Day 32 - Just Like Take-Out

My adventures in vegan cooking have produced some great successes and some pitiful failures. I've tried my had at modifying regular recipes to be vegan and fat-free.  Most of my failures seem to revolve around baking -- my fat-free, dairy-free Whole Wheat Bread and my Oatmeal Cookies with Craisins weren't the height of culinary achievement.  But I did manage to devise a favorite in my Wheatberry Salad and the spaghetti sauce I whipped up from scratch will make another appearance for dinner in the near future.

After trying the Garlic and Kale Soup, I decided  that I was really craving Hot and Sour Soup.  I looked for vegan recipes, but decided to make one up on my own based on three separate recipes I found.  Traditional recipes usually don't include wheatberries and kale -- and they do include eggs.  The soup turned out great, with a tangy, but spicy broth thickened slightly with cornstarch.  Add more vinegar or red pepper to suit your own taste.  More broth will make it "brothier."

 Vegan Hot and Sour Soup

5 oz. sliced fresh shitake mushrooms

1/2 cup small dried tree ear mushroom

1 cup dried shitake mushrooms

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 can bamboo shoots, rinsed and julienned

2 medium carrots, peeled and julenned
½ bunch (5-6 leaves) kale, sliced into thin strips

32 oz. vegetable broth
2 teaspoons fresh ginger, minced

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar, more to taste

1 T. red chili paste

1 t. crushed red pepper flakes (more to taste)

3 T. cornstarch, mixed with 3 tablespoons water

3 T. soy sauce

1 T. miso (opt.)

2 T. catsup

1-2  c. cooked wheat berries (opt.)

5  ounces firm tofu, cut into 1/3 inch dice

3 scallions, finely sliced

Cook wheat berries on stovetop or in rice cooker.  In separate bowls, cover the tree ear and dried mushrooms with  hot water; let soak until softened, about 30 minutes.  Drain the mushrooms and tree ear. but reserve the liquid from the mushrooms.  Slice both into narrow strips.  Slice the fresh shitakes..

Spray the bottom of a large pot with non-stick cooking spray and sauté the fresh shitakes.  When slightly browned, add garlic and saute a few minutes more.  Then add the rest of the broth, the reserved mushroom broth, 1 c. water, mushrooms, tree ear, bamboo shoots, carrots, kale, ginger and salt; cover and bring to a boil over medium-high heat; reduce the heat and simmer until the kale is tender, for 10-15 minutes.  Add the wheat berries (opt.), vinegar, red chili paste, catsup, miso (opt.) and crushed red pepper and boil over medium-high heat for 2 minutes.  Taste broth and adjust the hot or sour by adding more red pepper flakes (or cayenne red pepper) or rice vinegar.  Once adjusted, drizzle the cornstarch mixture into the soup, stirring as you pour.  Add the soy sauce and tofu and heat until warmed through.  Garnish with raw scallions.

NOTE:  If you like a brothy soup, double the ingredients from the ginger through the catsup.