Happy Tuesday!
Excited to be back at it with new recipes to share. I know it's been a while, but as strange as it may be, my schedule has been super busy. I've been running around here and there, and my Dad came to visit at the end of last week. I'm back to cooooking up new dishes, and trying to stay in the Pumpkin Spice mindset. I mean, isn't that what October is all about?!
This soup is one of my uuuuultimate favs, and when I went Vegan last year, it was definitely something I missed A LOT. And I've tried my fair share of vegan broccoli cheddar soups, but nothing came close enough to tingle my taste buds. Luckily, I stumbled upon this Vegan Baked Mac & Cheese recipe, and when I tasted the 'cheese' sauce it made before popping in the oven, I'm like "oh my god. This legitimately tastes exactly like my old favorite broccoli cheddar soup!" My mind was B L O W N. So duhhhhh- I had to experiment and make it into a creamy, cheddar-without-the-cheddar soup! And voila- it worked like a charm.
My new Vegan Broccoli cheddar soup was developed with love, and a ton of trial & error. I'm preeeeetttty sure I've nailed it! And I'm pretty sure you will <3 love <3 it.
After all, it is cozy soup season once again, and what better way to kick it off with a hot pot of soup?! Perhaps with a generous warm loaf of bread? Yes? Enjoy!
I N G R E D I E N T S:
- 1 large head of broccoli, diced/chopped (roughly 4 cups)
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 1 carrot, diced small
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 3/4 cup of Veggie broth
- 1 3/4 cup of unsweetened Almond milk
- 1 Tbs of vegan butter
- 1/4 cup of corn starch + 1/4 of water, mixed well
- 1/2 tsp of nutmeg
- 2 bay leaves
- Salt & Pepper, to taste
"CHEESE" SAUCE (Don't be intimidated by the long list! It's worth it!) - 1 cup of yellow potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 1/4 cup of carrots, peeled and diced
- 1/3 cup of onion, diced
- 2 Tbs of shallots, peeled and diced
- 1 clove of garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup of raw cashews, soaked in boiling water for 20 minutes
- 1/3 cup of vegan butter
- 1/4 tsp of dijon mustard
- 2 tsp of sea salt
- 1/4 tsp of black pepper
- 1/8 tsp of cayenne pepper
- 1/4 tsp of paprika
- 1 Tbs of lemon juice
PREP THE CHEEZE: Start by prepping the cheese-less sauce. It's SO good, you'll literally want to drink it by itself. So, get your cashews soaking and diced up your veggies. In a small saucepan, add the potato, carrot, onion, and shallots + 1 cup of water. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce low- simmer for 15 minutes (or until soft). In a high speed blender, add in the softened veggies with cooking water, drained cashews, and remaining ingredients. Blend until super creamy. It will be a bit salty, but when combined with the soup, it'll be perfect! Set aside until ready to use.
SOUP!: In a large saucepan over medium heat, add the tablespoon of butter and a small splash of olive oil. Once melted, toss in the onion and garlic. Saute for about 5 minutes, until translucent. Next, add the broth, almond milk, nutmeg & bay leaves. Mix to combine well. Then, take your cornstarch water mix slurry, and pour into the soup. Combine well! After about 5ish or so minutes, it will begin to bubble. Once it does, toss in the broccoli & carrots plus a bit of fresh cracked pepper- reduce to low & cover. Let it simmer for 15 minutes. (cook longer for a softer broccoli)
After your soup is finished simmering, kill the heat and discard the bay leaves! Pour in your "cheeze" sauce, and mix to combine well. Adjust to taste, and blend with an immersion blender juuuuust a little. Serve immediately! YUM!
*Notes: This sauce recipe did come from a Vegan baked Mac & cheese, so to use it properly, preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, and cook 1 3/4 cup of elbow noodles until they are el dente. Toss in this cheese-less sauce, and pop in the oven for about 30 minutes. And there you have a perfection mac & "cheese". :)