Exploits of a Vegan Wannabe

Happy Meatless Monday. I have a recipe for a soup that is going to elevate your love for your stock pot. I have never really met a soup that I have considered sublime or mind boggling until now. The flavor of this soup is so layered that you could easily assume it had taken the better part of a day to prepare, but it does not. The most labor intensive part is the chopping of ingredients. The recipe make s a biggie stock pot full and you can enjoy it for days. Like most soups, it was even more succulent two days later.

Photo By: S. Duquet

Mexican Lime Soup

From the Engine 2 Diet and slightly modified by S. Duquet

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

2 thickly sliced leeks that I removed from the soup before serving

4 Oz mushrooms sliced small (I realized they really disappear so you could add many more)

2 Bay leaves

1 Clove of garlic finely chopped and made into a paste or pressed

3 Poblano peppers toasted, skinned, seeded and cut into strips ( I toasted mine over the open flame on the stove burner and they came out beautifully)

2 (32 ounce) cartons of low sodium vegetable stock

2 ears of raw corn cut into 2 inch rounds

4 medium red potatoes, skin on, cut into 1 inch cubes

3 C of chopped cilantro

juice of 3 limes and zest of one lime

2 Tbsp Cumin

1 Tbsp garlic powder

2 Tbsp liquid aminos

A ton of fresh ground black pepper

I am a spice lover so adjust for your own taste with less or more

For Garnish

2 avocados peeled and diced

2  Diced red, orange or yellow  peppers

Blue corn tortilla chips

Make It Happen

Saute the leeks, mushrooms and bay leaves on medium heat in a large, sprayed stock pot until the shrooms and leeks brown, approx 5 minutes. Add the fresh garlic, poblanos and 1 cup of stock. Stir intermittently for five minutes. Add the remaining stock, corn, potatoes and dry spices. Cover and cook on medium heat until the potatoes are tender, approx 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit for five minutes.

To Serve

Remove bay leaves. Stir the cilantro, lime zest and lime juice into the soup. Ladle into biggie bowls and garnish with blue corn chips, diced avocados and red peppers.

Serve amid a standing ovation from your adoring fans/family/cat and enjoy the complex beauty of this easy to prepare soup.

A few things that I really found delightful about this soup. When you are enjoying a bowl it feels like the perfect soup for a chilly, maybe even rainy day. It has potatoes and poblanos and a savory broth. But oddly enough, because of the unbelievable  citrus vibe, it also feels like the perfect soup to enjoy on a steamy Summer day with a cold Corona. I love a multi purpose recipe.

Photo By: S. Duquet

Another thing I love is the interactivity of this meal. The corn is left in round discs for your hedonistic pleasure. Fishing them out with your fingers and eating the insanely delicious corn  is fun and so darn satisfying…ala clam bake style. I loved it personally but if you might not, feel free to add your corn in kernels instead of cob pieces.

Have a delicious day and enjoy your Meatless afternoon, day or week. Share your Meatless successes. I would love to hear them.

Tags: compassionate eating, cooking with herbs, dairy free, Engine 2 Diet, going veg, Lime Soup recipe, Meatless Monday, plant based diet, plant strong, trying vegan, trying vegetarian, vegan, vegan challenge, vegan entree, vegan experience, vegan recipe, vegan soup, vegan transition, vegan wannabe, vegetarian recipe