This is sooooooooooo creamy, filling and FULL of flavour.

YOU NEED

5 leeks, green woody ends cut of, the white part sliced lengthways and washed

3 large cloves of garlic, peeled

6 small potatoes, peeled and cut into small chunks

6 cups of “chicken” stock (I use Massel brand which contains no animal products)

1 cup of plant based milk (anything really creamy and not too sweet. I used Bonsoy)

1 x 400 gram can of butter beans, washed WELL and drained

YOU DO

While you are slicing and washing preheat your oven to 200c.

Place the potatoes on an oven tray with a little oil and pop in the oven and leave to roast, while you do everything else.

Place the halved leeks and the garlic onto another oven tray, with a little oil and a little salt and also pop in the oven for about 30 minutes.

Once the leeks have been in the oven for 30 minutes remove them and put the leeks, garlic and the stock into a large pot and slowly bring to the boil.

Once the potatoes and lovely and browned from roasting, add them to the pot along with the beans and milk and blend.

DONE!

Serves: Makes enough for 4-6 or more serves

Time: I haven’t times this one yet. It’s not my quickest dish (probably about 45mins to an hour), BUT this doesn’t get easier and it makes a lot so can be used for work lunches and left over’s for a couple of days

Freezing: May be suitable.

Parsnip is one of those foods I rarely eat.  It’s great in soup though as it thickens like potato. The key to this dish is getting the onions to caramelise. When you do though you will achieve a smooth sweet caramel earthy flavour. 

YOU NEED

2 large parsnips, peeled and cut into small cubes

2 large onions, peeled and finely sliced

2 tablespoons of pure maple syrup

1 cup of dry white wine

1.25 litres of vegetable stock

½ cup plant based milk (I used rice milk. No particular reason. It’s just what I had in the fridge)

salt and pepper to taste

fresh thyme leaves for garnish

YOU DO

Place the onions, pure maple syrup and a little rice bran oil into a medium pot. Cook gently on a low to medium heat until the onions are caramelised. This takes a good 10-15 minutes. Stir as you cook them.

Turn the heat up full and add the wine. Add the parsnip and vegetable stock. Then turn the heat down to a gentle simmer, cover and cook until the parsnip is tender and blend.

Add the rice milk. Check the seasoning and serve garnished with fresh thyme leaves.

Servings: Serves 4.

Time: Takes about 30-40 minutes.

Freeze: Suitable.

I posted this picture a millennium ago, promising a recipe and after 4 play arounds, I have finally achieved the consistency and flavour I was after.

I LOVE CORN and I love chowder and like most things with a little experimenting, you can achieve a dairy free version.

I hope you like it too.

YOU NEED

corn kernels from 6 cobs of corn (I use organic)

3 large cloves of garlic, peeled and minced

3 large celery ribs, washed well and chopped into a fine dice

4 large potatoes, peeled and cut into small cubes

1 tablespoon of ginger

1 litre of vegetable stock

an additional 250ml of vegetable stock

250ml of Bonsoy (I chose this plant based milk because it is very creamy in textures)

1 large bunch of coriander, washed well, stems finely slices and leaves roughly chopped

#optional ~ liquid smoke (for that smoky flavour)

YOU DO

In a small pot put 2 of the potatoes and the 250ml of stock in a small pot, bring to the boil. Turn down the heat and gently simmer until the potato is tender. Blend and put aside.

In a large pot heat a little oil and gently sauté the celery for a few minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and stir a minute or so longer.

Add the corn and the 1 litre of stock bring to the boil and then turn the heat down to a gentle simmer for 15 minutes.

Add the potato and continue to simmer until the potato is cooked.

Just prior to serving, add the Bonsoy and the additional 250ml of stock and potato that you cooked earlier to the soup, bring it back to the boil and add the coriander and the liquid smoke to taste if you are using it and serve with crusty bread or corn chips.

# You can also use a little burrito or fajita Mexican seasoning for that lovely smoky taste if you do not have liquid smoke.

Servings: Serves 4.

Time: Takes about 35-40 minutes.

Freezing: Not suitable.

YOU NEED

1 X 400 gram can of lentils (I normally buy and cook dry lentils, but I wanted a fast dinner)

a couple of handfuls of green beans, top and tailed and washed

1 bunch of Asian broccoli, with the woody ends removed

1 bunch of fresh spinach, washed

1 large red onion, peeled and finely sliced

2 large carrots, not peeled and chopped into large chunks

4 large pieces of pumpkin with skin off and the seeds removed

handful of fresh basil leaves, washed

1x 400gram can of coconut milk

1x 270 gram can of coconut cream

4 tablespoons of red curry paste (I use “Asia Specialties Red Curry Paste which I get in Aldi)

a couple of fresh lemons to serve

YOU DO

Steam all your vegetables (except the spinach). I steam my carrots for 15 minutes or so until they are tender and then remove them and put aside. Then I steam my pumpkin until its tender and lastly my broccoli and beans for only a couple of minutes because I like them crunchy.

While your vegies are steaming, sauté the onion in a large pot with a little oil (or water) until softened. Add the curry paste and stir for a minute or 2 on a low to medium heat.

Add the coconut milk and cream and whisk. Add the lentils and the cooked vegetables and bring everything to the boil.

At the last second toss in your spinach and basil, stir to combine and serve with steamed rice.

Squeeze some fresh lime over the top when you serve it too.

If you are a tofu person, some cubes of firm tofu heated through the soup is a lovely addition to this too.

Servings: Serves 4.

Time: Takes 30-45 minutes.

Freezing: Not suitable

YOU NEED

250 grams of long grain brown rice

1 brown onion, peeled and finely diced

2 large cloves of garlic, peeled and minced

2 teaspoons of smoked paprika

1 ½ litres of vegan chicken stock

1 ½ teaspoons of tabasco sauce

2 small red capsicums (also known as bell peppers, cored and diced)

2 x 400 gram cans of red kidney beans, rinsed *well* and drained

1.5 cups of corn kernels

1 bunch of coriander, washed, roots finely sliced and leaves roughly chopped.

a double batch of my guacamole recipe

YOU DO

Put the rice into a pot of boiling water and boil until cooked.

While the rice is cooking, place a large pot on a low to medium heat. Place a small amount of water in the pot, add the onions and cook them for a few minutes until they have softened. Add the garlic and paprika and cook another or minute or 2.

Add the, stock, tabasco, capsicum, beans and corn and bring it all to the boil. Then turn it down to a gentle simmer, for 5 minutes to allow the flavours to blend. Turn the heat off and make the guacamole.

Once the rice is cooked, add it to the pot, and bring everything to the boil once more.

Throw the coriander in at the last minute. Top with a generous blob of the guacamole and serve.

I serve it with spicy corn chips and use the corn chips like a spoon. So easy. So tasty. For a SUPER quick dinner have your rice cooked and in the fridge ready to go. Great for lunch the next day at work on a cold day.

Servings: Serves 4.

Time: Takes about 30 – 40 minutes to make unless you have the rice cooked ready the night before. If you do that dinner will be on the table in 20 minutes.

Freezing: Not suitable.

Notes: #Note if you have left overs, you will need to add some more stock, as the rice and/or beans soak up loads of the liquid when it’s stored in the fridge.

You can replace half a litre of the stock for a can of chopped tomatoes for a richer flavour but I like the fact that this is like a broth. With the guacamole, coriander and the crunch of corn chips there is plenty going in with this dish.

YOU NEED

1 cup of celery, diced

1 cup of carrot, diced

1 cup of purple sweet potato, diced

1 small brown onion, peeled and finely diced

2 litres of “chicken stock”

40 grams flour (I used quinoa but you can use plain white flour)

1 tablespoon of Hungarian sweet paprika

1 tablespoon of smoky paprika

125 ml of plant based milk (I used Bonsoy because it has a very creamy texture and it fares well in hot liquid.)

oil for cooking

YOU DO

Heat some oil in a medium pot. Add the onion, celery and carrot and cook on medium heat for a few minutes till they soften.

Add the paprika to the pot and stir for a couple of minutes.

Add the flour and stir it through the pot ingredients.

Add ¼ of the stock and whisk briskly. Add the rest of the stock and whisk again till there are no flour lumps. Bring to the boil and add the milk.

Simmer on a medium heat for 30 mins. Then add the purple sweet potato and simmer for a further 15 minutes or until all the vegetables are tender.

Check the seasoning. I added 1 more teaspoon of “chicken stock” and 2 teaspoons of salt.

Serve. Enjoy.

Makes: 4 serves

Time: Haven’t timed this one

Freezing: Haven’t tried freezing this one because it contains potato and I haven’t had great results when freezing potato.

Notes: If you want a lower fat option simply omit the oil for water to sauté the vegetables.

Add more of each vegetable to make a dinner worthy soup.

YOU NEED

1 tablespoons of rice bran oil

1 medium brown onion, peeled and roughly chopped

1 medium head of cauliflower, leaves removed and roughly cut into small peices

3.5 cups of vegetable stock

1 cup of raw cashews

2 – 3 large cloves of garlic, peeled, and roughly chopped

1 teaspoons of salt

pepper to taste

1 bunch of fresh coriander washed and roughly chopped. Including the stems!

YOU DO

Heat the oil in a medium pot, add the onion and cook on a medium heat until it is coloured. Add the garlic and cook for another minute or 2.

Add the rest of the ingredients, except the coriander. Place a lid on the pot and bring the soup back to the boil. Once it has boiled, turn it down to a gentle simmer and cook until the cauliflower is tender.

Once the cauliflower is tender, turn the heat off, add the coriander and blend until smooth.

Yeilds: 2 large

Time: Approximately 30 minutes

Notes: You can sauté the onion in a little water instead of the rice bran oil if you wish. It will alter the flavour though, as the oil helps the onion to release its natural sugars and caramelise, giving this soup a richer flavour.

The thickness of the soup will vary depending on the size of the cauliflower you use. If it is too thick, simply add a little more stock.

For a super smooth soup, soak the cashews overnight in enough water to cover them. Drain and discard the soaking water and then add them to the soup.

YOU NEED

1 small brown onion, peeled and finely diced

2 large cloves of garlic, peeled and roughly chopped

1 medium cauliflower, leaves off and cut into rough florets

3 cups of vegetable stock

1.5 teaspoons of small red chillies, seeds and all, roughly chopped

1 can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed

½ cup of rice milk. 

¾ teaspoon of salt

2.5 teaspoons of curry powder

YOU DO

Heat a little water in a medium pot, add the onion and cook on a medium heat until it the onion has soften and started to colour.

Add the garlic and cook for another minute or 2.

Add the curry powder and the chilli and cook on a gentle heat for another minute. You may need to, add a little more water so the curry powder does not burn.

Add the remaining ingredients, except for the rice milk. Cover the pot with a top and simmer gently until the cauliflower is tender.

Remove from the heat, add the rice milk and blend till smooth.

Servings: 4 large

Time: Approximately 20 minutes

Freeze: Suitable