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Kathy’s Slow-Cooker Hot and Sour Soup

October 3, 2011 By Susan Voisin 511 Comments
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Slow cooking mushrooms in ginger and garlic broth gives this vegan hot and sour soup a deep and delicious flavor. Perfect crock pot meal!

Slow Cooker Hot and Sour Soup

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.

Page from The Vegan Slow Cooker by Kathy Hester

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.

Slow Cooker Hot and Sour Soup

Vegan Hot and Sour Soup
5 from 4 votes
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Kathy's Slow-Cooker Hot and Sour Soup

from The Vegan Slow Cooker by Kathy Hester Kathy's note: It's hard to find vegan soups at Chinese takeouts in most areas. This is the perfect cold and flu season soup. It clears those sinuses right up! You can adjust the amount of spice until it's just right for you.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 8 hours
Total Time 8 hours 15 minutes
Servings 4
Author Susan Voisin

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)
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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

Nutrition courtesy of FatFree Vegan Kitchen--any mistakes are mine. Sodium and fat content will vary depending on the brand of bouillon and type of tofu used.--SV
Copyright © Kathy Hester, The Vegan Slow Cooker, Fair Winds Press, 2011. Reproduced by permission.
Nutrition Facts
Kathy's Slow-Cooker Hot and Sour Soup
Amount Per Serving (1 serving)
Calories 208 Calories from Fat 67
% Daily Value*
Fat 7.4g11%
Sodium 1088mg47%
Carbohydrates 21.6g7%
Fiber 5.4g23%
Sugar 6g7%
Protein 19.2g38%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Nutritional info is approximate.

Course Soup
Cuisine Slow Cooker, Vegan
Keyword vegan hot and sour
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Slow cooking mushrooms in ginger and garlic broth gives this vegan hot and sour soup a deep and delicious flavor. Perfect crock pot meal!

Filed Under: Recipes, Soups Tagged With: Book Reviews, Crock-pot, Eat-to-Live, Gluten-free, Soy

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Paul

    October 5, 2011 at 2:29 am

    Don’t have a recipe, and my slow cooker has been gathering dust for four years now, since I gave meat the shove. I will give something a go in it soon. As to too hot chilli or curry, a chemistry lesson, the Hot (chili), is alkaline and to kill it or cool it is to add acid. This comes as lemon juice. Half a teaspoon stirred through a hot hot chilli will tame it and then in quarter teaspoon increments if not.

    Reply
  2. Anne

    October 5, 2011 at 2:31 am

    I would really love to have a copy of this book, been trying to look for an easy way to prepare vegan dishes. And finding good vegan recipes for a slow cooker has been a challenge for me.

    Reply
  3. Jess Aitch

    October 5, 2011 at 5:13 am

    Im a vegan rookie. I’ve made it to Day five. I totally want Kathys book, I recently got a slow cooker and had been making alot of stews and bits…although my bind kinda blanks when trying to think of great vegan slow cooking recipes beyond basic vegie soup. Also new to the fatfree site… I have been browsing for the last couple of hours… so exciting. You will be seeing me around more!

    Reply
  4. Cindy Smoker

    October 5, 2011 at 6:17 am

    Love making sweet potato/black bean chili in the crockpot. Healthy and very delicious. Like to try 1-2 new recipes a week, so would love a copy of this new cookbook. Working full-time, a crockpot really comes in handy. Thanks for all the fabulous recipes you offer, Susan.

    Reply
  5. Katie B

    October 5, 2011 at 6:50 am

    I would love to have the cookbook to have a stockpile of healthy vegan recipes for the slow-cooker … which mostly gathers dust in this house too ..

    Reply
  6. Kim

    October 5, 2011 at 6:56 am

    I love baked beans in the crockpot. My favorite recipe substitutes a can of beer for some of the water – yum!

    Reply
  7. Laura Ades

    October 5, 2011 at 7:19 am

    This book is on my birthday wish list!

    Reply
  8. Marla Kochelek

    October 5, 2011 at 7:41 am

    I would love a copy of Kathy’s book, it sounds wonderful. I have so much to learn about cooking vegan in my slow cooker, the only time I use it since I went Vegan is for beans. I love how the slow cooker fills the house with great smells and frees up my time.

    Thanks Susan, you do such a great job!!

    Reply
  9. Meg

    October 5, 2011 at 7:49 am

    I want a copy of this amazing cookbook because I am a vegan lady living in Northern Ontario Canada. Vegan options are limited here so I must make everything I eat from scratch. A one pot meal that I can let simmer during the day would be the most wonderful gift for me and my family!

    Much thanks,
    M

    Reply
  10. Terri

    October 5, 2011 at 7:52 am

    I have been trying to transition my family into a vegan lifestyle. I often find that with the long hours I work I get home exhausted and do not feel like following a long complicated recipe and we end up eating something unhealthy. I believe adding slow cooker recipes to our menu would allow me to free up some time in the evenings to enjoy a home cooked meal while my family reaps the benefits of healthy eating.

    Reply
  11. jamie

    October 5, 2011 at 8:31 am

    I am new to eating a vegetarian diet, I am doing it both for the health benefits and positive impact that it has on our environment. I could use some help with recipes. I like the idea of using the slow cooker and having a meal waiting for my family when we get home in the afternoon.

    Reply
  12. sharon palazzolo

    October 5, 2011 at 8:32 am

    Since my husband decided recently that he likes Asian food I have been adding as many fat free Asian dishes to our diet as possible. This one looks really great for the snowy winter months ahead!

    Reply
  13. Gale Welden

    October 5, 2011 at 9:01 am

    This is a shameless (almost) request for the free cookbook. I have no money for anything like this, and I so need the inspiration for slow-cooking. I am trying to kick diabetes, hypertension and high cholesterol, as well as entice my husband and teenage daughter to a better lifestyle. This book would mean a lot to me.

    Reply
  14. Teresa O'Connor

    October 5, 2011 at 9:13 am

    Hey this recipe is next for me to try. I love making split pea and carrot soup in the slow cooker but I could sure use some new ideas on how to get more use out of mine. Hope I win!!

    Reply
  15. Amelia

    October 5, 2011 at 9:20 am

    Wow, this looks delicious!

    I would love a copy of this cookbook because a busy life doesn’t always leave as much time for cooking as I’d like. I’m a full time student working two jobs, and although I absolutely LOVE cooking, having a meal ready on those later days when I come back would be great. Not to mention the recipes themselves have me drooling. 🙂

    Reply
  16. Erin

    October 5, 2011 at 9:28 am

    I’ve been looking for a good vegan slow cooker book for a long time; it’s been in hiding pretty much since we stopped cooking meat in the home and I miss the easiness of it. I would LOVE a copy of her book!

    Reply
  17. Julia OConnor

    October 5, 2011 at 9:34 am

    Oooh…Kathy’s book is the answer to my prayers! My husband and I have adopted a vegan lifestyle and thanks to our change in eating habits, my husband no longer has to take any cholesterol medicine! I swear eating vegan is truly our personal “fountain of youth”. The problem is, we both work full time so preparing something and letting it cook while we’re at work is the perfect solution to maintaining our healthy eating habits.
    Thank you, Susan for getting the word out about Kathy’s answer to us working stiffs who are time challenged!

    Reply
  18. Laura Beizer

    October 5, 2011 at 9:59 am

    Hi. I have a current favorite vegan crockpot recipe…African Peanut Soup. I serve it over a quinoa with middle eastern spices, roasted almonds, and dried cranberries and it is wonderful! But I don’t have many vegan crockpot recipes, so I’d love a copy of Kathy Hester’s new book to fill in some more good recipes of this sort! Thanks for this opportunity and your blog! Laura

    Reply
  19. Sarah

    October 5, 2011 at 10:09 am

    I would love to add a vegan cookbook (i have vegtarian ones) to my collecion and I really like making veggie chili in my crock pot. The description of the book and the recipe titles sound exciting. Would like a recipe to make my own vegan “chikin” boullion.

    Reply
  20. Holly N

    October 5, 2011 at 10:47 am

    I would love this cookbook. With family, school & activities in full swing, my slow cooker has been calling my name. Now I just need the tools to use it without cooking the same 3 meals 😉

    Reply
  21. Sarah C

    October 5, 2011 at 10:51 am

    I would love to have a copy of this book, as I’m fairly new to the slowcooker, and the vegetarian recipes I’ve found in other books have not done much to impress me. I sure do like the look of this one! =)

    Reply
  22. Stephen E Schafer

    October 5, 2011 at 10:54 am

    I would love to find good fatfree vegan soup recipes. If Susan says this is a good cookbook, then it is a good cookbook.

    Reply
  23. neca

    October 5, 2011 at 11:21 am

    I love my slow cooker and use it regularly. It’s hard to pick one recipe, but I have a pasta e fagioli recipe that makes a HUGE amount of soup – plenty for dinner and to freeze for another dinner (my favorite way to cook during the week!).

    Reply
  24. Jenny

    October 5, 2011 at 12:51 pm

    I’m off to buy the ingredients for this right now. I can’t wait to come home to soup now that we’re having real fall weather where I live.
    I’d love to win the book. As a vegan soup-lover with an under-used slow cooker, I’m sure I could get inspired by it!

    Reply
  25. Sharon Brannan

    October 5, 2011 at 1:45 pm

    I love slow cookers! And I’m a vegan following the Caldwell Esselstyn plan.

    Reply
  26. Vegan Wheekers

    October 5, 2011 at 1:47 pm

    I don’t know much about slow cooking but I like the thought of having dinner ready when I get home from work! Thanks for the giveaway.

    Reply
  27. Norma

    October 5, 2011 at 2:57 pm

    I asked for a crockpot for Christmas and it’s been in the box ever since. I am now beyond inspired to USE it : ) Please send me the book!

    Reply
  28. Suganya

    October 5, 2011 at 3:31 pm

    I’d love to gift the book to my sister, who has an unused slow cooker.

    Reply
  29. Caroline

    October 5, 2011 at 4:04 pm

    Hi Susan,
    I love soup! I’d like a copy of the book so that I can make tasty soups for me and my vegetarian boyfriend to enjoy this winter!

    I have not yet mastered the art of vegetarian/vegan soup and could use some help!

    Thanks!

    Reply
  30. Julia

    October 5, 2011 at 4:06 pm

    Looks so yummy! I’m excited to try it…I got a slow cooker last Christmas, and so far all it’s made is seitan pot roast…which is delicious, but only happens every few months. I’d ADORE this book…I’ve been greedily eyeing it since it came out, but I’m applying for grad schools right now and don’t have the money for anything except food and rent. Slow cooking would save time, energy, money, and stress…which I need to write those dreaded essays! 🙂

    And my favorite slow-cooker recipe is molasses-hickory “baked” beans…we have them every holiday season and they’re amazing.

    Reply
  31. allularpunk

    October 5, 2011 at 4:27 pm

    Oh! I have really been wanting this book! I need to use my slow cooker a lot more, and I think this would get me to do it. The hot and sour soup sounds so delicious!

    Reply
  32. Kim P

    October 5, 2011 at 4:44 pm

    Oooohhhhh!!!! Looks nummy. My slow cooker is also gathering dust. I think the very last thing I made with it was mulled cider a couple years ago! 🙂 Would love a chance to get the book and get out the crock pot!

    Reply
  33. Cassandra

    October 5, 2011 at 5:46 pm

    mmmmm… this soup looks really good. We’re adding it to our list of things to try when the weather cools down enough. 🙂

    My favorite slow cooker recipe is one I tried last year for apple butter. When I was a kid, my uncle made apple butter every Christmas for family members. Unfortunately, it’s been a long time since he’s done so and I was happy to find an easy way to make my own!

    Reply
  34. Karen

    October 5, 2011 at 7:30 pm

    I’d love to have a copy of The Vegan Slow Cooker. Recipes that are both healthy and convenient are the best kind for busy workdays.
    enjoy your blog.

    Reply
  35. Lisa Dillman

    October 5, 2011 at 7:48 pm

    Me, me, me!!!!
    I love your blog and have made many of the recipes. I also love my crockpot but use it so rarely, and when I look up recipes online or in cookbooks at the library, they always seem to be:
    Take a can of cream of chicken soup
    Add a can of tomatoes
    Add a can of olives
    Add a pound of chicken breasts
    Etc
    I have never understood why there are not more “from scratch” slow cooker recipes and this sounds perfect!

    xLisa
    Ps love your blog and commentaries!

    Reply
  36. kira

    October 5, 2011 at 9:15 pm

    this looks so good! planning on getting myself a slow cooker (slowly building up my kitchen, as i have recently discovered my love of cooking!), and this book would be a great help for a newbie!!

    Reply
  37. Carol

    October 5, 2011 at 9:26 pm

    There’s a crisis in our home! My husband has cooked for 30 years (after I cooked for 20) and feels so upset that I’ve switched to fatfree vegan meals. I hope to convert him with delicious meals cooked the new way. “The Vegan Slow Cooker” will be a huge help to me!

    P.S. Love your website!

    Reply
  38. Alex

    October 5, 2011 at 10:10 pm

    This book sounds wonderful! I’m a grad student who is just starting to explore the glory of the crockpot. I’m also making the transition from vegetarian to vegan and always looking for recipes to help.

    Reply
  39. eesh

    October 5, 2011 at 10:53 pm

    I used to be vegan. But I fell off the wagon. I recently got 2 slow cookers and have been wanting to get back on that wagon. I feel like this is kismet because I just had a vegan supper tonight and realized how much I’ve missed it. I would really like to win this book to help give me a jump start and take me back to where I know I belong.

    Reply
  40. Maria J

    October 5, 2011 at 11:41 pm

    Yum! I’ve been on a soup kick and my hubby has revolted but this may just bring him back to soup-loving again! I’d love a copy of the book as we have been increasing our vegan meals each week and as a mom of an energetic toddler and also a full-time work from home mom, slow-cooker recipes may just save my sanity! 🙂

    Reply
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