Best Friends Forever: Soup and a Sandwich

Plate w Soup & SandwichIn the heart of Salt Lake City, there’s a wonderful bookstore that from the outside, looks like an average-sized city shop.  But once inside, one can get lost in its labyrinthine basement rooms, alcoves, nooks, balconies and stacks and stacks of books, both new and used.  Wandering around inside is a great way to spend an afternoon.

My first stop in any bookshop is the cookbook section.  The day I visited that Salt Lake bookstore, I walked out with three used cookbooks, one of which was a Cooking Light publication called Fresh Food Fast.  I liked the idea of recipes with short ingredient lists, plus every item was paired with another recipe so that you could prepare a full meal off of one page.  On the downside, the cookbook is rich in meat and dairy, and also relies heavily on pre-packaged products.  Nevertheless, I’ve been able to cull out some good eats from its pages.

I did some major overhauling on both the soup and the sandwich recipes, so I won’t go into to detail, but simply put, I replaced anything dairy with a vegan counterpart and nixed pre-packaged items for “the real things,” plus added flavors and ingredients here and there.  Cooking oil was out.  This soup/sandwich combination is really nice.  The soup isn’t sweet as one might expect and it has a nice warm kick from the fresh ginger.  The sandwich is where a little sweetness comes in, but the sprouts and cashew cream nicely temper the juicy pears and sticky cinnamon swirl in the bread.  Perfect rainy day lunch combo.

Carrot-Ginger Soup
Serves 4

2 tbsp. orange juice, water or vegetable broth
Sliced Carrots, Orange Zest, Grated Ginger1 medium-sized onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
20 oz. sliced carrots
3 cups vegetable broth
1 tbsp. ginger, minced
1 tsp. orange zest
1/2 cup unsweetened, plain soy milk
1 tbsp. pure maple syrup
dried thyme, to taste
ground black pepper, to taste

In a large saucepan, saute the onion and garlic in the orange juice, water or vegetable broth, just until they being to soften.  Add the sliced carrots and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes.  Add the vegetable broth, ginger and orange zest.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and partially cover the pot.  Cook for 10-15 minutes, or until carrots are soft.

Working in batches, puree the soup in a blender and return the liquid to the saucepan.  Stir in the soy milk, maple syrup, thyme and black pepper.  Gently reheat – don’t let it boil.  While the soup heats, prepare the sandwiches.

Plate of Pears

Pear-Walnut-Cashew Cream & Sprouts Sandwiches
Serves 2

4 slices Cinnamon Raisin Swirl Bread
1 tbsp. walnuts, roasted and chopped
2 tbsp. cashew cream*
1/2 cup fresh sprouts
1 Bartlett pear, cored and thinly sliced

Fresh Sprouts

Lightly toast the bread, then spread cashew cream on all four pieces.  Sprinkle one slice of each sandwich with the toasted walnuts.  Divide the pear slices between the sandwiches, top with sprouts and gently press the sandwiches together.  Slice in half and serve alongside the soup.

Slices of Cinnamon Raisin Swirl Bread

*I used the cashew cream recipe in Vegan Yum Yum, by Lauren Ulm.

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22 thoughts on “Best Friends Forever: Soup and a Sandwich

  1. inkspeare says:

    Oh, I would not mind living inside that little bookshop, I would get happily lost in there :)

  2. tearoomdelights says:

    That sounds like a fantastic bookshop, and truly magnificent sandwiches!

    • An Unrefined Vegan says:

      It’s wonderful. And it even has a bakery and coffee shop inside. When are you planning one expanding your tearoom reviews to the US ??

      • tearoomdelights says:

        I would love to tour tearooms in the US! That place sounds fabulous and it would certainly be on my list!

      • An Unrefined Vegan says:

        I’m seeing it happen, Lorna! Of course, I’d have to join you on some of your stops !

      • tearoomdelights says:

        But of course, I would need your expert guidance!

  3. Veggiewitch says:

    This is divine! ♥

  4. 40 Fit In The Mitt says:

    what a beautiful sandwich

  5. Rachel in Veganland says:

    DELICIOUS! Books included! I work in an independent bookshop and I adore the feel of them! What a great find you stumbled upon there! I’ve also been on a soup/sandwich/salad combination binge lately. I just adore them all together! What a great way to use your cinnamon swirl loaf, too!!!

  6. Gabby @ the veggie nook says:

    Wow I love the sound of that sandwich! I love incorporating fruit into sandwiches! I need to try this :)

  7. Nihacc says:

    Another wonderful way to eat pears! :)

  8. Shira says:

    This all looks too amazing! Everything – the sandwich (so original!) – and a delish soup! Wow!

  9. Barb says:

    I love soup and a sandwich- they go together so perfectly. I think they remind me of childhood too, when my grandma would make me a grilled cheese and tomato soup. Yours looks like a much healthier (more compassionate!) grown up combo!

  10. Richgail Enriquez says:

    I realize I already have all the ingredients for the soup! yay! I’ll try this one soon.

  11. tinykitchenstories says:

    Sprouts on sandwiches: <3

  12. [...] year ago today: Best Friends Forever: Soup & A Sandwich One year and one day ago today: Earl of Chai: Another Drink from the Slow [...]

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