Baker's Square - Cheesy Cauliflower Soup

Having worked for Baker's Square in my early 20's as a server, I came to love Cauliflower Cheese Soup. I spent all five of my young vegetarian years there and that soup was phenomenal, so when I just went to look at their menu, I was quite surprised that times have changed, and the soup is no longer there. Not that I'm missing out on anything - not like it's vegan. 

But this one is! It is made exactly like the Cheesy Broccoli Soup I have made before, so there is a How-To Breakdown for it as well. Just use a head of cauliflower instead of the broccoli. That means no processed cheese substitute and no soy - carrots, potatoes and nutritional yeast. I love this soup.

Cost Breakdown

 cauliflower: $4

potatoes, carrots, onions: $3

spices, nutritional yeast: $1

Total to make 5 servings:

$8.00

  

Cheesy Soup Recipe

How-To Breakdown for Soup

VEG-Aside: This meal (along with Grilled Chicken-Ran Salad Sandwiches) was in honor of Leslie of Mercy for Animals, with whom I went leafleting for Vegan Outreach. She is one of the strongest, most driven animal advocates  that I know; it has been such a pleasure to go with her to colleges to leaflet.

I have to admit that the first time I went I was very nervous at the thought of exposing myself to a bunch of strangers who basically had the power to reject me over and over again. And then there was the thought of the campus police, who could handcuff me and haul me off to a torture lab where they shackle all of their prisoner advocates. A bit of a hyperbole. But that is how I felt. Rejection at every corner. I did not feel very confident or positive of leafleting.

Which is why when Leslie offered to leaflet with me, I jumped at the chance. Which is why Vegan Outreach will get you connected with another advocate to make at least the first time less over dramatic and frightening. 

Which is why I am writing this.

If you think just by being a vegetarian or vegan you are doing enough, you could not be further from the truth. Sure, it's great and very necessary, but once you have embraced the truth, it really is time to let others in on it. And not just friends and family, those who we all care about and would whole-heartedly love to see go veg. Unfortunately, many times it is just not that easy or plausible. Friends and family tend to be one of the most difficult people to show the truth to. BUT, introducing young people who ARE ready to learn the truth and have the desire to make this world a better place, can be as easy to enlighten as handing a brochure to.

It happens over and over again - young people going veg because of being handed a simple booklet. No preaching, no coercing, no bribing or begging. Just a simple "Factory Farming Information?" or "Stop the violence." (courtesy of Joe Espinosa) or "Vegetarian Information?" and a bunch of young people with an open mind. No, not all take a brochure, but then those are the kids who are not ready for it. The next one will take it. And out of many, there will be one who will go veg.

And that will all have been because YOU took two or three hours out of your month (set it up as a meeting that you cannot miss) to share the most important information you have with the most important people - the receptive ones who will make a change. It is up to us to get off our fannies, put aside our insecurities about approaching strangers in a strange place (get a buddy from VO), and think of all of the billions of animals who don't have a choice. We do. Leaflet.

Adopt a College.