Vegan Cream of Anything Soup and Three Recipes

I wanted to share with you the recipe I used to make my non-dairy Cream of Chicken and Cream of Celery soup bases.

The recipe comes from The Southern Organic Mommy. As I'm not trying for vegan with this endeavor, I skipped the ck'n bullion and just used boxed chicken stock for the Cream of Chicken soup base. I used boxed vegetable stock for the Cream of Celery. Both batches turned out rather mild in flavor but, since the add-in's for the casseroles I'm making carry the majority of the punch in the final dish, I'm okay with the final product.

I will be using these as the sauce base for three dishes:

Mom's Chicken Curry Casserole
Serves 4

• 1 Can Cream of Chicken Soup or 10oz Non-Dairy Cream of Chicken Soup Base
• 2 to 3 tsp Curry Powder*
• 1/2 to 1 tsp Ground Coriander
• 1/2 to 1 tsp Lemon Juice
• 1/2 cup Light Mayonaise or Veganaise
• Salt to taste
• Garlic Powder
• 1 pound Chicken Breast, cubed
• 1 can green beans, drained, or 1 bag frozen green beans
• Cheddar Cheese, shredded (optional)

Preheat oven to 350. Season chicken breast with garlic powder and brown in pan with EVOO. As chicken is browning, mix together first six ingredients (Cream of Chicken through Salt). Take a moment to taste your sauce and add more curry or lemon juice as needed.

Spray a casserole dish with non-stick spray and layer in this order: chicken, green beans, sauce, cheese, if using. Bake covered for 30 minutes. If you are using cheese, remove cover in last 10 minutes to get a toasty-top.

Serve over white or brown rice. Topping options include soy sauce, coconut, raisins, pineapple... Take your pick!

You can put it all together in an aluminum pan and freeze it prior to the baking step. Pull it out of the freezer the night before you want to serve and let it thaw in the fridge. Pop it in at 350 once thawed and enjoy!

*A note on the curry: I use three different curry powders - McCormick Curry Powder, Archer Farms Maharajah Curry, and Medium Yellow Curry. Although I grew up using the straight McCormick, R prefers a more complex flavor.

Grandma Pat's Healthy Shepherd's Pie
Serves 4

• 1 can Cream of Celery or 10oz Non-Dairy Cream of Celery Base
• 1 pound ground turkey breast
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 1 can sweet peas, drained, or 1 cup frozen peas
• 1 can sweet corn, drained, or 1 cup frozen corn
• Garlic Powder
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• Cheddar cheese, optional
• Lighter Mashed Potatoes (recipe follows)

Preheat oven to 350. Sweat onion and celery in a large pot with EVOO and a pinch of salt. Once the onion becomes translucent, add ground turkey with a little more salt and brown. Once turkey is cooked through, dump in peas, corn, cream of celery and mix thoroughly. Add salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste.

Spray casserole dish with non-stick spray and pour it all in. Cover with mashed potatoes and top with cheese, if using. Bake covered for 30 minutes. If using cheese, uncover in last 10 minutes of cooking time.

You can put it all together in an aluminum pan and freeze it prior to the baking step. Pull it out of the freezer the night before you want to serve and let it thaw in the fridge. Pop it in at 350 once thawed and enjoy!

Lighter Mashed Potatoes

• 1 medium white potato with skin, washed and cubed
• 1/2 head cauliflower
• 1 can cannelini beans
• Butter or vegan substitute
• Milk or vegan substitute
• Special equipment: food processor and Ziplock Steamer Bag

Place raw cubed potato in sauce pot with water to cover and a heavy pinch of salt. Let come to a boil and simmer for 10-15 minutes.

While potato is cooking, roughly chop cauliflower and send it for a spin in your food processor. Then place cauliflower in steamer bag and microwave for 3-6 minutes.

While cauliflower is steaming, put cannelini beans in food processor (with or without liquid) and process until smooth. Set aside.

Once potato is done cooking, drain and return to sauce pot. Mash the potato with 2 T butter. Add steamed cauliflower, cannelini beans, and mix thoroughly with a wooden spoon. Add milk as needed for texture and salt/pepper to taste.

The texture of the final product isn't perfect on it's own but it GREAT as a casserole topper!

Chicken and Rice
Serves 4

I can't remember where I found this recipe online but it has quickly become a favorite for R and I! Note that it takes a LONG time to cook. Definitely a weekend dinner. I've tried it a few times in the crockpot but haven't gotten it right yet.

• 1 can Cream of Celery or 10oz Non-Dairy Cream of Celery Base
• 2 cups water
• 1 cup brown rice
• 1 package Italian Herb Dressing Mix
• 1 pound chicken breast cubed
• Garlic powder
• Cheddar cheese, optional

Preheat oven to 300. Combine cream of celery, water, brown rice, and dressing mix in a large bowl. Whisk to combine. Spray a casserole dish with non-stick spray and dump in the rice mixture. Bake, covered, for at least 4 hours. Take a nibble at 4 hours and see if the rice is tender yet. If not, give it another hour in the oven.

While rice is cooking, season chicken breast with garlic powder and brown in EVOO.

Once rice dish is tender, remove from oven and set oven for 350. Spread browned chicken over rice, top with cheese (if using), cover, and return to oven for an additional 30 minutes. If you like a crunchy top, remove cover in last 10 minutes of cooking time.

Serve with a lightly dressed salad.

I would expect that, fully cooked, this would freeze well but we've never had leftovers!