Tag: vegan
Sopa de Zapallo (Pumpkin Soup)
Sopa de Zapallo (Pumpkin Soup)
Most people think of something sweet when they think of pumpkin flavored anything. This is the exact opposite. This soup is as savory as it gets and is high end restaurant quality in flavor; I kid you not. When making this soup, I was a little underwhelmed…until I tasted it. I know something is really, really good when I say “Holy Shit” out loud. The tomatoes help balance out the pumpkin, so it’s not so dominant. What it really tastes like is a cross between tomato soup and butternut squash soup. You can garnish it with green onions and crumbled queso, unless you want to keep it vegan. Either way, if you want to impress some people, serve them this as the soup course.
Equipment
- immersion blender
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 white onion diced
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 4 roma tomatoes chopped
- 6 cups vegetable stock
- 1 small pumpkin seeded, peeled, and cubed
- salt and pepper to taste
Garnish
- green onions finely chopped
- queso fresco crumbled; omit if you want the soup vegan
Instructions
- Heat up the olive oil in a pot over medium high heat. Sauté the onions, garlic, tomatoes, cumin seeds and ground, for 5 minutes.
- Pour in the veggie stock. Add in the pumpkin. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for 30 minutes until the pumpkin is soft.
- Using an immersion blender, purée the soup until smooth.
- Season with salt and pepper. Simmer for a couple more minutes until it is your desired consistency.
Massa Crepes
Massa Crepes
Massa is a type of crepe that is eaten in Benin. While it looks like something you’d eat for breakfast, the crepe is actually eaten as a dessert. The batter is made out of millet flour, rice, sugar, and bananas, making massa vegan and gluten free.
Equipment
- standing mixer
- food processor
Ingredients
- 1 lb millet flour
- 1 banana
- 1/4 cup rice
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- vegetable oil
Instructions
- Combine millet flour and enough water to form a ball. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
- The next day, place the dough in a standing mixer with 1 cup of water. Mix for 1 minute. Let sit for 15 minutes.
- In another pot, cook the rice with 1 cup of water. Cook until then rice is soft.
- Add the batter, rice, sugar, and banana to a food processor.
- Purée until smooth.
- Heat up a tbsp of vegetable oil on a griddle over medium high heat. Pour a large ladle onto the grill.
- Cook for 3 minutes a side.
Algerian Carrots
Algerian Carrots
This is a great side dish that breathes new life into carrots. They are steamed, then sautéed in an aromatic spice syrup that you create. They are then finished off with a little squeeze of lemon juice.
Equipment
- steamer
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1 lb carrots peeled; cut into carrot sticks
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp cumin seeds
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp lemon juice
Instructions
- Bringbthe water to a boil in a steamer pot. Steam the carrots for 6 minutes. Set aside, reserving a 1/4 cup of the liquid.
- Heat up the oil in a sauté pan over low heat. Let the garlic and spices permeat in the oil for 10 minutes.
- Pour in the reserved liquid and bay leaf. Cover. Bring to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Add the carrots to the pan, costing in the spice mix. Increase the heat to medium high and sauté for 2 minutes.
