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Connoisseurus Veg
Grilled Avocado Sandwich
This scrumptious avocado sandwich is filled with roasted red peppers and a zesty cilantro-lime avocado mash, then grilled to crispy perfection! A delicious vegan lunch or dinner that takes minutes to prepare.
Is there anything avocados can't do? They're pretty amazing, and I'm a big fan of using them in everything from guacamole to aioli to quesadillas.
Avocados also make an awesome sandwich! And in the case of a grilled vegan sandwich like this one, they make a great filling that is easy to flavor and softens up beautifully when heated. If you were ever a fan of panini sandwiches, try these — you will not miss the dairy!
What You'll Need
- Avocado. Make sure it's ripe. You can test this by pulling out the stem. It should be green beneath it. If the stem won't come out, the avocado is underripe. If it's brown underneath, it's overripe.
- Lime juice. Use fresh lime juice. It's so much better than bottled!
- Salt.
- Fresh cilantro. Feel free to sub another fresh herb, such as basil, if you're not a fan of cilantro.
- Roasted red peppers.
- Coconut bacon. This is optional, but so worth it! Feel free to substitute tempeh bacon or tofu bacon for an even heartier sandwich.
- Sandwich bread.
- Vegan butter. Look for brands like Miyoko's or Earth Balance.
- Baby arugula. Baby spinach works too!
The following is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll down if you'd prefer to skip right to the recipe!
- Start by making your avocado filling: mash the avocado up in a bowl, then stir in the lime juice, salt, and cilantro.
- Assemble the sandwich. Butter two slices of bread, then slather the other side of one slice with your avocado mash. Top it with roasted red pepper slices, coconut bacon (if using), and baby arugula. Place the other side on top.
- Heat up a nonstick frying pan and grill the sandwich for a few minutes on each side, until golden and crispy.
Avocado Sandwich Tips & FAQ
- Can this recipe be made gluten-free? Absolutely! Just use your favorite gluten-free sandwich bread.
- This sandwich is best served right away. It won't stay crispy for long, and the avocado will turn brown eventually.
- Make sure your avocado is ripe, but not overripe. To test it, try pulling the stem out. It should be green underneath. If the stem won't come out, it's underripe. If it's brown underneath, it's overripe.
- Feel free to switch things up or add your favorite sandwich fillings. Tomato could easily be subbed for the red peppers, basil for the cilantro, and lemon juice for the lime juice. Vegan cheese, hot peppers, and hot sauce would all make great additions. Get creative!
Like this recipe? If so, be sure to follow me on Facebook, Pinterest or Instagram, or subscribe to my newsletter. And please stop back and leave me a review and rating below if you make it!
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Grilled Avocado Sandwich
This scrumptious avocado sandwich is filled with roasted red peppers and a zesty cilantro-lime avocado mash, then grilled to crispy perfection! A delicious vegan lunch or dinner that takes minutes to prepare.
Course SandwichCuisine AmericanKeyword grilled sandwich, vegan sandwich
Prep Time 10 minutesCook Time 10 minutesTotal Time 20 minutes
Servings 2
Calories 535kcal
Ingredients- 1 ripe avocado
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro
- 1/4 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- 4 slices sandwich bread
- 2 tablespoons vegan butter
- 8 jarred roasted red pepper slices
- 1/4 cup coconut bacon
- 1/4 cup baby arugula or spinach
- Mash the avocado in a small bowl using a fork.
- Stir in the lime juice, cilantro, and salt. Taste-test the mixture and add more salt if needed.
- Place a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat.
- Slather one side of each bread slice with butter.
- Slather the opposite side of two of the slices with the avocado mash, then top each with roasted red pepper slices, coconut bacon (if using) and arugula or spinach. Close the sandwiches with the remaining bread slices, buttered sides out.
- Place one or both sandwiches in the hot skillet (as many as will fit at at time) and cook each sandwich for about 5 minutes on each side, until golden and crispy.
- Serve the sandwiches immediately.
The post Grilled Avocado Sandwich appeared first on Connoisseurus Veg.
Vegan Migas
Meet your new favorite savory breakfast: vegan Tex-Mex migas! Made with scrambled tofu, pan-fried tortillas and tomato salsa over refried beans, this dish is as easy to make as it is comforting.
Are you familiar with migas? This Tex-Mex dish is typically made with scramble eggs. Whenever I hear about a new scrambled egg recipe I get the urge to veganize it, usually by creating a spin on the old classic tofu scramble.
What are Migas?
Conventional Tex-Mex migas is made by mixing up your scrambled eggs with salsa and crispy tortilla strips, then serving the whole mess over refried beans.
What You'll Need- High-heat oil. I use canola for this dish, but use whatever you have on hand.
- Corn tortillas.
- Scallions.
- Garlic.
- Jalapeño pepper. Feel free to leave this out for a milder version of the dish.
- Extra firm tofu.
- Soy sauce. Gluten-free tamari can be substituted for a gluten-free dish.
- Ground cumin.
- Lime juice.
- Nutritional yeast flakes. Look for these in the natural foods section of your supermarket.
- Turmeric. This adds some yellow color for an eggy appearance, but you can omit it if you prefer.
- Tomato salsa. Or green salsa, if that's how you roll!
- Salt & pepper. For extra eggy flavor, use kala namak in place of regular salt. It has a high sulfur content, so it makes things taste like eggs! Look for it in Indian supermarkets or online.
- Refried beans. Canned or homemade can be used.
- Toppings. Try fresh cilantro, avocado, shredded vegan cheese, or cashew cream.
The following is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll down if you'd like to skip right to the recipe!
Fry the Tortillas
- Rip your tortillas up into bite-sized pieces and heat up some oil in a large skillet.
- Once the oil is nice and hot, add the tortilla pieces in an even layer. Sprinkle them with a bit of salt.
- Let the tortillas cook for a few minutes, then give them a flip. Let them cook for a few minutes more. They're done when they've got lots of browned and crispy spots on both sides.
- Take the tortillas out of the skillet and transfer them to a plate.
- Now heat up a bit more oil, then add the white parts of your scallions, garlic, and jalapeño pepper. Cook everything for just a minute, until the garlic becomes very fragrant.
- Crumble your tofu into the skillet. I like to start with big chunks and break them up with a spatula as they cook. Cook the tofu for a few minutes, until it starts to dry up in spots.
- Add your soy sauce, lime juice, cumin, nutritional yeast, and turmeric. Flip the mixture a few times to distribute the ingredients, then continue cooking it until most of the liquid dries up.
- Stir in the salsa and crispy tortillas, then let everything cook for about another minute.
- Take the skillet off of heat and season the mixture with salt and pepper.
- Spoon some refried beans onto plates and top them with your tofu mixture. Sprinkle the green parts of your scallions on top, along with some fresh cilantro. I like to add some avocado slices as well!
- Can this recipe be made gluten-free? Yup! Just use gluten-free tamari instead of soy sauce.
- Do I need to press the tofu? Pressing your tofu isn't necessary for this recipe. You can get away with simply draining it and patting it dry with a towel.
- Leftovers & storage: Leftovers will keep in a sealed container for about 3 days, although the tortilla strips will get soggy over time. One option for dealing with this is to add tortilla strips to the individual portions just before serving, and store the rest in a sealed bag at room temperature.
- Feel free to switch things up to make this recipe your own! Add some veggies, like bell peppers, or toppings like guacamole or shredded vegan cheese.
- For extra eggy flavor, add a bit of kala namak. This is a type of salt with a high sulfur content. Look for it at Indian markets or online.
- If you use canned refried beans for this recipe, check the label to ensure they're vegan. Many brands contain lard.
- Looking for more tofu scramble variations? Try my loaded tofu scramble, vegan huevos rancheros, or tofu scramble masala.
Like this recipe? If so, be sure to follow me on Facebook, Pinterest or Instagram, or subscribe to my newsletter. And please stop back and leave me a review and rating below if you make it!
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Vegan Migas
Meet your new favorite savory breakfast: vegan Tex-Mex migas! Made with scrambled tofu, pan-fried tortillas and tomato salsa over refried beans, this dish is as easy to make as it is comforting.
Course BreakfastCuisine American, MexicanKeyword easy tofu recipe, vegan breakfast recipe
Prep Time 10 minutesCook Time 15 minutesTotal Time 25 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 408kcal
Ingredients- 3 tablespoons canola oil (or high-heat oil of choice), divided
- 6 corn tortillas, torn into bite-sized pieces
- Salt, to taste
- 4 scallions, white and green parts separated and finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 small jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced
- 1 (14 ounce or 400 gram) package extra firm tofu, patted dry and crumbled
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes
- 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1/2 cup tomato salsa
- Black pepper, to taste
- 2 cups refried beans (canned or homemade), warmed
- Toppings, such as cilantro, avocado, or shredded vegan cheese
- Coat the bottom of a large skillet with 2 tablespoons of oil and place it over medium heat.
- Give the oil a minute to heat up, then add the tortilla pieces in a relatively even layer. Sprinkle them with a pinch of salt.
- Cook the tortilla pieces for about 5 minutes, flipping them once or twice, until browned and crispy in spots.
- Remove the tortilla strips from the skillet and transfer them to a plate.
- Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the skillet.
- Give the oil a minute to heat up, then add the white parts of your scallions, garlic, and jalapeño pepper. Cook everything for about 1 minute, stirring constantly, until the garlic becomes very fragrant.
- Add the crumbled tofu to the skillet and raise the heat to medium-high. Cook the tofu for about 5 minutes, flipping it occasionally with a spatula, until it begins to dry up and crisp in spots.
- Add the soy sauce, lime juice, cumin, nutritional yeast, and turmeric. Continue cooking and flipping the mixture for 3 or 4 minutes longer, until most of the liquid dries up.
- Return the tortilla strips to the skillet and stir in the salsa. Continue cooking everything for about a minute, just to heat up the salsa.
- Remove the skillet from heat and season the mixture with salt and pepper to taste. Adjust any other seasonings to your liking.
- Divide the refried beans onto plates and top them with the tofu mixture. Sprinkle with scallions and any other toppings you like. Serve.
The post Vegan Migas appeared first on Connoisseurus Veg.
Sesame Peanut Noodles
Slurpable noodles are drenched in silky peanut sauce with a touch of sesame oil, then served up with crispy cabbage and pan-fried tofu to make these scrumptious peanut sesame noodles. A delicious vegan meal that can be served hot or cold!
These sesame peanut noodles have a lot going for them. They're scrumptious, easy to make, and a great excuse to have peanut butter for dinner. We eat a lot of peanut butter in my house. I just counted and we currently have seven(!) jars of peanut butter in the pantry.
That seems a little out of hand for a two person house. But I can partly blame this on the fact that my favorite peanut butter (Trader Joe's) requires a twenty-minute drive to obtain, so I like to stock up. My husband also has his own favorite brand, and he has a bad habit of buying and opening a brand new jar when he's still working on the last one, because apparently the peanut butter at the top of a brand new jar is the best.
Anyway, it's no surprise that many of my clean-out-the pantry meals involve peanut butter. And this is one of those meals!
We also tend to have a ton of pasta hanging around, and while Italian-style pasta isn't exactly authentic peanut noodle material, the ingredients in spaghetti are pretty much the same as those you find in lots of Asian noodles. You really can't tell the difference, so I decided to roll with it!
What You'll Need- Dried spaghetti. Feel free to substitute another type of noodle. Soba noodles or ramen would work great!
- Peanut butter. I recommend using natural peanut butter of the creamy variety.
- Soy sauce or tamari.
- Rice vinegar.
- Maple syrup. You could substitute another type of sweetener if you'd like. Brown sugar works well.
- Toasted sesame oil. Look for this in the international foods section at your supermarket.
- Water.
- High heat oil.
- Extra firm tofu.
- Garlic.
- Fresh ginger.
- Scallions.
- Red cabbage. Green cabbage works too!
- Roasted peanuts. Check the ingredients on these. Believe it or not, some brands of roasted peanuts contain gelatin.
The following is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make sesame peanut noodles. Scroll down if you'd prefer to skip right to the recipe.
- Start by cooking your pasta according to the package directions. Drain it when it's finished, then toss it with a dash of oil to prevent sticking.
- While the pasta cooks, make the sauce by whisking peanut butter, soy sauce, rice vinegar, maple syrup, and sesame oil together in a small bowl. Thin the mixture with some water, so it's a bit on the runny side.
- Prep your tofu by pressing and dicing it.
- Now heat up some oil in a skillet, and add the tofu. Pan fry the cubes for about 5 minutes on each side, until they're lightly browned and crispy.
- Push the tofu to the side of the skillet, then add the garlic, ginger, and white parts of your scallions. Cook them up very briefly, until they become very fragrant.
- Add the noodles and sauce.
- Toss everything a few times and cook it just until it's hot.
- Add the cabbage last, so it stays nice and crispy.
Sesame Peanut Noodles Tips & FAQ
- Can this dish be made gluten-free? Yup! Just use a gluten-free variety of noodle and gluten-free tamari in place of soy sauce.
- Shelf life & storage: Leftovers of this dish will keep in a sealed container in the fridge for about 3 days.
- I normally serve this dish hot, but cold works too! For cold noodles, pan-fry the tofu (or skip it), but then move away from the stove. Instead of cooking the aromatics and heating up the noodles, just toss everything together in a big bowl.
- If you're not into the idea of using Italian pasta for this dish, just substitute your favorite Asian noodles. Soba noodles go great with peanut sauce!
- Feel free to switch up the cabbage with your favorite veggies.
- Looking for more Asian-inspired noodle recipes? Try my vegetable lo mein, vegetable chow mein, vegan ramen, or Singapore noodles.
Like this recipe? If so, be sure to follow me on Facebook, Pinterest or Instagram, or subscribe to my newsletter. And please stop back and leave me a review and rating below if you make it!
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Sesame Peanut Noodles
Slurpable noodles are drenched in silky peanut sauce with a touch of sesame oil, then served up with crispy cabbage and pan-fried tofu to make these scrumptious peanut sesame noodles. A delicious vegan meal that can be served hot or cold!Course EntreeCuisine American, Asian-InspiredKeyword asian, noodles, peanut butter Prep Time 15 minutesCook Time 20 minutesTotal Time 35 minutes Servings 4 Calories 544kcal Ingredients
- 7 ounces dried spaghetti (or noodles of choice)
- 1/3 cup creamy natural peanut butter
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- About 1/3 cup water, or as needed
- 1 tablespoon canola oil, or high heat oil of choice
- 7 ounces extra firm tofu, pressed and cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 tablespoon canola oil, or high heat oil of choice
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
- 4 scallions, white and green parts separated and chopped
- 2 cups shredded red cabbage
- 1/4 cup chopped roasted peanuts
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook it according to the package directions.
- While the pasta cooks, whisk the ingredients for the peanut sesame sauce together in a small bowl, thinning the mixture with as much water as you need. You want the sauce to be thick and creamy, but pourable and not too runny.
- Drain the pasta into a colander and return it to the pot. Toss it with a dash of canola oil.
- Next, make the pan-fried tofu. Coat the bottom of a large skillet with canola oil and place it over medium heat.
- When the oil is hot, add the tofu in an even layer. Cook for about 10 minutes, flipping one or two times, until the cubes are browned and crispy on multiple sides.
- Push the tofu to the sides of the skillet, and add a tablespoon of canola oil to the center, and add the garlic, ginger and white parts of scallions. Sauté for about 1 minute, until very fragrant.
- Add the noodles and sauce the skillet, and push the tofu back into the center with the rest of the ingredients. Flip everything a few times to coat the noodles and tofu with the sauce. Raise the heat to high and cook for about a minute, just until everything is heated throughout.
- Remove the skillet from heat and stir in the cabbage.
- Top the noodles with the peanuts and green parts of scallions. Divide onto plates and serve.
The post Sesame Peanut Noodles appeared first on Connoisseurus Veg.
Vegan Chocolate Banana Bread
What's better than banana bread? CHOCOLATE banana bread! This vegan version is loaded with flavor and bursting with rich dark chocolate chips and walnuts.
Chocolate is my love language. I'm a firm believer that it makes nearly everything better. If it can possibly be added to a recipe, it should be added.
My vegan banana bread is one of my most popular recipes on this site, so I got to thinking, could I add chocolate to it? I certainly could. And so I did, and my vegan chocolate banana bread turned out to be my new favorite sweet treat.
Choosing Bananas
I get a lot of questions on this topic, so pay attention if you're new to banana bread baking.
Your bananas need to be overripe. This is non-negotiable. Using bananas that aren't ripe enough will result in banana bread that's not only lacking in flavor and sweetness, but that's also overly dry and has a terrible texture.
Make sure your bananas have lots of brown spots. At least a third of the skin should be covered in them.
You'll also want to use bananas that are medium in size. A medium-sized overripe banana weighs about 5 ounces (or 140 grams).
Ingredients
- Bananas. Again, they should be overripe and medium in size.
- Sugar. Make sure it's organic if you're buying it in the United States. Using sugar that's organic keeps the recipe vegan.
- Brown sugar. Again, use organic.
- Canola oil. Feel free to substitute your favorite baking oil.
- Vanilla extract.
- Flour. We're using plain old all-purpose wheat flour. Other types of wheat flour may work, but I haven't tested the recipe with any.
- Cocoa powder. Make sure it's the unsweetened variety.
- Baking soda.
- Cinnamon. You can leave this out if you like, but it really enhances the chocolate and banana flavors.
- Salt.
- Vegan chocolate chips. I use Enjoy Life brand.
- Chopped walnuts. Feel free to sub another type of nut, like pecans, or leave them out altogether.
The following is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll down if you'd like to skip right to the recipe!
- Peel and place your bananas into a large mixing bowl, then mash them up with a fork or potato masher.
- Add the sugars, oil and vanilla.
- Stir until everything is evenly mixed.
- Add your flour to the bowl, then sprinkle the cocoa powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt over the flour before stirring it in.
- Stir everything together just until fully mixed. Don't overmix the batter.
- Fold in the chocolate chips and nuts.
- Spread the batter into an oiled loaf pan, smoothing the top out with a spoon.
- Evenly sprinkle a layer of brown sugar over the top of the loaf before popping it into the oven. This will form a delicious crust when it bakes! You can also garnish the top with a few extra chocolate chips if you like.
- Bake your loaf until it's fully set, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean (just make sure you're not inserting it into a chocolate chip, or it will definitely come out covered in melted chocolate).
- Let your loaf cool a bit before removing it from the pan and slicing it. It will fall apart if you slice it too early!
Vegan Chocolate Banana Bread Tips & FAQ
- Can this recipe be made gluten-free? I'm really not sure. It might work with an all-purpose gluten-free blend, but I haven't tested this.
- Shelf-life & storage: Once cool, wrap your banana bread in plastic or seal it in a zippy bag. It will keep at room temperature for about 3 days, or in the freezer for about 3 months.
- Can I use whole wheat flour? I haven't tried, so I'm not sure. If you'd like to give it a try, I'd recommend starting with a 50/50 blend of whole wheat and all-purpose flour, and using whole wheat pastry flour if possible.
- My banana bread isn't rising. Why not? Usually old baking soda is the cause of this. Test yours by sprinkling a small amount in a glass of vinegar. It should fizz. If not, it's time to replace it.
- Can this recipe be made into muffins? Probably! The bake time will be less, but I haven't tried, so I can't say exactly how much. Start checking them at around 20 minutes.
Like this recipe? If so, be sure to follow me on Facebook, Pinterest or Instagram, or subscribe to my newsletter. And please stop back and leave me a review and rating below if you make it!
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Vegan Chocolate Banana Bread
What's better than banana bread? CHOCOLATE banana bread! This vegan version is loaded with flavor and bursting with rich dark chocolate chips and walnuts.
Course Breakfast, DessertCuisine AmericanKeyword diary-free banana bread, vegan baking, vegan quick bread
Prep Time 10 minutesCook Time 55 minutesTotal Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings 10
Calories 328kcal
Ingredients- 3 medium overripe bananas
- 1/3 cup organic granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup organic brown sugar, plus 2 tablespoons for topping
- 1/3 cup canola oil (or your favorite baking oil)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup vegan chocolate chips, plus a few extra for topping
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and lightly oil a 9-inch loaf pan.
- Peel the bananas and place them into a large mixing bowl. Mash them well with a fork or potato masher.
- Stir the sugar, brown sugar, oil, and vanilla into the mashed bananas.
- Add the flour and cocoa powder to the bowl, then sprinkle the baking soda, cinnamon, and salt on top.
- Stir everything together just until thoroughly blended. Don't overmix. The batter will be very thick.
- Fold in the chocolate chips and walnuts.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top out with a spoon.
- Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of brown sugar evenly over the batter, and optionally sprinkle a few extra chocolate chips on top.
- Bake the loaf until set and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 50 to 60 minutes. (If the toothpick goes into a chip and comes out covered in melted chocolate, try inserting a clean one at another location).
- Place the loaf pan on a cooling rack to cool. Let the loaf cool for at least 25 minutes before removing it from the pan.
- Slice and serve.
The post Vegan Chocolate Banana Bread appeared first on Connoisseurus Veg.
Vegan Stuffed Pepper Soup
This vegan stuffed pepper soup is made with lentils, tomatoes, rice and bell peppers in a savory tomato base. Comforting, healthy, and hearty enough to make a meal of!
Soup. It's such wonderful stuff and there's so much to love about it.
Reason number ten million why I love soup: it's easy. Soup is so unfussy, and for the most part, it involves throwing stuff in a pot and letting it simmer.
Reason number ten million and one: lots of times, when you have a recipe that's a little more involved than you want it to be, you can turn it into soup. Cases in point: my stuffed cabbage soup, cheeseburger soup, and mac & cheese soup.
I found myself craving some vegan stuffed peppers the other day, but just didn't feel like going through all the steps to make them. And that's when this magical soup was born!
What You'll Need
- Olive oil. Feel free to substitute another type of high-heat oil.
- Onion.
- Bell peppers. I like to use one red and one green, but you can use whatever colors you like or have available.
- Garlic.
- Vegetable broth. I'm a big fan of Better Than Bouillon in roasted vegetable flavor.
- Long grain brown rice. You can substitute a different type of rice if you like, but you'll probably need to adjust the cook time.
- Spices. We're using dried oregano, thyme, and paprika.
- Dried brown lentils. Green lentils should work as well, though they'll probably take longer to cook. I don't recommend using red lentils for this recipe.
- Fire roasted tomatoes. Using fire-roasted tomatoes gives the soup a nice smoky flavor, but regular canned diced tomatoes will work in a pinch.
- Tomato paste.
- Salt and pepper.
The following is detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll down if you'd like to skip right to the recipe!
- Heat up some olive oil in a large pot, then add diced onion and bell peppers. Sweat the veggies for about 5 minutes, until they begin to soften up a bit.
- Stir in the garlic and cook it with the onions and peppers for about a minute, until it becomes very fragrant.
- Now stir in the broth, rice, and spices.
- Bring the soup to a boil, lower the heat and let it simmer for 20 minutes.
- Now stir in the lentils. Bring the soup back to a simmer and let it cook for about 20 minutes more, until the rice and lentils are almost fully cooked.
- Stir in the tomatoes and tomato paste, and let the soup simmer for about 5 minutes more. By now, the rice and lentils should be cooked.
- Take the pot off of the stove and season your soup with some salt and pepper before serving.
Vegan Stuffed Pepper Soup Tips & FAQ
- Is this soup gluten-free? It is!
- Leftovers & storage: Leftover soup will keep in a sealed container in the fridge for about 3 days, or in the freezer for about 4 months. The rice and veggies will suck up most of the broth during storage, so add more liquid when you reheat it if needed.
- Can a different variety or rice be used? Yes, but you may need to adjust the cook time. Short grain brown rice should cook in about the same amount of time, but any variety of white rice will probably cook quicker (about half the time would be a good estimate).
- Can a different type of lentil be used? Green lentils will work, but may need a bit more time to cook. I don't recommend using red lentils, as the texture is very different.
- Is there a way to reduce the sodium content of this soup? Try using low sodium vegetable broth and tomatoes.
Like this recipe? If so, be sure to follow me on Facebook, Pinterest or Instagram, or subscribe to my newsletter. And please stop back and leave me a review and rating below if you make it!
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Vegan Stuffed Pepper Soup
This vegan stuffed pepper soup is made with lentils, tomatoes, rice and bell peppers in a savory tomato base. Comforting, healthy, and hearty enough to make a meal of!
Course SoupCuisine AmericanKeyword healthy soup recipe, vegan soup recipe
Prep Time 15 minutesCook Time 55 minutesTotal Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 330kcal
Ingredients- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 medium red bell pepper, diced
- 1 medium green bell pepper, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 6 cups vegetable broth
- 1/2 cup long grain brown rice
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- 3/4 cup dried brown lentils
- 1 (14 ounce or 400 gram) can fire roasted tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Coat the bottom of a large pot with the oil and place it over medium heat.
- When the oil is hot, add the onion and peppers. Sweat the veggies for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they begin to soften up.
- Stir in the garlic and cook it with the onion and peppers for about 1 minute, until it becomes very fragrant.
- Stir in the broth, rice, oregano, thyme, and paprika.
- Raise the heat and bring the liquid to a boil. Lower the heat and let the soup simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in the lentils. Bring the liquid back to a simmer and let it cook for about 20 minutes more, stirring occasionally, until the rice and lentils are almost fully cooked. Add some hot water if the liquid reduces too much while cooking.
- Stir in the tomatoes and tomato paste. Let the soup simmer for 5 minutes more.
- Remove the pot from heat and season the soup with salt and pepper to taste.
- Ladle into bowls and serve.
The post Vegan Stuffed Pepper Soup appeared first on Connoisseurus Veg.
Easy Sweet & Sour Tofu
Better than takeout and almost as easy! This sweet and sour tofu is made with crispy tofu and red bell pepper chunks in a tangy pineapple sauce.
Pineapple is a secret weapon of mine for making delicious and easy recipes.
Pineapple is so delicious and pairs well with so many flavors. In fact, you might have to try pretty hard to mess up a pineapple based dish, by pairing it with … I can't even think of anything (I sat and brainstormed on this for about 10 minutes).
Point proven. Pineapple rules.
Since it's so hard to make pineapple taste bad, it must be really easy to make it taste good. Such is the case with this recipe. It was so easy.
Let's talk about just how easy, shall we?
What You'll Need
- Vegetable broth. I used Better Than Bouillon in roasted vegetable flavor.
- Apple cider vinegar. Rice vinegar can be substituted for this.
- Maple syrup. You can also use another liquid sweetener, like agave.
- Soy sauce. Substitute gluten-free tamari for a gluten-free version.
- Sriracha sauce. This is totally optional — just use it if you'd like a little heat.
- Garlic.
- Fresh pineapple.
- Red bell pepper.
- Water. Make sure it's chilled.
- Cornstarch.
- Peanut oil. Or another high-heat oil.
- Tofu. Extra firm or super firm works best!
- Toasted sesame seeds. Or substitute chopped roasted cashews or peanuts.
- Scallions.
The following is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll down if you'd like to skip right to the recipe!
Make the Sauce- Mix up your broth, vinegar, maple syrup, soy sauce, sriracha (if using), and garlic in a saucepan.
- Stir in the pineapple and diced bell pepper, place the pot over heat, and bring the mixture to a simmer. Let it cook for about 15 minutes.
- Now stir the cornstarch and cold water together in a small container, then stir it into the mixture on the stove.
- Bring the mixture back up to a simmer and wait for it to thicken up a bit before removing the pot from heat.
Fry the Tofu
- While the sauce simmers, place some cornstarch in a small bowl. Add some diced tofu and gently stir it around to coat it in cornstarch.
- Heat some oil in a nonstick skillet — it should be at least 1/8 inch deep.
- Add the cornstarch-coated tofu cubes and fry them for a few minutes on each side, until they're golden and crispy.
- When the tofu has finished frying-remove the cubes from the skillet and place them on a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
- Now mix up the tofu and the sauce! I like to return the tofu to the skillet after removing the oil, then pour the sauce over it.
- Serve your sweet & sour tofu with a sprinkle of scallions and sesame seeds, and a side of rice — I really like it with coconut rice.
Sweet & Sour Tofu Tips & FAQ
- Can this recipe be made gluten-free? Sure can! Just substitute gluten-free tamari for the soy sauce.
- This dish is best served immediately. The tofu won't stay crispy in the sauce for long!
- Leftovers & storage: Leftovers will keep in a sealed container in the fridge for about 3 days. The tofu will get soggy, but it will still taste good!
- You'll probably end up with some leftover pineapple. Put it in a batch of fried rice, stuff it in a sandwich, or make a vegan pineapple upside down cake!
- For an even lighter and easier version of this dish, skip the cornstarch and cook your tofu using this method, which uses less oil.
- You can switch up the bell pepper with your favorite veggies, but keep in mind that the cook-time might be different. Firmer veggies will generally need to simmer longer, while softer veggies will cook in less time.
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Print
Pineapple Sweet and Sour Tofu
Better than takeout and almost as easy! This sweet and sour tofu is made with crispy tofu and red bell pepper chunks in a tangy pineapple sauce.
Course EntreeCuisine American, ChineseKeyword easy tofu recipe, vegan chinese recipe
Prep Time 15 minutesCook Time 20 minutesTotal Time 35 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 332kcal
Ingredients- 1/2 cup vegetable broth
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari
- 1 teaspoon Sriracha sauce (optional)
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 cup diced fresh pineapple
- 1 cup diced red bell pepper
- 2 tablespoons cold water
- 5 tablespoons cornstarch (or as needed), divided
- 1 (14 ounce or 400 gram) package extra firm tofu, drained, pressed at least 15 minutes and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
- 1/4 cup peanut oil (or high-heat oil of choice)
- 2 scallions, chopped
- Toasted sesame seeds
- Cooked rice, for serving
- Stir the vegetable broth, cider vinegar, maple syrup, soy sauce, sriracha, garlic, pineapple, and bell pepper together in small saucepan and place it over medium heat.
- Bring the mixture to a simmer. Lower the heat and allow it to simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- While sauce simmers, whisk the cold water and 1 tablespoon of cornstarch together in a small bowl. Set it aside.
- Begin preparing the tofu. Heat about 1/4 cup of oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat. The oil should be about 1/8 to 1/4 inch deep.
- Place the remaining 4 tablespoons of cornstarch in a small bowl. Add a few tofu cubes and gently stir to coat them in cornstarch.
- When the oil is hot, arrange the tofu cubes in the skillet. Continue dredging tofu cubes in the cornstarch and adding them to the skillet in an even layer, being careful not to overcrowd the skillet. You can cook the tofu in two batches if you don't have enough room.
- Cook the tofu cubes for about 10 minutes, turning them about halfway through cooking.
- When the tofu cubes are golden and crispy on both sides, remove them from the skillet and transfer them to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
- Once the simmer time for the sauce is up, stir in the water and cornstarch mixture. Bring the sauce back up to a simmer and allow it to cook for another minute or two, until it thickens up. Remove the pot from heat. Taste-test the sauce and adjust any seasonings to your liking.
- Pour the sauce and pineapple mixture over the tofu. Stir to coat the tofu and remove the skillet from heat.
- Combine the tofu with the sauce and pineapple/pepper mixture, either by adding it directly to the pot, or mixing everything in a separate container. Stir gently to distribute the ingredients and evenly coat the tofu with sauce.
- Divide the sweet and sour tofu onto plates and serve with rice. Top with scallions and sesame seeds. Serve.
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