chopped thai salad with sesame garlic dressing... 15 minutes

the goods:

dressing:

1/3 cup canola oil

1 clove garlic, peeled

3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce

2 tablespoons water

2 tablespoons white distilled vinegar

2 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1 tablespoon ginger paste

squeeze of lime juice

salad:

16 ounces frozen shelled edamame

5-6 cups baby kale

3 large carrots

1 red bell pepper

1 yellow bell pepper

1 cup cilantro leaves

3 scallions

3/4 cup cashew's (preferably Trader Joe's Thai Lime and Chili cashews)

Puree all the dressing ingredients in a food processor until smooth. Taste and adjust to fit your preferences.
Cook the edamame by boiling it for 3-5 minutes in a pot of boiling water. Drain and allow to cool.
Meanwhile, chop kale, carrots, peppers, cilantro, and scallions into thin, bite-sized strips. Place the cooked edamame in the food processor and pulse 5 times to get a minced texture. Transfer to a bowl and repeat the same process for the cashews.
Toss the kale, carrots, peppers, cilantro, green onions, edamame, and cashews together until well combined. Drizzle with dressing and toss gently. Serve immediately.

vegan tomato basil soup... 1 hour and 30 minutes

 the goods:

24 tomatoes
1 red onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 and 3/4 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon onion powder
2 teaspoons sugar
2 handfuls fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup full-fat coconut milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Wash and core all the tomatoes and place them bottom-side-up in rimmed baking dishes or on rimmed baking sheets. Drizzle with olive oil. Roast until the skin starts to wrinkle and separate, about 45 minutes. Once tomatoes are cool enough to handle, use your hands to remove the skin.
In a large soup pot, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, and saute until onion softens and starts to brown a bit. Add the tomatoes and their juices and  bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for about 25 minutes to allow the flavors to blend. Season with salt, pepper, onion powder, and sugar. Add basil and coconut milk and stir well to combine.
Remove from heat and blend using an immersion blender, or in batches in your blender (use caution when blending hot liquids - remove cap to allow steam to escape and place towel over the top to catch splatters). Serve with additional basil and pepper.