Vegan Broccoli Potato Soup

This was very reminiscent of the broccoli cheese soups I have loved previously as a vegetarian and I actually prefer it this way. None of the fatty cheese, all of the veggies!

Ingredients

• Potatoes (Yukon Gold or Russet, I used a mix of both)
• Yellow Onion
• Broccoli
• Serrano Peppers
• Garlic
• Unsalted Cashews
• Vegetable Broth
• Nutritional Yeast
• Salt
• Pepper
• Red Chili Powder
• Garlic Powder
• Crushed Oregano
• Parsley Flakes

Steps

1. Make vegetable broth (or use premade) – The broth I made for this soup was simple. I used scraps from two onions (one red, one yellow), a head of garlic, leftover fennel stems, few sweet pepper stems, few serrano pepper stems and a bunch of cilantro stems. Refer to my vegetable broth recipe for instructions. I then seasoned it with 1 tsp cumin powder, 1/2 tsp pepper, 1/2 tsp crushed coriander powder, 1/4 tsp red chili powder, 1/4 tsp salt, and a pinch of Umami powder
2. Chop broccoli into small florets (should be small enough to sit in a teaspoon and be swallowed whole in the soup). Broccoli stems can also be chopped into small bits and used in the soup. You will need 4 cups broccoli florets. Place chopped broccoli into a steaming basket and steam for 11 minutes until very soft (you do not want it crunchy for the soup to have proper texture)
3. Chop onion, garlic, potatoes, and serrano pepper. I used one whole medium yellow onion; one medium Russet potato and four small Yukon gold potatoes which made about 2 cups of chopped potatoes; four cloves of garlic; and one medium serrano pepper. I chopped it all on the smaller side so it would cook through quicker.
4. Once broccoli is steamed, season with salt, pepper, cumin powder, and red chili powder to taste (or about a pinch of each ingredient) and set aside in a bowl
5. Make sure your broth is complete prior to continuing on the following steps.
6. Heat 2 tsp olive oil in a dutch oven or pot.
7. Add chopped onion to the oil and sauté until translucent or about 4 minutes until softens
8. Add chopped Serrano and garlic to the onion and cook through about 2 more minutes
9. Add 2 c chopped potatoes and 1/4 tsp salt. Mix until combined.
10. Add 1/2 c unsalted cashews and 4 c broth. Bring to a boil.
11. Simmer for 15-20 minutes (until potatoes are very soft so as to cream when blended – I let them get softer than I would for mashed potatoes)
12. Season with 1 Tbsp oregano, 1 tsp parsley flakes, 1/4 tsp pepper, 1/4 tsp salt, 1 tsp garlic powder, and 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast. Stir.
13. Pour contents of pot into a blender. Blend on high for 2-3 minutes, until completely creamy.
14. Pour soup back into pot and add the broccoli. Bring to a simmer to heat everything through (about 6 minutes). Do not boil. Stir frequently. You can add salt and pepper to taste if needed.
15. Ladle soup into bowls.

SERVING TIPS

Serve with toasted bread, potato chips, crackers, or in a bread bowl.

My favorite crackers are Back to Nature Classic Round Crackers and Earth Balance Vegan Cheddar Squares.

For a bigger meal, enjoy a half sandwich along with this soup — my samosa sandwich also tasted great alongside this soup.