Watch out, Panera! I just made a vegan cream of broccoli soup that puts your cream of broccoli soup to shame.
Recently, a friend I work with went to Panera for lunch. When she grabbed the nutritional information pamphlet from the counter, I wanted to check out the ingredients in the soup she ordered.
For a 12 ounce serving, Panera's cream of broccoli soup contains:
- 300 calories
- 171 from fat
- 19 grams of fat; 13 grams saturated
- 65 mg cholesterol in one cup
- 12 ounces serving contains 1250 mg sodium.
Although I wasn't surprised by the nutritional information, I was shocked when she announced its mere 300 calories. UGH!
So, instead of jumping on my soapbox, I decided to make a vegan cream of broccoli soup for my friend to compare to her beloved Panera broccoli soup.
HOW TO MAKE A CHEESY SOUP WITHOUT CHEESE
I used carrots, onions, and potatoes to make a thick and creamy soup base, like my Vegan Nacho Cheese Sauce. To make a cheesy soup base without cheese or nuts, you need a few ingredients:
- Baking potatoes
- Carrots
- Organic vegetable broth
- Soy sauce or Tamari
- Onion powder
- Garlic powder
- Nutritional yeast
First, I boil the potatoes and the carrots with the skins on until both vegetables are soft enough to poke with a fork.
Then, I blend them with the other ingredients until smooth. Finally, half the 'cheese' sauce goes into the soup pot with the sauteed onions and leeks.
WHAT ELSE GOES INTO VEGAN CREAM OF BROCCOLI SOUP?
Of course, two large heads of broccoli are the highlight of the soup. So the broccoli doesn't overcook, I steam it in my steamer for 8 minutes (2 minutes less than suggested), so it finishes cooking inside the soup pot.
Once steamed, I set half the broccoli aside to blend half the broccoli and use the rest in the soup pot before serving.
Once the onions, leeks, and garlic caramelize, I add half the cheese sauce to the pot with some more vegetable broth. Then, I put half the steamed broccoli in the blender with the remaining cheese sauce and blend. Finally, I rough chop it with the other steamed broccoli to add to the soup pot, so the cream of broccoli soup has fresh chunks of broccoli.
My version won! My friend was shocked at how good my vegan cream of broccoli soup is without any added fat or animal products.
ARE YOU A SOUP LOVER LIKE ME? IF, SO CHECK OUT SOME OF MY FAVORITES!
- Vegan Tortilla Soup
- Vegetable Barley Soup
- Vegan Carrot Soup
- Chickpea Soup
- Vegan Italian Wedding Soup
- Potato Leek Soup
- Vegan Clam Chowder Oh My!
- Vegan Crockpot Split Pea Soup
- Hungarian Mushroom Soup
- Detox Lentil Vegetable Soup
- Cream of Tomato Soup
- Cauliflower Bisque Soup with Paprika and Chives
- Very Veggie and Bean Soup
Vegan Cream of Broccoli Soup
Ingredients
Soup Ingredients
- 2 large crowns Broccoli
- 1 diced White Onion
- 3 cloves minced Garlic
- 3 cups Organic Vegetable Broth
- 1 leek diced
"Cheese" Soup Base
- 3 medium baking potatoes cut into large chunks
- 3 large carrots cut into large chunks
- 3 cups Organic Vegetable Broth
- ¼ cup Nutritional Yeast
- 3 Tablespoons Soy Sauce or Tamari
- 3 teaspoons Garlic Powder
- 3 teaspoons Onion Powder
Instructions
Prepare Base
- Boil a large pot of water.
- Add cut potatoes and carrots (skin on)
- Boil for 30 minutes uncovered until soft when pierced with a fork.
- Drain water from potatoes and carrots using a colander.
- Add 2 cups of vegetable broth to a high-speed blender.
- Add potatoes and carrots.
- Add nutritional yeast, soy sauce, garlic powder, and onion powder.
- Add 1 more cup of vegetable broth.
- Blend until smooth.
- Return half of the cheese mixture to the pot you used to cook the potatoes and carrots.
Broccoli
- Remove stems from broccoli.
- Cut into large pieces and place in a vegetable steamer.
- Steam for 8 minutes.
- Remove half of the broccoli and place it on a cutting board.
- Place the other half into the blender with half the cheese base.
- Blend on high until smooth.
- Pour into the broccoli/cheese mixture into the other cheese soup base.
- Do not add the cut-up broccoli on the cutting board yet.
Onions and Garlic
- Dice onions and leek
- In a non-stick skillet, saute onions, leek, and garlic.
- Add vegetable broth to avoid sticking.
- Cook until translucent.
- Add to the pot with the cheese base.
Making the Soup
- Roughly chop the broccoli on the cutting board.
- Add to the large pot.
- Add 3 more cups of vegetable broth to the large pot.
- Stir.
- Cook on low, frequently stirring until heated through.
- Ladle into bowls
Notes
Nutrition
Hi! My name is Kathy, I am a retired high school English teacher & vegan enthusiast and blogger. My entire blog is fully plant-based vegan. I truly believe what we eat & how we live determines our health & the preservation of our planet! 🙂
Anonymous
Anonymous
Anonymous
Anonymous
Anonymous
Anonymous
Anonymous
Anonymous
Anonymous
Anonymous
Anonymous
Anonymous
Anonymous
Anonymous
Anonymous
Anonymous
Stephanie
The soup is delicious. I think next time I'd add less soy sauce.
Anonymous
Anonymous
Anonymous
Anonymous
Anonymous
Anonymous
Anonymous
Anonymous
Anonymous
Sydne
Great tasting Soup recipe…oh so natural…