Fall is here and this year so far the weather has been still summery. And I am not complaining. Yes friends don’t get mad at me…I know y’all like the cold fall weather and all. But not me. Give me spring and / summer all 365 days! I do love the change in colors and all the gorgeous beauty but I like it when I am not required to wear a jacket as I walk around admiring the scenery.
Anyways, even though it’s not yet fall weather (I know I am going to jinx it by writing this post 🙂 ) , soups are always welcome, right? And this particular one happened because I was craving for some broccoli cheddar soup which used to be one of my fave soups in Panera Bread. This weekend we had gone on a fall getaway with some friends and while driving back home, we stopped at Panera’s for lunch. Everyone wanted something light and had soups and half-sandwich or salad combo. And I also managed to get something for myself after a 10 minute conversation with the person taking the order. I bet the long swarm of folks behind me were probably ready to attack me by that time! The manager was summoned to check on the ingredients and make sure there were no nuts in the soup I ordered etc etc. The staff were super friendly and helpful though much to the chagrin of the folks in line I am sure. 
Anyways my daughter ordered Broccoli Cheddar and looking at that creamy bowl of deliciousness made me determined to try and make a paleo version. The opportunity came next day itself since I had only broccoli left in the fridge and unless I went grocery shopping, options were limited for lunch. Thankfully there was some coconut milk left and I started to create this soup. Soup was ready in 20 mins. And it was mighty good too!. I added nutritional yeast for a cheesy flavor. Not bad at all. Then some chicken stock. Some lime juice. And some more salt. I kept repeating these steps till I got the taste just right! Yes it was perfect and it satisfied my soup craving completely. If you try this, let me know how you like it!
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
- 2 cups about 10-12 large broccoli florets
- ½ medium size red onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- ¼ cup Nutritional yeast
- ½ cup thick coconut milk
- ½ cup chicken stock or water (use water for vegan)
- ½ tsp Ground Black pepper ( omit for AIP)
- ½ tsp Sea salt
- 1 - 2 tsp Lime juice per taste
- In a saute pan, heat the coconut oil. When hot add the broccoli, onions and garlic. Saute for 2 mins and cover and cook for 2 more mins. Turn heat off and transfer the sautéed mixture to a food processor. Add the nutritional yeast and the coconut milk and blend till you get a smooth consistency.
- Transfer this mixture to a sauce pan and place on low heat. Rinse the food processor jar with the ¼ cup water and add that too to the sauce pan. Add the black pepper (if adding), the sea salt and 1 tsp of the lime juice. Mix and let simmer for a couple mins. Do a taste test and add more salt and or lime juice as needed.
You could also add some carrots or other veggies or greens.
