Low Bowl #33

 

Another pantry utilization special: tamale soup with tamale dumplings (recipe made in the vegan style from Grandma Recipes Flash).

To make this vegan, I used soy-free Earth Balance buttery sticks and Violife Mexican-style cheese in the dumplings, veggie broth for the soup, and black beans as the protein (though as written there isn't any meat in it anyway, just chicken broth--the description mentions chicken but the recipe card doesn't).

I would never have made this if I weren't on a quest to really make the most of my current pantry (and thus the masa harina), but I'm so glad I did! This soup is delicious, and it's so far away from what I would normally make. I think the soup would be heartier with some rice in it, and I might try it over rice sometime with or without the dumplings, and perhaps add some TVP, but it was still very satisfying just as it was.

I generally don't like to put corn in soup that isn't a chowder, nor do I tend to put peppers in soup, but somehow it all worked so well, I wouldn't change it.

And also, you can leave out the non-dairy cheese and just use oil or be sure your buttery sticks are free of allergens, and then you'll have a perfect allergy-friendly meal. There are no nuts, no soy, and no gluten in this, just goodness.