You’ve probably heard the classic joke, “How do you know if someone is a vegan? Don’t worry, they’ll tell you within the first 2 minutes of meeting them, and then again and again and again.” Jumping on the Veganuary bandwagon has less to do with food having faces or refusing to eat foods given to us by said faces and more about starting 2022 with a healthy gut. But let me say, there's nothing funny about having to limit what goes into mine. I love to eat (like a lot) and sometimes I have a hard time knowing when it’s time to put down the spoon. Fruits and vegetables, especially raw, tend to fill me up faster and cut down on my desire to overeat. However, eliminating my has been no joke – just ask my husband. While my family thinks I'm nuts (It's a good thing I can still eat them) I am not going to crack. For the rest of January, I am going to romaine calm and carrot on all while keeping a sense of humor. It's been said that vegans can’t take a joke, but that's just bananas. They can laugh...just not at the cheesy ones!
The ignorance is bliss joke
Q: How many carnivores does it take to change a light bulb?
A: None. They prefer to stay in the dark!
The anti-dairy joke
Q: What’s the best way to keep milk fresh?
A: Leave it in the cow!
The spooky vegan one
Q: Why are most ghosts vegans?
A: Because it’s super-natural!
The gross joke
“As a vegan, I think people who sell meat are disgusting; but apparently people who sell fruit and veg are grocer.”
The witty one
I’ve come to the realization that tofu is overrated. It’s just a curd to me.
The tofu joke
I like making jokes about vegetarians… but never about tofu, that’s just tasteless.
The cringey joke
Q: Why did the vegan get fired?
A: His job performance didn’t meat expectations.
The one-liner
My girlfriend really changed after she became a vegan.
It’s like I’ve never seen herbivore.
The actually quite nice one
Q: Why are vegans the best friends in the world?
A: They never have beef with you.
The NSFW joke
Q: Why is almond milk called ‘milk’?
A: Because nobody could call it ‘nut juice’ and keep a straight face.
West African Peanut Soup
This dish is both vegan and gluten-free. If you have a peanut allergy, the peanut butter can easily be replaced with almond butter without sacrificing any of the flavors!
INGREDIENTS
- 2 tbsp Olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
- 2 tbsp Ginger, minced
- 1 Jalapeño, seeds and ribs removed, diced
- 4 Garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tsp Pepper
- 2 tsp Cumin
- 2 tsp Turmeric
- 2 tbsp Tomato paste
- 1 (14 oz) can crushed Tomatoes (about 2 cups)
- 2 cups Vegetable stock
- 1 (14 oz) can Coconut Milk (use full fat)
- 2 Sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 1 (14 oz) can Chickpeas, drained
- ¾ cup Creamy natural peanut butter (may use a full cup)
- 3 handfuls of Kale, roughly chopped (about 3 cups)
- 1 tsp Salt (to taste)
- Peanuts, crushed
- Cilantro, chopped for garnish
- Lime, squeezed (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS
- In a large pot heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and sauté until softened, about 3-4 minutes.
- Add in ginger, jalapeno, and garlic and stir until fragrant about 1 min. Add the pepper, cumin, turmeric, and tomato paste and cook for another 2 minutes, stirring, until paste darkens in color.
- Add the crushed tomatoes, stock, coconut milk and sweet potatoes, and peanut butter. Bring to a boil and stir until fully combined. Turn the heat down to low and simmer for 15 minutes, until sweet potatoes are tender.
- Add chickpeas and cook for another 5 minutes. Stir in the kale and cook until just wilted. Taste the soup before adding salt. Depending on how salty your stock and/or peanut butter was, it may not need any more salt.
- Serve warm topped with cilantro and crushed peanuts. I like to offer a lime wedge with each bowl. Enjoy!
