Recipes From a Plant-Based Kitchen

Yields: 4 servings

8 cups no-salt added vegetable or vegan chicken-style broth

1 Tbsp vegan butter

2 cups finely diced leeks (tender green parts only)

2 cups finely chopped celery (including leaves)

3 cloves garlic, minced

½ tsp crushed red chile flakes

½ tsp dried thyme

1 cup no-salt-added cooked or canned chickpeas, rinsed, drained and lightly mashed or chopped

1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels

1 sheet nori, cut into thin, short strips

2 Tbsp nutritional yeast flakes

4 oz rice noodles

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Minced fresh parsley, for garnish

Put the broth in a large soup pot and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat.

While the broth is warming, put the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the butter is melted, add the leeks, celery, and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until the leeks are soft, about 10 minutes. Add the chile flakes and thyme and cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes.

Add the leek mixture to the broth and stir to combine. Add the chickpeas, corn, nori, and nutritional yeast and cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes.

Prepare the rice noodles according to the package instructions. Drain the noo-dles in a colander and rinse with cold water. Add the noodles to the soup and cook, stirring occasionally, for 1 to 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately, garnished with parsley.

Recipe from Cookin’ Up A Storm, by Laura Dakin, courtesy of BookPublishing Co., 2015.

Mediterranean Roasted Vegetables with Herb-Almond Aioli

photo credit: Alan Roettinger

This Mediterranean-inspired dish is made with eggplant, bell peppers, red onion, zucchini and artichoke hearts, which are all coated with olive oil and seasonings, and then oven roasted until fragrant and tender. While this colorful blend of vegetables tastes delicious on its own, the flavor is further enhanced with a topping of herb-almond aioli.

Yields: 4 servings

1 eggplant (1 lb), cut into 1-inch cubes

1 orange or yellow bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 large red onion, cut into 1-inch thick half-moons

1 large zucchini or yellow squash, cut in half lengthwise and sliced into 1-inch-thick half-moons

2 Tbsp minced garlic

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 tsp dried rosemary

1 tsp dried basil

1 tsp dried oregano or marjoram

Sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 can (14 oz) artichoke hearts, cut in half, or 1 cup frozen artichoke heart pieces, thawed

⅓ cup chopped fresh parsley, lightly packed

1 cup herb-almond aioli

Preheat the oven to 400° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

Put the eggplant, orange bell pepper, red bell pepper, onion, zucchini, garlic, oil, rosemary, basil and oregano in a large bowl and stir until the vegetables are evenly coated.

Transfer to the lined baking sheet and spread into a single layer. Sprinkle with salt and pepper as desired. Bake for 25 minutes.

Herb-Almond Aioli

½ cup plain almond milk

2 Tbsp lemon juice or cider vinegar ¾ cup fresh herbs such as basil, cilantro, parsley or a combination, lightly packed

2 large cloves garlic

¼ tsp onion powder

¼ tsp sea salt

¼ cup olive oil or avocado oil

Put the milk, lemon juice, fresh herbs, garlic, onion powder and salt in a blender and process for 1 minute. Scrape down the blender jar.

With the blender running, slowly add the oil through the opening in the lid and process for 1 minute. Transfer to an airtight container. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before using to allow the mixture to thicken slightly.

Recipe from Anti-Inflammatory Foods and Recipes, by Beverly Lynn Bennett, courtesy of Book Publishing Co., 2017.