My vegan daughter is having a baby in the next couple of weeks. (I’m equally nervous and excited!) I’m planning to cook and freeze some soups and stews ahead of time. I’m hoping some of you can suggest favorite dishes to make. Of course there are millions of recipes online, but your suggestions mean much more. Thanks!
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Congratulations, Granny to be (I think you’re female - apologies if not)
Vegan friendly soup is easy peasy using bouillon powder to make the stock, pimped up with anything in that you have suitable (we’re not vegans so pimpiing with Worcestershire sauce is our route). And we make a veggie soup with whatever is in and slightly past its best. Add a tin of tomatoes. And a tin of beans (whichever). And you’ve got dinner with some bread. Even better if you add some pasta (bear in mind to undercook if you’re adding pasta, as it will cook more when its warmed up and you don’t want it too soft Maybe even leave the pasta out and just cook it when the stew is being warmed up. .
As for a stew, this freezes well (recipe is for 4 servings - we eat 2 portions, freeze 2.
1 onion
1 clove garlic
500g mixed veg - your call - carrot, celery, parsnip, peppers, etc
1 tin red kdney beans
1 tin plum tomatoes
1 tsp chilli powder
0.5tsp dried herbs (like thyme, basil , etc
Fresh parsley
i tbsp red wine vinegar
50g bulgher wheat
S & P
In a saucepan, fry the onion garlic and mixed veg to put some colour on them. Add everything else. Bring to boil, put a lid on, turn the heat down and simmer for about 30 minutes.
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Lentil soup!!
My favorite recipe is one from Alton Brown. I did modify it slightly – no grains of paradise.
Alton Brown’s Lentil Soup
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I’ll suggest a velouté soup. Super tasty and versatile.
Essentially you will boil a vegetable in veg stock until soft and purée. (Some salt, pepper, shallot or onion, and herb if you want.
But you can do it with any vegetable that is in season. You can adjust how thick you like it. Can have it a little thicker and serve with a scoop of sautéed vegetables in the middle of a shallow bowl, so it’s a bit of a sauce.
Mushroom And asparagus are my typical variations.
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Congratulations @TheLibrarian28 and daughter; and best wishes for a safe and happy arrival.
What flavours does your daughter like? Does she specifically want soups and stews or would she like some other things too?
Here is a good recipe with some Asian flavours, and I have read that cooked sweet potatoes can freeze well:
Here is a Persian inspired herb and chickpea stew with rice, though you will have to forego topping with crunchy chickpeas if you are freezing it:
If the information is helpful, here is a recipe for lactation-promoting fenugreek tea:
If your daughter likes this, she might drink it straight, or you can add a cup or so into any soup or stew recipes (substitute for some of the vegetable stock). It will change the flavours a little but it should play well with many flavour profiles.
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Here are some of my favorites. Ottolenghi for the win.
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Thanks for all your suggestions. This is exactly what I was hoping for! And yes, I am female. 
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Years ago, Chowhounder "i_am_Lois " paraphrased this recipe from the Vegetarian Times magazine. You may want to omit the hot pepper if daughter is nursing. We’re spice wimps so use half a jalepeno.
Brazilian Black Bean Stew (with sweet potato, bell peppers and tomatoes)
6 servings
1 Tbs. vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 medium cloves garlic, minced
2 medium sweet potatoes (1 to 1 1/4 lbs.), peeled and diced
1 large red bell pepper, diced
14.5-oz. can diced tomatoes
1 small hot green chili pepper, or more to taste, minced
1 1/2 C. water
2 (16-oz.) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 ripe mango, pitted, peeled and diced – (I’ve also used 1 – 2 T. Mango chutney - stew does need the hint of sweet)
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro – I use 1 T. dried Oregano
1/4 tsp. salt
In large pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook, stirring, until onion is golden, about 3 minutes.
Stir in sweet potatoes, bell pepper, tomatoes (with liquid), chili and 1 1/2 cups water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until potatoes are tender but still firm, 10 to 15 minutes.
Stir in beans and simmer gently, uncovered, until heated through, about 5 minutes. Stir in mango and cook until heated through, about 1 minute. Stir in cilantro and salt. Serve hot
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Butternut squash soup with coconut milk, ginger, and some salt and pepper to taste, garnish with a drizzle of EVOO.
Roast cauliflower soup using roasted cauliflower florets with caramelized onions, some silken tofu, coconut milk, garlic, salt and pepper, a some kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper as garnish
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This canned pumpkin & butternut squash soup with apple juice can be made vegan by substituting in vanilla almond milk for the cream. Do add the toasted pumpkin seed garnish --it’s a really tasty and crunchy finishing touch. I double the curry powder to 1/2 tsp., and usually use the microwave’s potato setting to roast the squash without oil. https://cantstayoutofthekitchen.com/2014/10/18/panera-breads-autumn-squash-soup/
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Just omit the butter.
Good hot or cold.
The best pea soup.
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Here are more of my favorites:
The third recipe down, Black Eyed Pea Curry, is vegan and delicious. It doesn’t make a huge amount so you may want to double the recipe.
For this Red Kidney Bean Curry, I use the full Four Tablespoons of minced ginger. I really like ginger.
The third recipe down here, Split Red Lentils with Cabbage is vegan and delicious.
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Split pea soup in the instant pot!
https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchen/instant-pot-split-pea-soup-4621813
Original is not vegan, but skip the ham (it doesn’t need it) and use olive oil and veggie broth instead of butter and chicken broth. I’ve made this many many times - I prefer the yellow split peas - and it’s super easy and reliable.
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This is not a soup or stew but is delicious and freezes well!
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Hi congrats @TheLibrarian28 !
We also love split pea soup. Some carmalized onions and croutons and won’t miss the meat at all. Those little tube packets are fast and easy too.
For some reason I don’t have the best success freezing beans and such but the littler ones work better like peas and lentils and they cook up so quickly.
Vegan better than boullion add carrots celery and faux egg noodles is a winner for us. That’s like 10 minutes. Thinking easy fast fresh instead of freezer sorry.
Our mom here went crazy for bagels and hummus and tomatoes. that’s ez to keep around too.
Excited for your family’s new edition !
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Thanks again to everyone for your contributions. The boy made his appearance three weeks early, but everyone involved seems to be fine. He’s a little on the small side, but is a good eater!
Last night I made hamburger mac using Impossible hamburger, and it was a big hit! I did double the wine and water so it would be a little more soupy.
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Congratulations. Happy to read that everything is OK.
John
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Congratulations!
Forgot to hit post earlier, so here’s a belated reply.
If you’re freezing a lot of soup, consider using very little water or broth while cooking, and add it instead when reheating – conserves freezer space.
Soups with coconut milk are delicious. This one is a copycat for a favorite Vietnamese restaurant version (though it uses Thai curry paste). Use less paste and up the aromatics to balance spice level for your daughter. You can also swap the paste for curry powder bloomed in oil and amp up the aromatics to balance the flavor. Swap fish sauce, for a bit of soy. Kerala stew is very similar, but even lighter. We make it thin and soupy at home. Any mix of vegetables. Skip the green chillies and add plenty of fresh ginger. Lovely with rice noodles or rice.
I’ve got both these on repeat in winter: coconut lentil soup and curried carrot soup.
I like pureed / veloute soups, made with water rather than stock. Leave them thick for storage, thin to serve with water, stock, (plant) milk, or coconut milk. For a richer soup, soak and puree cashews. All the hard veg soups are easiest in an IP or PC
- Butternut squash: Roast the squash with some onions and garlic. Season to taste - I use just s&p sometimes, cumin, garam masala, smoked paprika, and so on.
- Cauliflower: Cauliflower with onions and either garlic or ginger. Cashews work great in this one. You can also roast or sauté the cauliflower, which changes the flavor.
- Broccoli: As above. This one is nice with a bit of roasted broccoli added.
- Asparagus: Good use for frozen asparagus, but needs to be strained for stringy bits.
- Parsnip: I like it with a bit of bloomed curry powder and a bunch of aromatics to boost flavor.
- Carrot: With Thai curry paste as linked, or plain with just ginger and onion. My mom combines tomato and carrot; squash is nice in that mix too.
Dal has endless variations from the simplest on out. You can grate some vegetables in while it cooks to meld in and boost the flavor, or roast / sautee vegetables on the side and eat them alongside. (The lightest to digest is moong - green or yellow, red lentils after that.)
Khichdi isn’t soup or stew but is one step over from dal, plus delicious and comforting. More water makes the texture soft and wet like risotto vs separate grains of rice. You can add vegetables. Lots of variations, from very plain to more spiced. You can vary the grain from rice as well (barley, cracked wheat, millets, quinoa).
I love barley soup, especially with some of the barley pureed in to to thicken it - (veg) scotch broth, mushroom barley (beef barley is my favorite, but not for her!)
Stewy beans are nice, but I don’t know whether she’s doing beans post-partum.
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I had dal dhokli at a restaurant this week, as part of a Gujarati tasting menu. Much wetter than many dals, so effectively it’s a soup - but a substantial one, as the dhokli bulks it out.
Home dal isn’t typically thick, and dal dhokli is home comfort food / a leftover remake. (It’s actually made even more watery than normal home dal because the cut-up dhokli thickens it as flour leaches out.)
Nice that they are showcasing this kind of stuff!
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