recipe no. 3: broccoli cheddar soup

the first time i made this recipe was the first time i ever made soup from scratch, and i was shocked at how easy it was. i was also struck by how simple the recipe was, and it tasted great. i'll share the version i made, but i'll also share how you can make this recipe vegan-friendly. i found this recipe on pinch of yum, and that version is vegan.

what you'll need:

• 1/4 cup olive oil

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 1/2 an onion, chopped

• 1-2 stalks celery, chopped

• 4-5 large carrots, chopped

• 1 large potato, peeled and chopped

• 2-3 cups broccoli florets, in large pieces for easy removal later

• 2-3 cups vegetable broth (i think i did 2 1/2)

• 2 cups half and half (can sub almond milk, original flavor)

• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast

• 2 teaspoons salt

• 2-3 heaping handfuls of cheddar cheese to taste (of course optional for vegan)

what you'll do:

1. make the soup base: in a large sauce pot or soup pot, heat the olive oil on medium heat. add the garlic, onion, celery, carrots, and potatoes. sauté until softened, about 10 minutes.

2. add the broccoli: add broccoli, vegetable broth, and milk. simmer until bubbling and broccoli is bright green, approximately 5 minutes.

3. put it in the blender: pull out most of the broccoli pieces and set aside. blend the soup without broccoli until it is super creamy. i had to do this in two stages because my blender isn't big enough for all the liquid. once the base is blended and creamy, add the broccoli in and pulse just a few times so the chunks break apart but aren't super tiny. once blended, return to the pot and add in nutritional yeast and salt. this is also when i added in the cheddar cheese. i kept the heat on low to keep it warm and help blend in the cheese.

4. optional to top with crunchy croutons and serve!

side suggestions:

roasted sweet potatoes drizzled with honey and maple syrup