Luxurious 7-Vegetable and “Cheese” Soup

Grocery shopping while hungry – oh boy. It seems to happen all too often, despite my best intentions. Sometimes, simply being in the proximity of tasty looking food makes me hungry. Ok, make that always. Last week, Eric and I were picking up some groceries at Whole Foods around dinnertime. Shopping at Whole Foods before dinnertime is Trouble with a capital T. I’m out of control and totally irrational. The hubby made a beeline for the pizza and I contemplated buying food from the hot and cold bar. That is, until I spotted a row of glorious, vegan, made-from-scratch soups on the very top row of the cooler section. The angels started to sing!!!

Moral of the story: ALWAYS look on the top or bottom row at Whole Foods! That’s where the hidden gems are.

I was suddenly struck by an intense craving for broccoli and “cheese” soup. Funny how that happens! The jar was thrown into my cart so fast my head almost spun.

Needless to say, I polished off the jar by lunch the next day. SO GOOD. My new obsession was either going to make me broke feeding it, or I was going to try and make something similar in my own home. I bet you can take a wild guess what I did.

That’s right. I got down and dirty in the kitchen. Recreating favourite store-bought foods is a true passion of mine. My version is a bit thicker than the original, but I’m not complaining. The original soup might be a bit stronger on the broccoli too, while mine probably has more squash and sweet potato. Either way, both are crazy good. It made a whopping 10 cups worth, which is so great for leftovers all week long!

Sure, there will be those times when I’m hangry in the grocery store and looking for something quick for dinner, but it’s good to know that I can make something similar in my own kitchen should I feel motivated to do so! Ontario friends, if you come across Sopa Organica Soup line (here is a list of locations), I strongly urge you to give this soup a try! I can’t wait to sample other kinds…

Vegan, gluten-free, grain-free, nut-free, soy-free, sugar-free

By Angela Liddon

Silky smooth and bursting with 7 different vegetables, this soup will keep you feeling great all fall and winter long. The nutritional yeast gives this soup a "cheesy" flavour and I kept the spices simple to allow the flavours of the vegetables to shine. I used Delicata squash in this recipe because you don't need to peel the skin and it's very easy to chop. But feel free to substitute your favourite squash (such as butternut) and play around with the seasonings. I really like a pinch of cinnamon blended into the mix, but spices like smoked paprika and cayenne work too.

Yield

10 cups

Prep Time

30 Minutes

Cook time

30 Minutes

Total Time

1 Hour

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil


• 2-3 cups chopped sweet onion (from 1 large onion)


• 3 large garlic cloves, minced


• 1 cup chopped celery (from 2-3 stalks)


• 1 heaping cup peeled and chopped carrots (from 2 small carrots)


• 6 packed cups broccoli florets (from 1 large bunch broccoli)


• 2 cups peeled and chopped sweet potato (from 1 small sweet potato, about 320 g)


• 1.5-2 cups seeded and chopped Delicata squash (from 1 very small squash about 275 g)


• 6 cups vegetable broth


• 5 tablespoons nutritional yeast


• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)


• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon


• Salt and pepper, to taste (I used about 1 teaspoon salt)


• For serving: toasted Pepita seeds, a pinch of cinnamon or smoked paprika, and toasted bread

Directions:

1. Grab a very large pot (about 6.5 qt) with a lid and set aside.


2. Add the onion and garlic with the oil into the pot and saute over medium heat for a few minutes. Season with a couple pinches of salt and pepper.


3. Add the celery, carrots, broccoli, sweet potato, and squash, one by one, as you chop them. Continue to saute over medium heat, stirring every once and a while so it doesn't stick to the bottom.


4. Cover the pot with a lid and cook the vegetables for 4-5 minutes, reducing heat if necessary.


5. Remove lid and stir in the broth. Bring the soup to a low boil. Reduce heat to low/medium and cover with lid. Simmer for 10-15 minutes, until the squash and potato are fork tender.


6. Turn off heat and remove lid. Allow the soup to cool slightly for at least 10-20 minutes. After cooling, carefully scoop the soup into a blender (you'll have to do this in a few batches) and add in the nutritional yeast, optional cayenne, and cinnamon. Carefully blend the mixture with the lid ajar (to allow heat to escape) starting at a low speed and increasing the speed until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer pureed soup into another bowl or jar and repeat this step for the remaining soup.


7. Pour all of the pureed soup back into the original pot and stir to combine the seasonings. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.


8. Ladle into bowls. Garnish with toasted pumpkin or Pepita seeds and a sprinkle of cinnamon or smoked paprika. Serve with toasted bread or croutons.


9. Transfer leftovers into jars and allow to cool before securing the lid and placing in the fridge. It should stay fresh for a week in the fridge and it can probably be frozen too.

By the way, a huge thank you to everyone who made a donation to TEAM MOO in Farm Sanctuary’s What Did U Do? campaign! We’ve raised over $1000 (and a total of $3341 on our team!) and I can’t thank you enough for your generosity. The campaign runs until October 2nd so you can donate at any time. To find out more, see yesterday’s post.

xo