If you take a well-known experience, like the one that is falafel, and make it healthier, more fun, and decidedly unique without losing deliciousness points, why not do it? This recipe is one of those experiences – it’s falafel with sweet potato that is baked and served with a drizzle of tahini.
Creamy without the cream. No dairy necessary in my version of tomato soup — it’s vegan! The cauliflower base gives the soup a creamy color and a texture that won’t have you missing its moo’ing counterpart. There is also not a lick of oil in this recipe, so it’s great to have for an upset stomach, to nurse a cold, or to simply enjoy as a guilt-free snack, lunch, or a palette cleanser before a meal. Dried mint helps the soup keep a light and refreshing aftertaste.
This soup glows.
Cauliflower: is a great source of vitamin C and manganese, which help protect from free radical damage and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer, contains high amounts of the anti-inflammatory vitamin K and omega-3 fatty acids, promotes cerebro- and cardiovascular health, contains 3.35 grams of dietary fiber in just one boiled cup, and is also a good source of thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, pyridoxine, folic avid, proteins, phosphorus and potassium.
This is how to use it in a comforting soup:
Vegan Creamy Tomato Soup
Cook Time: 25-30 minutes
Ingredients (4 servings)
Instructions
Roughly chop the cauliflower and stemmed tomatoes. Peel off the top layer of each scallion and chop off the roots. Roughly chop the scallions as well. Add the vegetables to a large pot and fill with water until the top of the water reaches the top of the vegetables, which will be about three cups, but will change depending on the size of your veggies.
Add 1 tsp each of mint, sweet paprika, and coriander as well as 1/2 tsp sea salt and 1/4 tsp pepper.
Stir the soup until the spices are distributed and close the lid of the pot and let simmer on medium-low heat for approximately 25-30 minutes or until the cauliflower is fully cooked and tender throughout.
When the soup is finished, let it cool to room temperature before blending.
Use an electronic hand mixer or mix in a blender until the chunks are gone and what’s left is a creamy pink soup. Garnish with dried mint.
Enjoy!
Bon Appetit!
xo Aylin
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And, now to fooooood:
From my trip to London this past week, I brought back three sweet potatoes. I used to have sweet potato basically every day when living in the States, and haven’t had one since I moved to Istanbul a year ago, only because Turkey is lacking in the potato variety department. And while my favorite way to eat sweet potatoes is baked with a slab (+ more) of butter, I figure I should mark the rare sweet potato occasion with a bit more creativity.
Sweet potatoes are super high on the glow spectrum.
Sweet potato: is high in vitamin B6 that helps reduce degenerative diseases, is packed with vitamin C and D, helps maintain skin’s youthful elasticity, contributes to healthy bones, heart, nerves, skin, and teeth, supports the thyroid gland, contains iron for white cell production, stress reduction and immune function, works as an anti-stress and relaxing agent due to its magnesium content, regulates heartbeat and nerve signals with potassium, has sugars that are slowly released into the bloodstream and thus don’t cause sugar spikes, and are high in carotenoids and antioxidants to help ward off cancer.
Above all, sweet potatoes are insanely versatile. Just because they are sweet doesn’t mean they have to be complemented with other sweet ingredients – savory works wonders too. You can enjoy them any time of the day as well – baked and stirred into a morning oatmeal, boiled in a hearty, vegetarian chili for lunch, used as a side dish of baked French fries, or enjoyed as the main course in the form of baked vegan falafel.
Sassy Sweet Potato Wedges
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients (2 servings)
Instructions
Chop the sweet potatoes and red onion into 1-2 inch chunks.
Toss the sweet potato and onion onto a baking sheet with red pepper flakes and coriander.
In a small bowl, whisk together the orange juice, diced garlic, and honey. Pour over the sweet potato mixture, tossing with clean hands until the liquid mixture is distributed evenly.
Bake in a 375 degree Fahrenheit oven for 40 minutes. Expect the house to smell amazing!
When finished, garnish with chopped parsley, olives, and currants.
Enjoy!
Bon Appetit!
xo Aylin
It may not look like one of the tastiest soups you’ve ever had, but it just may be. This is a popular combination of coconut, lentils, and veggies. The coconut gives the soup a sweet flavor profile despite the warmth and density provided by the other ingredients. It shakes up soup-time a little with a unique combination.
Creamy & Chunky Coconut Lentil Soup
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients (Serves 4-6)
Instructions
Roughly chop the carrots and zucchini and toss atop oil in a pot on medium heat with lentils, salt, pepper and coriander. Fold the ingredients together, being careful not to burn the lentils.
Add the coconut milk and water. Close the lid of the pot and when the soup reaches a boil, lower the heat to bring the mixture to a simmer.
Let simmer for approximately 15-20 minutes, or until the lentils as well as the carrots and zucchini are cooked through.
Eat as is, with chunks in tact, like I do. But, you can also let the mixture cool, puree it, and then reheat for a smoother soup.
Enjoy!
A sweet, yet comforting soup.
Bon Appetit!
xo Aylin
I remember my first meal in Morocco quite clearly, and for good reason. We had just arrived to our hotel in Tangier and were welcomed to a feast of traditional Moroccan dishes. Atop a round serving dish meant for the table was cooked lamb pieces in a savory, spicy sauce that was accented by sweet elements, such as currants, prunes and dried apricots, which soaked up the juices from the meat fat and complementing sauce and became soft, easy to chew and absolutely divine. At the time it seemed bizarre to me – dried fruit and spicy, juicy meat? But it worked. Oh, did it work…
I’m not that big of meat eater these days, but I like to mimic the tastes of that meal by working my palette the same way—savory Moroccan spices + dried fruit. Moroccan carrot salad is the country’s lighter, more body-forgiving version of the dish I enjoyed. It pairs the bang of coriander, cumin and sweet paprika with the sweetness of orange juice, lemon and dried fruit.
Carrots and I have a love/hate relationship. I love carrot juice, baked carrots, carrot fries, carrot chips, steamed carrots, carrots in soup, and, well, basically any cooked carrot. Raw carrots, however, I find too fibrous and tough and annoying to chew and swallow and overall deal with, especially when I’m haaaangry.
However, I recently realized that if I shred carrots to the smallest versions of themselves, then I may – okay, most certainly do – indeed love this vegetable in its raw state.
Even better? The citrus in this dish – lemon and orange – softens the carrots (the acid actually helps break down the tough fibers).
Normally, I would use mint to garnish this salad, but I subbed in some sprouts because that’s what I had on hand! Use mint, though, for the full Moroccan effect 
.
Moroccan Shredded Carrot Salad
Ingredients:
– About 4 carrots, shredded
– handful of mint (I used sprouts, which worked well too. Parsley and dill would also work.)
– The juice of one lemon
– The juice of one orange
– 1 tsp cumin
– 1 tsp coriander
– 1/2 tsp sweet paprika
– tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
– About 4 or 5 prunes, de-pitted and chopped
– Dash of salt
Serves 2
Directions:
Shred the carrots by hand or with a food processor. I’m old school on this one…
Put aside in a bowl while you prepare the other ingredients.
Time to make the sauce. In a separate bowl, begin by squeezing the juice of one lemon and one orange. Watch out for dem seeds!
I usually squeeze by hand and use the “knife technique†(not that it’s properly called that or anything). I use my knife to twist the inside the lemon and orange to help get all the juices out. Be careful not to go slice through the skin that and nab your palm on the other side.
After the citrus is set and the seeds are nowhere to be seen in the sauce, add 1 tsp of each the cumin and coriander and 1/2 tsp of the paprika.
Mix the mixture until all the spices are evenly distributed. Then grab a handful of prunes, chop them up, and add to the mixture. I like them to sit in there for a bit to soak up the juices and become softer.
Before tossing this with the carrots, put the sprouts (or mint, parsley or dill) in the carrot bowl too!
Then let it rain like Wayne.
Toss it all together until the carrots are evenly coated with the sauce.
And drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle some salt atop the finished product. The olive oil really brings the flavors together and give an added Moroccan feel. Don’t skimp!
Yummiliciousness served:
This is a great dish to bring to a barbecue or to have on the side at dinner or as a mid-day snack.
Bon Apetit!
A hint for next post:
OoOo LAaA LaAaA…
I am a huge fan of chickpeas. I grew up addicted to hummus (GK version of this recipe to come…), and while I always enjoyed falafel, I wasn’t too gung-ho about the frying, the flour, and the oftentimes used egg. Hence, the birth of my GK version of falafel.
Guilt-Free Baked Falafel
Ingredients:
– 3/4 cup dried chickpeas (2 cups canned chickpeas)
– Water (to soak and then to boil chickpeas)
– 1/2 white onion, diced
– 1 bunch parsley, finely chopped
– 2 green onions, peeled and diced
– 1/2 tsp paprika
– 1/2 tsp cumin
– 1/2 tsp coriander
– 1/2 lemon, squeezed
– Salt & pepper to taste
– About 1/4 cut extra virgin olive oil
– About 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
– 1 tbs olive oil to coat baking dish
– 1-2 tsp tahini (sesame oil) to drizzle for presentation
– Parsley for garnish
Directions:
