Vegan Broccoli & Kale "Cheese" Soup

This soup may not sound delicious, but it is. I've already made it twice this year. I think this might be the only dish that I've made twice too, so it's a big deal.

Forget detox diets, this soup is a detox. You get an incredible amount of vegetables in a tiny little bowl. You aren't eating real cheese, so you have nothing to "feel bad" about. My boyfriend made some Broccoli Beer Cheese soup for us the week before, and this actually tasted just like it. I added a bit of gluten free beer to one of my batches because I had it at the house. So feel free to add that as well.

Vegan Broccoli & Kale Soup
Adapted from: Blissful Basil

Ingredients:
4 small heads broccoli, de-stemmed and chopped into 1-inch pieces (you should have approximately 8 cups of florets)
1 large leek, thoroughly cleaned, cut in half lengthwise and thinly sliced
1 head of lacinato kale, de-stemmed and chopped
2½ tablespoons olive oil
4 cups plain, unsweetened almond milk, divided
¾ cup hemp seeds
¼ cup + 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 clove garlic
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 teaspoon turmeric
1½ – 2 teaspoons large grain sea salt, to taste
black pepper, to taste
Optional: dash of cayenne pepper & paprika

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and line a small baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. Spread the broccoli florets and leeks over the large baking sheet. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil.
4. Roast the broccoli and leeks in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until just starting to turn golden and brown.
5. While the broccoli starts to roast, spread the lacinato kale over small baking sheet. Drizzle with ½ tablespoon olive oil and massage oil into kale.
6. Roast the kale in the oven along with the broccoli for 5-7 minutes or until just barely turning golden.
7. While the veggies are roasting, add 3 cups almond milk, hemp seeds, nutritional yeast, garlic, paprika, turmeric, salt, and black pepper to a high-powered blender (I used an immersion blender). Blend for 1-2 minutes or until smooth.
8. Heat a dutch oven or large stock pot over medium-low heat. Add the almond milk soup base to the pot.
9. While the soup base starts to cook, add the broccoli, leeks, kale, and 1 cup almond milk to a very high-powered blender or food processor (again, I used an immersion blender) and process until as smooth as possible. This will take 10 minutes or so — patience is a soup-making virtue!
10. Pour the blended broccoli mixture into the pot and whisk into the almond milk mixture.
11. Add in a pinch of cayenne if desired, and simmer for 15 minutes.
12. You may need to use an immersion blender to get the soup as smooth as desired.
13. Serve and enjoy. (It's great with corn bread!)

Athens Farmers' Market

Farmers' Markets are amazing. Period. It is a dietitian's Chuck-E-Cheese. That might be a poor reference... those things are creepy. Athens has a really great farmers' market on Saturdays that I haven't been able to go to, but I go on Wednesdays instead. It is smaller but still fantastic.

Farmers' Markets are great because you are supporting local farmers, therefore, your city or town. At most Farmers' Markets, you can find vendors who are Certified Organic or Certified Naturally Grown, which means you know how they are treating your foods and they are not genetically modified. Another great thing to note is that you get more nutrients from foods that spend less time from when they are picked until you cook them. At grocery stores, most of the food has traveled a long way to make it onto your shelves, so their nutrient content has decreased. This is not usually the case at farmers' markets; they pick their food that day or maybe the day before. So, seriously, go check out your local farmers' market. Odds are that there is one near you or maybe you grow your own, which is even more awesome.

And here is what I came home with the first time I went to the market. Lacinato Kale, shiitake mushrooms, mint, and gomacio (a Japanese seasoning made of sesame seeds, garlic, dried seaweed, dried kale, and black pepper).

The second time I went, I came home with onions, radishes, lacinato kale, and the most delicious strawberries I've ever had. 

It's so exciting to know that your food is nutrient rich, where it came from, and that it's healthy for you. You feel good about what you are eating, which should honestly happen every time we eat. 

Another thing to note is that Farmers' Markets usually have some type of ethically and pasture-raised, hormone-free meats there too! They are always a great price and taste incredible. I picked up some grass-fed ground beef and pasture-raised groud pork when I was there too.

Enjoy the experience!

xoxo Britney