By Laura Theodore
Healthy and delicious recipes appeal at this time of year. I’ve put together a light and lively meal from my new book, Vegan for Everyone — it’s bursting with vibrant colors, fresh flavors, and tantalizing taste. This menu travels well, pleasing all the omnivores, vegetarians, and vegans aboard.
Start with a refreshing and fruity first course of soup by swirling rich lemony cashew cream into fresh blueberry purée. Follow with a gluten-free “noodle” dish showcasing carrots in place of pasta, reminiscent of a Chinese restaurant favorite. Perfect to serve for a warm-weather entrée, an herbed pasta salad gets a nice pop of protein from the black beans, while the peppers add color and crunch.
For dessert, tart balsamic vinegar combines with sweet maple syrup and fresh mint, enhancing the flavor of fresh, juicy strawberries. Topped with a light vegan whipped “cream,” it rounds off a pleasingly light, refreshing, and flavorsome alfresco meal.
Cold Blueberry Soup with Lemon-Cashew Cream
Makes 4-5 servings
Lemon-Cashew Cream
⅓ cup plus 2 tablespoons raw cashews
1 cup water, divided
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1½ tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
Blueberry Soup
2½ cups fresh blueberries, plus 12-15 more for garnish
1 cup unsweetened nondairy milk
2 tablespoons maple syrup
To make the cream, put the cashews and ½ cup water into the refrigerator and let soak for one to four hours. Drain the cashews and rinse thoroughly in cold water. Put the soaked cashews, ½ cup water, maple syrup, and lemon juice into a blender and process until very smooth. Transfer to a covered container and refrigerate for three to four hours until completely cold.
To make the soup, put the blueberries, nondairy milk, and maple syrup into a blender and process until smooth. Transfer to a covered container and refrigerate for three to four hours until completely cold. [The soup may separate while it chills, so stir it thoroughly before serving, making certain it becomes a smooth purée again.]
To serve, divide the blueberry soup into small bowls. Swirl some cashew cream on top of each soup and garnish with three fresh blueberries. Put the remaining cashew cream in a small pitcher to pass around so that diners can add more if desired (see note).
Chef’s note: Tightly covered and refrigerated, leftover Lemon-Cashew Cream will keep for two days.
Peanut-y Carrot “Noodles”
Makes 2-4 servings
Carrot “Noodles”
4 to 6 medium (or 3 to 4 large) carrots, peeled
Peanut Sauce
4 heaping tablespoons creamy peanut butter (see note)
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 teaspoons gluten-free tamari
3 to 6 tablespoons water, plus more as needed
Dash cayenne pepper
Toppings
1 scallion (white and green parts) thinly sliced for garnish
1 small lime, cut in wedges (optional)
Cut the carrots into thin “noodles” using a wide vegetable peeler spiralizer (or regular spiralizer). Fit a steamer basket into a medium-sized sauce pan with a tight-fitting lid. Add two to three inches of water and then add the carrots. Cover and bring to a boil. Steam the carrots for two to three minutes or until al dente.
Meanwhile, make the sauce. Put the peanut butter, maple syrup, tamari, three tablespoons of water and a dash of cayenne pepper into a small bowl and briskly whisk until combined. Add more water, one tablespoon at a time, to achieve desired consistency. Transfer the warm carrots to a medium-sized bowl, pour the sauce over, and gently toss using tongs or a large fork until the carrots are thoroughly coated. Serve warm or cover and refrigerate for two hours. Serve cold by dividing the carrot “noodles” into two to four pretty bowls, topping each with scallions and an optional lime wedge on the side.
Chef’s note: If you prefer, you may use cashew, almond, or sunflower seed butter in place of peanut butter.
Black Bean and Artichoke Pasta Salad with Fresh Herbs
Makes 8-10 servings
Salad
1 pound cooked and cooled small pasta shells (see note)
1 can (15-16 ounces) black beans, drained and rinsed
5 carrots, cut in julienne strips or grated (peeling is optional)
2 red and/or orange sweet bell peppers, seeded and chopped
½ small sweet onion, diced
1 jar (8-12 ounces) marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
12 to 14 large leaves chopped fresh basil, plus sprigs for garnish
4 leaves minced fresh oregano
1 to 2 leaves minced fresh sage
2 heaping tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Dressing
⅓ cup vegan mayonnaise, plus more as needed
¼ cup Dijon or spicy brown mustard, plus more as needed
1 tablespoon vegan brown or cane sugar (optional)
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning blend
½ teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste
¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
Several grinds freshly ground black pepper
Put all the salad ingredients into a very large bowl. Put all the dressing ingredients into a small bowl and briskly whisk until smooth. Add the dressing to the salad and toss gently until well combined. (If the salad still seems a bit dry, add more vegan mayonnaise and/or mustard to achieve desired consistency.)
Season with additional salt and pepper to taste. Cover and refrigerate for two to four hours or until thoroughly chilled. Serve over a bed of crisp greens, garnished with a sprig of fresh basil.
Chef’s note: If desired, you may use penne or fusilli pasta in place of the small pasta shells in this recipe.
Balsamic Strawberry Delight with Fresh Mint and Cashew Cream
Makes 4-6 servings
Cashew-Vanilla Cream
½ cup chopped raw cashews
½ cup water
2 tablespoons maple syrup
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Strawberries
2 cups (1 pint) strawberries, halved
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint, plus several sprigs for garnish
Put the cashews and ¼ cup water into a small bowl. Refrigerate for one to four hours. Drain the cashews and rinse thoroughly in cold water. Put the soaked and drained cashews, maple syrup, ¼ cup water and vanilla in a blender container. Blend for 30 seconds, or until completely smooth (see note). Cover and refrigerate for two hours or until chilled.
Put the strawberries, two tablespoons maple syrup, vinegar and chopped mint into a medium-sized bowl and gently stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate for about one hour to allow the flavors to marry (see note).
When ready to serve, spoon strawberries into four to six petite glasses or dessert dishes. Drizzle the cashew cream over the top, garnish with a mint sprig and serve!
Chef’s notes:
For a thick, whipped-topping consistency, blend the cashews with two tablespoons water (in place of the ¼ cup). Start to blend and add more water if needed. For a thinner topping consistency, add an additional tablespoon or two of water before blending.
Serve the strawberries right away, if desired. However, the flavors will be less developed.
All recipes from Vegan For Everyone by Laura Theodore, published by Scribe Publishing Company, ©2020. Reprinted by permission. 
Laura Theodore is a nationally recognized television personality, radio host, vegan chef, and award-winning author of five plant-based cookbooks. Season Eight of the Jazzy Vegetarian television show airs every Sunday at 1pm on WLIW-21 in Long Island, and nationally every Sunday at 9:30am EST on the Create Channel. Laura’s podcast airs every Thursday on Unity Online Radio. Learn more at: www.jazzyvegetarian.com
