Happy Monday in the dead of winter! I come with condolences and a pot of creamy, healthy broccoli and cheese soup.
What, you didn’t think I was done after the first time, did you? Sillies. Once I bust out my immersion blender, there’s no telling what I will do next. Okay, you can tell that I’ll be making some food. Namely creamy soup food. I know you love how unpredictable I am.
Let us take a moment to salute the wonder stick of glory that is the immersion blender. I know it sounds like some pretentious gadget owned only by wealthy midwestern suburban housewives and/or Alton Brown. But it’s not. It’s a miracle and anyone can own one… unless of course you are/want to be a wealthy midwestern suburban housewife and/or Alton Brown. In this case you are more than welcome to interpret at will. But I digress.
Please tell me I’m not the only one who doesn’t like to clean blenders (or pots/pan/plates/silverware/mugs. You get the picture.). I know the Vitamix is supposed to be a dream to clean, but I’m just not feeling it. Perhaps it’s due to my profound lack of patience when it comes to doing dishes? Eh. Probably not. (Right?)
But the miracle immersion blender? Brilliant. On multiple levels. It doesn’t even require talent or skill or patience to clean. Pop off the blade part, stick it in your dishwasher, and then go eat bon bons on the beach while watching the sunset.
Plus the blender is just sodarn (yes it’s one word) good at, um, blending. I can’t even take it. You need to get one. Even if it’s a cheapie one (although frankly they’re all very budget friendly, running you around 20-35 bucks), you need to embrace your inner wealthy midwestern suburban housewife and/or Alton Brown. I’m going to keep saying that until you do it.
So rip into your new toy like the excited fifteen year old girl who’s writing this and get cooking! And what could be a better way to break in your new favorite kitchen gadget than a ridiculously healthy but even more ridiculously delicious seasonally appropriate healthy broccoli and cheese soup described in a very endearing run-on sentence? That’s right. Nothing.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a pot of soup to devour and some Downton Abbey to watch.
Dedicated to Cathy. You need to check this lady out! She’s a complete sweetheart and I so admire her for sticking to the diet that is most conducive to her health, all well helping others do the same. I hope you enjoy this recipe!
Yield: 4 servings
Serving Size: about 1 cup (1/4 recipe)
10 minPrep Time:
15 minCook Time:
25 minTotal Time:
Ingredients
- 1 pound frozen broccoli
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- ¾ cup almond milk
- 6 Tablespoons nutritional yeast
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1 cup canned pumpkin
- 2 cup low sodium vegetable broth
- salt and pepper, to taste (I used garlic salt, and I thought it was the perfect finishing touch!)
Instructions
- Prepare frozen according to package instructions, either in the microwave or on the stovetop. Meanwhile, heat a greased or nonstick-sprayed large pot over medium-high heat. Add diced onion and cook until slightly browned, about 3-4 minutes. Add in minced garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 3 -4 more minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside. Meanwhile, in the same pot, bring the almond milk to a gentle boil over medium high heat. Immediately whisk in the nutritional yeast, garlic powder, and Dijon mustard. Cook until thickened, whisking often, about 3-5 minutes. Whisk in the pumpkin until smooth and cook for another minute. Add in the veggie broth, cooked broccoli, and the onion/garlic mixture and stir until combined. Using an immersion blender, puree until smooth. Alternately, if you do not own an immersion blender and it is completely impossible for you to sprint to the store and buy one this very instant (which I highly recommend you do, by the by), puree the broccoli mixture in batches in a standing blender until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste. Pour into your prettiest bowls, top with cheese and/or an extra splash of almond milk (I cannot express the utter level of fanciness you will feel after doing this), a twist of freshly ground pepper, and serve!
Notes
You may substitute in any kind of milk or dairy product you would like for the almond milk. Use a non-nut milk to make the recipe nut free. Omit/reduce salt and use unsalted broth to make the recipe low sodium. Use kosher salt to keep the recipe kosher. Top with vegan cheese to keep the recipe vegan. You may use any kind of broth you love/like/can tolerate/have on hand. Feel free to add in any spices your lovely heart desires.
Nutrition
With a calorie count so low, you could eat the whole pot. Take it as a happy coincidence and run with it.
Do you have an immersion blender? A VitaMix? A Magic Bullet? What do you think?
I have an immersion blender and a Vitamix and I love them both, but for different reasons. The immersion blender is far more convenient, but the Vitamix is just so powerful. It’s simply a pleasure!
What’s you favorite kind of soup?
I do love broccoli and cheese soup, but French onion and butternut squash are up there on the list too.
With love and spoons!
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