one with noodles, mushrooms and green beans…some of my favorite foods. This is another recipe that is easy to whip up if you have a last minute vegetarian or vegan guest coming for dinner. It also makes a great, low-calorie, low-sodium meal for anyone who’s trying to watch their waist line before the holiday eating season begins!
From the Pantry:
- 2 tbs. olive oil
- 6 c. low-sodium vegetable broth
- 3 c. no-egg wide-ribbon noodles (these are similar to egg noodles which are vegetarian friendly but not vegan friendly, feel free to substitute with your favorite noodle)
- ¾ tsp. dried Herbs de Provence seasoning mix (if you can’t find a premade mix, use any combination of earthy flavored herbs like, sage, rosemary, thyme and savory)
- kosher salt to taste
From the Garden
- 2 ½ c. (6 oz.) portabella mushrooms, chopped into large chunks
- 1 medium sweet onion, diced (about 1 ½ cups)
- 1 ½ c. green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces
- ¼ c. fresh Italian parsley
- 1 clove garlic, peeled
- 2 tsp. grated lemon zest
Use a large soup pot to saute the onion and mushrooms in the olive oil until the onion is soft and slightly browned. Add the Herbs de Provence and the green beans and allow them to cook for 1-2 minutes. Pour in the vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Add the uncooked noodles and allow them to boil gently for 7-8 minutes (or the time according to the package directions for the noodles that you have selected). While waiting for the noodles to cook in the soup, make the gremolata by finely chopping together the parsley, garlic and lemon zest.
Once the soup is ready, serve hot and top each serving with 1-2 tsp. of the gremolata. The original recipe called for a scoop of mascarpone cheese to be stirred in just before serving but I wanted to keep the recipe vegan and low-cal. You could top the soup with a bit of shaved parmesan cheese but then you’re not vegan anymore (but still vegetarian). It’s up to you how if you’d like the cheese but I thought it was quite tasty without it. Just a bit of kosher salt sprinkled on top and I was happy!
.
.
.
Care to learn more about being a vegetarian? Click here to read my mini-series: When Veggies Come to Dinner
s the weather gets colder, my belly starts to want warm, hearty meals just like this chili. It’s packed with beans and warm spices that make it the perfect meal for this time of year. It’s also hearty enough that you’ll feel full and satisfied…no meat required. And if it’s camping weather in your neck of the woods then you’ll want to take the ingredients along to make this one-pot meal. Just let it simmer over the open fire on these cold Autumn nights and then make some friends because this bountiful recipe makes enough to serve 10. If you aren’t looking to feed quite that many people at once, it freezes great or can be packaged in mason jars* and given as gifts to neighbors and co-workers.
his week I welcome you to the world of “meat substitutes.” Sounds appetizing, right? Not really, but they can be. I think that any time you decide to use a veggie meat, it’s important that you approach it with the right mindset. It’s similar to substituting any ingredient for the one that you’re used to. When turkey burgers started to make their way into popular culture as a healthier alternative to beef, many people gave them a try but didn’t care for them because they didn’t taste like their regular hamburger. Veggie meats are very similar because the veggie bacon is not going to taste like regular pork or turkey bacon, so you’ll need to approach it as a whole new taste that is similar to “regular” bacon. With an open mind, I’m sure you’ll find that veggie bacon can be a tasty ingredient-swap in this week’s meat-free meal.
