Sooo back before I was vegan and before I really paid attention to my diet/had to worry about my weight, my favorite thing to order at Panera was Broccoli Cheddar Soup in a bread bowl.
Now I look back on that and I cannot believe I was consuming 890 calories and 2460mg sodium!!!
I figure it's been years since I had broccoli cheddar soup. Since I had some broccoli and Daiya cheddar in the fridge, I figured the only logical next step was to veganize this delicious soup. Duh. Serve it with an Alexia ciabatta roll or two and you're set, Panera 2.0! If you're curious about the vastly improved nutrition facts, keep reading!
Vegan Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Active Prep Time: 30 min
Total Cook Time: 50 min
4 cups chopped broccoli florets and stalks
2 carrots, finely chopped
2 + 1/2 tbs olive oil, divided
1/2 shallot, finely chopped
juice of 1/2 a lemon
2 cups faux chicken broth (try to get low sodium if possible; I used Edward & Sons Not Chick'n Bouillon Cubes which were not low sodium)
1 cup daiya cheddar cheese
salt and pepper
2 yukon gold potatoes
1/2 cup soy creamer
1/2 cup plain soymilk
1/2 cup chopped parsley
1 bay leaf
Chop shallots, broccoli and carrots. Heat 1/2 tbs olive oil in a pot over medium high heat. Add shallots and cook 1-2 minutes or until they begin to brown. Toss in lemon juice, 2 tbs olive oil, broccoli, carrots, cheese, broth, and season with salt and pepper. Poke potatoes with a fork, wrap in paper towels, and microwave for 6 minutes. Stir broccoli mixture occasionally. Once potatoes are slightly cooled, roughly chop and add to the pot. Remove from heat and stir in creamer, soy milk, parsley, and vegenaise. Use an immersion blender to puree the mixture until few chunks remain. (NOTE: You can also use a blender but be please be careful!) Add in bay leaf and simmer for 20 minutes, uncovered. Garnish as desired and serve. Enjoy!