French onion soup

Whether you are into plant based eating or not, this soup is amazing plant-based. The caramelized onions makes it so satiating and your taste buds dancing with joy. If you aren’t following a plant-based diet, just add your favourite cheese on top and melt it down. So yummy!

Serves 4

Prep/cook time 60 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2tbsp plant based margarine 

• 2tbsp olive oil

• 4 shallots finely sliced

• 3 large onions sliced

• 1 red onion finely sliced

• 3 tsp sea salt

• Black pepper to taste

• 1 sprig of thyme

• 2tsp dried sage

• 1 tbsp gluten free flour or all purpose flour

• 240 ml dried white wine

• 1 litre hot vegetable stock

• 1 bay leaf

• 1 tsp rosemary leaves

• 4-6 slices of French baguette 

• 1 garlic clove

• grated plant based cheese 

Directions:

1. Caramelize shallots and onions in the margarine and oil in a large saucepan. Add salt, pepper, thyme and sage and cook for 20 minutes.

2. When the onions are golden, add flour and stir well to coat the onions. Cook for a minute the add wine to deglaze the pan. Bring the liquid to boil before adding the hot vegetable stock, bay leaf and rosemary.  Cover and let soup cook for 20 minutes.

3. Toast slices of baguette 🥖. Cut garlic cloves in half and rub on the slices of toasted bread.

4. Remove the bay leaf and rosemary sprig, then ladle the soup into your serving bowls and arrange toasted baguette topped with grated cheese. Place your bowls onto a baking sheet then place each one under the grill for 2 minutes. 

5. Top with fresh thyme leaves and fresh black pepper.

Enjoy!!

Mediterranean summer quinoa salad

So filling and so nutritious and a great crowd pleaser! I also added millet and was amazed with the texture. You can add all your favourite vegetables to cooked quinoa and millet and add a nice Mediterranean dressing. The dressing I used was a creamy garlic tahini dressing. Make this salad during the summer and place on top of crispy lettuce leaves and enjoy the delicious flavours of the Mediterranean.

• Serves 4 people

• Ready in 40 mins

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup millet

• 1 cup water

• 1/2 cup quinoa (red, black, or white or Tri-color)

• 3/4 cup water

• 1 cucumber diced

• 6 cherry tomatoes seeded and diced

• 1 yellow or orange bell pepper diced

• 2 cups chickpeas (soaked and boiled) or canned

• 1 tsp cumin ground

• 1/2 tsp paprika

• 1/2 cup toasted pinenuts

• 1/2 cup green or kalamata olives quartered

• 100g feta cheese diced ( I used plant -based feta)

For the garlic tahini dressing

• 4 tbsp tahini

• 3 tbsp water

• Juice of 1 lemon

• 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar

• 2 tbsp good quality olive oil

• 1/2 tbsp nutritional yeast

• 1/2 tsp sea salt or to taste

• 1/2 tsp black pepper

• 1 garlic clove minced

Directions

1. Bring millet and 1 cup water to boil, reduce heat and simmer for five minutes and turn off heat, cover and let sit for 10 minutes,

2. Bring quinoa and 3/4 cup water to boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 15-20 minutes till done and fluff with a fork.

3. Combine all ingredients in a bowl

Dressing

1. In a bowl, place tahini and then whisk all ingredients in one at a time. Dressing can be stored up to one week.