Mmmm… soup. I am definitely a fan. Winter or summer, day or night, I’d eat soup seven days a week if I could. And I can. Because I’m an adult and although that comes with all sorts of annoying “responsibilities” it also comes with the freedom to eat whatever I want, whenever I want. (Within reason… and often not within reason at all. Hello, leftover pizza for breakfast.) And sometimes I want to eat thick and creamy soup… without the cream.
Yes. That’s right. No cream. Which means no dairy. Which means safe for vegans, lactose-intolerants and calorie counters alike.
How is this possible, you say? It’s creamy, but there’s no cream? Well, my friends, let me tell you about a life-changing cooking technique called “roux.” Some of you may already be familiar – particularly if you’ve made gravy before. I myself had used it many a times to make gravy in the past before discovering it actually has a name. But, honestly, I thought it was just a gravy thing and didn’t realize until the last year or so that it can be used in so very many applications. Including the creation of a healthy broccoli soup… that’s also creamy and vegan!First of all, you heat up a fat (drippings or vegetable oil or butter, but of course I use vegan margarine).Then you add in an equal amount of flour. You stir until it thickens. Voila. A roux. Other than as a base for a creamy soup, I’ve also used this technique to make vegan gravy and not-so-vegan alfredo sauce. I believe I even once used it to make chocolate sauce, but maybe that was just a dream… But enough about chocolate sauce. Let’s move on to the equally delicious healthy broccoli soup. (I’m not even kidding about the delicious part. Because I love broccoli and I love soup. Bingo bango.)
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Creamy Vegan Broccoli Soup
Prep Time: 10 minutes / Cook Time: 10 minutes / Total Time: 20 minutes / Serves: 4
Cuisine: North American / Description: Healthy Broccoli Soup / Dietary Info: Dairy Free, Egg Free, Meat Free, Refined Sugar Free
Ingredients:
2 cloves garlic, minced (or 1 tsp garlic powder)
1/3 cup vegan margarine (I use Earth Balance because it’s the bomb)
1/3 cup all purpose flour
5 cups vegetable broth (I use bouillon and mix the broth myself)
5 cups broccoli, chopped (I use both the florets and the stems)
1/8 tsp salt
pepper to taste
Directions:
1. Add margarine to a medium sized pot and melt over medium heat. Add garlic and flour, whisking to create a smooth paste. Wait for edges of paste to begin bubbling.
2. Slowly add broth while continuing to stir. Add salt and pepper.
3. Add broccoli and boil over medium-high heat until broccoli softens, approximately 10 minutes.
4. Reserve 1 cup of broccoli and blend the rest. Add blended soup and reserved broccoli back to pot, stir and serve.
Notes:
You can double the above recipe and then freeze half. Or just eat it all in one day… which I never do. Nope.
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Posted June 18, 2017 (Last Updated November 4, 2018)
Former architectural technologist. Current treehugger.
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Mmmmm… I will attest to the deliciousness of this soup. I too, can eat soup anytime. For lunch or for supper and it definitely doesn’t matter what season it is. Homemade is always best and even better when its made by someone other than me.
I agree about things tasting better when someone else cooks it. I do love cooking, but there’s just something about eating someone else’s creation! One of my favourite memories from childhood is coming home after school to a pot of hot soup on the stove. And, of course, rumple buns baking in the oven!