don't forget about fennel
As we’re deep into soup season now (which I still can’t get over—wasn’t it just August?), I’m definitely taking advantage of testing some new soupy recipes. I wasn’t trying to make this broccoli fennel soup vegan, but I did, and it happened to be a total hit. With how few ingredients are in this soup, you would be shocked and how creamy it ended up being. It’s basically all veggies, with the addition of potatoes giving it that creamy heartiness that we all love in a soup. The cashews add a little boost of protein while the fennel, onion, and garlic absolutely pack the flavor. Seriously, fennel is one of those extremely underrated vegetables that just adds amazing flavor to any dish. It’s easy to find, simple to work with, and extremely flexible. Don’t sit on fennel, guys!
Anyway, I hope you love this soup, and whether you’re vegan or not, I think it should definitely be a contender on your soup season roster.
⟶ the recipe
creamy vegan broccoli & fennel soup
ingredients
2 cups broccoli florets
1 bulb of fennel, sliced
1 yellow onion, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, minced
4 cups of vegetable broth
2 cups of diced potato
½ cup of raw cashews
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 cups of bitter greens such as spinach, arugula, kale, or chard
Salt and pepper to taste
Prep time
30 minutes
Cook time
30 minutes
Total time
1 hour
6 servings
instructions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Toss broccoli florets and fennel slices with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Arrange veggies in a single layer on a parchment lined baking sheet. Roast veggies for about 25 minutes, until lightly browned and crispy. Remove from oven, and set aside.
Meanwhile, in a large pot, heat some olive oil on medium heat. Add the onion, and cook, stirring, for about 10 minutes. Add the garlic, and cook for another 3-5 minutes.
Add the vegetable broth, and bring liquid to a boil. Add potato chunks, and reduce heat slightly.
Cook until potato chunks have softened and are fork-tender. Stir in the cashews and lemon juice, and simmer for about 5 minutes. Stir in the roasted broccoli and fennel, and your greens of choice. Once greens have wilted, remove soup from heat, and let cool for about 5 minutes.
Transfer all soup content to a blender, and blend until smooth. Transfer soup back to the pot, season with salt and pepper, and heat on low until ready to serve.
Top with smoked paprika or red pepper flakes and fennel fronds.
⟶ recipe notes
- I wanted to make a nice hearty soup, but if you want something a bit lighter, you can skip the potatoes. Reduce the amount of liquid to about 3 cups, if you’re not adding them
I used a mix of spinach and arugula, because it’s what I had on hand, but I would recommend trying kale or chard for a more intense flavor
⟶ store it
- Refrigerate soup in an airtight container for up to 3 days
