April 19, 2021 2 min read

RECIPE BY ALEXANDRA PASKA OF @PLANTBASED.TRAVELER

An easy yet cozy weeknight dinner that packs lots of greens is definitely a good idea!


Ingredients:
  • 2 tbsp vegan butter
  • 1 small-medium onion (1/2 cup chopped)
  • 3 garlic cloves 
  • 1 large celery stalk or 2 smaller ones 
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 5 cups vegetable broth (+ 1 extra cup if needed)
  • 1 one-pound bag of frozen broccoli 
  • 1/3 cup oil-free vegan kale pesto * see notes


Topped with:
  • Crispy pan-fried mini gnocchi 
  • Fresh parsley

Optional:
  • Vegan cheese shreds

 

STEPS
  • Finely dice peeled onion, garlic and celery.
  • Heat up vegan butter in a deep pan or dutch oven, and sauté onions and celery until fragrant, about 3-4 minutes. 
  • Add garlic and cook for another minute.
  • Add flour to the veggie mix, and stir for a minute, then stir in vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, whisking continuously until soup thickens. 
  • Add frozen broccoli but reserve about 1 cup of florets to add later. 
  • Simmer for 10 minutes, then blend soup until smooth. Either use an immersion blender or let the soup cool down enough to transfer to a blender.
  • Add remaining broccoli florets to the blended soup, and simmer for a few more minutes or until broccoli florets are tender. 
  • If needed add some more water or broth to thin out the soup. 
  • Stir in pesto at the end, and if using vegan cheese shreds.
  • Season to taste with salt and black pepper. 
  • In the meantime, pan fry gnocchi in a non stick pan with some vegan butter until crispy. 
  • Top broccoli soup with crispy gnocchi, fresh parsley, and enjoy! 
Notes
*Homemade pesto made with kale, basil, almonds, lemon juice, garlic, nutritional yeast, salt. When using store bought pesto with oil, reduce to 1/4 cup.