Vegan matzo balls in a rustic Italian soup

Vegan matzo balls in a rustic Italian soup

Serves 5-6

Ingredients for soup:

• Boiled mixed lentils (red kidney, lobia, chickpeas) – 1 cup
• Carrots coarsely chopped – 1 cup
• Onion slices – 1 cup
• Celery – 2 stalks finely chopped
• Celery leaves – 1 small bunch
• Garlic – 2 cloves
• Celery pesto – 2 tbsp
• Olive oil – 4 tbsp
• Freshly ground pepper – 2 tsp
• Salt – to taste
• Water – 4 – 5 cups

Ingredients for vegan matzo ball:

• Cotton tofu – 200 gms
• Salt biscuits / cream cracker biscuits – 4-5
• Grated carrot – 1 big
• Freshly ground whole pepper – 1 tsp
• Salt – to taste
• Dill leaves finely chopped – 2 tbsp

Method – Soup:

1. Sauté onions and garlic in olive oil. Once they turn translucent, add vegetables, boiled lentils, celery pesto, pepper and salt and sauté.
2. Add water and let it boil for a good 25 – 30 mins or until vegetables are tender.
3. Check for salt and garnish with fresh chopped dill leaves.

Method for vegan matzo balls:

1. Crumble the tofu to a fine mash.
2. Powder the cream cracker biscuits and add it to the tofu mash.
3. Add the grated carrots, dill leaves, pepper powder, salt to the mixture.
4. Make small balls (size of a lemon) and flatten the balls between your palm to make small patties.
5. Shallow fry these patties on a skillet using olive oil until they turn golden brown on both sides.

Serving the soup: Pour the hot soup into a shallow bowl.  Place the vegan matzo balls in the center of the soup and garnish with fresh dill leaves. Add a spoon of olive oil on the soup before serving.

Note: The consistency of the soup is very watery. The importance is given to the flavor and the various textures you experience when you bite into the vegetables and beans. Enjoy this rustic Italian soup with a nice whole wheat bread or garlic toast!