My Grandma Miloslava used to say “A little bit everything won’t kill you.” She lived independently on her small farm tending to her animals until she was 85. She had perfect mental clarity and great physical health till the end. She never overrate and she always kept her diet full of variety! Sometimes she would get her protein from meat (her ducks, chickens, and rabbits), and other times she would eat plants only (home-grown potatoes, legumes, and vegetables). She always had a great appetite and she loved cooking for others. :)

Like my Grandma Miloslava, I also believe in variety. Variety of exercise (sometimes I do cardio, sometimes I lift, and other times I prefer yoga) and also variety of foods! There are days I feel like a steak, and other days I crave a huge veggie salad. 

A lot has been written about the importance of varied foods in our diets and the benefit it brings to our gut microbiome. A true expert on this topic is Dr. Sarah Ballantyne aka The Paleo Mom. I think both Sarah and my Grandma Miloslava are right. ☺

So, because variety is so important (and also because lots of you were asking ☺ ), we created 100% plant-based, instant vegan soups alongside our soups with meat. 

They make a great snack with only 60 calories, and are perfect to sip on anywhere and any time of the day. These soups rehydrate super fast (in 30-40 seconds) in 8oz of hot boiling water...it’s as easy as that! We have added legumes like lentils and chickpeas for extra protein, fiber and the rest is lots of veggies (carrots, spinach, onions, kale, cabbage etc.) and flavorful spices. 

Our instant soups don’t always have to be just soups! You can turn them into meals as well! They add delicious flavor to your quinoa or rice, and I have also used them on ramen noodles and in dips and spreads.

There are 3 vegan and dairy-free recipes that I created last weekend. 

I basically made them up using what I had in my pantry and refrigerator. The only thing I had to run to get from a grocery store was cashew cheese. I was so impressed by the selection and variety of flavors they had at the store! Cashew cheese is a great option for a plant-based protein and it actually tastes great too.

Tomato Basil Italian Quinoa

Ingredients:

• 1 packet of Wild Zora Tomato Basil Instant Soup
• ½ cup of quinoa
• A bit of olive oil
• 2 Tbsp of canned garbanzo beans/chickpeas
• A few cherry tomatoes
• A few olives
• Fresh finely chopped basil
• Pinch of sea salt and black pepper 
  
  
  

Rinse the quinoa, transfer to a pot, add water, 1 packet of Wild Zora Tomato Basil Instant Soup and a bit of olive oil. Boil for about 15-20 minutes. Add water if the quinoa is still hard and needs more cooking time. 

When quinoa is almost done add about 2 tablespoons of cooked garbanzo beans. Add a bit more sea salt and pepper to taste.

When the quinoa is fully cooked, transfer to a plate or bowl. Garnish with chopped olives, fresh cherry tomatoes, chopped basil and a few drops of freshly squeezed lemon juice. Enjoy!

Roasted Pumpkin Tofu Scramble

Ingredients: 

• 1 packet of Wild Zora Roasted Pumpkin Instant Soup
• ½ package of extra firm or firm tofu – broken into crumbles
• 1 Tbsp of onions – finely chopped
  
• 1/3 cup of kale – finely chopped (leave a bit aside for a garnish)
• A bit of olive oil
• A pinch of sea salt
• A pinch of turmeric
• A pinch of paprika
• Pumpkin seeds – either raw or roasted – for garnish

Put a bit of olive oil in a pan, add chopped up onions and sauté for about 1 minute. Add chopped up kale and sauté for another minute. Add ½ package of crumbled tofu and 1 packet of Wild Zora Roasted Pumpkin Instant Soup. Mix it all well. Then add a pinch of paprika, turmeric and sea salt to taste. 

Put in a bowl, garnish with pumpkin seeds and raw chopped up kale. Enjoy!

P.S. This dish is so easy and fast to make. If my veggies were chopped up from the night before, I could have a high protein breakfast in about 7 minutes! Another small victory - my husband could not tell the difference between this tofu scramble and regular scrambled eggs!

French Lentil Stuffed Mushrooms

Ingredients: 

• 1 packet of Wild Zora French Lentil Instant Soup
• 3 whole portobello mushrooms
• 1 package of cashew cheese (I used Treeline’s – Creamy Scallion)
• 2-3 Tbsp of onions – finely chopped
• A bit of olive oil
• A pinch of black pepper

Put olive oil and onions in a pan and sauté for 2 minutes. 

Meanwhile, scrape the mushroom gills – the dark inside of the mushroom with a teaspoon (these gills hold a lot of water and everything could turn out too mushy!). Set two whole mushrooms aside – those will be stuffed later. 

Chop the remaining mushroom and add it to the onions and sauté for 2 more minutes, or until soft.

Now, let’s make the mushroom filling. Put the cashew cheese in a bowl, add 1 packet of Wild Zora French Lentil Instant Soup and mix well together. 

You can add a bit of black pepper to taste. 

Stuff the mushrooms with the mushroom filling, put on a baking sheet and bake at 350F for 20 minutes or until the mushrooms are soft (I poked the mushrooms with a knife to find out if they are done).

Serve with a salad, and enjoy!

I had so much fun experimenting and creating these recipes...and hope you do too! I would LOVE to hear about your own creations using our new plant-powered soups!

Please, email them to: zora@wildzora.com

Love, Zora