Nothing says December in St. Louis quite like a lovely weekend followed by an icy Monday. On nights like this, we want to nothing more than to stay inside with a warm bowl of soup. Here, we share 4 meat-free options that bring plenty of warmth without a drop of chicken broth.
1. Bring a little smoke to your soup pot with a Vegan Black Bean Soup. Fennel, onion and a chipotle pepper stew together with black beans for an earthy, rich dinner packed with vegetarian-friendly protein. Deepen the flavors with a shot of rum (in the pot, not your mouth).
2. Slow and steady wins the race with this beef-free French Onion Soup. Your patience is rewarded with dark brown, ultra-sweet caramelized onions swimming in a rich, sherry-spiked broth. Top your bowl with gooey cheese or try our vegan version with nutritional yeast flakes on whole-grain bread.
3. Harness the flavors of the sea in this Vegetarian Shrimp Bisque. A clever combination of sea salt, bay, thyme, brandy, sherry vinegar and a kick of cayenne gives all the flavor of the ocean without the shellfish.
4. There’s a reason we love beer-cheese soup: It’s basically a beer-spiked cheese sauce we’re allowed to slurp with a spoon. This White Cheddar-APA Soup combines Schlafly APA with sharp white cheddar, heavy cream and vegetable stock for a luxurious bowl of cheesy goodness.
-black bean soup photo by Josh Monken; shrimp bisque photo by Carmen Troesser
This article appears in December 2014.