Soup, Salad, and a Surprise!

The Chef: Colleen

The Menu: A delicious take on the classic soup-and-salad lunch. Since we had a butternut squash in the kitchen, Colleen roasted it with cinnamon and other spices, then puréed it into a silky soup with just a touch of coconut milk. Even though it's still sunny and bright outside, this rich soup was a gentle reminder that it technically is fall. For the salad, she mixed fluffy couscous with red bell pepper, broccoli, cucumber, and fresh basil. Did we douse it with Parma? Yes. Was it awesome? Yes. And speaking of awesome, yes, that is an open-faced spinach-topped quesadilla you see.

The Goods: But, you say, the cheese on the quesadilla looks so melty, how can that possibly be vegan? Surprise! It's cheddar Teese! That's right, the guys at Chicago Soydairy—which was just named Company of the Year in the 2008 Veggie Awards—are coming out with a new flavor of Teese, and we're happy to be taste testers.