The first time I made this simple miso soup, I was home alone and suffering from a bad cold. All I wanted was soup (a little sympathy wouldn’t have hurt, either), but I didn’t have the desire or energy to spend a lot of time in the kitchen. Miso was the perfect solution. Quick, easy, comforting and healthful to boot. You can make it as fancy or as simple as you like.
The veggie wraps come nearly unchanged from a terrific recipe in Moosewood Restaurant New Classics. The biggest revision I made was to ditch the egg roll wrappers (I’ve never been able to successfully wrestle those rascals, anyway, and the ones available to me aren’t vegan) in favor of crisp lettuce. I also omitted the cooking oil. The sauces are a result of my tinkering with several different recipes.
If you participated in the recent Virtual Vegan Potluck, wanted to participate or if you’d just like to keep current on the what’s happening, please Like our new Facebook page dedicated to the event. We’ve posted all of the links to the wonderful recipes from everyone who did participate – please visit and check it out! You can also keep in touch via the Potluck Twitter handle, @veganpotluck. Thank you!
Miso-Ginger Soup
Serves 4-6
2″ piece of ginger, peeled and microplaned (or finely minced)
6 cups water
3-4″ piece kombu
4 tbsp. white miso
3 tbsp. red miso
1 tsp. tamari or soy sauce
2 scallions, chopped + additional for garnish
fresh cilantro, chopped
Other add-ins, if desired:
cubed silken tofu
thinly sliced shiitake mushroom caps
grated carrots
buckwheat noodles
Put 6 cups water in a large saucepan. Add the kombu and the microplaned ginger. Gently heat to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes. Remove kombu. If using add-ins, put them into the soup now and simmer for a few minutes, just to slightly soften the vegetables. (I cook the buckwheat noodles separately and just stir them into the soup at the end.)
Whisk in the miso and the tamari. Do not let the soup boil. Cook for about 30 seconds.
Divide soup among 4 or 6 bowls and garnish with additional scallions and cilantro, if desired.
Lettuce Veggie Wraps
Serves 6 or more
2 oz. bean thread noodles
vegetable broth for cooking
2 cups green cabbage, grated
2 cups mushrooms, sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp. fresh ginger, minced or microplaned
1 cup carrots, peeled and grated
1 cup red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1/2 cup scallions, chopped
2 tbsp. soy sauce
1 tbsp. rice wine vinegar
2 tbsp. fresh basil, chopped
1 tbsp. fresh cilantro, chopped
Medium-size head red lettuce or your favorite tasty green
Soak the bean thread noodles in warm water until softened, about 15 minutes.
In a large skillet, heat a couple of tablespoons of vegetable broth and saute the cabbage for about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms, garlic and ginger and continue to saute for another 4 minutes. The mushrooms should be soft. Add the carrots and bell pepper and cook an additional 5 minutes or until carrots and pepper are hot, but still have a nice bite. Remove from the heat.
Drain the bean thread noodles and cut into 4″ lengths with scissors. Add them to the vegetables along with the scallions, soy sauce, vinegar, basil and cilantro. Stir to combine.
To serve, place a generous spoonful of the bean thread mixture onto lettuce leaves. Dip. Consume.
Hoisin Sauce
2 tbsp. Bragg Liquid Aminos
2 tbsp. tamari
1 tbsp. vegetable broth
1 1/2 tbsp. black bean garlic sauce
2 tsp. white wine vinegar
1 tbsp. molasses
1 small clove garlic, microplaned or finely minced
1/4 tsp. chile garlic paste
dash ground black pepper
Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and dip to your heart’s content.
Chile-Garlic Sauce
1 tbsp. tamari
1 tbsp. Bragg Liquid Aminos (or additional tamari/soy sauce)
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 tbsp. white vinegar
3 tbsp. vegetable broth
pinch crystallized stevia or maple sugar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. fresh ginger, minced or microplaned
2-3 scallions, sliced
Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and let sit for about 30 minutes.
That sinking feeling when – desperate for food – you walk into a deli, knowing that all you’ll be able to get is a sandwich with the veggie fixings… What does a vegan sandwich look like at your standard deli? Shredded iceberg lettuce, sun-starved tomatoes, a few desultory slices of onion, and maybe a pickle chip or two. On white bread of course, or its simpering cousin – the one that masquerades as “healthy” whole wheat. Probably sweetened with honey. Be still my beating heart.
