Vegan Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Step 1

Chop your broccoli-including most of the stalks-don't throw them all away! Leave out about 1 1/2 cups of tiny broccoli florets for adding whole to the soup later. The rest of the broccoli will be pureed.

Step 2

In your soup pot, saute over med-high heat: 2 Tbsp of your olive oil with the shallot, onion and jalapeno. When cooked lightly, add in lemon juice, veggie broth, remaining oil, cheddar cheese, salt and pepper. Reduce heat to medium.

Step 3

Bake your potatoes using an oven or microwave. Rough chop them and add them to your pot.

Step 4

Add in the broccoli. Remember to leave out a few florets for later use though.

Step 5

Cover with lid, when broccoli is tender, turn heat off.

Step 6

Transfer contents of pot into a large mixing bowl. Allow to cool slightly.

Step 7

Add to the bowl the fresh parsley, soy creamer, vegenaise and soy milk. Fold new ingredients into the hot soup mixture.

Step 8

In batches, puree the soup in a Vitamix or other food-processor style blender. Soup should be smooth-no lumps or chunks. Warning: only blend warm soup in blender with extreme caution! Never aim blender toward your face and always start on the lowest setting possible. Never overfill the blender.

Step 9

In the soup pot, add the broccoli florets, a dash of veggie broth and saute covered for about a minute until tender.

Step 10

Add the pureed soup back into the soup pot.

Step 11

Add a bay leaf and a few pinches of chopped basil (optional).

Step 12

Simmer uncovered for at least twenty minutes to cook out all the air bubbles. Stir constantly for the first few minutes.

Step 13

Remove the bay leaf before serving or storing.

Step 14

Serve with a garnish of 1 tsp soy creamer drops, a pinch of fresh parsley, a basil leaf and of course some shreds of cheddar cheese.

Step 15

Lower Fat Modifications: Use half the amount of olive oil, and substitute the creamer for more soy milk.

Step 16

You can also use less cheese, but now why would you want to do that? :)