Cheezey Breezey Broccoli Soup
At the tail end of high school, through the college years, and until my vegan transition, there was one soup that stood above all others as the solution to life's problems and the filling warm-up on a cold day: Panera's broccoli cheese soup. I no longer choose to eat it (and may not have anyway now that they post the calories in what I once thought of as a relatively "healthy" lunch choice"), but back in the day, it just made my world a better place. As I got older and looked for a healthier version of this meal, I often turned to a vegetarian recipe that my aunt had found on a website; since becoming vegan, I've modified that recipe somewhat, but I still hadn't found what I was looking for with the flavor/consistency, until yesterday. (Continue singing U2 here, if you are so inclined.) The final product shown here with "Drop Biscuits" from The Joy of Vegan Baking nicely omits the mad scientist lab feel of its creation (think tiny bowls and my plopping in various additions, dirtying several spoons). Also, the hub has never been the biggest fan of this soup, but he kept saying how impressed he was (since I snuck in some spinach and I know he is not the biggest fan of vegan cheese essence, I was especially excited). So...overall -- success at this homestead! Hope you enjoy it as well!
7 c. water w/ 3 t bouillon (or half prepared stock/half water depending on flavor density of stock)
2 bags frozen broccoli florets (usually 14 oz. each)
1 c. thawed chopped spinach (or any other greens you have hanging about)
4 med. potatoes (peeled and diced)
2 med. yellow onion (peeled and diced)
3 T. Earth Balance butter*
1 t. thyme
5 small cloves of garlic (minced)
2 T nutritional yeast
1/2-1 c. non-dairy milk to desired consistency*
1/2 c. sour cream* (if adding to pot; could also allow individuals to dollop a hearty t. of cream themselves or make swirls yourself with dollops for spruced up presentation)
salt and pepper to taste
*Option: omit butter, and use 3/4 c. sour cream and more toward the 1c. milk to reduce total fat
1. Add broccoli through garlic to large soup pot. Cover with water until just covered (about 1-2" above veggies) and add bouillon. (If using prepared stock, add the 3-4 c. of that first and then add water to covering point.)
2. Simmer on med. to med. high heat for 30-40 min. Remove at 30 minutes to blend with immersion blender to desired consistency; you could also do this step in a standard blender, but more waiting time is involved and it is usually quite a bit messier. (I HIGHLY recommend getting an immersion blender; they are extremely affordable and incredibly handy for a diverse array of cooking needs.)
3. Add in nutritional yeast, then add milk to desired consistency, and then add sour cream as best fits your artistic desires and time constraints. I've tried sour cream in the soup both ways, and the flavor is there either way you add it.
Makes 12-16 meal servings (would be easy enough to half the recipe too)
As intimated, the cheeze is really like a breeze here in that you get the sense of it, but it is certainly not dominating. Mostly, there is a bit of mellow tang and some additional creaminess to help support the thickening provided by addition of potatoes. Enjoy!
Baby Bok and Barley Stew
This stew was inspired by two things: 1) many odds 'n ends and last gasp veggies in the fridge 2) the reading of some article about Sarah Jessica Parker eating mushroom barley soup. Random -- but delicious!
The broccoli/'cheese' soup sounds like it's worth a try. My most recent soup was a mushroom/ barley; I wasn't sure I liked barley, but the mushrooms needed it for balance. Where do you get bouillon? I make my own broth these days for fear of what's actually in store-bought bouillon. Happy Soup Days!
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