Creamy Vegan Broccoli Soup

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup (60 ml) vegan butter or olive oil
• 5 cups (360 grams) broccoli, chopped (approx. 2 heads)
• 2/3 cup (100 grams) chopped carrots (approx. 2 carrots)
• 2/3 cup (100 grams) chopped celery (approx. 2 ribs)
• 2/3 cups (100 grams) chopped onion, (approx. 1 onion)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 6 tbsp (65 grams) flour
• 4 cups (1000 ml) vegetable broth
• 2 cups (500 ml) original or unsweetened non-dairy milk (I recommend original cashew)
• 3/4 cup (185 ml) full-fat canned coconut milk (or sub with more non-dairy milk)
• 1/4 cup (20 grams) nutritional yeast flakes (or sub with vegan cheese shreds)
• 1 tsp (5 ml) white wine vinegar or lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) salt, to taste
• Black pepper, to taste
• 1 cup (70 grams) broccoli florets
• 1 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil
• Salt, to taste

Instructions

1. Creamy Vegan Broccoli Soup
2. In a medium saucepan, heat vegan butter or olive oil over medium heat. Add the broccoli, carrot, celery, onion, and garlic. Sauté until onion is translucent and just tender, about 5 minutes.
3. Sprinkle vegetables with flour. Cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring often.
4. Gradually add vegetable broth and non-dairy milk, stirring constantly to prevent lumps. Add the coconut milk and nutritional yeast. Simmer soup over medium-low heat for 10-15 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.
5. Blend the soup to your liking. I recommend puréeing ½ to ⅔ of the soup smooth.
6. If desired, adjust consistency with vegetable broth or non-dairy milk. Stir in white wine vinegar. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt, pepper, vinegar, (and if desired, sugar if using unsweetened non-dairy milk - refer to recipe notes).
7. Browned Broccoli Croutons
8. In a separate saucepan or skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat.
9. Add the broccoli florets and sprinkle with salt. Sauté until just nearly tender. Turn the heat up to high and continue to cook, stirring sporadically, until the broccoli has a nice brown/black edge on at least 1 side. Remove from heat and set aside.
10. Serving
11. Ladle soup into bowls. Drizzle with a little bit of olive oil, top with browned broccoli florets, vegan cheese shreds (optional), and cracked black pepper. Serve with crackers, bread, sandwich or salad. Enjoy!