Vegan Rich & Creamy Broccoli Soup

I’m back!!!

Y’all, it’s been a crazy few weeks since I wrapped up my Thanksgiving recipe series. I took a little time off to move and unpack and then, just as I was getting settled in, I got hit with the worst cold I’ve ever had! #Yuck

While I was sick, there was only one thing that I was craving and that was soup. I didn’t have the strength to make some during that week of tissues and tears (big dramatic baby here) but, when it finally passed, I got my ass in the kitchen and made this luscious little dish to satisfy all of my cravings.

Now, believe it or not, there are quite a few people in this world who hate broccoli -my mom is one of them. I, on the other hand, am one of the rare few who loves broccoli. I wanted this soup to satisfy not only me but also the people who aren’t fans of this particular veg. To accomplish this, I built a nice, rich, savory base which has things like vegetable broth, roasted garlic, potatoes, and something called Vegeta in it. The flavor of the broccoli, thanks to this base, becomes subtle enough for the haters but complimented nicely enough for the lovers like me. I then made everything good and smooth so that nobody would end up with a mouthful of broccoli chunks but rather a spoonful of creamy goodness. My mom ate a big bowl of it and said, “You know I hate broccoli but I actually like this soup.” Yes, folks, I think I hit the nail right on the head.

It all gets started with a head of garlic -how can anything with a head of garlic in it be bad?! About an hour before you wish to start making this soup, go into your kitchen, grab a big ol’ head of garlic, and chop of the top 1/4-1/3 of the head to expose the cloves inside. Peel off some of the looser outer papery layers and then pop the head onto a piece of foil. Drizzle into and over the head about 2-3 tablespoons of oil and then squish the foil up and closed around the head to enclose it completely. Place your little packet of deliciousness onto a small sheet pan and then bake it in a preheated 400 degree oven for 45 minutes. When done, allow it to cool for about 15 minutes so that you can retrieve the cloves without burning yourself. Set the cloves, and any oil that remains in the foil packet, aside for a moment.

With your roasted garlic done, you can begin the actual soup making process -and what an easy process it is! Rough dice half of a yellow onion and get it into a large pot, with a little oil in it, over medium heat. (I love making soups, or anything really, in an enameled cast iron dutch oven but if you don’t have one of these then don’t worry because any large pot will do.) Cook the onions for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned.

While the onions are cooking, cut up 2 large, peeled russet potatoes into small cubes no bigger than a half of an inch wide. Set the cubed potatoes aside for just a moment until we’re ready for them.

After the onions have browned slightly, the potatoes you cubed a moment ago get tossed in along with vegetable broth, water, a can of drained and rinsed white beans, a whole bunch of seasonings, and the roasted garlic you made earlier along with any oil that remained in the foil packet. Stir to combine then bring to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes then reduce the heat just a bit and allow the soup to soft boil for 5 minutes. Next, 2 bags of frozen broccoli florets get added and then the lid goes on. Continuing soft boiling, covered this time, for about 10 more minutes.

When the potatoes are tender, add in some of your favorite “cheddar” shreds and a little nooch (nutritional yeast). Stir to combine then it’s time to make this soup creamy!

Turn the heat off and then, using an immersion blender, blend until no lumps or chunks remain. Be sure to keep the blender straight up and down, and submerged when on, because we’re dealing with hot liquid here and we don’t want to splash it on ourselves. #LessonILearnedTheHardWay

When it is as smooth as can be, serve with just a bit more “cheddar” on top and some crusty bread on the side (optional).