Vegan Cooking for the Soul

In the long winter months, when feet of snow pile up outside and when the cold sends us scurrying around the house in thick fuzzy socks and layers of blankets, it is always good to cook up some hearty food. Good winter food is warm food. It is also soul food, or food that warms satisfies not only your hunger but every other worry in your life, if not just temporarily. Soul food can bring you back to your childhood or leave you frozen in the moment. This would explain why it takes so long to finish a steaming bowl of chicken noodle soup: there is no hasty gulping it down. There is only quiet slurps of nostalgia and reminiscent sighs as the golden broth fills you with happy memories. That, my friends, is soul food done right.

One of my hesitations in being vegan was based in my initial misconception that vegans eat only cold food. Any other season, I would be fine with this: cold food keeps longer, takes less preparation, and is more convenient to eat on the go. But like I said, winter calls for warm meals to rejuvenate the part of us that the cold snubs out. Before this month, I picture veganism as a lonely, miserable existence spent shivering in a corner while nibbling on some limp asparagus. As already discussed, this is NOT true: veganism, to me, is a way of reinventing your indulgences. In a simpler context, there is warm vegan soul food, and as I have discovered, it is just as satisfying as a bowl of chicken noodle soup on a cold day. 

Here are some meals I've made in the past few weeks that are meant to be served warm. They were all very tasty and I definitely would try them again. Links are in the recipes page :)

Borsch – a Ukrainian beet soup

When I intentionally pointed out to my mom how Steph's mom had made vegan cookies 'n cream Oreo cupcakes, my mom knew she had to step up her game (not really, she just does very nice things for me.) She brought back one of her old favorites by introducing me to Borsch, a vegetable soup popular in Eastern Europe, made primarily from beetroot, which gives it its unmistakable fushia color and a slight sweetness. It is completely vegan and is very filling. 

Adult Tater Tots – another recipe from Buzzfeed's massive vegan foods collection, my one complaint is that this name is entirely misleading. At least the outcome I reached did not resemble tater tots at all and I bet it would be the height of poor table manners to start dunking these in ketchup. Nonetheless, I loved these glorified baked potatoes seasoned with pepper and garlic and cooked to a perfect balance between a crispy skin and tender inside. Very simple to make and eat. 

Coconut Rice Pudding – Rice pudding has to be one of the most underrated desserts of all time. It is can be served warm or cold, is cloyingly sweet and savory, and doesn't take the easy road of relying on chocolate to make it great. Jazz it up with raisins, walnuts, cinnamon, or orange zest. Customize this tasty base the way you want. It's like fro-yo for February. 

Vegan Chili – Kudos to Buzzfeed again for this unique recipe. It's hard to imagine chili without ground beef, but this dish makes me see the potential in beans, spices, and whole grains. While the picture does NOT do it justice (if you squint, the sight of it kind of makes me nauseous,) the combo of typical chili spices and protein-packed beans, edamame, and quinoa is interesting and satisfying. 

Lookout for a new post about weird vegan ingredients coming soon! Thanks for reading! Gold star for you!