Vegan Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

Fall is here!  Time for sweaters & boots, hot apple cider, and comfort food at it's best.  I've been making this family favorite every fall for several years now and it is always a big hit.  The recipe has evolved quite a bit from the first time I made this soup and I think it's better than ever now.

Hope you enjoy these classic flavors as much as we do!

1 pkg. Beyond Meat chicken strips

1 TBSP olive oil

salt, pepper, & garlic powder, to taste

6c vegetarian chicken broth

1 - 4oz. pkg. wild rice mix, with seasoning packet

3/4c all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

1/2c vegan butter

1/4c yellow onion, diced

1/2c carrots, diced

1/2c celery, chopped

1/2c white wine, optional

2c soy creamer

In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat.  Add chicken strips and cook until heated through, seasoning with salt, pepper, and garlic powder, to taste.  Remove to a cutting board and shred.

In a large pot over medium high heat, bring the broth to a boil.  Add rice and seasoning packet included.  Cover and remove from heat.

In a small bowl, combine flour, salt and pepper.  Set aside.

In a medium-large saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter.  Add onions, carrots, and celery, sautéing until slightly tender.  Stir in garlic and cook another minute, until fragrant.

Add white wine, if desired, and reduce heat to low.  

Gradually whisk in the flour mixture.

Pour in the creamer, a little at a time, whisking to maintain a smooth consistency.  Allow to simmer approximately 5 minutes to thicken, stirring occasionally.

Stir creamy mixture into the large pot with broth and rice.  Bring heat to medium and allow soup to heat through; 15-20 min.

 Served with biscuits for dipping - yum!

Vegetarian Cheese Steak Pizza

My husband and I have been on a bit of a gluten-free kick lately.  Reducing our wheat intake really hasn't been difficult; more inconvenient than anything but still not a big deal.  Gluten-free breads and are definitely an acquired taste for me and I had been quite frustrated lately with the pizza crusts we tried.  Some were tolerable and one in particular was like eating cardboard.

So, I wasn't sure what to expect she I tried a mix for this recipe last night.  Turns out, it was pretty good.  My husband even commented that our dinner was "the best gluten-free pizza" we've had yet.

A few notes:

* For the crust, I used Bob's Red Mill
* The gyro meat was Viana (vegan alternative)

prepared pizza crust

1/2 lb. gyro meat, cooked

1 TBSP butter

1/2c onion, chopped

1 green bell pepper, thin sliced

steak seasoning, to taste

2c mozzarella cheese

1.  Preheat oven to 425*

2.  In a medium skillet over medium heat, melt the butter.  Add onions and green pepper, sautéing until crisp tender.  Add the gyro meat and toss until combined.  Sprinkle in a little steak seasoning, to taste.

3.  Place crust on a pizza stone and top with approximately 1c mozzarella.

4.  Add the gyro mixture and top with the remaining mozzarella.

5.  Bake approximately 15 minutes, or until crust is golden.