How to Make Vegetarian Soup

Vegetarian soup is a liquid food that is made by boiling vegetables in water and then seasoning and occasionally thickening the liquid that is created. It is normally served as the first course of a dinner, and it is also frequently served as a light meal, such as luncheon, on its own.

Soup is an easily created, economical and when properly prepared from fresh, nutritious vegetables, very nourishing food.

Care should be taken to produce this food attractive enough to appeal to the appetite, so it should not be greasy nor insipid in flavour, neither should it be served in large quantities nor without the correct accompaniment.

A small quantity of well-seasoned, attractively presented vegetarian soup cannot fail to obtain approval when it is served as the first course of the meal. The purpose of this piece is to acquaint you with the details of cooking appetizing and nutritious vegetarian soup that is both nutritious and healthy.

The three main sorts of soup that can be cooked from wholly vegetarian (yet not necessarily vegan) ingredients are: broths, cream soups (contains dairy produce) and purees. The basis of these three kinds can be a vegetable stock made from either dried or fresh vegetables or both.

BROTHS have as their foundation a clear vegetarian stock. They are sometimes a thin soup, yet other times they are made fairly thick with vegetables, rice or barley when they are served as a substantial part of a meal.

CREAM SOUPS are extremely nutritious and there are lots of varieties. They have for their foundation a thin cream sauce, and to this are always added vegetables or grains.

PUREES are soups made thick partly or completely by the addition of some foodstuff obtained by boiling an article of food and then straining it to make a pulp.

If vegetables containing starch such as beans, peas, lentils or potatoes are used for this purpose, it is not necessary to thicken the soup with any additional starch, yet if watery vegetables are used, other thickening is required. To be right, a puree should be nearly as smooth as thick cream and of the same texture.

When making vegetarian soup always use soft water and be careful to proportion the quantity of water to that of the vegetables. Somewhat less than two pints of water to a pound of vegetables is a good rule for ordinary soups. Rich soups, meant for company, might have a smaller amount of water.

Here is a puree type recipe for carrot soup:

CARROT SOUP

4 decent-sized carrots, 1 small head of celery, 1 fair-sized onion, 1 turnip, 3 oz. of breadcrumbs, 1-1/2 oz. of butter or margarine, 1 blade of mace, pepper and salt to taste.

Scrape and clean the vegetables; cut them up small; place them in a pan with 3 pints of water, the butter or margarine, breadcrumbs, and mace. Boil until the vegetables are fairly tender; rub everything through a sieve and return the mixture to the saucepan.

Reheat; season with salt and pepper. If it is too thick add water. The soup should be as thick as cream; boil and serve with crusty bread.

Owen Jones, the author of this article, writes on several subjects, is now involved with low carb vegetarian recipes. If you would like to know more, please visit our website at http://vegetariancasserolerecipes.com

3 Delicious Vegetarian Main Courses

Here are three delicious vegetarian main courses:

No. 1:

Portabello Mushroom Lasagne

6 Servings

1 pound ground soya 4 vegetarian sausages (mild or hot) 1 medium onion garlic salt to taste pepper to taste 6 substantial Portabello mushrooms 1 substantial container ricotta cheese 1 egg Lots of grated mozarella cheese Canned spaghetti sauce (or create your own)

How to Prepare:

Preheat oven to 350F degrees

Remove soya sausage meat from casings. Brown soya sausage and minced soya beef with onions, adding garlic salt and pepper to taste. Wash mushrooms and scrape out the black gills.

Beat egg into ricotta cheese. Spread a small amount of spaghetti sauce in a large baking dish or shallow roasting pan to avoid sticking.

Generously pack every mushroom cap with ricotta mixture and place in the baking dish or roasting pan ricotta side up. Top every cap with a handful of the grated mozarella. Then top every cap with a liberal amount of the soya meat/onion mixture. Top every cap with another handful of mozarella.

Pour spaghetti sauce over each cap and around the bottom of the pan. Top with the remaining mozarella cheese.

Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes.

Allow to cool for about 10

No. 2

Baked Tomatoes With Provencale Stuffing

4 Servings

4 md tomatoes - unpeeled, cored, pulp removed 1 T olive oil 3/4 c onions, chopped 2 cloves garlic, ground 1/2 T fresh parsley, chopped 2 t fresh basil, chopped 1 1/2 t fresh thyme, chopped 1/2 t salt 1/4 t black pepper 3/4 c bread crumbs 1/4 c plus 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese

Bring the oven to 375F. Core tomatoes and scoop the insides out to leave whole skins.

Heat skillet with oil to medium heat and saute onion and garlic for about 3 minutes. Stir in tomato cores, herbs and seasonings. Saute for around 4 minutes or until the moisture disappears.

Remove from heat and stir in breadcrumbs and a cup measure of the Parmesan cheese. Keep the remainder of the cheese for later.

Stuff the tomatoes with the mixture and sprinkle uniformly with the remaining quantity of Parmesan cheese.

Bake for around 15 minutes.

No. 3

Franconia Root Vegetables

6 Servings

6 lb potatoes, peeled 1 1/2 lb small carrots, trimmed and scraped (or substantial carrots, cut carefully in ovals) 1 lb small turnips, peeled, sprout end (or substantial turnips, trimmed 12 small white onions a little margarine 1 t dried thyme leaves, crumbled Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste 1/4 c parsley, chopped 1 large marrow, cored

Drop potatoes into a saucepan of cold, salted water. Over high heat, bring water to a boil, reduce heat to medium |and cook potatoes for 12 minutes. Drain, let cool for a few minutes, pat dry, and cut into quarters (or halve horizontally and trim each half into ovals).

Meanwhile, drop carrots, turnips, and onions into boiling salted water to cover. Lower heat to medium, cover, and boil until barely tender (10 to 15 minutes, depending on size). Drain, at once cool under running water, and set vegetables aside.

Around one hour before marrow will be served, position potato quarters in margarine (at least 1/2 cup) and turn them to coat. (If you are allowed you can use a little unsalted butter).

Position in oven (wherever there's room, including the bottom shelf) yet roast for 45 minutes, turning each 10 minutes or so to brown all sides uniformly. Add carrots, turnips, and onions. Sprinkle with thyme, salt, and pepper.

Keep roasting and turning frequently until vegetables are tender and uniformly browned (around 15 minutes or slightly longer). Using tongs (or a slotted spoon) and draining off excess fat, remove to serving dish and sprinkle with parsley.

Owen Jones, the author of this article, writes on a number of subjects, and is now involved with detox diet menus. If you want to know more, please visit our website at http://vegetariancasserolerecipes.com

How to Make a Vegetarian Pizza From Scratch

Most people like a pizza but then pizzas are very suitable for all types of diets. Vegetarianism is no exception. In this article I am going to show you how to create a vegetarian pizza from scratch and the pizza I have chosen is a rather curious one.

Americans might not immediately recognize it as a pizza there are other, especially German, examples of something like this Moroccan pizza from Marrakesh.

Marrakesh Pizza (Khboz Bishemar)

1 packet of dry active bread yeast 1/4 cup lukewarm water

FILLING ========================

1/4 lb vegetable suet - (approx 1 cup tightly packed) 3 tbls parsley, chopped 1/2 cup onion, finely chopped 1/4 tsp cumin, heaped, ground 1 red chile pepper, dried 1 tsp paprika, heaped tsp

DOUGH ==========================

2 cups strong, unbleached flour 1 tsp salt

GARNISH ========================

4 tsp sweet butter, margarine (melted) or oil

Sprinkle the yeast over 1/4 cup lukewarm water. Stir to dissolve and leave to stand in a warm position for 10 minutes or until the yeast has been activated and doubled in volume.

Meanwhile, create the filling. Chop or grind the suet; pound the parsley, onion and spices in a mortar or chop finely to a paste. Mix with the suet and set aside.

Mix the flour with the salt then make a well in the center. Pour in the activated yeast together with enough lukewarm water to form a ball of dough. (Add more water if the dough appears to be difficult to handle). Knead well until smooth and elastic or for around 20 minutes. Separate the ball of dough into 4 equal parts.

Lightly flour a board. Start patting the first ball of dough down to a disc shape, stretching and flattening it to create a rectangle approximately 8 x 14 inches. Spread one-quarter of the filling in the center. Fold the right and then the left side of the dough on to the filling.

Press down on this 'package' and start flattening and stretching it (with the filling inside) until it is the same size (8 x 14 inches) as before. Reiterate the folding, this time right side into the center and left side under. Repeat with the other 3 balls of dough. Set aside, covered, in a warm place for 45 minutes.

Heat a griddle. Prick the 'packages' with a fork six or seven

times on both sides. Place on the griddle - they will begin to fry in the fat released from their fillings. Fry the 'packages' 10 minutes on both sides, until crisp. Dot each package with a teaspoonful of sweetened melted butter or oil before serving.

You can have these Moroccan pizzas from Marrakesh with anything, but there is already a fat content, so it would be better to have them with a salad or even fruit. To complement this dish, drink what the Moroccans would drink - mint tea. Moroccans drink pints of sweet mint tea every day brewed from mint that just seems to grow wild everywhere.

Owen Jones, the writer of this article, writes on a number of subjects, and is now concerned with vegetarian sandwich recipes. If you want to know more, please visit our site at http://vegetariancasserolerecipes.com

Vegan Recipes for Vegetarian Dads On Father's Day

Father's Day is a special day for the most important and special man in the family. Celebrating the day with the whole family is one of the best gift that can be given to a father. A day full of love and pampering that will leave an imprint to his thoughts as one of the best memories he can ever have. Finding creative ways to make it such sometimes pose a challenge too especially for a vegetarian dad. Preparing meals for the special occasion for the whole family to share and enjoy all through the day can eventually make it one cherished memory.

What about pampering a vegetarian dad the moment he wakes up with a breakfast in bed consisting of a blueberry vegan pancake and a veggie sausage? Surely he'll love it especially when each family member shares his breakfast right in the confines of his bedroom. A riot but enjoyable.

Vegan Blueberry Pancake with Veggie Sausage

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. Veggie sausage
• 1 tbsp. Olive oil
• 1½ cups blueberries, mashed
• 3 cups flour
• 3 level teaspoon baking powder
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 5 tbsp vegetable oil
• soy milk (for thicker pancakes use a little less milk)

Procedure:

Put olive oil in a non-stick, deep and large skillet. Place the veggie sausage and cook over medium heat until brown. Remove, place in a strainer to drain and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, sift all together flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Add soy milk and oil and whisk for consistency. Add mashed blueberries and mix well.

Pour ¼ cupfuls of batter in a greased skillet placed over a medium-heat and cook for about 3 minutes on each side till golden brown.

Place in a platter and serve hot with honey and veggie sausage on the side. The recipe makes 5 to 6 servings, everyone can partake to enjoy breakfast in bed with the extra special man of the day.

Prepare this Vegetable Delight for dinner.

Ingredients:

• 400 grams vegan cottage cheese cut into sticks and deep fried
• 1 cup mushrooms, quartered
• 1 cup baby corn, cut into strips and blanched
• 1 cup spring onions
• 20 grams each of celery, chopped ginger and chopped garlic
• 10 grams toasted sesame seeds
• 25 grams chilli sauce
• 25 grams tomato catsup
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

Procedure:

Heat a large saute pan. Add oil and saute ginger, garlic and celery until light brown. Toss in the cheese, mushrooms, baby corn, spring onion, chilli sauce, catsup and salt. Mix well and transfer in a serving bowl and garnish with sesame seeds and some green part of green onions. Serve hot.

Bell Pepper Soup Recipe

Ingredients:

1½ cup green or red bell pepper, remove seeds and sliced

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1 large onion, sliced

¾ cup tomato paste

3 cups vegetable stock

2 tbsp chopped basil

green part of spring onions to garnish,chopped

salt and pepper to taste

Procedure:

Mix all together bell pepper, garlic, onion, tomato paste, vegetable stock in a large pot and bring to a boil while constantly stirring. Reduce heat and simmer until bell peppers have softened. Drain or sieve the mixture and set aside the liquid. Puree the leftover bits.Boil together the liquid, the puree and chopped basil in a large saucepan or pot and garnish with chopped green part of spring onion. Sprinkle salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot.

Green smoothies go along well to quench thirst next to water. They can be easily prepared with combinations of fresh fruits and vegetables. When fresh, they are sweet enough to refrain from adding sugar,. They are now popular health trends as they are good for the immune system, for detoxifying, for cleansing and energizing the body and weight loss. Coconut water can be blended with spinach, mango and wild honey. Combinations of other fruits and greens can be experimented for the desired taste. So easy now with blenders and other kitchen gadgets around.

Make him feel special by preparing these veggie recipes specially for your vegan dad. After all, the saying " A way to a man's heart is through his stomach", still applies Father's day or not. Happy Father's Day to all the fathers in the whole wide world!

Marichu Coning

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Tasty Vegetarian White Chicken Chili Recipe In 4 Simple Steps

My husband and I used to work at Ruby Tuesday's as waiters back in the day when we were in college and by far the most popular item that patrons would buy from their menu, without any suggestion from the waiters, would be the White Chicken Chili. My husband used to rave about how good it tasted, and obviously, I was never able to join in all the reindeer games because I didn't eat meat. It didn't occur to me, till now, to attempt to cook a White Chicken Chili Recipe and make it not only meat-free and tasty but also vegan friendly. I must say, this recipe has now become a staple and a favorite in my home, no matter how hot it is outdoors, we never mind eating a bowl of this Vegetarian White "Chixen" Chili.

You will discover that most of the ingredients, for this vegetarian recipe, are items that you likely already have within your kitchen and are simple to find. This Vegetarian White "Chixen" Chili is undoubtedly tasty and will have any vegetarian or meat-eater addicted. I have never eaten the meat version of White Chicken Chili but I am certain it does not have anything on the vegetarian and vegan version.

Vegetarian White "Chixen" Chili Recipe

Ingredients:

·1/4 cup of vegetable oil

·1/2 lb (which is about 12 nuggets) of thawed Soy Delight Vegan Chicken Nuggets, diced in to chunks (these are not breaded)

·3 cloves of garlic, minced

·1 medium onion, chopped

·1 large or 2 small jalapeño peppers, seeded and chopped

·1 fresh green chile, chopped (you can substitute for 1 small can of green chillies with the liquid)

·3 sprigs of fresh oregano, chopped or 1 tsp of dried oregano

·1/4 tsp of black pepper

·1 tsp cumin

·1/2 tsp coriander

·1 1/2 tsp of chili powder

·1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

·2 cans of Northern White Beans, with liquid

·3 cups of vegetable broth

·2 cups of water

·1 vegetable bouillon

·3 tablespoons of cornstarch, mixed with a 2 tsp. of water

Directions:

1. In a large pot, add the vegetable oil and heat on medium heat. Once oil is warm, add the vegan chicken nuggets and sauté for about 5 minutes. Next add the garlic, onion, jalapeño peppers, and green chile. Saute until the onions are soft and clear which should be another 5 minutes.

2. Add the oregano, black pepper, cumin, coriander, chili powder, cayenne pepper to the soy chicken and saute for another minute.

3. Next add, the northern white beans, vegetable broth, water and bouillon to the pot. Stir and cover and let simmer on low for 45 minutes. After 45 minutes, add the cornstarch and water mix, stir, and continue to simmer on low for another 20 minutes.

4. Serve and garnish with cilantro, sour cream and cheese...if you like...but it is so good as is, you may not need to add anything else.

By the way, in case you can not find the Delight Soy Vegan Chicken Nuggets, feel free to work with some other "mock chicken" nugget or patty. Just make sure it is not breaded. You can also use seitan which is a great option!

Enjoy cooking and eating vegetarian and vegan meals? Get your totally free vegan and vegetarian cookbook with over 100 meat and dairy free recipes plus 5 Free Meat-Free Instructional Video Recipes by visiting http://www.freemeatlessrecipes.com Join hundreds of other vegetarians who have already experienced the easy but tasty method of preparing and eating vegetarian and vegan food.

Healthy Foods For Vegetarians

Unlike meat, vegetables do not contain cholesterol or any saturated fat but just nutrients and vitamins. That is why models and celebrities in entertainment and sports choose to minimize or even refrain from meat and preferred vegetables since their careers require them to stay fit and healthy. Based on their interviews, here is their common list of ingredients found in healthy foods for vegetarians.

1. Antioxidants

Strawberries, raspberries, cranberries and blueberries are known to be rich in antioxidants. Antioxidants help to reduce a person's risk of being infected with heart diseases as well as reducing stress and high blood pressure.

Other foods containing antioxidants are tomatoes, red bell pepper, prunes and green tea. The same goes for fruits containing high amount of water like apples, honeydew, pears and watermelons.

2. Fibre And Protein

Dry nuts like almonds, pistachios and walnuts are another healthy foods that will keep your heart and body healthy as they contain good amount of fibre and protein which helps to prevent heart-related ailments.

Compared to salted peanuts, they are free from cholesterol and monosaturated fats. They can be served as wholesome cereal meals together with fresh milk, flax, pumpkin and sunflower seeds.

3. Calcium And Magnesium

Green veggies like broccoli and spinach serve as excellent sources of calcium and magnesium that protects you against heart attacks.

4. Vitamin B And Folate

White chickpeas and red kidney beans are believed to be healthy sources of vitamin B and folate since they help to build up your immune system and keep your energy levels high for a longer period of time.

5. Vitamin E

A good proportion of coconut, mustard and olive oils can beneficial to you in terms of Vitamin E.

They are also said to keep any sicknesses in check as well as preventing stroke and heart attack.

6. Vitamin C

For those who are addicted to desserts like ice cream and cakes, you might want to consider fruits as your alternative.

As we are told by our parent and teachers since young, fruits are the primary sources of vitamin C. They can be eaten as whole or slices like apples, grapes, honeydew, pears and pineapples. Or they can be served and mixed as iced fruit juices or even hot tea as both drinks and desserts.

Other ingredients include garlic which also contain a fair amount of antioxidants and wheat serving as another source of dietary fibre.

Learn how to whip up a variety of healthy cooking recipes using just vegetables here.

How to Become a Vegetarian in 6 Simple Steps

When deciding how to become a vegetarian, there are many options to consider. Some recommend gradually changing your diet while others advise you to dive right in and correct course along the way. Regardless of your strategy, there is a way to succeed with your new meatless diet by following six simple steps.

Although they are simple steps to take, they may not be easy. Some of them apply more to people who make a gradual change to a meat-free lifestyle while others are more suited to those who make the change more rapidly. Most of them apply to both.

If you are undecided about how to become a vegetarian, consider applying these steps as you go. You could apply one to your live each day or every week, depending on your preference and what works for you.

Step 1: Identify the reasons why you want to change your diet.

Carefully consider your main motivations for following a meatless diet. Do you want to end animal suffering? Save money? Help the environment? Improve your health?

All of these are great reasons to go vegetarian. However, it is important to know which ones mean the most to you.

Give your reasons serious consideration and write them down. This list doesn't have to be fancy and it doesn't matter if you are already a vegetarian or not. Keep it in a place where you will see it often to remind yourself why you are making this change in lifestyle.

Repeat this process periodically, as your reasons may and probably will change over time. It is also a great way to stay passionate about following a meatless diet.

Step 2: Find social support.

Whether it is from friends or just an online vegetarian forum that you visit regularly, it is important to receive support when you go vegetarian. Others will be able to give you advice and tips for how to become a vegetarian. They can lift you up when you feel down and frustrated.

Support from others, especially vegetarians and vegans, is important for you success at a vegetarian lifestyle. It also makes the change much more fun!

Step 3: Research recipes and nutritional information. It is a good idea to know what you are undertaking before you get started, or at least shortly afterward. Look up information about how to become a vegetarian in a healthy way. Consider setting up an appointment with a nutritionist or dietitian, if you can, to talk about a diet that will meet your nutritional needs.

Also, find vegetarian recipes from cookbooks or online. Keep a variety on hand for meals and snacks. This makes the transition easier because you won't have to wonder what you can eat. You already know a few options!

Step 4: Evaluate your diet.

As you change your diet, think about how it makes you feel. Do you have more or less energy?Are you getting adequate nutrition? Do you eat enough fruits and vegetables?

Make a point of evaluating your eating habits on a regular basis. You may need to make changes or focus on consuming enough nutrients.

Step 5: Make changes based on your comfort level.

There are many ways that are recommended for how to become a vegetarian. Do what feels right. Don't think you can stop eating meat all at once? Cut back on how many times you consume meat each week. Eager to dive right in? Go ahead, but do some research as you go.

No one way is the "right way" to become a vegetarian.

Step 6: Track your progress and reward yourself.

Note when you have met a major milestone. Haven't had any meat for a week, month or even longer? Celebrate your progress. Going vegetarian can be challenging, so take the time to reward yourself. Go out for a movie with friends, get a manicure or buy that new outfit you've been eying.

Whether you already follow a meatless diet or you are just considering it, these tips can help you feel more motivated and keep you on track when you feel discouraged.

Deciding how to become a vegetarian can be a bit overwhelming at first, especially with the wide variety of contradictory advice. These simple steps are beneficial no matter how you decide to go about making the change in your lifestyle!

About Author Linda Newell of Recipes-For-Vegetarians.com is a member of the Vegetarian Resource Group and the North American Vegetarian Society. She shares information such as vegetarian protein sources