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Vegan Cream of Broccoli Soup (Grinch Soup ;)

Velvety, creamy, and silky broccoli soup made easier than ever! This recipe is adapted from chef Gordon Ramsay's broccoli soup recipe - I made it vegan and added my own flavor flairs. But even with my added flavors you still only need FIVE ingredients and that's counting the salt! Beauty is in simplicity is true.


When I first came across Gordon Ramsay's broccoli soup I was honestly shocked that he used only two things - blanched broccoli and the water it boiled in! Oh and some salt. That's it! It sounded like a warm green smoothie so I was skeptical until I tried it out of curiosity, wow the simple yet rich flavor, and the perfect dreamy texture, I was speechless.


There's something so beautiful about maximizing and appreciating the natural flavors and textures in very, very, simple ingredients. Being a vegan/plant-based eater myself I thought I know and love my veggies enough but this recipe truly took my appreciation of broccoli to a whole new level.


The only thing that wasn't vegan in chef Ramsay's original recipe was that he added goat cheese to the bowl when he was plating the soup. The goat cheese, according to him, adds creamy savory flavors and also thickens the soup as it melts. So I added some miso and my personal holy grail - roasted whole garlic to give this soup that depth of flavor and it turned out soooo good.


The vibrant green color is also super appetizing and perfect for Christmas! And I know Christmas dinner must be stressful enough for you so this is a no-hassle super easy boil-and-blend kind of recipe! If you try it please tag me on Instagram and Tiktok I'd love to see them!


INGREDIENTS:

1 pound broccoli florets
2 heads of whole garlic
1 teaspoon white miso paste
1 1/2 cup broccoli water
Olive oil
Salt

TO MAKE:

- Preheat the oven to 395°F;
- Trim off the roots of the garlic head and expose each individual clove;
- Drizzle on some olive oil and rub it evenly on the cut surface, wrap in aluminum foil and roast for about 45 minutes, until soft and gooey and slightly browned;
- Meanwhile, cut off the florets of the broccoli, save the very thick stem for another dish;
- Add a small pinch of salt to a pot of water and bring to a rapid boil over high heat, add in the broccoli, sprinkle another small pinch of salt on top;
- Then cover with the lid immediately and try to bring to a boil again quickly, rapid and quick heat can preserve the lovely green color!
- Let them boil and cook for about 3 1/2 minutes, pick out a piece and if a fork can easily go through then they're done, turn off heat and stop boiling immediately;
- Drain out the florets and transfer to a blender, SAVE THE WATER!
- Add 1 1/2 cup of the green water you just cooked the broccoli in into the blender, along with the miso paste;
- Blend on high speed till velvety smooth;
- Be careful not to burn yourself with the steam but please make sure you blend the while they're still hot! If blended when cold the soup would become gritty and not nearly as smooth;
- When the garlic heads are done roasting, squeeze out the gooey cloves and add to the blender;
- Blend until well mixed in and silky smooth again;
- Garnish with a drizzle of olive oil, I also added a drizzle of coconut cream and a piece of broccoli in the center, enjoy!

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