Bubby and Bean ::: Living Creatively: Easy Plant-Based Meal Idea: Soup in a Sourdough Bread Bowl

This is a sponsored post for SheSpeaks, The Rustik Oven, and Gardein.

I've talked before about how challenging it is to figure out easy meals that every person in my family will actually eat. It's an ongoing battle, and I know from talking to you guys that I'm not the only one. That's why I just had to share one of our favorite meal ideas that is quick, super yummy, perfect for cozy season, and as a major bonus, totally plant-based: Gardein Soups and The Rustik Oven Sourdough Bread Bowls. It's not a made from scratch at home recipe, but it tastes like one (without the work), and I love that I can grab all of the ingredients at Meijer and then prepare a truly delicious meal in a few minutes that all four of us love to eat.

The first time I had soup in a sourdough bread bowl was many, many years ago in Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco. I was hooked. The combination of hot, flavorful soup literally inside of a loaf of crusty bread is the definitive comfort food. Being able to be a satisfying plant-based version at home for my family is the best!

I've been a Gardein fan for many years. As a long time vegetarian (I made the switch over 30 years ago!), I was thrilled to discover them and their incredible line of plant-based foods for every meal and every occasion. My vegan and flexitarian friends and family all love Gardein too, and for good reason. They have a huge variety of yummy meatless foods to choose from with really great taste and texture. Their products also contain no artificial flavors, no artificial preservatives, no dairy or egg ingredients, have 0mg of Cholesterol, and are NGP Verified.

My daughter and I love soup in general, and being Gardein's #1 fans and all, we always have lots of their soups on hand. My daughter's favorite is Gardein Plant-Based Chick'n Noodl' Soup (filled with tender chunks of yummy plant-based chick'n, vegan noodl's, carrots and celery with 13 grams of protein per can!). My son's favorite is Gardein Plant-Based Chick'n & Rice Soup (loaded with tasty chunks of plant-based chick'n, white rice, wild rice, thick-cut carrots and celery with classic spices). My husband loves Gardein Plant-Based Be'f and Country Vegetable Soup (tender plant-based be'f in homestyle broth with carrots, potatoes, and peas). And my top pick is Gardein Plant-Based Saus'ge & Minestrone Soup (thick slices of plant-based Italian saus'ge, vegan noodl's, chickpeas, green beans, tomatoes, kidney beans and more).

We were already enamored with Gardein Plant-Based Soups, and as soon as I saw The Rustik Oven Sourdough Bread Bowls at Meijer, I knew it was going to be, as my daughter describes them together, a match made in plant-based heaven. I'd had bread from The Rustik Oven before and knew how good it was (I love how it has an artisan taste and texture but with long-lasting freshness), and combined with Gardein soups, it genuinely makes the ideal fall/winter meal. The Rustik Oven uses a traditional European baking process, which creates a rich flavor and perfect crusty texture, and it's really apparent in the bread bowls. Breads from the Rustik Oven also contain no artificial colors/flavors and are Non-GMO Project Verified. Their bread is amazing in recipes too!

To create this simple, comforting plant-based meal that the whole family loves, I just have each person choose a Gardein Soup, then heat it up and pour into a The Rustik Oven Sourdough Bread Bowl. My son loves to top his with vegan oyster crackers, and sometimes we'll add chopped scallions or a little parsley. That's it. In minutes, we have an easy lunch or dinner that is customized to each person's tastes. The best.

You can grab all four of these tasty, plant-based Gardein Soups in the soup aside at Meijer, and Bread Bowls from The Rustik Oven in the bread aisle. I know you'll love this easy, comforting meal as much as we do!