I have been so incredibly busy lately that my head is spinning a bit. This year is going to be much busier than last year. Lots of exciting things and recipe testing has been going on. I have been working on 3 very special cake recipes, with one of them being for my daughter's upcoming 4th birthday in a little over a month. She wants both a chocolate and a strawberry cake. With all this cake and dessert testing, I have really had to up the workouts, haha!! Not even kidding, at 2 or 3 am you will find me doing squats or the bike or pushups.

I know, I'm a night owl and have a really weird sleeping schedule. If I wake up in the middle of the night to go to the restroom, I can't fall back asleep, so I take advantage of that and workout. It's actually best, since my daughter is with me every moment during the day. A mother has got to do what she's got to do. I feel better and more confident when I stay consistent with my workouts, so I try to keep that commitment to myself, not to mention the wonderful health benefits.

So, with the extra desserts flying around this house, I'm really honing in on my other meals being super low-fat. I always try to keep them low-fat anyways, but I'm super focused lately. This soup sure fits the bill.

Low-fat doesn't mean boring or bland though, I can assure you. This soup is super creamy and full of flavor and yet, only has about 2 g fat per cup! Potatoes are my favorite food in the entire world....as if you hadn't already figured that out by my recipe index. This is because they are basically fat-free, full of vitamins, so incredibly healthy, filling, give us fuel and energy, healthy carbs and fiber-rich, so they are slower to digest, keeping us full longer. The longer we are full, the less we are likely to indulge on unhealthy junk food. I don't need to explain how much potatoes have healed my hubby's gout either. No other food satisfies me like a potato. I got much love for the spud. Don't be afraid of these types of carbs!

I debated on calling this a "cheesy" broccoli potato soup, but it only has a mild cheesy flavor, so I didn't think it fit the title. I didn't want to go overboard on the cheese flavor, but feel free to increase that cheese part if you like. Due to my recent discovery of pickle juice in cream cheese, I added a good amount to this soup and it really boosts the flavor and lends a bit of cheesy flavor.

This Low-Fat Smoky Broccoli Potato Soup comes together with very easy, basic ingredients and in under an hour. Super easy and the perfect dinner without a lot of steps. I can't wait to hear what you think of this soup. Be sure to leave feedback below and you can also tag me on Instagram @thevegan8 and don't forget my hashtag #thevegan8 in your caption, otherwise I may miss it since my feed moves pretty quickly!

Low-Fat Smoky Broccoli Potato Soup

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Yields 4 cups

Low-Fat Smoky Broccoli Potato Soup. Vegan, dairy-free, gluten-free, oil-free broccoli potato soup with a smoky flavor and ready in less than an hour.

15 minPrep Time

40 minCook Time

55 minTotal Time

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Ingredients

• 4 rounded cups of chopped 1/2 inch pieces of russet potatoes, these produce the best texture result (with skins on, 570 g, plus 2 extra cups (280 g) for baking and garnish later)
• 2 cups low-sodium broth or water
• salt and pepper (1 teaspoon salt and 1/8-1/4 teaspoon black pepper, depending on spice desired)
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion (80 g)
• 3-4 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
• 2 heaping cups broccoli florets, I used frozen (170 g plus salt & pepper to season the broccoli)
• 1/2 cup lite canned coconut milk (if you don't want to use coconut, make sure to select another creamy plant-based milk, such as cashew or soy. I wouldn't suggest almond b/c of the strong taste)
• 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast (add more for a stronger cheesy flavor)
• 2 tablespoons dill pickle juice (gives depth of flavor & aids in giving a somewhat cheesy flavor)

Instructions

1. Wash and chop your potatoes (I left the skins on for vitamins and extra texture) into about 1/2 inch chunks and make sure to measure out 4 rounded cups (570 g) and add them to a small pot. Add the water, salt and pepper, onion, garlic and smoked paprika. Stir well and bring to a boil. Once a rolling boil has begun, cover with a lid and immediately turn down to the lowest heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes until the potatoes are really tender (set a timer!) Note: For the crispy potatoes on top as well for extra texture, measure out 2 cups extra of chopped potatoes. You will bake them at the same time as the broccoli below.
2. While the potatoes are cooking, preheat your oven to 375 degrees and line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Spread the broccoli out evenly and lightly season with salt and pepper. If baking extra potatoes for garnish, add them to a separate pan, season with salt and pepper and place them on the bottom rack. Bake the broccoli on the middle rack for 15 minutes and remove. You will be leaving the potatoes in the oven for 10 minutes or more until golden brown. After you remove the broccoli, you can move the potatoes to the center rack to continue cooking.
3. After your potatoes in the pot are tender, add the coconut milk, nutritional yeast and pickle juice. Using a handheld immersion stick blender, blend until all the potatoes are smooth and the soup is creamy and thickened. Taste and adjust spices if necessary.
4. Lastly, stir in the cooked broccoli and top with baked potatoes (if using) and serve immediately.
5. This soup will thicken a lot in the fridge overnight, so you can add a little broth to thin it out if desired and reheat on very low heat on the stove.

6.6.16

The Vegan 8