Sweet Potato Broccoli Cheese Soup

• Produce

  • 2 heaping cups 1/2 inch pieces sweet potatoes
  • 3 cups Broccoli florets, frozen
  • 4 Garlic cloves, finely minced (12 g, large
  • 1 packed cup White onion

• Baking & Spices

  • 1 2 cup nutritional yeast (52 g
  • 1/4 tsp Black pepper, ground
  • 3 tbsp Brown rice flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp Sea salt, fine

• Liquids

  • 1 1/2 cups Water

• Other

  • 3-4 Tablespoons dill pickle juice-I used 4 and liked the flavor, but start with 3 (just regular hamburger dill pickle juice, nothing fancy, this helps aid in the cheesy flavor and give depth

Found on thevegan8.com

Ingredients

• 2 heaping cups of peeled and chopped 1/2 inch pieces sweet potatoes ( 270 g)
• 1 packed cup of finely chopped white onion (160 g)
• 4 large garlic cloves, finely minced (12 g)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons fine sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 3-4 cups frozen broccoli florets, depending on how chunky you want it (I use frozen because I like that it keeps the broccoli moist and not dry out, but you can use fresh)
• 3 tablespoons brown rice flour (30 g)
• 1/2 cup nutritional yeast (52 g, add more for a stronger cheesy flavor, I use this brand which is much more mild in flavor)
• 1 1/2 cups (360 mL) cashew milk (for nut-free, sub with another creamy milk, I would suggest lite canned coconut milk. If using coconut milk though, it does not thicken as well as my homemade cashew milk, so add another 1/2 tablespoon of rice flour)
• 3-4 Tablespoons dill pickle juice-I used 4 and liked the flavor, but start with 3 (just regular hamburger dill pickle juice, nothing fancy, this helps aid in the cheesy flavor and give depth)
• Optional: For a smoky element, you can add 1-2 teaspoons liquid smoke
• Note: This has a more non-traditional flavor than typical broccoli cheese soup. The sweet potatoes give it a more subtle sweet, but richer flavor, which we loved. If you dont want yours to taste too much like sweet potato, then sub half sweet potato and half yukon gold or russet potatoes.
• Note 2: I used homemade cashew milk for this. To make it, it only takes 5 minutes. Just add 1 cup raw cashews and 3 cups filtered water to a Vitamix and blend until smooth. Thats it.

Directions

• Add potatoes, onion, garlic, salt, pepper and water to a pot and bring to boil, once boiling, cover and turn to simmer for about 20 minutes until potatoes very tender. They need to be almost mushy so they can puree easily.
• Meanwhile roast the broccoli. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Spread your broccoli out and season well with salt and pepper. Bake 15 minutes or until just beginning to see the tips browning. Depending on your oven or the size of your broccoli florets, it may need longer, up to 10-15 more minutes. The frozen ones I buy are always relatively small florets and 15 minutes is perfect. You want them fork tender, but still fairly firm, as you will not be cooking them in the soup. If using fresh and not frozen, watch them so they dont burn.
• After your potatoes are tender in your soup, whisk in the brown rice flour and nutritional yeast until well mixed. Let it cook about a minute so it thickens up. Add the milk and pickle juice. Stir well, turn off the heat and then use a hand immersion blender to process the soup until it is completely smooth. Turn the heat back on to medium and once its bubbling, turn down to low and let it cook another 5-10 minutes or until it thickens to desired consistency. Stir often to prevent sticking to the sides and bottom of pan. If you want it even thicker, you can always whisk in a tad more brown rice flour.
• Taste and add any additional salt, I added another 1/4 teaspoon. Add the roasted broccoli and serve. I added some more freshly ground pepper right before serving.