It’s about to get really hot in Southern California and for some reason that made me crave a giant bowl of creamy broccoli cheese soup. Probably because my spidey senses are telling me that it’s gonna be salad, salad, and more salad for the next 3 months, at least!
I also happened to buy way too much broccoli last week so obviously I needed to make broccoli cheese soup!
All I know for sure is that I needed it to be dairy-free and I really didn’t feel like dumping a pound of vegan cheese into soup. So, I tried to make this as plant-based as possible by using real, whole foods. You know what, it came out perfect! You know why? Nutritional Yeast!!! Listen, this one simple ingredient, that 3 years ago I had never even heard of before, has made so many of my hungry girl dreams come true. I can’t even explain that joy. If you don’t have this magical ingredient in your pantry yet, you must hate happiness.
So step 1, buy nutrional yeast. Step 2, crank up your air conditioner. Step 3, cozy up with a hot bowl of soup this summer because YOU are the boss of YOU, weather is NOT the boss of you!
Broccoli No Cheese Soup
What you’ll need:
5 russet potatoes
5 large carrots
5 cups of broccoli florets
5 cups low sodium vegetable broth
5 cups water
1 cup chopped onion of leeks
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp Tamari
3 tsp sea salt
1/3 cup Nutritional Yeast
Turmeric, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Smoked Paprika, Dry Dill, Cayenne Pepper to taste
1 cup non-dairy milk
Hot Sauce – optional
Directions:
- In a large pot add olive oil, potatoes, carrots, & leeks. Bring to a medium heat and stir ingredients around every so often to soften vegetables for about 10 minutes
- Next, add broth and water and reduce heat to a medium simmer for about 20 – 25 minutes until potatoes are completely softened.
- Add all seasonings and taste to make sure it’s to your desired saltiness and flavor.
- Add broccoli florets and allow to cook for only a few minutes. This will keep their bright green color.
- Turn off heat and blend up the soup leaving a few chunks of broccoli for about 5 minutes using an immersion blender.
- Taste again and adjust seasonings if necessary.
- Lastly, swirl in 1 cup of your favorite non dairy milk for added creaminess and bring heat back up to a low simmer until you are ready to serve.
note: This soup will thicken up as it sits. If it isn’t as thick as you would like you could add a flour slurry by mixing 2 tbsp flour with 1/2 cup of soup in a separate bowl to create a thin paste then add that back into the soup and stir well. <– pro tip
I served this in these delicious bread bowls and topped with Oil-Free Baked French Fries because I’m a carb addict (no shame). This would also be delicious topped with a dollop of vegan sour cream, a few crispy kale chips, a spoonful of Kale Pesto, a couple Noochy Croutons, etc etc etc… You’re the boss of that part too! (winky face)
Greens & Fries 
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