May all my Christian readers have a Christmas of holiness and love. And may the rest of us find a respite from our routine today.
Tonight’s full moon will be beautiful, reflecting the light of the sun. May it remind us that lights of celebration (of whichever holiday) are merely a reflection of the true light, the Source of light.
May each of us find the strength to reflect the light of heaven, bringing warmth and light to this poor world of ours. May all those who are suffering be comforted, and may each of us be a comfort to someone in need.
Sounds great!
I also really love ‘and the kitchen sink’ bean stews, they’re hearty and versatile – for what’s in season, what’s in your fridge or freezer, or what flavor profile you have a hankering for.
Molly Stevens writes cookbooks, and provided these structural recommendations for an effective bean soup… Which just opened up my eyes about how all of these soup recipes go together.
The categories are: beans, meat (optional), aromatics, herbs, spices, veggies, broth, finishing touches. We’ll skip meat since you’re looking vegan.
*Beans you can start from dried or canned (I do dried in the Crockpot, just add extra water so everything is covered by an inch or two).
*1.5 c of aromatics in any combo (celery, shares, leeks, onions).
*1 Tbsp of up to 3 herbs (dried herbes de provence, or fresh: chiles, garlic, thyme, marjoram, ginger, rosemary, sage).
*1 tsp of up to 3 spices (red pepper flakes, coriander, cumin, fennel seed, paprika).
*3 cups veggies you like and have on hand (I like some combo of starch like a potato or 2, greens like kale or spinach, and then just dump in fresh veggies from my fridge, or frozen veggies from the freezer).
*5-6 cups broth (1)
Finish the soup:
**Salt/pepper
**Splash of acid (lemon, lime, hot sauce, sweet vinegar like red wine)
**Fresh herbs, 1/3 cup (basil, chives, cilantro, parsley)
**Topping (drizzle of oil – EVOO, sesame, spicy, herb infused), croutons, parmesan or vegan cheese.
(1) Broth often contains MSG, which can be rough on those with food sensitivities. Even those organic boxes of liquid broth, and Better Than Bouillion, which state ‘no MSG’ on its label, can have hidden MSG (food labeling loopholes). You can make your own broth *easily* from vegetable cuttings and water, in a crockpot and then strain out the pulp (no really that was the recipe, it’s that easy); I freeze ice cubes of broth. Or you can put a small piece of seaweed in the soup, for that brothy flavor that is reportedly NOT fishy or seaweedy (I haven’t tried this yet).
Edit: “*1.5 c of aromatics in any combo (celery, shallots, leeks, onions).”