Vegan Broccoli Beer Cheese Soup w/ Spicy Turmeric Croutons

Difficulty: 3/5 (5 being hardest)
Spice Level: 2/3 (3 being spiciest)

Prep & Cook Time: 60 minutes
Servings: 5 healthy bowls

The Challenge: Vegan Beer Cheese Broccoli Soup

It is gameday or a nice crisp Fall evening. You want beer, cheese, soup ... in some order. What if we pushed them all together and made them plant-based? Get real dude. No, you get real! Cuz we did just that with the latest recipe for Vegan Broccoli Beer Cheese Soup.

The key to this recipe is really that it is two recipes coming together to form one amazing recipe. On the one hand we have a delicious liquid cheese recipe that can stand alone. We have a delicious broccoli soup base that could stand alone. Even together as broccoli cheese soup...this dish is fantastic. But a little beer in my soup always made my day better

Perfect for tailgating, dining in, warming up, or watching your favorite team on gameday. Wow your lady friend. Make it for the hubby as a special surprise. Or bring it for friends and act like you just became a world-class vegan chef. Whatever your reason, just do it! (Nike product placement :) )

So, how in the hell do we make vegan cheese - simple - butternut squash. I know...what??? But yes. I have tried cheese with cashews, potatos, other nuts, peppers, and tons of nutritional yeast. The one that keeps me coming back for more is butternut squash. I adapted this recipe from my pal First Mess to make it more liquidy, more spicy, and more cheezy. And then I though you know this would be amazing to make a broccoli cheese soup. 

The regular soup is pretty simple to make. In all, it is a relatively simple recipe that just takes some time because of roasting the squash. 

Let's get into this amazing dish!

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The "Cheese"

• 1 small butternut squash
• 1 tsp olive oil
• sea salt + cracked pepper
• 1 large shallot, fine dice
• 2 serrano peppers, fine dice + deseeded
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp coriander
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 2 tbl raw cashews
• 2 tbl sunflower seeds
• 2 cloves of garlic, peeled
• 3 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 2 tsp dijon mustard
• 1 tsp tamari soy sauce
• 1 tsp miso
• 1 cup veggie stock
• 1/2 tbl garlic salt
• squeeze of lime juice

The "Soup"

• 1 tbl olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup chopped parsnip
• 5 cups chopped broccoli florets (just the tops with little stem, about 2 heads)
• 2 medium yellow potatoes, chopped
• 3 cups vegetable broth (no/low sodium)
• 3 tbl nutritional yeast
• 2 tsp miso
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp salt + pepper
• 1/2 tbl garlic slat
• 1/2 tsp coriander
• 1 tbl lemon juice
• 12 oz beer (I used Modelo...want a light flavor lager or pilsner)

Croutons

• 1 tbl vegan butter
• 2 cups diced crusty bread (french baguette)
• 1 tsp garlic salt
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1/2 tsp Old Bay (Creole seasoning)

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Equipment You'll Need:

Cutting Board . Medium Cutting Knife . Measuring Cups . Measuring Spoons . Large Frying Pan . Large Soup Pot . Mixing Bowls . Food Processor . Parchment Paper . Pan for Oven 

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Before You Cook:

• Preheat oven to 400F
• I don't pre-cut on this recipe as I do that while roasting squash

1. Cut your squash in half. Scoop out the seeds. Rub 1 tsp of oil on the squash and salt/pepper lightly. Place cut side down on parchment lined baking pan, slide into oven and back 40-45 minutes. Let cool for few minutes.

2. While squash bakes, chop up the onions and peppers for the cheese. Saute on pan for few minutes then add spices from cumin to onion powder in ingredients. Continue to saute for another 5-6 minutes until a dry paste starts to form. Set aside.

3. Next, we will start on the soup as we wait for squash to finish. Chop up the onions + garlic. Add to large soup pot with oil and saute for 5-6 minutes over medium heat.

4. Next, add the broccoli, parsnips, and potato to the pot as well. Saute for a minute or two. Then add broth and all spices. Bring to a high simmer, cover, keep at medium for 15 minutes. 

5. During that 15 minutes, I like to add the cheese ingredients (sans squash) to food processor to make the cheese. Once 15 minutes is up, using a hand blender or upright blender, blend the soup. It should be a very thick mixture.

6.  Finally, add the squash to the food processor with all other ingredients. Blend for 30 seconds until very smooth texture like a creamy queso.

7. The cheese should be similar consistency to baby food. I know it seems a little odd, but it should pour easily. If it doesn't, add more veggie broth.

8. Add butter to large frying pan with bread and spices. I cook that over medium heat for a few minutes while I mix the soup + cheese.

9. Take your cheese and mix all of it in with the soup. Then pour in 8-12 ounces of beer depending on how beerish you want it to be. 

10. Finally, add the croutons on top. Serve hot! Enjoy!