Slow cooking mushrooms in ginger and garlic broth gives this vegan hot and sour soup a deep and delicious flavor. Perfect crock pot meal!
My poor slow cooker has spent most of its life gathering dust on a shelf, but lately it is getting a workout thanks to Kathy Hester’s new book, The Vegan Slow Cooker. With easy recipes, a clean layout, and lovely photos, it’s enticed even a last-minute cook like me to think ahead a little and get my crock pot going in the morning so that when dinnertime comes the meal is already done. Fortunately, Kathy’s publisher sent me two copies of her book, so I have one to share with a lucky reader–maybe you! [Update: A winner has been drawn. Thank you to all who entered. See the end of the post for details.]
When you open The Vegan Slow Cooker, the first thing you’ll notice is the layout: each recipe has its own page (no turning back and forth between ingredients and instructions) with ingredients on the left and instructions on the right. Kathy breaks the instructions down into two parts, what to do the night before and what to do in the morning, so that the recipes come together quickly in the morning when you’re likely to have less time. And if you’re a visual person, you’ll be happy to know that there are large, professionally shot photos of about 40 of the 150 recipes. Most recipes are easy and call for ingredients that are not hard to find in supermarkets.
Many of the recipes do use seitan and soy, but Kathy offers substitutes and includes recipes for making your own seitan (“Chick’n” and “Beefy”) as well as a gluten-free apple sage sausage, homemade ketchup, and low-sodium “chickeny” bouillon. Soy-free and gluten-free recipes are marked with symbols, and asterisks indicate substitutes for soy and gluten.
Though many of the recipes contain a little olive oil or vegan margarine, there are several recipes that are fat-free as written, including Creamy Butternut Squash Risotto, Caribbean Mango Black Beans, and Chile-Chocolate Black Bean Brownies (includes walnuts). Most of the oil that is used is easily removed by sauteing with water or broth, though the recipes that include vegan cheese may be a little harder to adapt for low-fat dieters.
You can get a taste of Kathy’s recipes for yourself at her blog, Healthy Slow Cooking. She has also contributed several to the main Fatfree Vegan Recipes site, where they’ve become some of the most popular recipes. You can see them all on this page.
I had a hard time deciding which recipe to test from the book–both the Pumpkin Lasagna and the Caribbean Mango Black Beans had me intrigued–but the decision was taken out of my hands when my husband saw the Hot and Sour Soup recipe. It’s a soup he’s been craving ever since he became vegetarian, and I just haven’t found a recipe he really likes.
Kathy’s version, however, was a huge success. Though it wasn’t exactly what he remembered, it was so flavorful due to the long-cooking of the mushrooms in garlic and ginger-flavored broth–we both loved it.
Though the recipe says that it makes 4 servings, they are very big servings, and since we were eating it as part of a meal that included stir-fried vegetables and rice, we actually enjoyed leftovers for two more meals. I didn’t think the 1 teaspoon of chile sauce (I used Sambal Oelek) would be very spicy, but it turned out too hot for E, so spicy-haters beware and use a little less. With the chile sauce on the side, this soup will be a regular in our house.
Kathy's Slow-Cooker Hot and Sour Soup
Ingredients
- 1 10-ounce package sliced mushrooms (280g)
- 8 fresh shiitake mushrooms stems removed and caps sliced
- 1 8-ounce can bamboo shoots, drained and jullienned (225g)
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 15-ounce package firm or silken tofu, cubed (420g)
- 2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger, divided (16g)
- 4 cups water (940ml)
- 2 tablespoons vegan chicken-flavored bouillon (16g)
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce (or tamari, for gluten-free) (30ml)
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil plus extra for drizzling (Susan's note: I didn't need the extra)
- 1 teaspoon chili paste
- 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar (30ml)
- 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen peas (225g)
Instructions
- The Night Before: Store the cut-up mushrooms, bamboo shoots, garlic, and tofu in an airtight container in the fridge. Store the prepared ginger in another airtight container in the fridge.
- In the Morning: Combine the mushrooms, bamboo, shoots, garlic, tofu, 1 tablespoon (8g) of the ginger, water, bouillon, soy sauce, sesame oil, chili paste, and vinegar in the slow cooker. Cook on low for 8 hours.
- A few minutes before serving, add the peas and the remaining 1 tablespoon (8g) ginger and stir to combine. Taste the broth and add more vinegar or chili if needed. Drizzle a few drops of sesame oil on top of each serving. If you like it milder and your friends like it hot, serve the chili paste on the side.
- Preparation time: 15 minute(s) | Cooking time: 6 to 8 hour(s)
- Number of servings (yield): 4
Notes
Nutritional info is approximate.
Please pin and share!
CLEVegan
October 3, 2011 at 12:02 pmI’d love a copy of the cookbook because I like to take vegan (and where possible) gluten free food to my church potlucks and diet-challenged shut-ins. I want more people to experience good tasting healthy food.
Lynnette
October 3, 2011 at 12:04 pmI’d love a copy of the cookbook. Need to have more recipes to use the slow cooker now that fall and winter are coming. This is a good way to continue our vegan transformation and the first season it won’t be meat in our cooker.
janell
October 3, 2011 at 12:04 pmI’d love a copy of the book! My stepson just came to live with us and he’s a good eater. I’m looking for new dinner ideas, and recipes that can be made a day ahead or put in a slow cooker. This book would be perfect for us! My email is…[removed by Susan for your protection!]
Leslie
October 3, 2011 at 12:04 pmI love to use my slow cooker but have a limited number of recipes on hand. . With six kids in the house it is impossible to please everyone so I usually end up making two dinners. Throw in me and our two teenage daughters who prefer to be vegan and these recipes would be ideal …….thank you for showing this cookbook on your site. It looks amazing!
Karen Gore
October 3, 2011 at 12:06 pmFavorite slow cooker recipe:
I kinda stole this from a vegan diner in Dublin Ireland. Not sure if their recipe was cooked in a slow cooker but mine is. I had this dish and the description was written on their menu board so here is my adaption!!
I large eggplant, cut into medium chunks
2 leeks cut in half then sliced
1/2 package mushrooms (about 6 ), I used baby portabella, sliced
1 15oz. can diced tomatoes
Red wine about 1/2 C to 1 Cup ( sorry I don’t really measure , just add enough so there is enough liquid to cook and not be dry)
Basil -I use fresh if I have it , a handful of leaves slice, or dried at least 2 tsp (again I didn’t measure)
Salt to taste
Place all ingredients in slow cooker and cook on High for 4-5 hours or until eggplant is done. Serve over steamed Brown Rice
Emily Soleil
October 3, 2011 at 1:01 pmThis sounds awesome!
Erin OBryan
October 3, 2011 at 12:06 pmIt’s recipes and blogs like yours that are moving me from vegetarian to vegan, it’s such a natural and easy step.
Tamara Reynolds
October 3, 2011 at 12:06 pmI would love a book because I am busy mom, due with my 2nd baby in 3 weeks, and a teacher. Due to budget cuts and health, I make all meals, breakfasts, lunches, and dinners for my family (I pack my husbands’ lunches and dinners when he is at school and studying late). We are vegetarian all the time, and vegan most of the time. I would love another resource that gives our family healthy, yummy options for dinners! And I especially love that it’s a slow cooker book, which would be very convenient, especially with a new baby. (And we have 2 slow cookers, which I don’t use enough!)
Thank you for considering me. Tamara
Alesia
October 3, 2011 at 12:06 pmI love cooking chili and soup in the slow cooker. I live in Northern Canada so there’s nothing better than coming home in the freezing (-40 Celsius anyone?!) winter to a hot bowl of ready made goodness!!
carolyn kropp
October 3, 2011 at 12:07 pmId love a copy as Im newly diagnosed gluten sensige and on am anti inflammatory diet and this would greatly help.
Shellie Abel
October 3, 2011 at 12:08 pmLove your blog, Susan! I’ve found so many great ideas here! This cookbook looks like it would be really useful for a newbie vegan cook like me…….would love to win it!
RB
October 3, 2011 at 12:09 pmBeing a vegan newbie with a meat and potato husband – it is hard to convince him to at least try a new dish. The Hot and Sour Soup should be very easy to convince him. I own 5 crock pots and use each and every one and would love to try the new Vegan Slow Cooker cookbook.
Since the time my aunt made paella for our Sista’s Weekend, I have looked for a similar vegan version. The following recipe comes very close and is delicious. I sometimes throw in a handful of TVP. I originally found this recipe on http://www.everydaydish.tv. TIP: use the real Saffron – makes a huge difference.
Vegetable Paella
This Spanish style paella is incredibly delicious, easy to put together and quick to impress. Prepare using your favorite vegetables.
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 bay leaf
1/2 onion, chopped fine
1 1/2 cups uncooked Basmati rice
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 vegetable bouillon
1/2 green bell pepper. chopped fine
1 tsp. tomato paste
1 small tomato, chopped fine
3 cups water
pinch of saffron
salt, to taste
1 sprig of fresh thyme & oregano
Vegetables such as carrots, baby corn, zucchini, yellow squash, small diced potatoes, green beans, broccoli, cauliflower, etc.
1. Saute onion, garlic and bell pepper in olive oil until softened.
2. Add tomato and saffron and saute for another minute.
3. Add herbs, bay leaf and rice, mixing and thoroughly coating the rice.
4. Combine bouillon, tomato paste and water, bringing to a boil.
5. Add salt and reduce heat. Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes, until nearly done. Top with blanched vegetables and continue to simmer until rice is tender. Serve with a garlic-cashew sauce drizzled over paella.
Dawn
October 3, 2011 at 12:10 pmHi, I would love to win this cookbook. My husband and I have been trying to eat plant based for over a year now but get stumped when it comes time to plan our meals at work and around our crazy work schedules. (I work days and he works nights) I need help in knowing how to make a weeks worth of food that will be filling and not have us running to unhealthy snacks. Thank you
Kelly C
October 3, 2011 at 12:14 pmI would love a copy of this book as I only recently fell in love with the slow cooker for making my own seitan and would love to learn new things to make with it as well! That soup looks amazing!
Jeanette
October 3, 2011 at 12:14 pmI am always quite hesitant to try the ‘crock pot’ meals, thinking they will not be as good as doing the meal the ‘other’ way. I used crock pots in the ealy 80’s but was quite disappointed and have not used one since.I would love to win this cook book to help persuade me that crock-potting is a great way to go in the year 2011 and on! Especially after reading the comments on that delicious looking hot and sour soup!
Bala
October 3, 2011 at 12:16 pmThanks for sharing the recipe. Happy to find a vegan recipe with slow cooker. Hopefully, I can rescue my slow cooker from gathering more dust on that shelf.
Rhonda Weber
October 3, 2011 at 12:17 pmI also have a slow-cooker that has been collecting dust for years, and I also have been a last-minute “cooker” which means too many meals out! I need the better ingredient control (sodium, fat, etc.) of preparing my own meals.
Trish
October 3, 2011 at 12:17 pmI love my slow cooker, although I fully admit that good vegan recipes are hard to come by. I have about 3 that I use on a regular basis. I would love to expand our menu.
Brigitta von Gulner
October 3, 2011 at 12:18 pmHello,
I really enjoy reading your blog. I make the Mac and cheese I found on your site and really enjoy it. Here is why I would like a copy of the Slow Cooker Cookbook – I am a personal trainer and am constantly trying out new recipes to share with my clients, some of whom have become plant-based eaters because of me.
Thank you,
Brigitta
caitlin huggins
October 3, 2011 at 12:19 pmI’m a pretty newbie vegan and I’ve been desperate for slow cooker recipes to help me this fall and winter especially as I learn more about vegan cooking.
Would love to win a copy of the book to wow my meat-eating family.
Erin
October 3, 2011 at 12:20 pmThis looks great! One of the things I’ve missed as we transition to vegan is the slow cooker. It was so easy to toss a chicken on the cooker in the morning as have dinner that night. I’ve been at a loss for awhile on what to make and this book looks like it might have the answers!
Cheryl
October 3, 2011 at 12:20 pmI would love a copy of this book for a couple of reasons. First, I LOVE hot and sour soup, and this one sounds so good! Second, I work some pretty long days outside the home, and it would be so lovely to come home to homemade vegan meals.
Thanks!
Kelly
October 3, 2011 at 12:20 pmI love black beans + sweet potatoes
Hannah
October 3, 2011 at 12:22 pmHey Susan! I was excited to see a slow cooker recipe because I’ve had a slow cooker for over a year now and have not used it once. I’d love a copy of that book so that I can prove my boyfriend wrong and show him it was a worthwhile purchase! Plus, he and I are both so busy that even though we enjoy cooking together, sometimes we’re just too exhausted from work. This would help us be able to just relax and enjoy each orher’s company.
Katy Montgomery @ My Vegan Weight Loss Journey
October 3, 2011 at 12:22 pmI would love to have a copy of this cookbook! I love using the slow cooker to save time in the evenings. My spouse and I both work so it would be wonderful to have dinner ready when we get home! Thanks for the chance to win! đ
amy
October 3, 2011 at 12:24 pmThis book looks great. I recently went from a part time student to full time, as well as being mother to a four year old (who isn’t in preschool/daycare) and working part time, and whoo-boy do those two extra classes really take up time! I got a slow-cooker from my dad last Christmas (because I started school and he thought it would help me squeeze in a little free time for myself, oh the irony) and have only used it once because I couldn’t find many vegan recipes for it that sounded good. I’d love to give this book a try. Thanks for the giveaway!
Sarah
October 3, 2011 at 12:26 pmI’m looking forward to trying this recipe. Nothing beats a great Hot and Sour soup for those yucky cold/sinus infection days! I also would love, love, LOVE a copy of the cookbook in order to get some healthier meals on my family’s plates, and this cookbook seems like it will fill a huge gap in the cookbook industry…slow cooking for vegans! Love the concept and can’t wait to see what else she has included! Thanks so much for the recipe and for the opportunity to win a copy đ
Jennifer @ kidoing!
October 3, 2011 at 12:26 pmWe make a vegan chili that is delish in our crock pot. I would love more vegan crock pot recipes to try! Thanks for the chance!
Cindy Rice Shelton
October 3, 2011 at 12:26 pmWell, I have to start off by saying that I am a 25 year kidney transplant recipient…I say this because during my 19 months on dialysis I was required to refrain from red meat (easy), fish once or twice a week, chicken occassionally and concentrate on fresh veggies, fruits and nuts. (again, easy). Having grown up with a mother who was raised on the farm, we had a HUGE garden, veggie & fruit trees, herbs, along with over 300 varities of roses. Boy, we were a busy family of six! Summers, we spent canning, freezing, making tomato preserves (YUM!) and we literally lived off our labor throughout the cold, windy winters.
Thus, I have been a vegetarian for over 25 years, and have only recently embraced becoming Vegan. As such, I have discovered so many delightful (and tasty) recipes—I have discovered not only is it the veggies but perhaps more importantly the seasoning that is key……..anyway, I just love it! I feel great, I’m always inviting friends over to sup, and they are astonished as well……(most are still carnivores….) even my two dogs are vegan……. Love your site, Susan–wish you well~~~ Cindy Rice Shelton
Matthew Grimes
October 3, 2011 at 12:28 pmI have recently stumbled on to your website as my wife and I have made a transition to a plant strong diet that leans mostly on the side of vegan. As a busy dad and the house chef, I am constantly looking for new recipes and ideas. I wasn’t sure what to do with my slowcooker beyond making beans and vegan chili, so I would love to have a copy of the book to add to my shelf. Keep up the fine work you do on your blog, I have the google gadget on my homepage and look forward to every new addition.
Hope Becklund
October 3, 2011 at 12:29 pmI’d love a copy of this book because I, too, have a much-loved but currently nearly unused slow cooker gathering dust on my shelf. It’s the perfect time of year to get it dusted off and in use, but I have found very few good vegan recipes for it. Please include me in the drawing!
Debbie Goldstein
October 3, 2011 at 12:30 pmI also have had a slow cooker gathering dust since shortly after it was received as a wedding gift 30 years ago. I have been a vegetarian since the age of 19, and am intrigued with the idea of learning to make healthy and tasty meals with my slow cooker. Of course, I will have to remove the accumulated dust first.
april
October 3, 2011 at 12:30 pmi’d love the vegan slow cooker cookbook, because i’m on a super tight budget (i’m an artist) and love trying new things. this cookbook would help with eating cheaply and i could even use the recipes to cook inexpensive dishes for potlucks!
Doreen Herrick
October 3, 2011 at 12:31 pmI am a newbie vegan and have successfully convinced my meat and potatoes husband to join me! I am a crock pot fan and would love some new recipes! This soap recipe will be on our menu thus weekend! Thank you!
Megan
October 3, 2011 at 12:31 pmI would love a copy of the book bc it would be the push I need to finally get myself a slowcooker! And the recipes you’ve mentioned sound divine!!
Nick
October 3, 2011 at 12:32 pmMy favorite crockpot recipe is refried beans (actually any beans, but these are done most frequently!) The book and this recipe sound great!
Anne Oliver
October 3, 2011 at 12:34 pmI would love to win a copy of Kathy Hesterâs new book, The Vegan Slow Cooker! My daughter is Vegan. As silly as it may seem, at first I was scared of how to cook for her! I was so afraid I would use something I shouldn’t or that I would create dishes that were bland! Took me awhile, but I learned that it really isn’t that difficult. Thanks to your web site, a favorite of mine, I have made meals that even my husband who is not vegan, loved! Your advice on different food topics is priceless for me! The Vegan Slow Cooker book would be a tremendous help to surprise my daughter this winter with some yummy dishes!!! Thanks much!
Emily S.
October 3, 2011 at 12:34 pmHi! I would love to have a copy of this book. I work during the day and take classes at night, so I’m always looking for shortcuts to preparing healthy, vegan meals in as little time as possible. Good vegan slow-cooker recipes are hard to come by!!
Mary Mahon
October 3, 2011 at 12:38 pmSusan, You have been an inspiration to me. I will be trying this soup in the near future, (after I finish all the excess produce I bought for a function). It was my favorite until I discovered tom ka (spelling) the Thai coconut soup without the chicken. Sigh!
Back to the inspiration. It is great to know that there are those out there who really know how to cook without oil. I work at it. Thanks for the help.
If I win the book, I will be sharing info and encouraging my friends to cut down on oil and eat healthier. God bless. Mary
Myriam
October 3, 2011 at 12:38 pmI’d love to win a copy of this book because I love slow cooking and I need fresh ideas to make new dishes. Also, this soup really looks awesome!
Cherie Oden
October 3, 2011 at 12:39 pmThis sounds wonderful! Thank you for the opportunity to win a copy of this new book. I love slow-cooker cooking and would be absolutely thrilled to have a copy. đ