Ladies Who Lunch, Part One

One of the most rewarding parts of being vegan is cooking for others, and seeing the enjoyment on their faces when they realize how good this food is. I had the pleasure of cooking for my friend Jessica recently. She is a real foodie, and has made me so many delicious meals that I wanted to wow her. I fretted for days, and tore through cookbooks pondering my menu. In the end I settled on my salad pizza with homemade whole wheat crusts, tomato basil soup, and chocolate pudding pie. You’d have to ask her, but I think it went over pretty well. So make this for someone you love, and introduce them to the joy that is compassionate food.

Congratulations to Jessica for being the first human being to appear on my blog!

Tomato Basil Soup

1 onion diced

2 carrots chopped

2 cloves garlic minced

2 large cans diced tomatoes

2 small cans vegetable stock

½ cup basil julienned

Salt and pepper

Sauté the onions and carrots in a large pot until tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for one minute more. Add the tomatoes and stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes. Take ⅔ of the soup mixture and put it through a food mill. Return to the pot. Alternatively, you can put the whole mixture in a blender or food processor and blend until it’s smooth, but still a bit chunky. Add half of the basil to the soup mixture, and reheat. When it’s warm, serve with the remaining basil as a garnish.