Category Archives: Makes Great Leftovers

How to make amazing burgers out of leftover soup

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If you can’t tell by my posts lately, I love soup! I love leftover soup too but after about 3 days of it, I’m ready for something new. That’s when I usually ship it off to my hubby to share with the guys at work. I learned a cool new way to make burgers from leftover soup from my favorite vegan food blogger Melomeals: Vegan For $3.33 A Day.

Here’s my second try at this, I used leftover Red Lentil, Chickpea & Chili Soup for the burger and served it on rosemary sourdough bread with caramelized onions, spinach and Southwestern Chipotle Sauce. It was so good… like “party-in-your-mouth” good!!

Leftover Red Lentil, Chickpea & Chili Soup Burger with Chipotle Dressing/Sauce

First, I tried it out on leftover Chipotle Split Pea Soup and it was excellent! My hubby and toddler loved it and my hubby requested I put together a batch for him to take to work.

Here’s how you do it:

* Take 1 cup of leftover soup and add it with a liberal 1/2 cup rolled oats and 1 Tbsp golden flax meal…. and that’s it!

* Mix and place in fridge for several hours or overnight – I did overnight, worked out great!

* Shape into patties and cook in cast iron pan on high heat until done.

 

Chipotle Split Pea Soup

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I did it, I finished a whole can of chipotle chiles in adobo sauce! I always buy a can, use one or two for a recipe and the rest of it sits in the fridge and rots.

As you can see, I’ve been on a soup kick this week due to the recent rain. I love soup, it’s so easy and almost everything you need ends up in one warm bowl of goodness!

This is from… you guessed it! Melomeals: Vegan For $3.33 A Day vegan food blog. She has so many delicious recipes, I may just cook my way through her whole site!

First off, this soup smells SO GOOD when it’s cooking… the kind of smell where your neighbors peek their heads over the fence and say “What are you cooking? That smells awesome!”. Not only does it smell good, it tastes good too! Plus it’s easy to make, cheap and very healthy (protein & fiber!), what more do you need!

I served this soup with leftover Chickpea Flatbread – cut into pieces and toasted. My hubby ate his flatbread with Southwestern Chipotle Sauce, his new everyday condiment of choice.

Chipotle Split Pea Soup

2 T olive oil
1 t thyme
1 t basil
1 t tarragon
1 t rosemary
1 large onion, 1.5 cups chopped
8 cloves garlic, minced or 2.5 T
1 medium carrot, chopped
2 medium stalks celery, chopped
1 lb dried split peas
6 -8 c water or vegetable stock
2 bouillon cubes if not using stock
1-3 canned chipotle peppers in adobo chopped
salt/pepper to taste
1 T balsamic vinegar
fresh parsley or cilantro if desired

* In a heavy bottomed soup pot over medium heat add the dried spices,onions and garlic and saute for several minutes.

* Add the carrot and celery and saute for several more minutes, then add the peas.
* Stir to coat with the veggie/spice mixture then add the water or stock.
* Bring to a boil for several minutes then cover and turn down heat to a strong simmer.
* Cook for 30 minutes or until the peas are tender.
* Add the bouillon cube and more water if needed and the chiles.
* Cook for 15 minutes more, then stir in the balsamic vinegar.
* Taste and adjust seasonings.
* Top with fresh herbs if desired.

Red Lentil, Chickpea & Chili Soup

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Now that the weather is finally getting colder, I can make all my favorite soups! My toddler has almost perfected the use of a spoon so the timing is perfect!

This soup is one of our favorites and it’s super easy and healthy. This is similar to my Italian’ish Lentil Tomato Soup but with different spices – more of an Indian curry-type soup.

Ingredients:

Servings: 4

  • 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
  • 1 large pinch chili flakes
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 red onion, chopped
  • 5 ounces red lentils
  • 3 1/2 cups vegetable stock – I use Imagine Brand No-Chicken Broth
  • 1 (14 ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
  • 1 cup cooked chickpeas, drained and rinsed (can used canned or homemade) – I pressure cook a pound or so a week and use those rather than canned.
  • Salt & Pepper, to taste
  • 1/4 – 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
  • Plain soy yogurt  – It’s really good with this, try it!!

Directions:

  1. Heat a large saucepan and dry fry the cumin seeds and chili flakes for 1 min or until they start to jump around the pan and release their aromas. Add the oil and onion, and cook for 5 minutes Stir in the lentils, stock and tomatoes, then bring to the boil. Simmer for 15 mins until the lentils have softened.
  2. Whizz the soup with a stick blender or in a food processor until it is a rough puree, pour back into the pan and add the chickpeas. Heat gently, season well with salt & pepper and stir in the cilantro. Finish with a spoonful of yogurt.


Chickpea Flatbread (Gluten-Free)

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These are really healthy, easy to make, delicious and can be used in many ways. The batter can be made into flatbread for pizza, wraps or a thick soft tostada type base (minus the fried crunch)… almost anything, really! I’ve also toasted them under the broiler with garlic and cilantro and served them with soup. They are made with chickpea flour which makes them low-fat, high in protein, many vitamins and minerals as well as dietary fiber. Chickpea flour is also called besan, garbanzo bean flour or gram flour.

I made a thicker batch of these last night and used them as tostadas topped with leftover TVP Taco filling, smothered in the most delicious Chipotle Dressing/Sauce ever! I know, you’ve seen a lot of this mixture but it makes excellent leftovers!

I use this Organic Chickpea Flour  – You can buy it on Amazon.com for a great price! (2 – 35oz packages for $14.62/Free Shipping)

This recipe is from Melomeals: Vegan For $3.33 A Day, one of my favorite sites!!

Chickpea Flatbread

1 c Chickpea Flour
1 C Water – (I’ve found that I get a thicker “dough” if I use 1 cup so I use that amount to make the soft tostada style. I add more water for the flatbread/wrap size)
1/2 t Garlic Powder
2 T Nutritional Yeast
1/2 t Tony’s Cajun Seasoning – (I’ve used this and other spice combinations and they always turn out great!)

This is my favorite seasoning to use – Susie Q’s Santa Maria Style Seasoning – I add a bit more than 1/2 tsp to make it a little stronger.

Method:
Heat a 12 inch non stick skillet over medium heat and brush with oil
Whisk the ingredients in a mixing bowl until most of the lumps are gone. Ladle into skillet. Leave it alone for 3-4 minutes or until the sides start to pull away from the pan. Flip and cook for another minute
Yield: 3 Flatbread

My Soft Tostada Style

Ready for toppings!

Larger size

Easy Seitan (the other “wheat meat”)

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What is Seitan, you ask? It’s made from wheat but has little in common with flour or bread. Some call it “wheat meat”, “wheat gluten” or simply “gluten”. Seitan is surprisingly similar to the look and texture of meat when cooked, making it a popular meat substitute. Seitan is also high in protein, making it a great choice for those who do not eat meat yet want something to put Finger Lickin’ Good BBQ Sauce on! I make Seitan into “chicken” wings and nuggets, ribz, pulled pork-type sandwiches, meatloaf and a few other things. It can be boiled or steamed – this recipe is boiled, it’s the easiest one I’ve found and takes the least amount of time.

This recipe is from Post Punk Kitchen, one of my all-time favs! I serve this right out of the pot with Finger Lickin’ Good BBQ Sauce or I slice it and mix it with the same sauce for sandwiches. I know it may not look like what you’re used to but it’s really good!

* Homemade Seitan

1 cup vital wheat gluten flour
3 tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes
1/2 cup cold vegetable broth
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, pressed or grated on a microplane grater

For the simmering broth: 
4 cups vegetable broth
4 cups water
1/4 cup soy sauce

Fill a stock pot with the water, broth and soy sauce, cover and bring to a boil.

In the mean time, in a large bowl mix together gluten and yeast.  In a smaller bowl mix together broth, soy sauce, lemon juice, olive oil and garlic. Pour the wet into the dry and combine with a wooden spoon until most of the moisture has absorbed and partially clumped up with the dry ingredients. Use your hands and knead for about 3 minutes, until it’s an elastic dough. Divide into 3 equal pieces with a knife and then knead those pieces in your hand just to stretch them out a bit. Let rest until the broth has come to a full boil.

Once boiling, lower the heat to a simmer. Add the gluten pieces and partially cover pot so that steam can escape. Let simmer for 45 minutes, turning occasionally. Turn the heat off and take the lid off, let sit for 15 minutes.

Remove from broth and place in a strainer until it is cool enough to handle. Slice and use as desired.

Carrot Cake Pancakes

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These taste just like carrot cake but they’re much better for you! My husband and toddler love these. I refrigerate the leftover pancakes and toast them the next day for a quick breakfast.

I had a few cups of leftover grated carrot from making Healthy Low-Fat Veggie Muffins a few days ago so I decided to try this pancake recipe. VERY GOOD!

Carrot Cake Pancakes

This recipe if from one of my all-time favorite vegan food websites – Post Punk Kitchen.

Carrot Cake Pancakes

2 tablespoons ground flaxseeds
1 cup almond milk (or your fave non-dairy milk)
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour – OR whole wheat pastry flour
2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon allspice

1 cup peeled grated carrot, about 6 ounces

In a small mixing bowl, using a fork, beat the flax seeds together with the milk for about a minute. Add the vinegar, water, maple syrup, oil and vanilla. Mix well.

In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, salt, and spices. Make a well in the center and add the wet ingredients. Mix with a wooden spoon just until combined. Fold in grated carrot. Let batter rest for at least 5 minutes.

Preheat a large non-stick pan over medium heat. Lightly coat pan with cooking spray or oil. Add batter in scant 1/4 cup scoops. I use an ice cream scooper for this and it works magically. Cook three at a time for about 4 minutes (or until the tops look mostly cooked), then flip and cook until lightly browned, 2 more minutes.

Keep on a plate covered with tin foil until ready to eat. Serve with pure maple syrup.

Beat flax with nut milk

Sift dry ingredients together

Add wet to dry and mix lightly

Fold in carrots

Let sit for at least 5 minutes

Yummy!