Blue Plate (er, bowl) Special

When I was an innocent un-veg-tastic youth, my favorite meal was the soup/salad/sandwich combo at the chain restaurants we would go to on family vacations. I remember gathering with relatives and and eating at those family-oriented places with the dark green carpet, circular booths, chipper waitstaff, and baskets of rolls on the table. I invariably ordered a club sandwich and a bowl of creamy soup (and maybe one of those insane chocolate chip cookie/chocolate cake/ice cream monstrosities for dessert!).

Things have changed since then, but I still crave those lunch specials! I made my own today at home. Not the healthiest meal on earth, but oh so lovely. I had a soup and salad combo, but sometimes make myself a vegan grilled cheese or giant pesto-y sandwich instead.

Here's my creamy tomato soup, just a can of Campbell's spruced up with some soy milk, spices, and fresh basil from my container garden.

The salad is spinach, baby lettuce, artichokes, cucumbers, tomatoes, sprouts, and Annie's papaya dressing, which I am completely in love with! (Thank goodness after the shamefully potty-water tastic garlic variety I tried. Yuck!)

I even built a little homage to the grotesque cold cut cracker on the front of this box! Yay for vegan deli slices!

Satisfaction all around...now I just need to build a vegan Molten Lava cake with some soy ice cream. MMMMM!