This broccoli chowder recipe takes just 30 minutes to make, is packed with flavor, is light, and also quite good for you! And without any cream or cheese!
Somehow winter seems to have snuck up on me. I've pulled my winter coats down and my morning walks are now accompanied by a steaming thermos of lemon water and a hat pulled over my ears. But what should I expect really? I live in the Northeast and it's December…
Okay fine, point taken.
Luckily, with the onset of winter, my ferocious season of soup cooking begins. I've made countless batches of my sweet potato and black bean quinoa chili, my roasted garlic cauliflower chowder and now this: a creamy, dreamy, lightened up broccoli chowder recipe. It's seriously my dream come true you guys.
When I was dating my high school boyfriend, we used to go to Panera all the time. Romantic, I know, but it was because I was straight up obsessed with their broccoli cheddar soup. I'd order a bowl of that and get two pieces of their crispy baguette to dip into it. Little did I know, I was consuming an exorbitant amount of unhealthy fats, loads of dairy and heaps of added sodium.
Plus the bread? Yeah, not so healthy in retrospect.
But damn if that soup wasn't delicious! So today I'm sharing my own version of that broccoli cheddar soup, but stripping out the junk and adding in nutritious, wholesome ingredients.
The base of the soup is roasted broccoli and organic potato, which is then blended up with raw cashews, nutritional yeast, and hummus. Yes, hummus! It makes the soup extra creamy, adds a nice flavor and I promise doesn't make it taste strange at all.
You actually probably recognize the base from my Roasted Garlic Cauliflower Chowder which I shared last winter, and you're right. We're taking a similar base, swapping out the cauliflower for broccoli and adding in a bunch more nutritional yeast to give it that nice cheesy flavor.
The result is a creamy broccoli chowder that takes just 30 minutes to make, it's flavorful and light, and is actually quite good for you!
It's the kind of soup you're going to want to make over and over again this winter. I've already made it three times and have loved every bite…or slurp I guess I should say.
And if you're like me and are dying for something to dip into this creamy chowder, might I recommend either my mini quinoa pizza bites (without the toppings of course), or a few slices of either my quinoa almond flour bread or my high-protein quinoa bread. All three would be perfect.
Now it's the time my friend. Time for you to whip up a batch of this chowder, grab a warm blanket and cozy up on the couch to binge-watch your favorite show on Netflix. Or is that just me?
Happy souping!
xo Alyssa
More Healthy Winter Soup Recipes:
- Healing Cauliflower Holiday Soup
- Creamy Vegan Potato Leek Soup
- Vegan White Bean and Mushroom Soup
- Detox Turmeric Lentil Soup
- Roasted Red Pepper + Tomato Quinoa Soup
30-Minute Roasted Broccoli Chowder
Ingredients
- ½ cup raw cashews soaked for at least 2 hours
- 6 cups broccoli florets about 3 large crowns
- 2 cups chopped white potatoes about 3 small
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 3/4 cup nutritional yeast
- ½ cup plain hummus or flavor of choice
- ½ cup cooked quinoa
- 3 - 4 cups vegetable broth
- 2 teaspoons miso paste
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- Salt + pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add cashews to a bowl, cover with hot water and let soak for at least 2 hours.
- While cashews are soaking, preheat the oven to 425ºF. Peel and chop the potatoes and arrange them on a baking sheet with the broccoli. Drizzle with about oil and season with salt and pepper.
- Roast for 20 - 25 minutes until the broccoli is starting to brown and the potatoes are soft (they don't have to be totally soft because we'll be blending them later). Allow the veggies to cool slightly. Set aside 1 1/2 cups of broccoli and add the remaining vegetables into a high powered blender.
- Drain and rinse the cashews, adding them to the blender along with the nutritional yeast, hummus and quinoa. Pour in 3 cups of broth, miso, garlic powder, lemon juice and additional salt and pepper, and blend on high until smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust seasonings (adding more garlic, salt, pepper, miso or other seasonings) as desired.
- Finely chop the reserved broccoli and add to the blender. Stir with a wooden spoon (don't reblend) and serve warm topped with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of nutritional yeast.
Notes
Nutrition
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