🥦🧀 Vegan Broccoli & Cheddar Soup

🧺 Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil or vegan butter

• 1 small onion, finely chopped

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 3 cups broccoli florets (stems peeled & chopped too!)

• 1 medium carrot, grated (for color + sweetness)

• 2 cups vegetable broth

Cheddar-style creamy base:

• 1 cup raw cashews (soaked 2–4 hours)

• ¾ cup unsweetened plant milk

• 2 tbsp nutritional yeast

• 1 tbsp lemon juice

• 1 tsp Dijon mustard

• ½ tsp turmeric (color)

• ½ tsp paprika

• Salt to taste

👩‍🍳 Instructions

1. Sauté aromatics
   Heat oil in a pot. Cook onion until soft. Add garlic; stir 30 seconds.

2. Cook veggies
   Add broccoli, carrot, and broth. Simmer 10–12 minutes until broccoli is tender.

3. Blend cheddar base
   Blend soaked cashews with plant milk, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, mustard, turmeric, paprika, and salt until very smooth.

4. Combine & simmer
   Stir the blended mixture into the pot. Simmer gently 5–7 minutes until thick and creamy. Don’t boil hard.

5. Blend (optional)
   For extra creamy soup, blend part or all of it. Or leave chunky—your call 😄

6. Taste & serve
   Adjust salt, lemon, or nutritional yeast.

✨ Optional Boosts

• Diced potatoes for extra thickness

• Jalapeños or chili flakes for heat 🌶️

• Vegan cheddar shreds on top

• Croutons or crusty bread for dipping 🥖