Pure Thyme

For a Balanced Life

Toasted Quinoa Mexican Soup

By

Toasted-Quinoa-Mexican-Soup-Vegan--1198x800
I am a big fan of Mexican food and making healthy, vegan versions of traditional favorites is super easy to do. I’m always making healthy quesadillas, tacos, salsas, guacamole – the list goes on – and these recipes will appear here eventually don’t worry folks. I can’t wait to share all our family favorites and the new ones I create here.
I thought I would start with this one because who doesn’t love a spicy Mexican soup to warm your spirit. I’ve been dreaming up this healthy soup over the past week to add to my recipe collection. I based this soup on traditional Tortilla Soup which I have had plenty of times at some of my favorite restaurants. I know what I love about it – it’s kind of like the soup version of an enchilada – and I knew exactly what I could do to it to make it even better. In planning this, I knew I did not want to add crisp tortilla strips to the recipe until I purchase my tortilla press so I can make sodium-free fresh tortillas. You can make tortillas without a press and I thought about doing that, but I had a fantastic idea while planning this recipe and decided to go with it.
I added toasted quinoa for the crunch instead of tortilla strips. This was such an exciting and delicious addition to this soup and I like it even better this way. Toasted quinoa adds a wonderful nuttiness that deepens the flavor of this soup, it’s unbelievable.
My husband loves to roast poblano peppers and we use them in several recipes like his homemade salsa, so I knew they were going in this soup. I also added roasted red peppers and caramelized red onions for natural sweetness, flavor and color. This blends incredibly well with the fire-roasted tomatoes, avocado, cilantro and fresh lime juice.
This soup is smoky, spicy, creamy and unbelievably fresh tasting with layers upon layers of flavors. This soup is so delish and is also loaded with healthy nutrients so you can’t go wrong with this one. Try this soup out and you will not be disappointed.
Since this soup might be considered slightly time-consuming, I suggest making a double or triple batch and freezing some – it freezes amazingly well. That way when you crave it again soon after devouring it all – and you will – all you have to do is reheat, roast some peppers and toast some quinoa. Voilà!
I am proud to say that this soup was Made Just Right Spring to Life Recipe Contest Side-Dish Winner here check it out Toasted Quinoa Mexican Soup. It’s that good. =)
Toasted Quinoa Mexican Soup
 

Print

Prep time

Cook time

Total time

 

This soup is smoky, spicy, creamy and unbelievably fresh tasting with layers upon layers of flavors. Toasted quinoa adds a wonderful nuttiness. Roasted peppers and caramelized red onions give the soup a natural sweetness that deepens the flavor of this soup.
Author:
Recipe type: Entree
Cuisine: Mexican
Serves: 6

Ingredients
  • 4 cups sodium-free or reduced sodium vegetable stock
  • 1 (28) oz can no or low-sodium fire roasted crushed tomatoes
  • 1 medium red onion, chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 poblano pepper, roasted
  • 1 red pepper, roasted
  • 1 jalapeno, ½ of seeds removed and diced (you can remove all the seeds to reduce spice)
  • 1 cup quinoa
  • 1 tbsp paprika
  • ½ tsp chipotle powder, you can substitute Mexican chili powder if you don’t have it. (reduce amount if you want a less spicey soup)
  • ½ tsp ground coriander
  • ½ tsp ground cumin
  • 2 bay leaves
  • Pinch ground cinnamon
  • 1 avocado, cut into ½ inch cubes
  • Lime wedges, for serving

Instructions
  1. Roast peppers over a gas flame on your stove, turning with tongs until skin is evenly charred. Transfer to a plastic bag, close and allow to steam until cool to the touch. Peel the charred skin by hand. Once peeled cut away the stems, seeds and veins. (this can be done the day before to save time)
  2. Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add diced onions and stir. Keep stirring until the onions start to stick and add 1 tablespoon of vegetable stock. Repeat this step, stirring often for 30 minutes, deglazing pan every so often with a small amount of vegetable stock. Cook onions for 30 minutes or until onions are a dark in color with the desired caramelized flavor.
  3. While onions are caramelizing, cook quinoa according to package instructions and set aside. (this can also be done the day before if you want)
  4. In a stock pot, add vegetable stock, fire roasted tomatoes, garlic, jalapeno, paprika, coriander, cumin, bay leaves, cinnamon, chipotle powder and stir. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in caramelized onions and continue to cook uncovered for 5 more minutes, remove bay leaves.
  5. Add cooked quinoa to non-stick skillet (I love my Cuisinart Green Gourmet Cookware) and cook over medium heat stirring occasionally for 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from heat.
  6. To serve ladle soup into bowls and top with toasted quinoa, diced roasted peppers, diced avocado and fresh chopped cilantro. Serve with lime wedges.

Notes
Alternatively, if you do not have a gas flame to roast the peppers, this can be done in the oven. Set your oven to broil. Place peppers on a baking sheet. Spray lightly with cooking spray on all sides. Roast for 5-10 minutes on each side or until charred and black. Keep a close eye on peppers so they do not burn. Follow directions I have provided in recipe to remove skin. You also do not have to toast the quinoa if you want to skip this step, but it does add a nice crunchy bite to the soup. Cook quinoa according to package instructions and add desired amount to finished soup.

 

It’s nutrient-rich and delish. Enjoy!

Mini Quinoa-Chickpea Cakes with Roasted Red Pepper Cashew Cream Sauce

By

DSC_0073
These scrumptious little mini cakes are not only going to please your palate, but also pack a nutrient-rich power punch. I combined quinoa and chickpeas as the base of these cakes which added firmness, moisture and a great texture. Quinoa also has a creamy, nutty and somewhat crunchy texture that always makes it a great addition to this recipe. Quinoa is a complete protein that provides all nine essential amino acids and it’s a good source of manganese, magnesium, iron and cooper to name a few. It has lysine, which is essential in helping the body grow and repair tissues. It’s been shown to help ease migraine headaches, prevents clogging of the arteries, and is low in saturated fat and cholesterol. Then we have our garbanzo bean a.k.a. chickpeas, a yummy legume that is a valuable course of fiber and protein. Garbanzo beans contain antioxidant rich nutrients like vitamin C, E, and beta-carotene.  Garbanzo beans aid in detoxification, build immune defenses, aid in digestion and are good for the heart. Such a great addition to your diet and super yummy too.
DSC_0005
I also threw some of my favorite veggies in there; zucchini, red pepper, and celery and it’s all topped off with a heavenly cashew cream sauce that is bursting with flavor. 
This recipe has had a well-needed makeover. =) The original recipe contained diced onion and I had to remove it because it was stopping these from holding together. I also added some bread crumbs and a little more vegan mayo. Make sure when you dice your red pepper and celery, you have very fine small pieces, too chunky and it will mess with the results. I took some new pictures for you so you can see how awesome these are.
IMG_04281
4.5 from 2 reviews

Mini Quinoa-Chickpea Cakes with Roasted Red Pepper Cashew Cream Sauce
 

Print

Author:
Recipe type: Appetizer

Ingredients
For the Roasted Red Pepper Sauce: makes 1 cup
  • ½ cup of raw cashews, soaked in water for 4 hours
  • 1 tsp dried dill weeds
  • 4 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tsp dijon mustard
  • 1½ tsp horseradish
  • ¼ tsp onion powder
  • ¼ cup diced roasted red pepper
  • 1 clove garlic minced
  • 4 tbsp unsweetened almond milk
  • fresh black pepper to taste
  • pinch sea salt
For the Cakes: Makes 24 cakes
  • 1 cup cooked quinoa
  • 2 tbsp ground flaxseed meal plus 6 tbsp warm water, set aside for five minutes until thickened
  • 1 (15 oz) can low-sodium garbanzo Beans
  • 1 cup shredded zucchini
  • ¼ cup finely diced red bell pepper
  • ¼ cup finely diced celery
  • 1 tsp vegan worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • ¼ cup vegan mayo
  • ¼ cup whole wheat bread crumbs
  • ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
  • ¼ tsp mustard powder
  • ¼ tsp paprika
  • ¼ tsp garlic powder
  • ¼ tsp onion powder
  • fresh black pepper to taste
  • sea salt, to taste
  • fresh scallions or chives, thinly sliced for garnish

Instructions
For the roasted red pepper sauce:
  1. Drain cashews; add to a food processor or blender with remaining ingredients. Puree until creamy and smooth. Serve either chilled on top of cakes or you can warm it on the stove.
For the cakes:
  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
  2. Cook quinoa according to package instructions. While quinoa is cooking, mix 2 tbsp ground flaxseed meal with 6 tbsp warm water and set aside until thickened. Drain and rinse garbanzo beans with cold water. In a large mixing bowl, add garbanzo beans and mash with potato masher until chickpeas are no longer whole and blended. Add all remaining ingredients and stir until well combined.
  3. Lightly spray a non-stick mini-muffin pan with cooking spray. Spoon batter into each muffin cup filling almost to top. Press down firmly with back of spoon and fingers. Place in oven and bake for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown and crisp. Cool for five minutes. Run knife around edges and gently remove from pan.
  4. Place on a serving platter with some cashew sauce on top and garnish with chopped scallions or chives.
  5. These can be made a couple of hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature. Rewarm in 350°F oven 6 to 8 minutes.

Notes
If you do not have a mini-muffin pan, you can line a baking tray with parchment paper. Spoon mixture onto parchment paper and form them into 1½ inch cakes. Take your time with these and make sure they are firm. The batter will seem very moist, but I assure you they will cook just fine.

Adapted from Epicurious 
Happy healthy eating!
xoxo, Jen

Healthy Vegan Banana Bread

By

bananabread
Five banana breads later and I am finally happy with the results. I never thought coming up with a healthy vegan banana bread would be this difficult. Since I am a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to cooking, I knew I wasn’t stopping until it came out PERFECT! It’s not like I had anything to compare it with either. I’ve honestly never tried vegan banana bread and I had only my non-vegan banana bread recipes to modify. I’ve made other vegan desserts before, so I knew what I needed to replace in my original recipes. I had to adjust measurements several times until I got moist, fluffy, and most importantly, edible banana bread.

My banana bread is made with date sugar and contains no oil. It gets its sweetness mainly from the bananas and of course the date sugar. It won’t be the sweetest banana bread you will ever try, but that is what I was after. This is the healthiest version I could come up with and I am super excited about the results! So, give it a try and let me know what you think!

Printable Recipe

Healthy Vegan Banana Bread

Ingredients:

3-4 over-ripe bananas (1 1/2 cups mashed)

1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour

2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 cup date sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1/2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract

1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce

1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1/4 cup Walnuts (optional)

Directions:

In a large mixing bowl, mash bananas and stir in date sugar, vanilla, and applesauce.
In a separate mixing bowl, combine lemon juice with almond milk. Stir into banana mixture.
In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg. Stir to combine ingredients.
Add dry ingredients to banana mixture and stir until combined.
Spread the mixture evenly into a non-stick 9×5-inch pan and bake until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, about 40-45 minutes. Allow to cool before slicing and serving.

Baby Spinach, Tomato and Pineapple Salad with Shallot Dressing

By

untitled (25)

Spinach is a powerhouse of nutrients like iron, beta-carotene and vitamin C. It’s another nutrient-rich food that fights heart disease and cancer.  I can’t get enough of it, raw or cooked.  Our mom always told us how good it was for us and she was not wrong. So, eat your spinach folks!

I made this salad for company this past Saturday night and it was a hit! The dressing is my new favorite and I will be using it not only on this salad, but on others as well.

Baby Spinach, Tomato and Pineapple Salad with Shallot Dressing

4 servings

Ingredients:

6 cups of baby spinach leaves

1 1/2 cups of pineapple, cubed into bit sized pieces

1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved

Shallot Dressing, recipe follows

Directions:

Put the spinach, tomatos and pineapple in a large bowl. Drizzle with some of the dressing, toss and serve.

Shallot Dressing

Yield: 1 cup

1/2 cup of shallots, diced

1/4 cup raw apple cider vinegar

2 tablespoons of date paste or 4 pitted dates

1 teaspoon dijon mustard

4-6 cloves roasted garlic (all depends on how garlicky you want it)

1/2 cup of water

2 tablespoons of fresh parsley

Freshly ground pepper to taste

Directions:

Place all ingredients in a blender, Cuisinart or mini prep (I love my mini prep for dressings), blend until smooth. Use as needed.

Enjoy! YUM!

Vegan Cream of Roasted Tomato Soup

By

tomatosoup
Tomatoes are full of all kinds of health benefits. They contain lycopene which is a vital antioxidant that helps fight against cancer and they are loaded with vitamin A and C. Tomatoes are highly versatile and can be used in so many recipes. One of my favorites is cream of tomato soup. I absolutely looooooooooooooove cream of tomato soup! Let’s face it though, it is not healthy or low fat after all the cream is added to the soup, but boy is it delicious! So, with a lot of thought and years of eating this stuff, I was able to come up with my own super nutrient-rich version. My sister-in-law, who is also a wonderful chef, always roasts her tomatoes in the oven like this for sauces, so she definitely inspired this soup. Try it and let me know what you think!

Vegan Cream of Roasted Tomato Soup

4 to 6 servings

Ingredients:

2 1/2 pounds fresh tomatoes (mix ’em up, use what you like or whatever looks good!)
4-6 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
1 large vidalia onion, sliced
4 cups low or no sodium vegetable stock (homemade or store bought)
3 tablespoons Dr. Fuhrman’s VegiZest or other no-salt seasoning.
2 bay leaves
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup raw cashew nuts
freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Slice the tomatoes into halves. Stuff the tomatoes with the garlic. Line two trays with parchment paper or use non-stick trays. Spread the tomatoes and onions onto the baking trays. Roast for 30 minutes.

Remove roasted tomatoes and onions from the oven and transfer to a large stock pot. Reserve a couple tomatoes for garnish. Add the vegetable stock and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until liquid has reduced by a third.

Remove bay leaves. Add the soup to a high powered blender or cuisinart with cashew nuts to puree the soup until smooth. Return soup to low heat and season to taste with freshly ground black pepper. Garnish in bowl with some chopped roasted tomatoes and fresh chopped basil.

This soup is a great base and it freezes well too. I use it for stuffed peppers and I often throw fresh spinach, kale and/or other vegetables into it for a heartier version.
Enjoy! YUM!