Vegan Recipes

Nettle Soup

Nettles in a bag

Try this basic nettle soup recipe, then get creative and find your own favorite version. What is your favorite addition? Let us know in the comments below!

1/2 of a 5-gallon bucket nettles
6 cups water or stock
Lots of garlic
Some onion
Salt, pepper, and tabasco to taste
Butter (optional)

Simmer all ingredients. After about 15 minutes, add garlic and onion, then simmer 5 minutes more. Pulse or puree in blender. Optional: add a blob of butter to the pot.

Infinitely variable to individual preference!

We thank Brenda for this recipe, which is her favorite nettle recipe.

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Wild Salad Greens

These nutritious greens are ones you might enjoy picking and tossing into raw salads: chickweed, miner’s lettuce, purslane, oxeye daisy, lambsquarters, sheep sorrel, field mustards, and hairy bittercress. Finding the herb and nibbling on a leaf will give you the best idea of how to incorporate it into salads, soups, stews, sandwich fillings, etc. Each one has in individual texture and taste that is unique to its being. The chickweed and miner’s lettuce are more delicate in flavor; the purslane and sheep sorrel tend towards the bitter side; the oxeye daisy, field mustards and hairy bittercress are more peppery and the lambsquarters has a deeper flavor. You can also use the young lambsquarters as you would nettles. It makes a delicious steamed veggie.

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Six Tips for Cooking Dried Beans

Don’t shy away from any great legume just because it’s dried. Here are some preparation suggestions, thanks to The Kitchn.

diana fava beans

Need some inspiration for your bean dishes? Try diana fava beans, the smaller and rounder sibling to the more typical lima bean-shaped windsor fava bean. They’re super tasty!

1. Use as little water as possible. Don’t let the beans get soggy or ultra-soft, because that dilutes their rich pot liquor, the incredibly flavorful liquid that comes off as they cook. Cook them slowly over low heat, only adding water if they start to dry up. Add enough water to just cover the beans, bring them to a boil, then reduce the heat and cook, uncovered, as low as you can.

2. Don’t mess with the beans. Some people add bacon, ham or garlic. However, well-grown heirloom beans have incredible ranges of flavor, nothing like canned beans. Try a couple pots of beans with just salt and pepper. You’ll be surprised at what you taste.

3. Don’t forget the salt! Beans need some salt. They have immense natural flavor, but they need some salt to bring it out, and they absorb quite a bit before it starts show through. Add a teaspoon of salt to the cooking water and more to taste in the last half hour of cooking.

4. Soak the beans. Rinsing dried beans then soaking them overnight in clean water will reduce the cooking time for most beans, although good fresh dried beans are less in need of a soak.

5. Cook dried beans for the right amount of time. Cooking time depends on the bean, but usually you’re looking at about 2-4 hours. Cover with water and simmer on an evening when you’re doing other things. Refrigerate and eat over the next several days.

6. Fresh beans need less cooking time. Freshly hulled beans will cook in about 45 minutes or less.

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No-Guilt Bean Dip

kidney beans

Nash’s grows kidney beans? That’s right! Get kidneys along with a variety of other legumes and grains at the store or our farmer’s markets.

Makes about 5 cups

1 teaspoon olive oil
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 cups cooked Nash’s dried corn, cooked until very soft
1 32-ounce can chopped tomatoes, drained and chopped
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon coriander
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1-3 tablespoons salt (to taste)
6 cups cooked kidney beans, cooked until mushy

In a large Dutch oven or sauce pan, heat oil on medium heat. Add onions and cook until softened and just turning golden. Add garlic and cook until fragrant. Add corn and tomatoes and cook until excess liquid from tomatoes has simmered away. Stir in spices, brown sugar, and one tablespoon salt.

Stir in beans, using the bowl of your spoon to smash the beans against the bottom and sides of the pan. Continue stirring and smashing until the beans are as mashed as you like. Leave some of the beans still whole for the texture if you like. Taste and add salt and other seasonings as needed. Serve with thinly sliced pieces of toast, vegetable sticks, pita chips, or tortilla chips.

We thank The Kitchn for this great recipe.

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About Cabbage Raab

Eliza with green cabbage raab

We get pretty excited about raabs, especially cabbage raab, at this time of year.

In the spring, we are all getting just a little tired of root vegetables, even if they are delicious. Just in time, the brassicae send up their flowering heads and they are sweet and oh, so tender. We call these shoots “raab,” not to be confused with broccoli rabe, which is actually a variety of broccoli in and of itself.

One of the sweeter raabs that we have at Nash’s is from green cabbage. Other raabs come from various kales, Brussels sprouts, arugula, mizuna and collards. But the cabbage raab seems to put all its natural sugars into its growth in the spring.

Brassicae raabs are thought to detoxify carcinogens and are useful in many forms. Almost all parts (stems, roots, flowers, leaves and seeds) can be used as food. They are crunchy and much sweeter than you would imagine.

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Chioggia Beet Slaw on a Bed of Grilled Leeks

Chioggia beets, sliced

Chioggia beets are happy, candy-striped beets that add a smile to your slaw.

Chiogga Slaw
1/4 cup plain Greek-style yogurt
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
3 tablespoons fresh orange juice
5 candy-stripe (Chioggia) beets, julienned or grated
1 medium carrot, julienned or grated
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Whisk yogurt, lemon juice, and orange zest and juice in a medium bowl. Add beets and carrot and toss to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Grilled Leeks
12 medium leeks, trimmed to about 7 inches, split length-
wise to within 1 1/2 inches of the root end
Olive oil for grilling

Tie the leeks in 4 bundles with kitchen string and put them in a kettle of boiling salted water. Boil them for 6 minutes or until they are just tender and drain them in a colander. Refresh the leeks under cold water and discard the strings. Brush the leeks with the oil and grill them on an oiled rack set 5 minutes on each side or until they are golden. Transfer the leeks as they are grilled to a platter and keep warm.

Vinaigrette
4 teaspoons dijon-style mustard
3 tablespoons white-wine vinegar
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 cup minced assorted fresh basil
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all vinaigrette ingredients. Drizzle the vinaigrette over the leeks and top with chioggia slaw.

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Raab and Carmelized Onion Pasta

Eliza with green cabbage raab

Produce Manager Eliza shows off a bunch of green cabbage raab, one of many varieties of tasty raab available for a short time in spring. Try them all before they’re gone!

1/4 cup olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 large onion or 2-3 small/medium onions (about 1 pound), thinly sliced
1 bunch raab, any type
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 pound pasta (linguine or other long, thin shape)

Saute onions over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 20 minutes. They should be richly colored to bring out their sweetness.

Meanwhile, bring several cups of water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Roughly chop raab and boil in the hot water for 2 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Add garlic to the pan with the onions and cook for 1 minute. Add raab and salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the raab is tender, about 5 minutes. Taste for salt and pepper and adjust seasonings if necessary.

While preparing the sauce, cook and drain the pasta, making sure that some liquid still clings to the noodles. Toss the hot pasta with the raab sauce. Mix well and transfer portions to warm pasta bowls. Drizzle each bowl with olive oil to taste and serve.

We thank from Pasta e Verdura by Jack Bishop for inspiration for this recipe.

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Brussels Sprouts with Parsnips

Brussels sprouts at market

Brussels sprouts make a lovely pairing with parsnips — both visually and tastefully.

2 pounds brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
6 medium parsnips, peeled and thinly sliced crosswise
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons coarse salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1 cup pecan halves

Preheat oven to 450 F. Toss vegetables with oil, salt and pepper on 2 rimmed baking sheets and spread into single layers. Roast, rotating sheets halfway through, until tender and golden, about 20 minutes.

Divide pecans between sheets and roast 10 minutes more. Toss and serve.

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Fava Bean Borscht

fava beans

Fava beans are great fresh, but you can also dry them and eat them in hearty soups, like this flavorful borscht. The crews have taste tested this particular recipe, and we give it a big thumbs up!

Make 2 quarts

1/2 cup Nash’s Windsor fava beans, dried
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/3 cup oil
1 medium leek or onion, sliced fine
2 sticks celery, sliced
1/4 teaspoon caraway seeds
1/4 teaspoon Nash’s mustard seeds
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 medium carrots, sliced
1 medium turnip, sliced fine
4 medium potatoes, cut into eighths
4 medium beets, sliced
2 cups cabbage, sliced
2-3 cups water
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup dill, parsley or beet greens
Black pepper

Wash the favas and soak overnight, covered with water. Place beans in a pot with 3 cups fresh water, then add bay leaves and basil. Bring to a boil and simmer on medium heat until tender. Do not drain.

Heat the oil in a stock pot. Add leeks/onions, celery, caraway seeds, mustard seeds and garlic, and cook until tender. Add carrots, turnip, potatoes and beets, and simmer 3-5 minutes until veggies are tender. Combine with cooked fava beans. Add water, vinegar, dill, pepper and salt to taste. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in sliced cabbage. Serve with hot sauce and sour cream.

We thank Mary Wong of our Nash’s Farm Store crew for this recipe.

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Gluten-Free Ginger and Apple Cornmeal Cake

8 tablespoons coconut oil
1/4 teaspoon xanathan gum
1 cup xylitol or organic sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2-3 apples, cored, cut into eighths
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
4 tablespoons fresh ginger, grated
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
3/4 cup fine cornmeal
3 eggs
3/4 cup all-purpose gluten-free flour, such as Manini’s or Bob’s Red Mill
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup almond milk

Melt 4 tablespoons coconut oil in skillet (preferably cast iron). Add 1/2 cup xylitol/sugar and stir until smooth, making sure to coat sides. If not using cast iron, transfer mixture to a 9” pie pan and coat sides.

In a circular pattern, lay apple wedges on bottom of pan, covering it entirely. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon grated ginger over apples, then place in oven for 15 minutes at 350 F, or until apples are tender.

Meanwhile, combine cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, remaining ginger and salt in a mixing bowl.

In a separate bowl, mix remaining coconut oil (solid) and xylitol/sugar until fully integrated and smooth. Add eggs one at a time and blend until combined. Add dry ingredients to egg mixture and mix thoroughly, but do not overwork batter. Add milk and mix until batter is smooth.

Remove apples from oven and pour batter on top, distributing evenly.

Return to oven and bake 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Let stand 10 minutes, run knife around sides of pan, and invert onto platter or cutting board. Cut and serve.

We thank chef Annie McHale of Port Angeles for this recipe.

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