Vegan MoFo 2010: Day Nine

Day Nine: Broccoli & Pumpkin Cheese Soup (GF)

Just a quick personal plug: Vegan MoFo Headquarters International featured my post from yesterday on their daily roundup! Here is the link: Vegan MoFo Roundup 8: Finger Food. So exciting!!!! Now, back to the blogging...

As a youngin', my favorite cold-weather treat was a hearty, creamy bowl of soup and a slice of toast. Campbell's Broccoli Cheese Condensed soup was one of my favorites, and I could easily eat the entire can! Nowadays, I skip the nonperishables and opt for soup that I make from scratch. It's a great way to warm your home and your belly. Residual heat and steam from the stovetop is guaranteed to bring everyone into the kitchen, especially if you're offering samples! Here is my recipe for an updated version of many people's childhood favorites: Broccoli and Pumpkin Cheese Soup. The addition of pumpkin lends a sweetly savory note and is the perfect addition for the season. It's also free of gluten!

Broccoli and Pumpkin Cheese Soup

Serves 4

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 small carrot, finely chopped

2 teaspoons "italian seasoning" (I used a combination of basil, oregano, thyme and parsley)

1 teaspoon tarragon

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste

3 cups vegetable broth, or water (I used 1 cup of broth and two cups of water)

1/2 cup pumpkin* (fresh and roasted until soft, or puree from a can)

1/2 cup of coconut milk, or your favorite nondairy milk

1 teaspoon mustard

1 cup nutritional yeast, divided

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

1 tablespoon of miso (I used red, but I think any variety will do)

1 tablespoon vegan margarine (I used Earth Balance)

2 1/2 cups chopped broccoli florets

* I used leftover roasted pumpkin

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and carrot and saute until very soft, about 7 minutes. Add the italian seasoning, tarragon and cayenne, and saute for one more minute. Add broth/water, pumpkin puree, coconut milk, mustard, 1/2 cup of the nutritional yeast, garlic powder and salt and stir/whisk until combined. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer, uncovered, for about ten minutes. It should thicken only slightly.

Ladle most of soup mixture into a blender. If all of it doesn't fit, don't worry. Just make sure to try and get most of the vegetables in the blender so the soup is smooth. Add the miso to the blender and blend until smooth, several minutes (If your soup is still hot, remember to allow the steam to escape. If your blender has a portal on its lid, tilt it up. If not, create a gap between the blender and the lid; start the blending process on the lowest setting and gradually increase the speed).

Return the blended soup back to your saucepan and bring to a simmer on medium high. Whisk in remaining nutritional yeast (1/2 cup) and vegan margarine until fully incorporated. Add the broccolie florets and simmer, uncovered for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. The soup should be relatively thick by now, but still viscous enough to be called soup. Taste for salt and add a few cracks of fresh black pepper. You're ready to eat!