Recipe: Sam’s Soyrizo Soup
Sam is the kind of friend who will show up to your house with snacks to share, cook a full vegan meal, and then help clean everything up afterward. Each time that he’s made this soup for us over the years I have eaten multiple bowls (which says a lot because I’m pretty picky when it comes to soups!). The combination of hearty veggies, melt-in-your-mouth lentils, and savory Soyrizo broth make for a flavorful, nutritious soup perfect for the colder seasons. You can only imagine how excited I was recently when I received an email from Sam with his recipe typed up so I can make it any time I want (especially appreciated during quarantine). Sam’s Soyrizo Soup is perfect for making in big batches and enjoying as leftovers throughout the week-- if there is any left over!
*This soup may be a little spicy for those who are heat sensitive (the Soyrizo itself is a little spicy). Personally I love adding some extra peppers to kick up the heat, so I recommend adjusting it to suit your taste!
*Also note that cooking times may vary slightly based on your stove, so make sure to check on your veggies and adjust the timing as you see fit.
Sam’s Soyrizo Soup
Vegan, 4-5 servings
Ingredients
~2 tbsp cooking oil
1 medium Onion (chopped) (yellow or white)
5-10 Baby Carrots (chopped) (or 1-2 full sized carrots. Rainbow carrots also add nice color)
2 stalks of Celery (chopped)
4 cloves of Garlic (chopped)
1 can of Garbanzo Beans (drained)
1 package of Soyrizo (Sam uses Trader Joe's brand, I use El Burrito's)
Water (about 7 cups, add more later on if needed)
3/4 cup Red Lentils (dried)
Broccoli (chopped) (1 medium head or 1/2 a bag of florets from Trader Joe’s)
1 small Zucchini or Yellow/Summer Squash (chopped)
Corn (about 3/4 cup fresh or frozen)
Spinach (several handfuls)
Optional Ingredients
1 Jalapeño (chopped) (add extra or sub for a spicier pepper if you want more heat!)
1 cube of vegetable bouillon (for additional flavor)
Directions
In a big pot on medium-low heat cook the onion in your oil of choice for 1-2 minutes, or until it starts to become slightly translucent.
Add the carrots and celery and cook for 4-5 minutes (stirring often).
Move all the ingredients to one side of the pot and add a little more oil to the empty side. Then throw the garlic in the oil and cook for 2 minutes.
Add the garbanzo beans, stir, and cook for 3-4 minutes.
Add the Soyrizo by breaking it up and mixing it in (the size of the pieces isn't too important-- by the end it will have a consistency similar to the lentils). Then add the water, lentils, and (optional) jalapeño & bouillon. Stir it all together, turn up the stove to medium-high heat, and wait for it to boil. Once it starts boiling switch the heat back to medium-low and simmer for 12 minutes.
Add the broccoli and let it simmer for 5 more minutes.
Add the corn and zucchini/squash and simmer for 6 more minutes.
Add spinach and simmer for 2 more minutes or until it has wilted.
Serve and enjoy! (Consider serving with a pinch of black pepper or a tiny bit of sriracha to taste.)
I can already tell that this soup will be one of my go-to recipes this winter. Given how much I enjoy this dish I’m always surprised by how easy and quick it is to make-- most of my time and effort just goes into chopping up vegetables. I hope you like this soup as much as I do, and if you decide to make it please let me know how it turns out!
***A special thanks to Sam Muse for cooking this soup for us with love and care on several occasions, typing up his recipe, sharing it, and suggesting that I post it! While I helped with editing, formatting, and photography Sam is the true culinary MVP and deserves all the love.
Note: I choose to call it a soup, but technically it might fall somewhere between a soup and a stew. It has enough chunky veggies and substance to be called a stew, with relatively less water content in proportion to the other ingredients. However the broth is thin like a soup, and there still is a good bit of it. I think “soup” sounds better in the title so we'll go with that!
