Homemade Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Photo: Lindsey

Ingredients

8 cups raw broccoli, florets and stalk, chopped

1 shallot, chopped

1 lemon, juiced

3 cups vegetable broth

1 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon salt

1 small red onion, chopped

1 cup plain yogurt

3 cups Yukon Gold potatoes, rough chop (skin on)

1 cup parsley

1 bay leaf

1/2 cup olive oil

1 cup almond milk, plain flavor

1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Preparation

In your soup pot, saute over med-high heat: 2 Tbsp of your olive oil with the shallot, onion and jalapeno. When cooked lightly, add in lemon juice, veggie broth, remaining oil, salt and pepper. Reduce heat to medium. Add Potatoes and bring broth to a boil. Cook until potatoes are tender.

Add chopped Broccoli (florets and steams). Remember to leave out a few florets for later use though.Cover with lid, when broccoli is tender, turn heat off.

Transfer contents of pot into a large mixing bowl. Allow to cool slightly. Add to the bowl the fresh parsley, Chobani and almond milk. Fold new ingredients into the hot soup mixture.

In batches, puree the soup in a food-processor (maybe someday soon, a Vitamix!) style blender. Soup should be smooth-no lumps or chunks. In the soup pot, add the broccoli florets, a dash of veggie broth and saute covered for about a minute until tender. Add the pureed soup back into the soup pot. Add a bay leaf and a few pinches of chopped basil (optional). Simmer uncovered for at least twenty minutes to cook out all the air bubbles. Stir constantly for the first few minutes. Remove the bay leaf before serving or storing.