Vegan Recipes ... Soup for the Day

Our very own Malaysian cook, AMY BEH, has these yummy and healthy meatless soups to share with us:

Get healthier with a dose of these rich soups.

A LOT of soup bases are made with meat and bones, and you think that the ones made without these ingredients would be rather bland. However, for those who are interested in taking the healthy route, meatless soups have become the “in” thing nowadays. Give them a try and stay away from meat for at least a day. If you cook these three different soups on three different days, you would have kept yourself healthy for three days. What do you have to lose?

VEGETARIAN HERBAL SOUP

200g yam beans, sliced thickly
55g carrot, cut into wedges
100g black eyed beans, soaked overnight
50g lotus seeds (siong lin)
7g dried longan
10g tong sum
20 red dates
6 dried figs
3 honey dates
15g yok chuk
15g hoi chuk
25g wai san
20g fok san
10g kei chi
40g see sut (Ferox nuts)
2.5 litres water
Salt and sugar to taste

Bring water to the boil, add all the ingredients and bring to the boil again.
Reduce the heat, cover the pot and simmer for 2½-3 hours over very low heat until the flavours of the soup are enriched. Adjust with seasoning to taste.
Dish out and serve immediately.


LOTUS ROOT AND PEANUT SOUP

200g lotus roots, sliced
200g arrowroot, cubed
100g peanuts, soaked for 3-4 hours
30 pieces dried Chinese mushrooms stalks, soaked
20 red dates
5 honey dates
5 dried figs
2.5-3 litres water
Salt to taste

Bring water to a boil, then add all the ingredients.
Allow to come to a rolling boil again. Reduce the heat then cover the pot slightly and simmer for 2-2½ hours.
Adjust with seasoning then dish out and serve.


GREEN ON THE GO

150g fresh corn kernels
150g cabbage, shredded
100g carrot, cut into desired shapes
100g soft beancurd, cubed
For the stock :
10 red dates
200g yam beans, chopped
20 dried Chinese mushroom stalks, soaked
1 cup big head beansprouts (tai tou nga)
2 litres water
Salt, sugar and pepper to taste

Combine all stock ingredients in a pot and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
Strain the soup stock and return the soup to the stock pot. Bring to the boil again.
Add carrot and cook for 5-6 minutes. Add corn kernels, cabbage and beancurd. Stir and bring to the boil for a minute or two.
Adjust with seasoning then dish out and serve.

Blogger's Note : The above recipes were featured in THE STAR dated 15th Sept, 2009
http://thestar.com.my/lifestyle/story.asp?file=/2009/9/15/lifeliving/4672825&sec=lifeliving