Many soups are actually vegetarian in nature, so you should really explore some of the great recipes that you can find for a lovely soup that contains nothing but vegetables. Of course, you won't be able to use beef stock in your vegetable soup, but there are many different ways to adapt soup recipes to be vegetarian friendly. Here are two to get you started:
Fresh Asparagus Soup
– 1 pound fresh asparagus
– 3/4 cup chopped onion
– 1/2 cup vegetable broth
– 1 tablespoon butter
– 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
– 1 teaspoon salt
– 1 pinch ground black pepper
– 1 1/4 cups vegetable broth
– 1 cup soy milk
– 1/2 cup yogurt
– 1 teaspoon lemon juice
– 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Place asparagus and onion in a saucepan with 1/2 cup vegetable broth. Bring the broth to a boil, reduce heat and let simmer until the vegetables are tender. Reserve a few asparagus tips for garnish. Place remaining vegetable mixture in an electric blender and puree until smooth.
Melt butter in the pan that was used for simmering the asparagus and onions. Stir while sprinkling flour, salt, and pepper into the butter. Do not let the flour brown. Allow the mixture to cook only 2 minutes. Stir in remaining 1 1/4 cups vegetable broth and increase the heat. Continue stirring until the mixture comes to a boil.
Stir the vegetable puree and milk into the saucepan. Whisk yogurt into the mixture, followed by lemon juice. Stir until heated through, then ladle into bowls. Garnish with reserved asparagus tips. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese if desired.
Vegetarian Tortilla Stew
– 1 (19 ounce) can green enchilada sauce
– 1 1/2 cups water
– 1 cube vegetable bouillon
– 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
– 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
– 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
– 1 (15 ounce) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
– 1/2 (16 ounce) can diced tomatoes
– 1 cup frozen corn
– 1/2 cup vegetarian chicken substitute, diced (optional)
– 4 (6 inch) corn tortillas, torn into strips
– 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
– salt and pepper to taste
In a pot, mix the enchilada sauce and water. Dissolve the bouillon cube in the liquid, and season with garlic powder, chili powder, and cumin. Bring to a boil, and reduce heat to low. Mix in the beans, tomatoes, and corn. Simmer until heated through. Mix in vegetarian chicken and tortillas, and cook until heated through. Stir in cilantro, and season with salt and pepper to serve.
Really think about incorporating a lot of soup recipes into your vegetarian diet. They are amazingly filling, easy to make, and delicious in the process.
