I don’t really want to rush time along, but this year winter has rudely muscled its way into spring and I’m aching for sunshine and warm temperatures. This see-sawing act (hot…cold…hot…cold) is getting tiresome.
Because of the lingering chilliness, my stomach is still craving comforting stews and soups. This one is particularly satisfying. I’ve based this rich recipe on an Olive Garden concoction – except mine gets its creaminess from pureed white beans – not from cream. The gnocchis are homemade with sweet potatoes rather than white potatoes, but you could use store-bought. Just make sure they’re vegan.
GIVEAWAY UPDATES:
If you’re into sprouts and you haven’t yet done so, please visit the Virtual Vegan Potluck blog and enter to win a bag of broccoli sprouting seeds from VVP sponsor Todd’s Seeds! Todd has also created a 20% discount for anyone to use when ordering sprouts or sprouting seeds from his site. For deets, head over to the VVP blog.
Also – I’m giving away three bottles of Kretschmer Wheat Germ on both of my Facebook pages – An Unrefined Vegan and Virtual Vegan Potluck. All you have to do is leave a comment on my Almond Butter Maple Granola photo(s). I’ll be selecting a winner (of all three bottles) on Monday.
Creamy Chik’n Soup with Sweet Potato Gnocchi
Serves 6-8
1 large onion, chopped
1 1/2 cups carrots, sliced
1 cup celery, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. dried thyme
8 oz. mushrooms, sliced
2 cups seitan, cubed
3 cups seitan-cooking broth+7 cups water OR 4 cups vegetable broth+6 cups water
4 cups kale, chopped
1 15 oz. can great northern beans, rinsed, drained and pureed
2 cups sweet potato gnocchi, cooked and drained
ground black pepper, to taste
In a large pot, saute the onions, celery and carrots in a splash of water, vegetable broth or Bragg Liquid Aminos until tender. Stir in the garlic, thyme, mushrooms and seietan and cook for another 5 minutes or so.
Pour in the 10 cups broth/water and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat and simmer for 30 minutes, or until veggies are very tender. Stir in the kale, pureed beans, and gnocchi and cook until the kale is tender. Taste and adjust seasonings.
This little dish is a riff on one my dad used to make. I can’t say for sure that he invented the idea of veggies layered between creamy polenta, but then again, I can’t say he didn’t invent it. He used spinach, tomato and lots of cheese in his – and boy howdy, was it delicious. To me it is “peasant” food and comfort food at its best. Simple, versatile and possibly better the next day.
When it comes to salad dressing, I’m on auto-pilot. It takes me mere seconds to whip up an oil-free vinaigrette and it’s really light and wonderful – but – it’s getting a bit tired. Enter the ripe tomatoes Kel has been bringing in from the garden. In went some olives and miso because everything tastes better with them. The dates temper the tangy acid and the vegetable broth lends richness. Takes almost as much time to make this as it does my old standby dressing. Vary this by using fresh herbs instead of dry or a different vinegar.
Remember that 
(The sauce recipe comes from Vegan with a Vengeance, by Isa Chandra Moskowitz with minor changes: reducing the amount of chile powder – I find the flavor a bit too dense – and omitting the olive oil to saute the onion and garlic.)
As good as the rotini “alfredo” (recipe appearing here soon) looked, it really needed something green. Pesto. But I had no fresh basil. I did, however, have a handful of spinach picked that afternoon from the greenhouse and a bunch of cilantro in the veggie drawer. I pureed them along with some toasted pine nuts left over from making the alfredo sauce; added garlic (of course) and vegetable broth to get that nice thick consistency – and my something green was ready to go. The combination of spinach and cilantro is so tasty and bright with none of the heaviness of olive oil – just fresh herbs and the heat of lots of garlic. Unlike basil pesto, this retains its beautiful color even after being stored in the refrigerator. This would be fantastic on a grilled vegetable and tofu sandwich, or as a savory topping for big portobello mushrooms – or place a big dollop in a bowl of pasta e fagioli. Spinach and cilantro are available year-round in grocery stores, and I’ll bet other herb/greens combinations would also work equally well. 
If it is cold do we not shiver? If we are ill, do we not sniffle? When we are sad, do we not require hugs, understanding and something soothing for our tummies? Do we vegans need, from time to time, comfort food – just like everyone else? You bet your sweet bippy we do! This chili is the perfect example of nourishing, plant-based comfort food to brighten any vegan’s day.
2 15 oz. cans white beans, rinsed and drained