Creole Okra Corn Soup + The Easy Vegan Cookbook blog tour

Welcome to today's stop on The Easy Vegan Cookbook blog tour! I'm not sure when Kathy Hester finds time to sleep, because every time I turn around, she has another beautiful cookbook being released. If you've spent any time on my blog, you probably know that I'm not a vegan—but that doesn't mean that I don't eat meatless and vegan meals and snacks. And while my husband is very much a meatatarian, over the years I've been able to convince him that even vegan meals can be hearty and satisfying.

This Creole Okra Corn Soup from Kathy's new book totally supports my case. It may not contain any animal products and have a brothy base, but it is packed full of seasonal vegetables and a nice little spice factor (which always wins his heart in the end). A couple of days before I received this book in the mail, my old neighbor dropped more than 6 dozen freshly picked ears of corn at my doorstep. I knew without a doubt that this recipe would be the first I would make from the book.

How was it? So good—like late summer in a bowl; tender sliced okra stars and sweet little pops of corn mingling in a brothy tomato base with a pleasant underlying heat. The husband ate two large steaming bowls the minute he walked in the door from work. I ate it for two meals that first day, then finished it off for lunch the next.

This soup is just one in a sea of many satisfying vegan dishes that you can whip up in no time from the pages of The Easy Vegan Cookbook.

Creole Okra Corn Soup

This vegan soup, loaded with corn and okra, is light enough for an appetizer or for eating in the heat of summer, yet hearty enough to satisfy.

Reprinted with permission from The Easy Vegan Cookbook Copyright © 2015 by Kathy Hester. Published by Page St Publishing.

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 30-40 minutes

Keywords: simmer soup/stew dairy-free soy-free vegan gluten-free nut-free okra corn tomatoes summer

Ingredients (serves 6)

• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil (or sauté in water)
• 1/2 medium onion, minced
• 1/2 medium green pepper, minced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 cups (710 ml) vegetable broth (or water with 2 veggie bouillon cubes)
• 1 (16 ounce [454 g]) bag frozen sliced okra (or equivalent weight of fresh okra)
• 2 cups (11 ounce [328 g]) fresh or frozen corn kernels
• 1 (28 oz [794 g]) can crushed tomatoes (fire-roasted or plain)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons (7 g) smoked paprika (or plain paprika plus a few drops of liquid smoke)
• 1 teaspoon thyme
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1 teaspoon marjoram
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper, to taste
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

STOVE-TOP METHOD:

Heat oil over medium heat and add the onion once it’s hot. Sauté until the onion becomes translucent, about 5 minutes.

Add green pepper and garlic, then sauté 3 minutes more. Stir in the broth, okra, corn, tomatoes, and all spices except for the salt and pepper.

Simmer for 20 to 30 minutes over medium heat until the corn and okra are tender. Before serving, add salt and pepper to taste.

SLOW COOKER METHOD:

Heat oil over medium heat in a sauté pan and add the onion once it’s hot. Sauté until the onion becomes translucent, about 5 minutes.

Add the sautéed onions and everything else except the salt and black pepper to your 4-quart (4-L) slow cooker and cook on low for 7 to 10 hours. Before serving, add salt and pepper to taste.

TIP:

Not in the mood to sauté onions for the slow cooker? Use 1/2 teaspoon onion powder in its place for a throw-and-go soup in the morning

Per serving with oil:

Calories 189.6, protein 5.2 g, total fat 6.0 g, carbohydrates 29.4 g, sodium 647.7 mg, fiber 4.6 g

My Notes:

I made pretty much exactly as written, using fresh okra and corn cut from the cob. I used two (14.5 ounce) cans of fire-roasted, diced tomatoes in place of one 28-ounce can of crushed tomatoes. I wound up adding a cup of water at the end of cooking time.

The Easy Vegan Cookbook

author: Kathy Hester
publisher: Page Street
photos: yes
soft cover: 208 pages

chapters/sections: Make-Ahead Staples | Soups Save the Day | Simple Stews | Pushover Pastas | Manageable Mains | Speedy Stir-Fries | Easy Sandwich Fillings and Spreads | Straight-Forward Sides | Desserts and Drinks

(a few of the many) recipes destined for my kitchen: Super-Fast Enchilada Sauce | Chai-Spiced Almond Granola | Autumn Harvest Noodle Soup | Veggie Split Pea Soup | Inside-Out Stuffed Pepper Soup | Flashback Chili | One-Pot Vegetable Lo Mein | Drunken Sweet Potato BBQ | Zucchini Masala Fries | Jenni's Boozy Shredded Apple Crisp

about the author: Kathy Hester is the author of the bestselling books The Vegan Slow Cooker, The Great Vegan Bean Book, Vegan Slow Coking for Two or Just You and most recently OATrageous Oatmeals. She is the creator of the blog HealthySlowCooking.com and her recipes have been featured in The Washington Post, Yoga Journal and The Oregonian, as well as on SheKnows.com. She lives in Durham, North Carolina with her picky eater, Cheryl.

connect with the author: website | facebook | twitter | pinterest

recipe(s) I have already tried: Indian-Spiced Red Lentil and Veggie Soup, Creole Okra Corn Soup 

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.