Sandy, Soup, and a Personal Triumph

I'm in a great mood today. I know you're dying to ask why. It's because yesterday at my cousin's bridal shower, there was about 56 delicious non-vegan, non-veg foods there. Just thinking about it gives me the sweats, but I abstained. This is a personal triumph for me. I ate the vegan Taco Salad Dip that I prepared and the Vegan Mac'n Cheese that my aunt prepared in addition to a tremendous amount of fruit salad. So good. I did have some chocolate, but there was a fucking chocoloate fountain there so, yea. Temptation was high but my resolve was pretty flippin strong this time. I had a few chocolate-covered strawberries and some chocolate-covered pretzels, but no cake, no ice cream [pause for gasps of shock and awe]. I'm proud that I didn't give in. 

That's the good news. The bad news is that some asshole hurricane, named Sandy, is barreling up the east coast. Fucker! Everyone is scrambling to hoard supplies, which takes my anxiety from the comfortable 5 to an extreme 9. [I run high-anxiety most of the time, which is why a 5 is comfortable for me.] Last time it flooded [thank you Irene], the Susquehanna river was about a block from my house. People in this area are saying that this storm is going to be worse than Irene [cue chest pains and hives]. Anyway, we've gathered supplies and are hoping for the best. I'm currently doing laundry and other prep work just in case we lose power.

Heart palpitations aside, I made some Broccoli and "Cheese" soup this morning. I am a soup fiend, which is one of the only reasons I get excited about autumn and winter. Hurricane weather is perfect for warm, hearty soup! [You have to find the positive in every situation, right?] You already know where I got this recipe from...Oh She Glows. Duh.

The only thing I would change about her recipe is that she says to use a large skillet to simmer all the veggies and broth.

As you can see, you need a big pot. This crazy veggie tower is before I added the vegetable broth.

.

Much better.

 It was pretty intense because there was a lot of veggie washing/chopping but using a food processor will definitely speed up the prep time. I am an idiot and didn't think to use the food processor. Actually, I was cocky about it. She mentions that a food processor would speed everything up, but I thought "it's just broccoli, celery, onion and potatoes. I can handle that." No. I'll definitely use a food processor next time. My poor kitchen was a complete disaster.

While the soup was simmering, I prepared the cheese sauce. Although it looks the same, this recipe is a little different than the cheese sauce used in the Vegan Mac'n Cheese.

When the potatoes are tender, you blend the soup [the level of smoothness is up to you]. I like a thicket soup, bordering on a chowder-ish consistency so I didn't blend the life out of it. That's my personal choice. You may prefer a smoother, creamier soup.

After you blend your soup, throw it back into the pot and stir in the cheese sauce. I added the minced parsley to the soup rather than use it just for garnish.

I also added Daiya cheese and stirred it all together. I haven't served the soup yet but I did taste-test it, and it is delicious! It would pair really well with some bread like a baguette.

Disclaimer: I'm not sure how this soup will reheat so it might be one of those "serve immediately" things, but I'll let you know!