Recipe for wholesome and healthy soup in 25 minutes

This soup was a creation of my own. I'm not quite sure what happened but I found myself wanting something hot, something wholesome and something that would use up some of our vegetables. So I began putting things together and it turned out really yummy!

This recipe serves 2.

Ingredients for vegan soup

•    2 mugs of water – 700 ml of water
•    1 cube of vegan stock
•    1/2 a bunch of broccoli – chopped into small pieces
•    1/2 a head of a small cauliflower – cut into small pieces
•    2 handfuls of kale – remove thick stems
•    175 of baby corn – cut into thirds
•    1 handful of capers
•    8 cherry tomatoes – left whole
•    1 small (200g) can of sweetcorn
•    1 tablespoon of sesame seeds
•    2 handfuls of cashew nuts – about 250g
•    100g of tofu - diced
•    1/2 a teaspoon of vegan margarine

How to make vegan soup 

1.    Put the water in a pan and let it boil
2.    When it’s boiled, add the stock, letting it simmer on the heat when it’s dissolved
3.    Add the broccoli and cauliflower
4.    After 2 minutes, add the kale and stir
5.    After 1 minute, add the capers and baby corn and stir
6.    After 10 minutes add the cherry tomatoes and sweetcorn
7.    Let it cook for another 5 minutes and then add a handful of sesame seeds
8.    Cook the tofu in a 'dry' frying pan
9.    After 1 minute, add the margarine and mix with the tofu
10.    After 1 minute, add the tofu to the soup and let it cook
11.    Put the cashew nuts in the pan that was used for the tofu and mix
12.    Turn the heat off when they become brown and remove the pan from that hob
13.    Serve the soup in a bowl and garnish it with the cashew nuts

The feedback was from my hubby who said he could eat this at least three times a week, because it was so healthy and tasty.

Conclusion: The effects of soya on health and the environment

This post is the final part of a four part series of posts. You can find the introduction (part one) here, part two here and part three here. I've been asked many questions about soya and I've heard contradictory opinions too, so I asked Sagar Kirit Shah to write an article it. Here's his conclusion.

Conclusion - the effects of soya on health and the environment

In summary, my view is that soya not a health risk, but is certainly not a health panacea and is by no means necessary for good health on a vegan diet.

Buying power

I also believe it is relatively straight forward to avoid some of the adverse environmental effects by purchasing soya products made with non-GM beans from plantations not associated with rainforest destruction.

Lightly processed vs highly processed

I believe there is nothing wrong with enjoying the taste and convenience of soya products as part of a healthy, balanced diet.

Just try and remember it is much better to go for lightly processed, whole bean, products (e.g. whole bean soya milk, tofu, tempeh, natto, miso, edamame) than for products which are highly processed (e.g. meat analogues made using texturised soya protein, soya alternatives to single cream and soya ice cream).

Previous articles in this series

Part 1 - Should we consume soya or not?

Part 2 - Does soya consumption have a negative impact on health?

Part 3 - Is soya good for the environment?

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“I've been vegan for about 10 and a half years. It's been all good. I'm obviously much healthier.”
- Woody Harrelson

Will soya consumption have a negative impact on my health?

This post is part two of a four part series. You can find the introduction (part one) here. I've heard a lot of varying comments about soya so I asked a friend to write an article examining whether it's safe to consume or not! Over to Sagar Kirit Shah.

Media coverage about soya

Every few months a study in the media comes out noting beneficial or harmful effects of soya products with some media stories reporting beneficial effects and others reporting harmful effects – it is not surprising that many people are confused about whether soya is beneficial or harmful for health.

Health benefits of soya

The main health benefit associated with soya is cholesterol-lowering effect.

It is claimed that when 25gm of soya protein per day is consumed as part of a diet low in saturated fat, studies have shown a cholesterol lowering effect among people with raised cholesterol levels. This is a well-established result[1], though it is likely that some of the cholesterol lowering effect may come from the composition of diets with a high soya content[2].

Is soya isoflavone beneficial or not?

Many of the other health benefits and risks associated soya relate to isoflavones and the impact they may have on humans. Isoflavones are a class of phyto-oestrogens, hormone-like chemicals that occur in small amounts in many plants, seeds and grains.

Claims have been made the soya isoflavones may have beneficial effects for menopausal symptoms, breast cancer protection (by counteracting oestrogen’s cancer-causing potential) and bone health.

At the same time, claims have been made that soya isoflavones may have adverse effects for breast cancer risk and male fertility, and concerns have been raised regarding the impact that soya isoflavones may have on children.

A good 'story' vs. ignoring the results of lots of evidence

While many media articles have been written about these claims, in attempt to generate interesting stories, most overlook the wide evidence base examining the impact of soya on health (it is one of the most studied foods in the world), and exaggerate the importance of a small finding in a single paper.

The reality is that a majority of the studies on these issues are contradictory and inconclusive. Some studies show a weak beneficial effect, while others examining the same issue show a very weak adverse effect or find no effect at all. It is thus unsurprising that many end up getting confused at the contradictory stories reported in the media.

Summary - is soya healthy or not?

Overall, there is nothing to suggest that consuming soya products is unhealthy poses a health risk, at least in the quantities consumed by most vegans in the UK (around 15gm of soya protein per day).

Other factors that should not be ignored

If you do not already lead a very healthy lifestyle, the conclusion that most experts have reached is that it is likely there will be much bigger gains to health from increasing intake of fresh fruit and vegetables, reducing processed/fatty foods, increasing exercise or reducing smoking/alcohol than there would be from doubling/halving or eliminating your soya intake.

How to get more nutrients out of soya

That said, it is worth noting that there are differences in the healthfulness of different soya foods. Soya beans, like all other plant foods, contain a wide range of beneficial macronutrients (carbohydrates, fats and proteins) and micronutrients (vitamins, minerals and other compounds). Heavy processing typically strips away many of the beneficial micronutrients, so lightly processed, whole foods are the best way to ensure these nutrients are absorbed.

Lightly processed soya foods include soya milk made with whole beans, and the soya products traditionally consumed in East Asian countries: tofu, miso, natto, edamame, and tempeh.

Processed foods

Soya oil, soya flour, texturised soya protein and soya lecithin are typically much more processed. In fact, the process for obtaining texturised soya protein involves crushing the soya bean at very high temperatures, and then passing the crushed soya bean through chemical solvents. Many of the beneficial nutrients and compounds in the soya bean are lost during this process.

Products made using processed soya ingredients (e.g. meat analogues, soya ice creams and soya alternatives to scream) are thus likely to be less healthful than their lightly processed counterparts.

References

1] British Nutrition Foundation (2002) ‘Soya and Health’ Briefing Paper

[2] Jenkins DJ et al (2006) Assessment of the longer term effects of a dietary portfolio of cholesterol-lowering foods in hypercholesterolemia Am J Clin Nutr Mar 83(3) 582-91

Part 3 - Is soya good for the environment?

Part 4 (final part) - Conclusion: The effects of soya on health and the environment

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"You never hear anybody talk about mad tofu disease."
- John Robbins

Recipe: Tofu and sprouts within 15 minutes

This is a quick, simple, light, healthy meal.

This recipe serves 2.

Ingredients

• 14 Brussels Sprouts
• about 150g of Tofu
• 1 fresh chilli
• Salt
• Pepper
• Soy Sauce
• A handful of freshly chopped coriander
• Vegan margarine - I use Pure Sunflower Spread

Method

1. Boil some sprouts
2. While it's boiling, get some Tofu and dice it up
3. Chop some fresh chillies and scatter it over the tofu
4. Season the Tofu with sea salt and freshly ground pepper
5. Drizzle some Soy Sauce around it for colour, moisture and flavour
6. Garnish with chopped coriander
7. When the sprouts are boiled, drain the water into a glass and drink it or use it in a soup
8. Mix the sprouts with margarine
9. Season the sprouts with sea salt and freshly ground pepper and serve it alongside the Tofu

Recipe: Tofu, Pak Choi, Wild Rocket, Plum Tomatoes and Cauliflower within 20 minutes

This meal took less than 20 minutes and the result was a healthy dinner, which was full of flavour.

This recipe serves 2.

Ingredients

• 200g Pak Choi
• 1/2 a small cauliflower
• 1/2 a packet of Taifun Organic Smoked Tofu with almonds and sesame seeds
• Olive oil
• About 20g of Wild Rocket
• 10 Cherry/plum tomatoes
• Salt
• Pepper

Method

1. Put enough water in a pan so that only half of the Pak Choi is immersed in water - I love Pak Choi so I used a fair bit
2. Boil it with the lid on and it should be done within 3 - 5 minutes - I drink the water after it's cooled so that no nutrients are wasted
3. Repeat this with some chopped cauliflower - again, cut the amount to suit you
4. Whilst it's boiling, take some Tofu and grill it or cook it in a frying pan with a few drops of oil
5. I took it off the heat after a few minutes, so it was semi crunchy and semi soft
6. Wash some rocket and create a bed of leaves on the plate - I love rocket so I used a lot
7. Wash some cherry/plum tomatoes and place them on the bed of rocket
8. Add the vegetables and tofu
9. Season with salt and pepper

Recipe: Quinoa served with tofu and broccoli cooked in soya sauce

This recipe makes a quick, simple and delicious dish. Whenever I make dishes with for example, quinoa, pasta, cous cous, I load it up with vegetables. I find this lighter on the tummy, healthier and feel more content afterwards.

This recipe serves 2.

Ingredients

• 1 cup of quinoa
• Salt
• About 150g of Tofu
• 1/2 a small broccoli
• Coconut oil
• Soy Sauce

How to make the quinoa

1. Measure the dry quinoa
2. The proportion of dry quinoa to cooked quinoa is about 1:3, so 1 cup of dried quinoa will make about 3 cups of cooked quinoa
3. Rinse the quinoa under cold water and drain - it’s handy to use a fine mesh sieve for rinsing it
4. Put the rinsed quinoa into a saucepan and add cold water - the quinoa to water ratio is 1:2, so use 2 cups of water for every cup of quinoa
5. If you wish to give it a subtle flavour, add some vegetable stock to the water
6. Add a little salt
7. Cover and boil
8. As soon as it starts to boil, turn the heat down and put the lid over the pan so that's it isn't fully covering it - this will stop it boiling over
9. Simmer for 15-20 minutes - the quinoa becomes transparent when it’s cooked, except for a little spiral sprout
10. If the quinoa is tender but there’s excess water in the bottom of the saucepan, leave the lid off completely for a few minutes until the water evaporates
11. When it's done turn off the heat, put the lid on and let sit for about 5 minutes
12. Use a fork to fluff up the quinoa and then serve it up

How to make the vegetable part of this dish

1. Chop some Tofu
2. Chop some broccoli
3. Put a bit of oil in a wok
4. Add the broccoli first
5. Add some soya sauce
6. Let it cook with the lid on using a medium/high heat
7. Add the Tofu when the broccoli  is half done
8. Mix and add to the plate of quinoa