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Easy but elevated vegan eats

Sun-dried Tomato Jalapeño Olive Pesto

Sun-dried Tomato Jalapeño Olive Pesto

Fiery red, filled with flavour, and just the right amount of heat, this Sun-dried Tomato Jalapeño Olive Pesto is a sophisticated sauce.

Pesto is a thing of beauty that can be creatively customized in a myriad of ways. While good old fashioned basil pesto is an eternal classic, mixing it up with fun new flavour combinations is a welcomed change.

While swapping out basil in a classic pesto for different herbs like cilantro or mint is always a great way to shake it up, this Sun-dried Tomato Jalapeño Olive Pesto takes it to the next level!

Sun-dried tomato is the base of this lovely pesto, with green and kalamata olives giving a savoury depth, and minced jalapeño adding the fire. Let’s take a closer look at the ingredients.

Sun-dried Tomato Jalapeño Olive Pesto

Ingredients in Sun-dried Tomato Jalapeño Olive Pesto

• Sun-dried tomatoes

I prefer to use dried rather than sun-dried tomatoes in oil. You can use the oil-packed variety if you like and reduce the olive oil in the recipe. The oil that comes in the oil-packed jars of sun-dried tomatoes is a bit of a mystery, and so I prefer to use the non oil variety, and add a quality olive oil to the pesto.

• Kalamata & green olives

You can use whatever your favourite variety of olives are! I like a combination of green and kalamata.

• Pine nuts

Of course every pesto needs a nut (or a seed if you are nut-free)! You can really use any unsalted variety of nut in pesto. Pine nuts are the classic, but I often use unsalted cashews. They’re less pricey and taste just as great.

• Fresh basil

Be sure to use fresh basil. Never, I repeat, never use dried herbs in a pesto. It’s just not right! You need the volume and consistency of the plant for a pesto. Plus, a pesto is all about quality ingredients being married together into a paste. Dried herbs cannot achieve this.

• Finely chopped jalapeño

Add more or less according to how much heat you like. If you’re not a fan of heat be sure to always remove the seeds in a recipe calling for jalapeño, as the seeds are the hottest part of the pepper.

• Nutritional yeast

In a vegan pesto nutritional yeast adds a complex cheesy flavour that is absolutely divine! Dare I say, it’s better than cheese in a pesto. It’s always chock full of vitamins and minerals too.

• Garlic, lemon juice & salt

To bring out the flavours

• Olive oil and water

Olive oil adds the fattiness and flavour, while water allows you to thin out the pesto a bit without having it too oily.

Different Ways to Use This Pesto

The best way to use this pesto is, obviously, on pasta. When making a pasta dish, you should always consider which type of pasta noodle is best for the sauce you’re using.

A pesto sauce is served best with longer cuts of flat pasta, like linguine, spaghetti or spaghettini. Pesto is also nice on pasta cuts with curves that hold the sauce within the noodle, such as rotini or the corkscrew shape of Fusilli.

Other ways I suggest to use this pesto is on pizza with crumbled tofu and my Quick Tofu Pepperoni Crumble! Stuffing homeade ravioli or pasta shells is also a great way to use pesto. This Sun-dried Tomato Jalapeño Olive Pesto would also be lovely in a tofu sandwich, wraps, or on crostini bread as an appetizer at parties!

Sun-dried Tomato Jalapeño Olive Pesto

Sun-dried Tomato Jalapeño Olive Pesto

A fiery pesto made of sun-dried tomatoes, olives, jalepeno and basil.
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Prep Time 7 minutes
Total Time 7 minutes
Course dinner, Sauce
Cuisine Italian, Mediterranean
Servings 4 people

Equipment

  • mortar and pestle or food processor

Ingredients
  

Sun-dried Tomato Jalapeño Olive Pesto

  • 2 Tbsp pine nuts or cashews
  • 1 cup sun-dried tomatoes
  • 2 Tbsp sliced green olives
  • 2 Tbsp sliced kalamata olives
  • 1/4 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves
  • 1 Tbsp finely chopped jalepeño without seeds if you prefer less heat
  • 1 Tbsp nutritional yeast
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 lemon, juiced
  • 3 Tbsp olive oil
  • 3-6 Tbsp water to reach desired thickness

Instructions
 

Sun-dried Tomato Jalapeño Olive Pesto

  • To a food processor add pine nuts, basil, olives, jalapeño, sun-dried tomatoes, lemon juice, garlic, nutritional yeast, salt. (or use a hand blender, or crush manually with a mortal and pestle.
  • Add olive oil and water until desire consistency is achieved.
  • Continue to blend with food processor or hand mixer (or with pestle and mortar).
  • Taste and add more salt, lemon juice if desired and mix.
Keyword jalepeno, Mint pesto, olive, Pasta, pasta sauce, sundried tomato, Tomato

Looking for more vegan pesto ideas? Try my Vegan Basil and Cilantro Pesto!

Vegan Basil and Cilantro Pesto

Mint Pesto & Vegan Ricotta Shells

Mint Pesto & Vegan Ricotta Shells

Pasta shells stuffed with a rich vegan ricotta cheese and mint basil pesto. This plant-based Mint Pesto & Vegan Ricotta Shells is filled with the flavour of fresh herbs.

Italian vegan cuisine is a favourite of mine, especially now that this day and age vegan cheese options are plentiful and absolutely delicious. This stuffed shells recipe really achieves an authentic Italian food taste. It all comes down to the vegan cheese mixture, which creates a plant-based ricotta with the taste and texture of its dairy counterpart.

Mint Pesto & Vegan Ricotta Shells

Ingredients in Mint Pesto & Vegan Ricotta Shells

● Quality large past shells

I used pasta shells from La Bottega Nicastro a fine Italian Grocer. You can use any type of shell large enough to stuff. Choosing an artisinal pasta is always a good bet, since they are often slowly dried and taste much more like a fresh homeade pasta.

● Pasta Sauce

This recipe calls for just enough pasta sauce to coat two regular size lasagna pans. Your shells should be resting on the layer of sauce, not smothered in it. I used a quality can of strained tomato, flavoured to taste with salt, basil and garlic powder. You can use any kind of your favourite tomato sauce.

● Homeade Mint & Basil Pesto

This pesto is super quick to make and the fresh mint really adds depth to the overall recipe. You might be tempted to use only basil in the pesto but I would definitely try the mint-basil combination. It is absolutely divine!

● Vegan Tofu Ricotta

Firm tofu and a soft cashew cheese with a bit of salt and garlic powder combine to make a rich and flavourful plant-based ricotta cheese.

● Olive oil & Fresh Basil

Drizzled olive oil is used on the shells before going into the oven, and fresh basil is used as a garnish after it is done baking.

SHOP INGREDIENTS FOR THIS RECIPE BELOW:

Mint Pesto & Vegan Ricotta Shells

Making the Tofu Ricotta Mixture

vegan ricotta cheese

Mixing together equal parts firm tofu and cashew cheese (or soft nut-based cheese of choice) forms a lovely plant-based ricotta that can be used in a myriad of recipes. The tofu adds that wetness that ricotta cheese typically has, while the nut-based cheese gives a soft creaminess.

It’s best to use firm tofu to make this ricotta mixture, however you can also get away with extra firm or medium firm, but I would steer away from using silken tofu. The wetness of silken tofu is likely too much water content for a vegan ricotta cheese (though you can always try!).

I use  200 gram package of Spread Em Cashew Cheeze Block for my Mint Pesto & Vegan Ricotta Shells. This brand of vegan cashew cheese has a slightly pungent and rich flavour that lends itself so well to this recipe. Anyone who bites into these al dente stuffed shells would be hard pressed to tell that it is a plant-based ricotta filling.

Note that you can also choose to use a vegan cream cheese instead of cashew cheese, such as Tofutti Plain Better Than Cream Cheese. You cannot, however used shredded vegan cheese!

Making the Mint & Basil Pesto

This is my go-to pesto recipe, and it can be customized to use in various different recipes. The nutritional yeast and lemon give it a zingy flavour that is so fresh and delicious. The mint and basil combination, however is the focus of this pesto.

In this Mint Pesto & Vegan Ricotta Shells recipe the mint and basil combination is the star. Do not substitute the mint! I promise, you will love the complex flavour that fresh mint brings to this dish.

I use my trusty hand mixer to make this pesto and it is done in about 5 minutes. Of course, though, you can use a mortar and pestle to make up this mint pesto. The slow grind of the ingredients from the mortar and pestle often produce an even ore flavourful pesto.

I use all of the pesto, divided evenly into the two lasagna pans of stuffed shells. If your shells are on the smaller side and you have leftover pesto, simply store it in an air-tight container in the fridge. It’s lovely to use in sandwiches and on tofu!

Mint Pesto & Vegan Ricotta Shells
Mint Pesto & Vegan Ricotta Shells

Mint Pesto & Vegan Ricotta Shells

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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course dinner, Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Servings 4 people

Ingredients
  

Mint Basil Pesto

  • 1 1/4 cups fresh mint
  • 3/4 cup fresh basil
  • 3 Tbsp cashews
  • 3 large cloves garlic
  • 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 3 Tbsp nutritional yeast
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 3-6 Tbsp water

Vegan Ricotta

  • 1 package firm tofu
  • 1 package (200 grams) cashew cheese or vegan cream cheese
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt or more to taste

Mint Pesto & Vegan Ricotta Shells

  • 2-4 cups pasta sauce of choice enough to coat 2 lasagna pans
  • 1 package large pasta shells
  • fresh basil as garnish
  • 1 Tbsp olive oil to drizzle

Instructions
 

Mint Basil Pesto

  • To a food processor add mint, basil, nuts, lemon juice, garlic, salt, nutritional yeast. (or use a hand blender, or crush manually with a mortal and pestle.
  • Add olive oil and water until desire consistency is achieved.
  • Continue to blend with food processor or hand mixer (or with pestle and mortar).
  • Taste and add more salt, lemon juice and/or nutritional yeast if desired and mix.

Vegan Ricotta

  • Drain 1 package of tofu and crumble into a bowl.
  • Add 1 block of soft cashew cheese (I used 200 gram package of Spread Em Cashew Cheeze Block) and mix until combined.
  • Add salt and garlic powder and mix.

Mint Pesto & Vegan Ricotta Shells

  • Cook pasta shells according to package until al dente.
  • Preheat oven to 400 F.
  • Coat two 13 X 9 inch lasagna pans with a layer of pasta sauce. (Enough to coat bottom of your pans but not drown the shells in sauce).
  • Stuff each pasta shell with the vegan ricotta and pesto and place in pans without overlapping. (approximately 12 large shells per pan, 24 in total).
  • Drizzle with olive oil.
  • Place in oven uncovered for 15 minutes.
  • Garnish with fresh basil and vegan parmesan!
Keyword Mint pesto, Pasta, Pesto, Shells, Stuffed shells, vegan ricotta

Looking for more plant-based Italian recipes? Try my Vegan Ricotta Lasagna Rolls!

Vegan Ricotta Lasagna Rolls

Vegan Coconut Buttercream Cake

Vegan Coconut Buttercream Cake

This fluffy and creamy Vegan Coconut Buttercream Cake is topped with coconut shreds and finely grated chocolate.

A vanilla cake that is moist, fluffy and has just the right weight makes the core of this recipe. The cake component of this recipe is utter perfection. It’s not too light and not dense. You can enjoy slices of this cake without that heavy feeling afterwards.

A layer of vegan vanilla buttercream is used in the middle of the cake as well as on top and around the edges. The buttercream in this recipe has the perfect balance of creamy butter and sweet icing sugar. It is creamy and sweet, with the perfect vanilla flavour. This buttercream is not too rich, but is just right. Trust me, you’ll want to use this vegan vanilla buttercream icing on everything!

The piece de resistance of this Vegan Coconut Buttercream Cake recipe is, of course, the coconut!

What Coconut to Use in Vegan Coconut Buttercream Cake

The type and quality of coconut shreds you use in baking matter. I’ll say it again. What coconut you use in baking matters. It matters like, a lot!

Some people believe they don’t like coconut in baked goods. But, in actuality, what they don’t like is poor quality coconut in baked goods!

Poor quality coconut shreds are a sad thing indeed. They’re hard, stale and flavourless, with a dry and wire-y texture that is absolutely not pleasing. Anyone consuming poor quality coconut shreds will be fooled into thinking they don’t like coconut!

So, what should quality coconut shreds taste like?

Quality coconut shreds are fluffy and beautiful, like soft little flakes of snow that melt on the tongue. They have a light and airy consistency that melts in your mouth into a creamy delight.

I use Camino Shredded Coconut in Unsweetened. This variety of coconut shreds is fair-trade, organic, vegan, unsweetened, and without any additives or preservatives. You can absolutely taste the quality, and it melds beautifully with the vanilla cake and buttercream in this recipe.

So, if you believe you don’t like coconut, I suggest giving this variety a try. You might just be surprised!

Vegan Vanilla Buttercream Icing

Vegan Vanilla Buttercream Icing

In this icing recipe you want to use a block of vegan butter, rather than a vegan butter spread. A block of vegan butter typically has more fattiness to it than a spread, which works best to make an icing.

It’s crucial that you use softened (not cold rock hard!) butter to make your icing. Since vegan butters are usually made of oil they are naturally very soft. This means that unlike dairy-based butter, you may not need to softened your butter for long. Simply removing your vegan block of butter from the fridge and letting sit out for 10-15 minutes should do the trick!

Making a Grated Chocolate Topping

Grated chocolate makes a lovely cake topping. It’s one of my favourite easy ways to elevate a dessert. The little swirls of chocolate look fancy, but are super easy and quick to make!

These dainty little curls of chocolate are beautiful and add interest since no two are the same!  It takes literally minutes to make a batch of these babies using a cheese grater, zester or a microplane.

Simply take a bar of chocolate such as Camino Semi-sweet Baking Chocolate and grate the bar along the edge. You can grate them swirls into a small bowl or even just grate them directly on top of your cake.

Vegan Coconut Buttercream Cake
Vegan Coconut Buttercream Cake

Vegan Coconut Buttercream Cake

A fluffy vanilla vegan cake with vanilla buttercream icing and topped with coconut shreds and grated chocolate.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Course Dessert
Cuisine Baking, Plant-Based, Vegan
Servings 12 people

Equipment

  • stand mixer

Ingredients
  

Vegan Coconut Buttercream Cake

  • 2 cups almond milk
  • 2 Tbsp white vinegar
  • 3 cups plain flour or all purpose flour, sifted
  • 1.5 cups granulated sugar
  • 4 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2/3 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 Tbsp vanilla extract

Vegan Vanilla Buttercream Icing

  • 1 cup block of vegan butter (not spreadable)  softened
  • 4 cups icing or powdered sugar  sifted
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 tsp almond milk if required

Cake topping

  • 1 cup shredded coconut unsweetened
  • 1/4 cup grated chocolate bar optional

Instructions
 

Vegan Coconut Buttercream Cake

  • Preheat oven to 350 F.  Grease two 8 inch round cake pans.
  • Mix together almond milk and vinegar in a small bowl and set aside to curdle for 5 minutes.
  • In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
  • Make a well in the middle of your dry ingredients. Add vanilla, oil and all the milk. Whisk until combined.
  • Divide batter evenly into the two cake pans and place in the oven. Bake for approximately 30-35 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Allow to cool completely. 

Vegan Vanilla Buttercream Icing

  • Add softened vegan butter to a large mixing bowl. Use an electric mixer to beat on a low speed for 30 seconds or so, just until soft and creamy.
  • Add sugar and vanilla. Beat until a soft icing forms. If too thick, add a touch of almond milk. If your icing is too soft, place it in the fridge to firm up before frosting your cake.
  • Use a spatula to icing the the top of one of your cakes. Place second cake on top of the first. Icing the top and sides of the entire cake.

Cake Toppings

  • Sprinkle shredded coconut on top of the cake.
  • Using a grater or microplane, shred the flat edge of a bar of vegan chocolate. Sprinkle a large handful of chocolate swirls on the centre of the top of the cake.
Keyword baking, Buttercream, Buttermilk pancakes, Chocolate dessert, Coconut, coconut cake, Vanilla cake

Looking for more vegan cake recipes? Try my Vegan Lavender & Vanilla Buttercream Cake!

Lavender & Vanilla Buttercream Cake

Healthy Breakfast Granola Bars

Healthy Breakfast Granola Bars

Nutritious, quick and easy to make, these Healthy Breakfast Granola Bars are made of simple ingredients and have just the right amount of sweetness. Plus, they’re vegan and gluten free and can be made nut-free if you choose.

Ingredients in Healthy Breakfast Granola Bars

These breakfast granola bars are made with wholesome simple ingredients that can be easily customized.

• Mashed banana

The more ripe the bananas are, the more sweetness they will add to your granola bars.

• Pure vanilla extract

The vanilla adds a depth of flavour to your bars and a slight sweetness.

• Oats

You can use (old fashioned) rolled oats, which are large and thick in size. Or you can also choose to use quick oats, the smaller variety of oat.

• Vegan Rice Crispy Cereal

Kellog’s Rice Krispies are not vegan due to containing vitamin D3 which is always animal-derived. I used Nature’s Path Organic Crispy Rice Cereal. This line of organic cereals are great, and can be found in the health section of most large grocers. What I love most is that they clearly mark on the bag which of their cereals are vegan and which are vegetarian, so there’s no guessing!

If you can’t find this brand, any type of your favourite cereal mix will do!

• Slivered Almonds

You can substitute slivered almonds for any type of nut. If you’d like to make these bars nut-free, simply substitute with the same amount of seed such as sunflower, pumpkin etc, or dried fruit.

• Vegan Chocolate Chips

Camino Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips are a great vegan option, or PC Plant Based Mini Chocolate Chips in Semi-Sweet!

• Hemp Hearts

You can easily substitute these with more nuts, cereal or seeds.

• Cinnamon & salt

Healthy Breakfast Granola Bars

Tips for Making Healthy Breakfast Granola Bars

These Healthy Breakfast Granola Bars are not meant to be a super sweet treat. This recipe relies on the natural sweetness of ripe bananas for a touch of sweetness. The chocolate chips give an a little bit of naughtiness to them, without making them too sweet.

Since these bars are meant to be a healthy midday snack or a breakfast granola bar, the recipe is not filled with sugar. A tablespoon or two of maple syrup can be added if you want to make them sweeter. Agave syrup would also work nicely to give a bit more of a sweet taste to the bars if desired.

Substituting Ingredients

You can switch out chocolate chips, hemp hearts or nuts for the additions of your choosing. You cannot, however, replace the rolled oats or the banana in this recipe. Banana and rolled oats create the base of these healthy gluten-free and vegan granola bars.

If you want to swap out the chocolate chips, almonds or hemp hearts, just be sure to replace with an equal amount.

Some ideas for substitutions are:

• Raisins

• White Chocolate Chips

• Pumpkin seeds

• Dried cranberries

• Dried mangoes

• Dried coconut flakes

Storing Your Granola Bars

Once you’ve cooled and cut your granola bars, they should be stored in the refrigerator for up to once week in an air tight container.

You can also make a big batch for school or work meal prep, and store in the freezer for 4 to 6 weeks.

Healthy Breakfast Granola Bars

Healthy Breakfast Granola Bars

Quick, easy and healthy breakfast granola bars that are vegan and gluten free.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 22 minutes
Course Breakfast, Dessert, Snack
Cuisine Californian, Plant-Based
Servings 12 bars

Ingredients
  

Healthy Breakfast Granola Bars

  • 1 1/2 cups mashed ripe banana (about 3 large)
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 2 cups rolled oats or quick oats
  • 1 cup vegan rice krispies (such as Nature's Path) or cereal of choice
  • 1/2 cup slivered almonds
  • 1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup hemp hearts
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp salt

Instructions
 

Healthy Breakfast Granola Bars

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a large rectangular baking dish (9" x 13") with parchment paper, overhanging the parchment on each side of the dish for easy removal of the bars after baking.
  • In a large mixing bowl, mash the banana until big lumps are smoothed out.
  • Add in the vanilla and stir.
  • Puts oats into a food processor (or use a hand blender in a separate bowl) and pulse until the oats are coarsely chopped (but still have plenty of texture).
  • Stir the pulsed oats into the banana mixture until fully incorporated.
  • Stir the almonds, cereal of choice, chocolate chips, hemp hearts, cinnamon, and salt into the banana-oat mixture until fully combined.
  • Add the mixture into the prepared dish. With slightly wet hands, smooth out until evenly flat. Press down on the mixture until compacted.
  • Bake for 22 to 26 minutes, until it has become firm and lightly golden along the edges.
  • Remove the granola slab (together with the parchment) from the dish and set to cool for 10 minutes.
  • Once cool, slice the slab into 12 bars.
  • Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for a week in an air tight container, or stored in the freezer for 4 to 6 weeks.
Keyword Baked oats, Granola, granola bars, Healthy dessert, Oats

Looking for more healthy recipes? Try my 5 Ingredients Cocoa Cookies!

5 Ingredient Oat Cocoa Cookies

Spicy Cabbage Broad Bean Soup

Spicy Cabbage Broad Bean Soup

A healthy spicy cabbage soup in a vegetable tomato broth with broad beans and lentils. This Spicy Cabbage Broad Bean Soup is vegan, gluten-free and filled with fibre.

Ingredients in Spicy Cabbage Broad Bean Soup

• Tomato and vegetable broth

Canned stewed tomatoes along with vegetable bouillon cubes and water make up this broth

• Cabbage

You can use any type of green coloured cabbage you like! From Savoy to Napa, use whichever variety you like. I don’t suggest red cabbage as it will turn your soup an unpleasant brownish red colour (buut will still taste great!)

• Broad beans

These are also known as Fava beans. Be sure to use canned broad beans (these are cooked), or dried broad beans that you cook prior to using in a soup.

• Red Lentils

I suggest using red lentils rather than green or brown. Red lentils give a lovely almost creaminess to soups, They cook quickly and meld into the broth unlike green lentils which are firmer.

• Paprika and red pepper flakes

These spices add the heat to this soup.

• Majoram, basil and sage

For a sweet herby flavour to balance the heat.

• Garlic, salt, pepper and olive oil

Garlic is used instead of onion, along with salt & pepper, and olive oil for a touch of fattiness to bring out flavours.

What are Broad Beans?

Broad beans are a legume with a fresh, creamy texture and green hue. They grow in large pods on flowering pea plants that are harvested in the spring.

Fresh broad beans are first removed from the pod and then blanched to make the tough clear skin easy to remove. Then the fresh blanched broad beans can be used as is, or can be cooked further. They’re great boiled, steamed, stewed, mashed, sautéed, fried, or roasted!

Dried broad beans are prepared just like other dried beans. They can be soaked before cooking low and slow in plenty of water.

In this recipe we’re using canned or already cooked broad beans. Simply drain the broad beans and rinse them well under running water.

What Type of Cabbage To Use

There are hundreds of varieties of cabbage to choose from when cooking! Green cabbage is the most common type of cabbage, and the one I recommend for this Spicy Cabbage Broad Bean Soup.

Green cabbage has densely packed thick leaves, with the outer leaves being medium to light green then the inner leaves fading from pale green to white in the centre. Cooked green cabbage has a sweeter taste with less spiciness than when it is raw. The slight sweetness goes well in this recipe, balancing out the spiciness of the red pepper flakes.

You can instead use any type of green cabbage in this recipes, such as Savoy cabbage. This other type of green cabbage has crinkly tender leaves and a more mild taste than Green cabbage.

Savoy cabbages, like Green cabbage keep their colour even during cooking, so it will not turn your soup a strange colour like a red cabbage would.

Spicy Cabbage Broad Bean Soup

Spicy Cabbage Broad Bean Soup

A healthy spicy cabbage soup in a vegetable tomato broth with broad beans and lentils.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Course Lunch, Main Course, Soup, Stew
Cuisine Mediterranean, Plant-Based
Servings 6 people

Ingredients
  

Spicy Cabbage Broad Bean Soup

  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 2 cubes bouillon
  • 3 cups water
  • 1 can stewed tomatoes
  • half small cabbage chopped
  • 1/4 cup red lentils
  • 1 can broad beans (cooked)
  • 2-3 Tbsp paprika
  • 1 Tbsp red pepper flakes
  • 1/2 tsp sage
  • 1 tsp majoram
  • salt & pepper to taste
  • 1 Tbsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp basil

Instructions
 

  • Spicy Cabbage Broad Bean Soup
  • Add half of olive oil (1 Tbsp) to a large soup pot with minced garlic and sauté on medium low for 2 minutes.
  • Add chopped cabbage and stir.
  • Add bouillon cubes, water and can of stewed tomatoes.
  • Turn heat up to max.
  • Add rinsed red lentils and rinsed and drained can of broad beans.
  • Add all spices and 1 Tbsp olive oil.
  • Once soup has reached a boil reduce heat to medium low.
  • Taste soup and adjust spices to preference.
  • Let soup simmer on medium low for 15 minutes.
  • Serve with fresh crusty bread or soda crackers!
Keyword Broad beans, Cabbage, Garbanzo beans, Lentils, soup, Tomato, Tomato Stew

Looking for more soup recipes? Try my Winter Roasted Squash & Tomato Stew!

Winter Roasted Squash & Tomato Stew

Creamy Vegan Truffle Pasta

Creamy Vegan Truffle Pasta

A simple, silky vegan cream sauce with fresh truffle and fettuccine pasta. This Creamy Vegan Truffle Pasta is dairy-free, nut-free and absolutely divine.

Ingredients in Creamy Vegan Truffle Pasta

• A quality pasta

I used fettuccine noodles from a local Italian grocer for this Creamy Vegan Truffle Pasta. They make lovely nests of slow dried pasta that tastes (almost) as good as fresh pasta. If you’d like to go the extra mile, use the Homeade Vegan Pasta portion from this recipe!

• Non dairy milk of your choice

It’s best to use unsweetened (and of course, not vanilla)

• Flour

This is used to thicken your sauce. You can also use cornstarch instead if preferred.

• Vegan butter

I use Earth Balance vegan butter spread. It has a lovely taste and mixes well into sauces.

• Nutritional Yeast

This gives a nice nutty flavour to the vegan cream sauce. It does give it a lovely golden colour as well. You can substitute the nutritional yeast for vegan Parmesan if you prefer. This will make your sauce more white in colour.

• Salt & pepper

Always season a sauce to taste, as we all have different tastebuds and prefer difference levels of salt!

• Fresh black truffle

You can use a small to medium truffle of the black variety. Half of the truffle is grated into the sauce and the other half is used to garnish the top of the dish.

Black Truffles in your Creamy Vegan Truffle Pasta

Italian black truffles

Truffles are delicious fungi that grow on an underground. Known for their rich earthy flavour, they’re considered a gourmet delicacy in the culinary world. Truffles are generally quite pricey for two reasons: they’re hard to source, and they don’t last long.

Truffles are very hard to cultivate, as they need very specific growing conditions that are difficult and costly to create. It can take years to yield truffles. They also are very perishable and loose their potency quickly once they’ve been harvested.

Where to Buy Fresh Truffles

You won’t find fresh truffles at your big grocery chain. I purchase my truffles from a small, local and independent grocer. Most boutique grocers that sell culinary grade ingredients will have truffles. Sometimes a grocer will only have them in at certain times and their shipments can go pretty quickly! So, it’s best to plan ahead, and sometimes ask to be put on a list. Italian grocers are another great source for fresh truffles.

Cooking with Fresh Black Truffles

Creamy Vegan Truffle Pasta

Truffles are meant to be the focus of a dish. Their complex, earthy flavour is best suited to a simple cream sauce like the one in this recipe! Avoid cooking fresh truffles too much. Applying too much heat to truffles will affect their flavour and aroma. In this recipe you add the grated truffle only once the sauce is assembled and ready to mix in with the pasta noodles.

How to Store Truffles

It’s smart of plan when you will have your truffle, and what dish you plan to make with it. Truffles are quite perishable, so you want to ideally use them the day (or two) after you buy them. They begin losing quality as soon as they’re harvested, so you’ll get a better taste our of them the sooner consumed. If you have to store your truffle for one to three days you should:

• Store the truffle in an airtight container. 

• Avoid letting the truffle be exposed to moisture. You can add dry rice to the container to absorb moisture.

• Store in the refrigerator for up to five days (but 1-3 is preferable)  

Creamy Vegan Truffle Pasta

Creamy Vegan Truffle Pasta

Pasta with a luxurious truffle cream sauce that is vegan and nut-free and super quick and easy to make!
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Prep Time 8 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Course dinner, Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Servings 2 people

Ingredients
  

Vegan Cream Truffle Sauce

  • 4 cups nondairy milk
  • 10 Tbsp flour
  • 4 Tbsp vegan butter
  • 12 Tbsp nutritional yeast
  • 1 tsp salt
  • pepper to taste
  • 3/4 small black truffle (the fungi, not the chocolate!) finely shaved or roughly grated

Pasta

  • 500 grams pasta

Garnish

  • 1/4 small truffle thinly sliced

Instructions
 

Vegan Cream Truffle Sauce

  • In a saucepan, whisk flour into milk until completely dissolved.
  • Whisk in salt and oil (and 2 tsp garlic if desired). Slowly bring to a boil over low-medium heat, stirring occasionally at first and then constantly once it starts to thicken.
  • Once thick, turn off heat and stir in nutritional yeast.
  • Add in 3/4 of your truffle, grated.
  • Taste, and season with salt and pepper as desired. 

Pasta

  • Cook pasta al dente according to package directions and strain.
  • Mix the Vegan Cream Truffle Sauce in with your pasta noodles.
  • Top with thinly sliced truffle, and vegan parmesean (if desired).
Keyword Authentic homeade pasta, Buttercream, Cream, Cream sauce, Dairy-free pasta, Pasta, Truffle, Truffle pasta, Vegan cream, Vegan Pasta

Looking for more vegan pasta recipes? Try my Vegan Ricotta Ravioli with Sage Butter.

Vegan Ricotta Ravioli with Sage Butter

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