When the weather turns cold, I want soup; however, my children are not big soup fans. There is one recipe they always eat heartily, and it resembles chicken soup. This recipe is very easy to follow and adapt to whatever vegetables you have on hand. My personal favorites to add to the pot are kale, peas, and carrots. This simple, vegan kid-friendly soup is also a great way to use up leftover rice, and it is quick to make. Of course, organic ingredients are a must!

Simple, Vegan Kid-Friendly Soup:

Saute 1 onion in 3 Tablespoons of oil (you can use butter for added flavor if you aren’t vegan). Add to the cooked onion:

• 5 cups water
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. black pepper
• 1/4 tsp. celery seed
• 1/4 cup dried TVP
• 1 tsp. soy sauce (I prefer Bragg’s Liquid Aminos)
• Vegetables of your choice (kale, carrots, and peas)

Bring to a boil, then lower the temperature to a simmer for five minutes or until vegetables are cooked. Then add:

• 1/2 cup nutritional yeast flakes
• 1 1/2 Tbsp. margarine (or butter for non-vegan)
• 1 1/2 cups cooked brown rice (or cooked noodles)

That’s it…you’re done! Super simple, super quick, nutritious, and delicious!

If you are not familiar with nutritional yeast, it provides protein and B vitamins for vegetarians. Saccharomyces cerevisiae is grown in molasses and is easily digestible. It contains all of the essential amino acids. Just two tablespoons of nutritional yeast flakes contains the following USRDA percentages:

Thiamin 386%

Riboflavin 337%

Niacin 175%

Vitamin B12 150%

Vitamin B6 270%

Folic Acid 29%

Kids love nutritional yeast, and it is great to sprinkle on popcorn. Our favorite local restaurant keeps it on the tables in shakers for extra flavoring. You can find nutritional yeast in the bulk section of your local coop or health food store.

This recipe is adapted from the The New Farm Vegetarian Cookbook, which is essentially the Betty Crocker Cookbook for vegans and vegetarians. The New Farm Vegetarian Cookbook is loaded with basic recipes from sloppy joes to cinnamon rolls. You can see from this picture how well-loved my copy of this cookbook is. It is now bound by a rubber band. The Farm is an intentional community in Tennessee, famous for their midwives.