Vegan Cooking with TLC

This very basic chickpea recipe is for cooking chickpeas to be used in other recipes. I cook them with water because it makes them more versatile. Stock can give them a more savory flavor that won't work in desserts, such as Chocolate Chip Chickpea Blondies . One savory option is Chickpea Mushroom Korma . Chickpeas 2 cups dried chickpeas 6 cups water 1 bay leaf * 6 cups of water Place chickpeas in a bowl . Cover with 6 cups water. Cover the bowl.  Let soak at least 8 hours or preferably overnight. Chickpeas will expand in size considerably as they re-hydrate. Drain chickpeas. Cook using either of the two methods listed below. Method 1 – Crockpot **: Place chickpeas in the crockpot. Add 6 cups of water. Add bay leaf. Cook for 8 hours until soft. Method 2 – Stovetop: Place chickpeas in a large pan . Add water (you might need more water with this version). Add bay leaf. Bring to a boil. Lower heat to medium-low and cook for 1....

I developed this recipe several years ago when my niece started college. She wanted some healthy, plant-based recipes she could make in her crockpot. I was happy to oblige. I usually make pumpkin soup with fresh pumpkin, or other squash, but this seemed like it might be more practical for people without access to fresh squash or without the room to store fresh squash. I remembered the origins of this recipe and thought it might be a nice recipe to share with school starting. It can easily be expanded to feed more people by using a larger can of pumpkin or multiple cans of pumpkin. Crock Pot Canned Pumpkin Soup 1 15-oz can organic pumpkin 1 tablespoon ground flax seeds 2 stalks celery 1 medium carrot 1 medium onion 1 teaspoon dried oregano 1 teaspoon dried rosemary ½ teaspoon chili powder ½ teaspoon ground ginger ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg ¼ teaspoon ground cloves ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom , optional 2 ½-3 cups vegetable s...