Is anyone else a fan of this creamy, cheesy comfort food? I love a warm bowl of Broccoli Cheddar Soup but all of the butter, cream and cheese I can do without. I've revamped your typical Broccoli Cheddar Soup so you can have all of the nutritious benefits of broccoli without all of those "unfriendly" ingredients. That's right, no butter, no cream, no cheese but still creamy! How can this be???? The simple trick of beans! The addition of cannellini beans has helped to create a creamy texture! This trick can be used for all of your favorite "cream" based soups with whatever beans you have on hand!
Yields 6 servings
Ingredients 3 cups low-sodium vegetable broth 1lb broccoli florets 2 cups chopped spinach 1.5 cups cannelini beans (precooked/canned will do) ¼ cup apple cider vinegar 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped 1 medium yellow onion, diced 3 garlic cloves, minced 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp black pepper 1/2 tsp red chili flakes
Optional: nutritional yeast (1 tsp per serving)
Directions: 1. Heat olive oil in a large pan and sauté onion for 5 minutes (until translucent). 2. Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute. 3. Pour in apple cider vinegar and let simmer for a few minutes (until it is mostly evaporated) 4. Add in the broth, broccoli, beans and parsley. Cover and let simmer for 3-4 minutes. Add in the spinach and let simmer for 1 more minute. Season with salt, pepper and chili flakes. 5. Top with nutritional yeast if desired.