Simply Vegan Cream of Broccoli Soup

Anyone who knows me understands my affection for cooking shows. Watching cheerful people making food is much more cathartic than the upsetting local news or staged reality television. Cooking shows are an escape as well as a learning experience. The fact that Guy, Rachael, Paula and Emeril are household names leads me to believe I am not alone on this one.

But let’s talk soup. I recently watched an episode of The Pioneer Woman where she made an absolutely luscious cream of broccoli soup that was glistening with cheese, ham and loads of cream. I wanted/needed a bowl of it pronto and went searching for magical ingredients that could mimic my ex-friend, dairy. It turns out coconut milk's richness and consistency does just that. To ensure the "cheesiness" shines through I add a bit of nutritional yeast at the very end. 

This healthier version of an all-time comfort soup will not disappoint you. 

Simply Vegan Cream of Broccoli Soup

Time in Kitchen: 35 minutes

Servings: 5

Nutrition information per serving: 201 calories, 15 carbohydrates, 16 grams fat, 5 grams protein

Ingredients

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

2 parsnips, rough chop (the white parsnips  help to retain the bright green color while adding depth of flavor)

1 large vidalia onion, roughly chopped

2 cloves garlic, grated

2 heads of broccoli, roughly chopped (or 1 bag of frozen broccoli)

4 cups vegetable broth (water works fine here as well)

1 teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon paprika

½ teaspoon pepper
4 tablespoons nutritional yeast

1 (15 oz) can light coconut milk, more to taste

Heat olive oil in a large stock pot on medium heat. Add parsnips, onion, and garlic; cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add broccoli, broth, salt, pepper and paprika; cover and simmer until the broccoli is tender, about 15 minutes. Reduce heat to low; add coconut milk and nutritional yeast; stir to combine. Bring the soup up to temperature; about 5 minutes (do not allow it to boil). With an immersion blender, blend soup until desired consistency.  Sprinkle in salt and pepper to taste.  Serve piping hot.