Browsing through vegan facebook pages it is not uncommon to see questions like “what are some good lunch ideas?”. I guess for anyone whose usual options would have been a ham or cheese sandwich, the vegan alternative isn’t so very obvious. Some of you may live in countries with more vegan options in the stores, and you may be lucky enough to have access to good vegan cheese. Personally I have not been very impressed with the couple of brands I have tried, so instead of looking for cheese replacements, I have just switched to eating different things.
My quickest and simplest lunch is to have a salad, with toast or bread, with some spreads like hummus, beetroot dip or mushroom pate. I have also been making full use of the food delivery services which are so cheap and easy in Indonesia. In Jakarta, GoJek and Grab Food will bring a takeaway to your door for less than a $1 delivery fee. We are lucky to have a few cafes that do good vegan burgers, wraps and salads, and I can also get some awesome vegan miso ramen soup.
But after a few months of lockdown I was having lunch fatigue and searching for some other options. Then I had a brainwave – soups! Easy to make in advance either on the day, or to freeze, and healthy, tasty, and totally vegan. Below I have shared my favourites, and given some ideas for how you can vary them. The options are endless once you get going.
My Favourite Lunch Soups:
- Sweetcorn Chowder
- Autumn Pumpkin Soup
- Warming Zucchini and Potato Soup
- Summer Zucchini and Yoghurt Soup
All these recipes start the same way and don’t deviate much from there. Fry onions and garlic, add vegetables, some stock, herbs and spices and bubble away until the vegetables are cooked. Add coconut cream or coconut yogurt, and a handful of nutritional yeast, to make the soup creamy. If you have a blender or an immersion blender you can blend the soup to get a smoother texture, or go old school with a potato masher. But these soups are all also just as delicious served in a chunky style.
The sweetcorn chowder and zucchini and potato soup both require potatoes. It doesn’t matter if you use yellow or sweet potatoes, either will work well.
From this basic starting point you can pretty much make any vegetable combination you like: leek and potato, carrot & ginger, spinach & yoghurt. Leave me a message below to share your favourite soup flavours.
All these soups will keep in the fridge a few days, or are freezable. I always intend to make enough to freeze, but then end up eating it anyway! Enjoy…
| Sweetcorn Chowder |
|---|
| Cooking time: 20 mins |
| – 1 onion, chopped – 3 cloves garlic, chopped – 2 cups potato, chunks – 2 cups frozen sweetcorn – 1 cup vegan stock and mixed herbs – 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast (optional) – 1/2 cup coconut cream – salt and pepper to taste – optional: parsley, coconut yoghurt and spring onions to serve |
| 1. Fry the onion and garlic until slightly golden 2. Add the potato and fry for 3-5 mins 3. Add 3/4 of the sweetcorn, the vegan stock, salt and pepper and mixed herbs and cook until the potatoes are done 4. Add the coconut cream and nutritional yeast and blend the soup 5. Adjust the water and coconut cream to get a thick chowder consistency 6. Add the rest of the sweetcorn and simmer until it is cooked 7. Serve garnished with parsley, spring onion and a swirl of coconut yoghurt |
| Pumpkin Soup |
|---|
| Cooking time: 20 mins |
| – 1 onion, chopped – 3 cloves garlic, chopped – 3 cups pumpkin, chunks – 1 cup vegan stock – 1 tsp cumin powder and 1 tsp curry powder – 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast (optional) – 1/2 cup coconut cream – salt and pepper to taste – optional: parsley and coconut yoghurt and spring onions to serve |
| 1. Fry the onion and garlic until slightly golden 2. Add the pumpkin and fry for 3-5 mins 3. Add the vegan stock, salt and pepper and spices and cook until the pumpkin is done 4. Add the coconut cream and nutritional yeast and blend the soup 5. Adjust the water and coconut cream to get a thick soup consistency 7. Serve garnished with parsley, spring onion and a swirl of coconut yoghurt |
| Zucchini and Potato Soup |
|---|
| Cooking time: 20 mins |
| – 1 onion, chopped – 3 cloves garlic, chopped – 2 cups potato, chunks – 2 cups zucchini, slices – 1 cup vegan stock and mixed herbs – 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast (optional) – 1/2 cup coconut cream – salt and pepper to taste – optional: parsley and coconut yoghurt and spring onions to serve |
| 1. Fry the onion and garlic until slightly golden 2. Add the potato and fry for 3-5 mins 3. Add the zucchini and fry another 2mins 4. Add the vegan stock, salt and pepper and herbs and cook until the potatoes are done 4. Add the coconut cream and nutritional yeast and blend the soup 5. Adjust the water and coconut cream to get a thick soup consistency 7. Serve garnished with parsley and a swirl of coconut yoghurt |
| Zucchini and Yoghurt Soup |
|---|
| Cooking time: 20 mins |
| – 1 onion, chopped – 3 cloves garlic, chopped – 5 cups zucchini, slices – 1 cup vegan stock and mixed herbs – 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast (optional) – 1/2 cup coconut yoghurt – salt and pepper to taste – optional: parsley and coconut yoghurt to serve |
| 1. Fry the onion and garlic until slightly golden 2. Add the zucchini and fry for 3mins 4. Add the vegan stock, salt and pepper and herbs and cook until the zucchini is soft 4. Add the coconut cream and nutritional yeast and blend the soup 5. Adjust the water and coconut yoghurt to get a light soup consistency 7. Serve garnished with parsley and a swirl of coconut yoghurt |
Letter from Jakarta. 