The last time I had broccoli and cheddar soup was probably about 5 years ago and I’ve missed having it. I used to love getting it from Panera in a big bread bowl and I never thought I would get to have something like that again. Well luckily for me, I came up with this recipe over the weekend and I am so glad I did because it turned out amazing! I am sure it doesn’t taste exactly like the real cheesy version, but it gets damn close. I made a huge pot of it and Adam and I finished it in one night. Even Adam’s mom couldn’t stop eating it and she’s a total cheese lover.
The creaminess in this recipe comes from cashew cream, of course. I’m sorry if it’s getting old, but I just can’t get enough of cashew cream. It’s just so perfect to use in all sorts of ways because it makes dishes luscious and rich. Unfortunately they are quite expensive to buy, but if you buy them in bulk they will last a long time and go a long way. We received a 10 lb. bag about 2 months ago from Gourmet Nuts and Dried Fruit and we’ve probably made 30 recipes using them and I still have more left. If you live near a Winco grocery store, you should look for them in the bulk section because they are usually quite affordable there.
The great thing about this recipe is that it’s also a much healthier version of the original. Of course this recipe contains broccoli, but I also had a head of cauliflower in my fridge that I needed to use so I added it to the soup. I love cauliflower and I eat it quite often because it’s such a healthy vegetable (I guess all vegetables are healthy). Just one serving of cauliflower contains 77% of the daily recommended intake of vitamin C and 16% for vitamin K. Even though it’s best to eat cauliflower raw, cooked cauliflower also contains antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds. This recipe has zero cholesterol and it contains only the fats from the cashews, vegetables and oil, which are all much better for you than saturated fat from animal products. It still has the desired satisfaction as any regular broccoli cheddar soup but without the negative attributes. If you try this recipe out, let us know in the comments below how it turns out.
Healthy and delicious broccoli, cauliflower and "cheese" soup made with sautéed onions, creamy cashews, spices and nutritional yeast.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 medium onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic
- 3 cups cashew cream (3 cups soaked cashews + 3 cups filtered water, blended)
- 3 cups vegetable broth
- 1 head broccoli, chopped
- 1 head cauliflower, chopped
- 1 cup nutritional yeast
- 1/2-1 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp paprika
Instructions
- Add oil to a large pot over medium heat.
- Add the onions and sauté for a few minutes until they begin to soften.
- Add the garlic and sauté another few minutes until fragrant.
- Stir in the broccoli and cauliflower and sauté for a minute or two.
- Add the vegetable broth and bring to a boil.
- Cover and lower heat, simmering for about 20 minutes until the veggies are tender.
- Add the cashew cream and stir.
- Add the nutritional yeast, salt, pepper and paprika and stir until combined.
- Cover and simmer another 20 minutes until the soup begins to thicken.
- Remove from heat and cool for 10 minutes.
- Serve with a sprinkle of green onions if desired.
Notes
This is quite a large pot of soup, so if you need less, just half the recipe.
