ASIAN CORN CABBAGE SOUP FROM KATHY HESTER'S NEW BOOK "THE EASY VEGAN COOKBOOK"

Leave it to Kathy Hester to come up with a book full of easy-peasy, healthful, inspired vegan recipes for time-challenged cooks!  Kathy is the author of four previous books and blogs at healthyslowcooking.com This new book contains 80 recipes that are full of healthful ingredients (lots of beans-- a plus, in my opinion!) and many inspired by cuisines of other cultures.  She has a chapter of "Make-Ahead Staples", which is really handy, and everything from Soups, Stews, Pasta, Stir-fries, and other Mains, followed by more recipes for easy Sandwich Fillings and Spreads, Sides, and of course, Desserts and Drinks. The recipes are low-oil and there are many GF and soy-free recipes and options, as well.

I had a hard time selecting the recipe to try for this post on Kathy's blog tour, but I'm so glad I chose this soup recipe.  We had our vegan Canadian Thanksgiving feast (12 of us) last night and over-ate, of course. This easy, light and delectable soup (and I love corn so much!) is the perfect simple-but-delectable day-after-feasting meal. The chopped mushrooms in the broth give it wonderful flavor.

Congratulations on another winner, Kathy!

KATHY HESTER'S ASIAN CORN CABBAGE SOUP (From "The Easy Vegan Cookbook", with permission from Page Street Publishing)
• gluten-free option** • oil-free option* • soy-free option**
This soup isn’t the prettiest, but the taste is bold and delicious. This recipe is my favorite way to use up the extra cabbage from my CSA.
SERVES 4

½ small onion, minced
1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil (*or sauté in water)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1½ cups (105 g) minced mushrooms
Pinch of salt
2 to 3 teaspoons (10-15 g) minced ginger
4 cups (356 g) chopped cabbage
2 cups (282 g) corn kernels (frozen or fresh)
4 cups (946 ml) water
1 tablespoon (5 g) nutritional yeast
2 teaspoons (10 ml) vegetable bouillon
1 teaspoon sesame oil
½ to 1 teaspoon sriracha sauce
1 teaspoon light soy sauce (**or use coconut aminos)

STOVE-TOP METHOD (This is the method I used.)
Sauté the onion in oil (*or water) until it’s translucent, then add the garlic and cook 1 more minute. Add mushrooms and a pinch of salt. Sauté until the mushrooms have cooked down and released their liquid, about 10 minutes. Add everything except sesame, sriracha and soy sauce (**or coconut aminos) to the pot and cook until the cabbage is tender, about 15 minutes. Before serving, add sesame, sriracha and soy sauce (**or coconut aminos). Adjust seasonings if needed. (NOTE from Bryanna: I used 3 teaspoons of vegan broth paste [Better Than Bouillon No-Chicken vegan Broth Paste] and 2 teaspoons of soy sauce.)

SLOW COOKER METHOD
To prep the night before, sauté the onion in oil (*or water) until it’s translucent, then add the garlic and cook one more minute. Add mushrooms and a pinch of salt. Sauté until the mushrooms have cooked down and released their liquid. Store the cooked mixture with cut cabbage and corn in the refrigerator overnight. In the morning, add everything except sesame, sriracha and soy sauce (**or coconut aminos) to your 4-quart (4-L) slow cooker. Cook 7 to 9 hours on low. Before serving, add sesame, sriracha and soy sauce (**or coconut aminos). Adjust seasonings if needed.

Per serving with oil: Calories 156.8, protein 5.5 g, total fat 5.8 g, carbohydrates 22.4 g, sodium 41.8 mg, fiber 4.9 g

TIP: Cheater Slow Cooker Shortcut: Skip the onion sauté and use ½ teaspoon of onion powder instead. Then add the raw mushrooms into the slow cooker for a throw-it-all-in-and-go meal!

Enjoy!