Weekend Cooking: Eat for the Planet by Nil Zacharias and Gene Stone

One of the big surprises of the last few months is that two of my new favorite cookbooks from the #AbramsDinnerParty contain recipes for a plant-based diet. Eat for the Planet by Nil Zacharias and Gene Stone was released in January and is bursting with satisfying recipes, even for us omnivores.

Among the recipes I tried are a couple of pasta dishes--one with artichokes and one with spinach--an appetizer, an enchilada bake, a curry, and the soup I'm sharing below. Every recipe was really good and I would happily make it again.

Eat for the Planet contains several recipes that rely on soy-based meat substitutes. I'm not a fan of the fake meats, so I made one recipe with (don't tell!) real sausage. It was delicious.

I served the mushroom soup included here to my family when we were gathered to mourn my mother. It was warming and comforting and was enjoyed by the vegans, vegetarians, and meat-lovers alike. (The photo is my own.)

Mushroom, Bean, and Barley Soup
Serves 4 to 6

• 1/2 small onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon concentrated vegetable base
• 8 ounce (225 g) white mushrooms, sliced
• 3/4 cup (150 g) pearled barley
• 1 (15-ounce / 430-g) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1-1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1-1/2 teaspoon dried dill
• 1 bay leaf
• salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup (30 g) raw cashews, soaked at least 1 hour or overnight, soaking water reserved

In a large pot over medium heat, combine the onion, garlic, celery, 1/4 cup (60 ml) water, and the vegetable base. Saute until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the mushrooms and saute until browned, about 4 minutes, pouring in more water as needed so the vegetables do not stick.

Add the barley and stir well, pouring in more water as needed. Add the beans, thyme, dill, bay leaf, and salt and pepper.

Pour in 7 cups (1.7 L) water, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer, covered for about 30 minutes.

In a blender, puree the cashews with their soaking water until creamy and add to the soup. Continue to simmer until the barley is tender, about 25 minutes. Serve hot. Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 1 month.

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