Smooth soup vs. chunky soup. Which reigns supreme? Well let’s not debate each other too much because I’m on team chunk! There’s nothing appealing about eating thick pureed soups that resemble baby food. I like chewing, so I keep my soups full of stuff to sink your teeth into! As such, I’ve made my cream of broccoli soup creamy and silky, but with broccoli florets dancing around the bowl so you still know what you’re eating. I know I’ve pleased some of you with this decision, and as for the rest of you, you can blend the whole thing into sludge. I’ll still love you!
Ingredients
- 1 cup finely chopped onion (about 1 onion)
- ¼ cup finely chopped shallot (about 1 small shallot)
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 4 tablespoons vegan butter
- ½ teaspoon celery salt
- ½ teaspoon ground pepper, plus more for seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ cup arrowroot flour or all-purpose flour
- 3 cups unsweetened nondairy milk
- 7 cups finely chopped broccoli florets (about 3 crowns)
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 3 cups low-sodium vegetable stock
- Sea salt
- 2 cups vegan cheddar shreds, for garnish (optional)
How to Make It
- In a large stockpot over medium heat, sauté the onion, shallot, and garlic in the vegan butter for 2 minutes.
- Add the celery salt, pepper, and smoked paprika and sauté for another 2 minutes, lowering the heat slightly to prevent the garlic from burning.
- Add the flour and stir constantly for 1 minute. Slowly add 2 cups of the nondairy milk while stirring constantly and bring to a simmer. Once the mixture is bubbling and thickened, add the broccoli and continue to stir constantly for 3 minutes. Once there is a smooth roux surrounding the broccoli florets, add the remaining 1 cup nondairy milk and continue to stir for 2 minutes. The broccoli should be slightly tender but still bright green. Add the dill and parsley and continue to cook for another minute. Add 1 cup of the stock and stir to combine.
- Use a slotted spoon to remove about 1½ cups of the broccoli and other veg, straining the excess liquid as best you can, and reserve the veg in a bowl. Or if you’re a baby, skip this step.
- Blend the remaining soup in a blender until smooth or use an immersion blender in the pot. Add the soup back to the pot if you put it in a blender. Add the reserved broccoli and other veg along with the remaining 2 cups stock. Season with salt and ground pepper to taste. Bring to a low simmer and heat through for 10 minutes. The soup should still be fairly bright green as opposed to brown-green. Serve with cheddar shreds on top, if desired.
