Mexican Themed Dinner Party Post 1/3: Gazpacho

My best friend from college, Indigo, came into town for a little vacation (click here if you want to view our vacation blog post). I haven't seen Indie since our New Years vaycay to Toronto and Buffalo. Yes, technically it's only been three months, but that's three months too long for us gals. 

With that said, I planned a little dinner party for us with Erica, Erica's boyfriend Shaun, my family, and Marc. Because Indie and I go hard on Mexican food I decided Mexican would be the only appropriate theme. I made Gazpacho, an Esquites Corn Salad, and Baja Tempeh Tacos with a Cilantro-Lime Crema and Cabbage Slaw. I split the recipes into three posts, so stay tuned for the Esquites Corn Salad and Baja Tempeh Tacos.

Gazpacho   

2 pounds tomatoes, roughly chopped
1 red bell pepper, roughly chopped
½ cucumber, peeled and roughly chopped
½ red onion, roughly chopped
⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
⅓ cup blanched almonds
1 slice of sandwhich bread, torn into 1-inch pieces
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 medium fresh jalapeño, seeded and roughly chopped
2 garlic cloves
Salt and black pepper

1 avocado, thinly sliced

Add all ingredients into blender, you may have to do this in batches, and blend until completely smooth. Taste for salt and pepper. Place in refrigerator and chill for a minimum of one hour, this also gives time for flavors to come together. Garnish with avocado before serving. I forgot to take the picture after I garnished, but don't skip on the avocado, it's divine with the Gazpacho.

Recipe by  L.V. Anderson

Creamy Coconut and Roasted Tomato Soup

Roasting Vegetables:
4 1/2 pounds roma tomatoes
1 large yellow onion
3 garlic bulbs
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper

Soup:
1 can light coconut milk
3 cups vegetable broth
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1-2 teaspoons garam masala spice (add gradually, to taste)
Baguette (or appropriate GF substitute)
 
Preheat the oven 400°F on a convection setting.

Wash the tomatoes and slice them lengthwise, place them on a large baking sheet that has been greased with nonstick cooking spray. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and place in oven for about 40-60 minutes. You want them to look wrinkly with most of the water evaporated out.

Find a medium sized casserole dish that has a lid and spray with non stick cooking spray. Cut the onion into wedges and add to the casserole dish. Cut the bottom off the bulbs of garlic to expose the inner garlic cloves, add the bulbs to the same dish as the onions. Drizzle with a little olive oil, pop the lid on the casserole dish, and bake until the onions start to turn golden and the garlic is caramelized, roughly 40 minutes.

Now that the vegetables have finished roasting the tomatoes should have shrunk down to about 3 cups. In a large stock pot add the roasted tomatoes and the roasted onions. Once the garlic has cooled enough to handle, squeeze the cloves out of two of the bulbs and into the stock pot. Add in the coconut milk, tomato paste, broth, and spices- bring to a boil and then turn it down to a simmer for about 5-10 minutes.

While the soup is simmering, slice the baguette lengthwise and then into 3-inch pieces, drizzle with some olive oil and salt. Squeeze the cloves of garlic out of the remaining bulb and spread it evenly over the baguette pieces. Bake in oven for five minutes, and then broil for another 2.

Carefully transfer soup to blender and pulse for a few seconds, leaving a few chunks here and there.  Serve with a piece of garlic baguette.

Recipe adapted from Oh She Glows

White Bean and Roasted Mushroom Soup

16 oz. mushrooms, halved or quartered

2 large sweet onions, quartered

3 garlic cloves, slightly crushed

2 tablespoons olive oil

1½ teaspoon salt, divided

1½ teaspoon pepper, divided

8-10 fresh sage leaves

8-10 stems + 1 tablespoon leaves fresh thyme

48 oz. dark vegetable broth 

3 15 oz. cans white beans, drained and rinsed
1 teaspoon garlic powder

Preheat oven to 450°F. Toss the mushrooms, garlic and onion in the olive oil with 1 teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Spread onto a baking sheet, separating the mushrooms and placing them on one half of the baking sheet. Add the sage leaves and stems of the thyme and roast for 10 minutes, toss and roast for an additional 15.

Add the broth, beans, remaining salt and pepper, and fresh thyme leaves, and garlic powder to a large stock pot, bring to a low boil and reduce to a simmer.

Once the vegetables are done roasting, let cool slightly. Take 1 cup of the beans from the stock pot and stick in the blender along with a cup and a half of broth, the roasted onions, garlic and herbs- blend until smooth. Add the blended mixture to the stock pot and whisk until smooth, toss in the mushrooms and give it a quick stir.

*The recipe called for the beans to be used undrained, but I always drain and rinse my beans when using- your call! Also, I found this soup to be even better the next day.

Recipe adapted from Amy Johnson

Rainbow Vegetable Soup

Sometimes you're just sick of the kale salad, and the roasted carrots, and the sauteed zucchini and you just really want a perfect vegetable soup, you know? That was me the other day. I wanted a soup that would warm me but not leave me heavy, one that not only had flavor but also different textures. This soup turned out perfect and will be on my soup rotation from now on.

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large yellow onion, diced
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 bay leaves
5 large carrots, peeled and cut into rounds (1/3 of an inch thick roughly)
1 medium to large zucchini, washed and cut into half moons (1/3 of an inch thick roughly)
1 tablespoon herbs de providence
1 teaspoon dried tarragon
1 can lentils (BPA-free)
3 tomatoes, diced
2 cups water
3 cups dark vegetable broth
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
3 tablespoons Braggs liquid aminos (or soy sauce)
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 large bunches of kale (I used one red one green bunch)


In a large stock pot over medium heat add the oil, once hot toss in the onions, garlic, and bay leaves and saute until the onions become translucent. Toss in your carrots, zucchini, herbs de provence and tarragon and continue to saute for another 3-5 minutes. Next add in your drained and rinsed lentils, tomatoes, water, vegetable broth, mustard, Braggs, and vinegar. Stir to combine, pop a lid on the stock pot and bring to a low boil, then reduce down to a simmer. In the meantime, wash your kale, de-rib it, and rip the kale into bite sized pieces. Add the kale to the simmering soup (I know it looks like a lot but it shrinks down, honestly), stick the lid back on and allow to simmer for another 15 minutes, the kale should have shrunk down by now. Let the soup rest over no heat for an hour (this allows the flavors to marinate) before reheating and serving.

Original recipe collaboration between me and Erica Sanes

Broccoli Cheeze Soup

With my three week break from school being officially over you can imagine my enthusiasm of being up since 6am, not getting home until 6pm, and then having to get dinner on the table. I absolutely did not feel like cooking, but this gem of a soup took about 30 minutes from start to finish including the prep and came out so velvety and flavorful! You can thank me later.

Soup:

Olive oil

1 yellow onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup celery, chopped

4 cups broccoli florets

2 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)

3 cups vegetable broth

2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 a lemon, juiced
Salt and pepper to taste
Optional garnishes if you choose to have any: minced parsley, smoked paprika, coconut bacon

Cheeze Sauce:
1 tablespoon plant-based butter
2 tablespoons flour (you can substitute it with GF AP, chickpea, or rice flour as well)
3/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 1/2 cup soy, almond, or coconut milk
1 tablespoon +1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

In a stock pot heat the oil and add in your onion and garlic, saute for six minutes over medium heat. Next add in your celery, broccoli florets, and potatoes, saute for another five minutes. Add in your vegetable broth, nutritional yeast, and cayenne pepper, stick a lid on the pot and bring it to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for 15 minutes or until the potatoes are fork-tender.

While the soup is simmering make the cheeze sauce: heat the butter in a pan over medium low heat, then add in the flour and milk and whisk until it's almost clump free. Whisk in the remaining ingredients and allow to cook and thicken for another 3 minutes, then set aside.

Carefully pour your soup into the blender in batches and pulverize it until the desired consistency. Mix in the lemon juice and all but 1/3 cup of the cheeze sauce, the remainder will be spooned over each bowl of soup. Ladle your soup into bowls, top it with the remaining cheeze sauce and extra garnishes. Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Oh She Glows