Chickenless Soup for the Cold
So, I decided to risk having an unlucky year and skipped the traditional black-eyed peas. When I woke up this morning, my website server, including this blog, was down, along with my email. Strike three! Coincidence? Of course. But I'll admit to feeling a momentary panic that I should have at least eaten a few black-eyed peas out of a can to appease the new year gods. I can deal with a cold, but take away my email and I'm just helpless.
Necessary supplies for treating a cold: hot tea, a blanket, a recliner, and a TV. And, of course, chickenless soup. I made myself a pot of it for lunch and already I'm feeling...well, not any better but at least not worse. It's nice and warming and, usually, delicious. But you see I've got this nasty cold....
Chickenless Soup
1 small onion, minced
2 teaspoons minced garlic
6 cups water or "unchicken" vegetable broth
2 tablespoons Chickenless Seasoning Blend, below (omit if using broth)
2 carrots, diced
1 cup diced potatoes
1 rib celery, diced
1/3 cup dried tofu, crumbled (see below for alternatives)
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning (or 1/8 tsp. dried thyme plus 1/8 tsp. rubbed sage)
2 bay leaves
You can find dried tofu in sticks or sheets at Asian markets. Its texture is much chewier than regular tofu, and it must be rehydrated for a while in hot liquid. If it's not available, you can use any of the following:
3/4 cup of cubed, extra-firm tofuSauté the onion in a medium-sized saucepan spritzed with olive oil. When it begins to brown, add the garlic and sauté for 1 more minute. Add all remaining ingredients and simmer for at least 30 minutes, until potatoes and dried tofu are tender. Remove the bay leaves to serve, and let the healing begin!
3/4 cup of frozen, defrosted tofu
1/3 cup of TVP chunks
1/4 cup of TVP granules
Chickenless Seasoning Blend (adapted from the Healing Heart Foundation):
3/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes
1 1/2 tablespoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
1 tablespoon oregano
1 tablespoon basil
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1 tablespoon dried parsley
Place all ingredients except parsley into blender and process until nutritional yeast is powdered. Be careful opening the blender not to breathe in any yeast dust! Add the dried parsley. You may use this mixed with hot water anywhere chicken broth is called for. Use it to taste, about 1/2 tablespoon per cup of water.
Tags: vegan recipes vegetarian cooking food fat-free Eat to Live
Labels: eat to live, gluten-free, soy
















29 Comments:
I hope you feel better, Susan! That soup should just about cancel out all the bad omens...
I too forgot to have black-eyed peas yesterday, but fortunately remembered to have them today. Do you think that still counts?? =)
I too am alone this week. No peas or cabbage for me, either. But it's nice being able to eat whatever I want, whenever I want it!
Hope you feel better.
The soup looks fabulous! Happy new year and feel better soon. And I have to ask.. why home alone on new years?
I myself was alone and had a cold for the new year as well.
I viewed my cold as a purification process to begin 2007. I also made sure I ate a couple black-eyed peas my mom made......phew...
I sure wish I had found your recipe when I was still sick.
This recipe looks great, coming down with a cold myself, I think I will send my husband off to the grocery store for me :)Thanks for posting
Hopefully, your bad luck is out of the way and the rest of the year will be good. Your soup looks great -- I've been craving chicken noodle soup myself lately so this may satisfy that craving.
I made the black-eyed peas and for some reason they just didn't appeal to me. My husband ate them yesterday, hopefully that will work. I am sorry you are sick, but your soup looks wonderful! Feel better soon!
Hey Susan - take this as an oppurtunity to rest and take care of yourself! A cold is often life's way of saying "spend some time away from your usual schedule to put things in perspective." Anyway, I'm a believer in soup for a cold as well and had to make my own recipe last fall.
Home alone, sick and NO EMAIL? that's just a tough start. but at least you can pop in a movie and relax a little
teddy
Love that chickenless seasoning blend...Should be a very useful addition to the spice cabinet.
Feel better, Susan! And a very happy new year to you and your loved ones!
I'm having the exact same New Year. Had to cancel a family party and haven't had black-eyed peas for the first time in years! Thanks so much for the recipe. I have been looking for a good cold-cure soup.
Susan,
I hope you feel much better soon. While I was sick, I just lazed around and read novels and watched movies. Vanessa has the right idea - take a negative and turn it around.
Nice to see you back Susan! I hope you had a nice vacation, and that you were not sick the whole time. I have a horrible head cold as well, so I will be making this soup soon.
Thanks!
Courtney
Thanks, everyone. It's kind of good to know that I'm not the only one sick and/or alone on New Year's. :-)
Bazu, I'm hoping that it's okay to have them as much as a week later because I'm still not feeling up to eating them yet.
KathyF, I completely agree about the freedom that being alone allows. Now, if only I had an appetite for something!
Tania, my husband and daughter left to go to New Orleans on New Year's Day. I was already feeling bad and decided to stay home. Besides, we had just gotten home from visiting my family, and I had a lot I wanted to get done here.
Meikmeika, CD, and Purl, I hope you are all feeling better now!
Midwest Vegan, that's a great thought. If this is as bad as 2007 gets, that's fine with me!
Thanks, veg-a-nut!
Vanessa, that soup looks divine!
Thanks to you all for your good wishes. I really appreciate all the positive energy coming my way. With any luck, I'll be feeling like cooking and eating again soon.
That sounds like the perfect soup for a cold. I hope your feeling better.
Maybe bad luck comes in 3's and you already had 3 strikes... so you're good now! :)
That soup looks like perfect nutritional therapy for a cold!!
I hope you are feeling better now!
Welcome to the sick bloggers club, Susan! I'm so sorry your new year is off to a rough start. It can only get better!
I recently discovered the dried tofu at my asian market and absolutely love it in everything. It's so much easier than freezing and thawing and squeezing regular tofu!
The soup looks fabulous. Feel better soon!
Hope you are feeling better!!! Lovely pic for a great soundin' soup! YAY! I'm back bloggin', btw! http://harmonia.bloggoing.com
I found your blog through vegan*core's blog, which I discovered through a google search for vegan recipies. Thank you for such an excellent resource for vegan recipies and the gorgeous photos as well! I find it inspirational. You rock!!
I had absolutely NO idea about that Black-Eyed Pea thing !!!!!
My gosh ! I hope I'm not too late !
I have to remember next year, too !
I'll write it down on my calendar.
That being said, I'm so sorry you are/were sick. I hope you are much, much better now.
Take good care of yourself, dear Susan and Happy New Year to you and your family <3
Healing thoughts to you, Susan!
I love coming here. Your blog is like chickenless soup for the vegan soul. Even in illness you delight us with such delicious and hearty looking fare!
It sounds delicious! I can't wait to try it! Yay!
I'm so sorry you're sick! I too didn't have my blackeyed peas because I was sick--and now I fear the worst! I always have them and collards on New Year's Day. The soup looks wonderful. Get well soon!
Hope you are feeling better Susan. I have book marked this chicken soup recipe. I am looking forward to trying it.
This looks great. Your blog and website have both been very helpful to me since I went vegan 2 years ago. Probably at least 90% of the recipes I make are from this blog or your website. Keep up the good work!
To add to the value of chicken soup as medicine, my Mom always said when cooking for a sickie, double the garlic and add 1 tsp. whole peppercorns and 1/2 tsp. whole coriander in a teaball. Finally, before serving, add a handfull of fresh chopped parsley and whatever other fresh herbs you have to boost the vitamin content.
Hi Susan!
I hope you are feeling MUCH better by now! My best and warmest wishes for healthier days in the New Year! Take good care of yourself.
I loved the non-food photos.
That soup looks delicious. I go to the Asian market fairly often. I will look for the dried tofu next time. I love soup. I love vegan un-chicken soup.
Thanks for the soup & homemade broth recipe.
People on the ppk like your site!
Pamela
Yay, yay! It worked! My boyfriend and I fought our colds off thanks to your recipe! We live in chinatown ny so we were happy to find out what to do with those tofu sticks (which were being snatched up by all!)... Thanks for the recipe!
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