Exploits of a Vegan Wannabe

I woke up on Tuesday with the worst sore throat. The kind of sore throat that makes you think you have swallowed shards of glass and will surely never recover. I immediately turned four years old and asked Sandy to get me my favorite go to, my I am sick comfort food, restaurant prepared cream of cheesy broccoli soup.

So, I sleep and nosh on the comfort food soup all day, waiting for Sandy to come home and make the real deal..her liquid penicillin, vegan chicken noodle soup.

I mention the broccoli soup at all because of what I learned in the process. As soon as my life became uncomfortable (in this instance I was sick and felt lousy) I quickly reverted to what I knew. My mind said,” Sherry when you are sick you have cream of broccoli soup.” But the truth of the matter is that once I had consumed my emotional go to soup and then had the soup that was vegan, I realized that my memory of the broccoli soup was much more satisfying than the soup itself. The vegan soup was nourishing and healing, while the creamy soup was  heavy and encumbering to my insides.

It feels scary to release things that bring us comfort, even if there are new things that truly are comforting and healthy to take their place. It feels much easier to stick to old patterns even when we don’t love the way we feel once we have engaged those  patterns.

I am willing though. I am willing to learn and I am willing to release my need for comfort foods that aren’t really comforting. I deserve more than my old methods for soothing my body and mind, and so do you.

Here is Sandy’s Vegan Chicken Noodle Soup recipe. Treat it like a treasured secret, but share it with all those that need a hug. It truly will soothe your body and mind.

Vegan Chick’n Noodle Soup

By:  S. Boulton

Ingredients:

1  4.5 oz box of Manischewitz Matzo Ball & Soup Mix

1 cup finely chopped carrots

1 cup finely chopped celery

1  8 oz package of vegan chik’n strips, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

2 cups (dry) of your favorite noodles

Make it happen:

Prepare the Manischewitz soup mix according to instructions, set aside the Matzo ball mix for another experiment at a later date to make them vegan.  Once the soup mix is beginning to boil add the carrots and celery.  Let that simmer for a total of 20 minutes.  Then add the chik’n and noodles.  Simmer for another 15 minutes.

Makes about 6 servings.  Warm some rolls and serve with buttery vegan spread.  Yummy for the soul.  So easy to make a la semi-homemade.  Thank you Manischewitz for the boxed vegan soup mix, it’s a sleeper in the grocery aisle and tastes so good with a little “doctoring” that you can’t believe it.

Have a healthy and wonderful day.

Tags: 30 day challenge, chick'n soup for your soul, compassionate eating, dairy free, manischewitz soup mix, trying vegan, vegan, vegan challenge, vegan chicken noodle soup, vegan entree, vegan experience, vegetarian chicken noodle soup, vegetarian recipe