Since it is officially the Winter Holidays – it is time for homemade soup! We are taking three of our favorite soup recipes and making them vegan. While it is still a balmy 75 degrees in Tampa, we are all watching the weather in hopes of cooler temps. We don’t know about you, but we are ready for some sweater weather! Not only do we crave our winter wardrobes when the weather turns chilly (less than 75 for us Floridians), we crave soothing, hot comfort foods. Here are three of our favorite hot soup recipes made vegan, low-calorie, and extra delicious. And the best part, they are filled with cancer-fighting ingredients!

Note: these recipes work best with an immersion blender. All recipes serve 3-4 single servings.

Vegan Cream of Broccoli Soup

• 1 head of cauliflower and 1 head of broccoli, steamed
• 1 Tb Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 chopped onion
• Add 1 celery stalk, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1/4th tsp grated nutmeg
• Vegetable broth
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Non-Vegan options: Garnish with plain Greek yogurt or a sprinkle of extra sharp cheddar cheese.

Directions: In a pot, saute 1 chopped onion until well browned in Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Using an immersion blender, blend cauliflower, broccoli, and onion mixture together, adding vegetable broth until desired soup consistency is reached. Garnish with fresh parsley or non-vegan alternatives.

Vegan Cream of Mushroom Soup

• 1 Tb EVOO
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic
• 2 lbs mushrooms
• 1 Tb dry sherry (or white wine)
• 1 russet potato or 1/2 head cauliflower, chopped
• Several sprigs of fresh thyme, leaves only
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary, leaves only, chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• a pinch of grated nutmeg
• Salt & pepper to taste
• To add depth of flavor, try adding a dash of balsamic vinegar!

Directions: Saute onion with olive oil in a pot until caramelized, add garlic. Deglaze with dry sherry and add mushrooms and potatoes. Add herbs and spices. Cook down until mushrooms are deeply browned (not burnt!) and potato pieces are soft. Immersion blend until soup has reached a desirable consistency. Since mushrooms produce a lot of moisture while cooking down, you may not need any additional vegetable stock, which is why it’s omitted. If extra moisture is required, use vegetable stock or white wine. Salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with fresh parsley, sage, rosemary, or thyme (yep, just like the song says!).

Vegan Tomato Soup

• 1/2 onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1/2 cup raw cashews, soaked for a few hours beforehand
• 1/2 cup water
• 3 14.4 oz cans stewed tomatoes (or 4.5 cups)
• 1/4 c coconut milk
• Fresh basil, chopped with some more for garnish
• Sugar, salt, and pepper to taste (yes, sugar!)
• Pepitas (optional garnish)

Directions: In a pot, saute onion and garlic in olive oil until they are soft. In a 2-cup measure (or deep pot – whatever you have handy), use your immersion blender to blend the cashews with 1/2 cup water until it’s creamy. Add into the onion/garlic pot with stewed tomatoes, basil, and coconut milk, and blend until creamy. Let simmer for 10 minutes. Add sugar, salt, and pepper to taste. Serve with garlic bread, or garnish with pepitas.