Soup-er Veggie Cheezy Soup

It may not exactly feel like winter here in Tennessee but that didn't stop me from making this silky "cheesy" soup and enjoying it in this crazy 65 degree weather! Angela Liddon's newest cookbook, Oh She Glows Everyday, is full of foolproof plant-based recipes. This healthy soup features six vegetables, yes, six!!! No guilt here when enjoying a giant bowl of this creamy soup. If you're new to clean eating, nutritional yeast is slightly nutty and resembles a similar flavor profile to cheese. I've been cooking with this nutrient dense powder for awhile now when trying to achieve a cheese like flavor. If you haven't tried cooking with it yet, this is a wonderful recipe as a jumping off point! 

Soup-er Veggie Cheezy Soup

You need:

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium-large onion, chopped (about two cups)
• 3 minced garlic cloves
• 1 cup chopped celery 
• 1 cup peeled and chopped carrots (I used baby carrots which were already peeled and just gave them a rough chop- so easy!)
• 6 cups broccoli florets (1 large broccoli head)
• 2 cups peeled and chopped sweet potatoes 
• 6 cups low-sodium vegetable broth 
• 4 tablespoons nutritional yeast 
• 1 teaspoon salt (or more to preference)
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (omit if you prefer things without a kick)
• 2 teaspoons white wine vinegar 

-Toasted pepitas (pumpkin seeds) for garnish

 Get cooking:

1. In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic with a dash of salt- sauté for 3-4 minutes or until the onion is nice and soft. 
2. Add in all the veggies: celery, carrots, broccoli and sweet potatoes. Sauté the veggies over medium heat for 5 minutes stirring frequently so that your veggies don't stick.
3. Add the broth to your pot and give it a thorough stir. Once the soup comes to a low boil, cover the pot and let the soup simmer over medium-low heat for about 20 minutes- the veggies should be fork-tender.
4. Turn off the heat and remove the lid. Let soup cool for five minutes before transferring to a large blender. Add nutritional yeast, salt and cayenne (optional spicy!). 
5. If your blender allows, I highly recommend letting the steam escape from the blender by leaving it ajar.
6. Puree the soup until velvety and creamy! 
7. Add soup back to pot and give it a taste. If it needs more salt, go ahead and add it now along with the black pepper and vinegar. 
8. Ladle into bowls and garnish with toasted pepitas (toast pumpkin seeds in a small sauté pan over medium-high heat for five minutes or until browned slightly). 

This recipe makes 8-10 cups which is great news because as it sits in the fridge overnight it gets even better! Second day Soup-er Veggie Cheezy soup for lunch all week sounds just perfect to me!

This soup will stay good in the fridge for 5-7 days or in the freezer for 1-2 months. I recommend storing in a mason jar. 

-from Oh She Glows Everyday cookbook-