Yesterday was my grandma’s birthday and I happened upon a picture of her in my camera from Christmas, the last time I saw her. Fortunately it was a happy event with tons of pictures and I’m glad I can call that my last memory of her.
This recipe always reminds me of her and home. I grew up eating what we called “rabels” after Easter and other holidays, as it was a good way to use up leftovers. Upon further investigation on the Internet I found the proper term is rivel soup, but I will still always call it rabels. It’s funny how things get lost in translation and the words stick that way.
This is a great fall weather recipe, or even when you’re feeling under the weather. It’s thick and hearty with cheap ingredients. One word of warning; it tends to thicken further after the first day, so you may need to thin it down quite a bit.
Ingredients:
• 1 pound vegan ham tube or ham seitan
• 1 cup carrots, sliced thin
• 1/2 yellow onion, diced
• 3 tbsp refined coconut oil
• 3 packages Goya Ham Seasoning
• 8 cups water
• salt and pepper to taste
For the rivels (makes one batch):
• 3/4 cup flour
• 1 tbsp tapioca starch
• 1/2 tsp black salt
• 3 tbsp aquafaba
Directions:
1. Slice carrots, dice onion, and cube ham.
Heat coconut oil in a large soup pan or dutch oven and saute ham cubes until browned, about 5 minutes.
2. Set ham aside and saute carrots and onions in same oil until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Add water and Goya seasoning and bring to a boil.
3. Stir together flour, tapioca, and salt in a bowl. Add the aquafaba and stir until crumbly. 
Pour into the boiling water and cook several minutes. Add 2-3 batches of rivels, depending on how thick you like it.
4. Bring down to a simmer after all rivels have been added and cook for about 20-30 minutes. Add ham back in just before serving. Enjoy with a smoked beer, like O’Fallon Smoked Porter.
Avocados and Ales 
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