July 13th, 2009
The food on our trip was not very good. Vegas is Meatland and most restaurants don’t even have a vegetarian option, never mind vegan. For basically the first time in our vegan careers we walked away from restaurants because there was nothing to eat. I basically subsisted on buffet refried beans, sort of ignoring that they are probably fried in lard. I relented somewhat and ate some dairy here and there, mainly because I am not willing to live on salad and bread, which actually was a nice treat, though I am more than ready to ditch the dairy again. That stuff is bad for my bowels.
I am so happy to be back home, where I can have good food again. I like how I cook and I love the freedom to make anything I please without having to wring my hands over whether this restaurant or that might have a vegan version of miso soup. It used to be that holidays were the Time Of Great Food Cooked By Others, but now they are the Time of Crappy Salads and No Legumes. It seems that even places which try to offer a vegan option often fall short of the mark: it’s a salad, or it has no protein, or it’s “health food” and has no salt or flavour.
The one thing I had that was really great – and which I will try to recreate today – was a lentil soup I ordered at an Indian restaurant. It was about 6pm and I was in the middle of my only hangover of the holiday, which I earned by commencing the pina coladas at about 10am that morning. I downed two Gravols and noted that my tender stomach was not in the mood for much but gentle, inoffensive soup. Enter the lentil soup, which fit the bill exactly. It was hot, barely thicker than a clear soup, with a gentle flavour that was nonetheless perfect.
I was so happy to have a soup I could keep down I decided to try and figure out its ingredients for reproduction. Here is my recipe:
Some fat: I used a teaspoon of Earth Balance margarine, but you could use butter or oil. Sautee 1/8 teaspoon of coriander (or cumin) and 1/8 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes. Add:
1 can coconut milk, solids and liquids.
2 cups broth, faux chicken or vegetable, plus half a cup water.
Bring to a boil, then add:
Lentils, 1/4 cup. Use the red kind that fall apart and become mushy fast. Cook for about 15 minutes, then use an immersion blender to make the soup smooth.
Cilantro, finely chopped and sprinkled over the top at the end.
Lemon wedges served on the side for squeezing.
This would be great served with steamed jasmine rice and a light salad containing chickpeas as a great summer dinner. It’s not a bold soup, but rather has a certain delicacy that I just love.