Vegan since 1975, I decide to answer the question, "What DO you eat?" These posts tell about some meals and recipes my family and I have enjoyed over the years.

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Monday, October 5, 2020

Nasturtium Soup



I’ve enjoyed being introduced to a different set of recipes by following The Vegan Nigerian blog, and there was a link to her bitter greens soup today. I don’t have an African grocer in the area, so I looked up substitutions for bitter greens. This is often how I proceed with my cooking, as, though my pantry is well-stocked, it is not all-encompassing. 

Nasturtium and dandelion leaves came up, among others, so I wandered around the yard picking a colander-full, adding a few leaves of mustard, parsley, and young rutabaga while I was at it. 


She called for red bell pepper and scotch bonnet pepper; I found partial jars of roasted yellow pepper and pickled jalapeño peppers on the top shelf of the refrigerator. It’s always a win to empty that catch-all a little bit. 

I used a small yellow onion instead of a red one, and I added two cloves of garlic because I like it. Hers called for a starchy African yam, and I found a substitute in ground oats. It was mostly used as a thickener. My dollop of vegetarian soup base was generous enough to preclude any additional salt. I used coconut oil for sautéing the onions and garlic. I am going to serve it on brown rice with a side of mashed sweet potatoes.