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Creamy Vegan Broccoli Avocado Soup & Five Foodie New Years Resolutions

Creamy Vegan Broccoli Soup

Five New Year Food Resolutions to Make

 

Let’s stop vowing to cut things out of our lives at then beginning of each year, and start promising ourselves we’ll add some great things in.

Can’t we all just agree that those “I’m going to lose weight/stop eating sugar/give up carbs/cut out coffee” resolutions are just going to leave us feeling hungry, guilty and eventually shameful when they go enormously ignored about the second week in January?

Maybe you have a bigger capacity for restraint than I do, or a higher guilt threshold, but I gave up those types of personal promises years ago. Although I do still love a good resolution and tend to make them year round.

How about we agree to ADD things to our lives instead of taking away? There is something about making a decision to add something great to our world that just reminds us what an amazing life we have ahead of us. And adding greatness has a way of pushing out some of those not as great things.

Let’s give it a try.

Here are my favorite food resolutions, all about adding more amazingness, not about taking things away.

 

1.Start a food tradition: Maybe a once a month Sunday Supper with your family, or a quarterly Food Friends Pot Luck, or even just New Recipe Wednesday where you try a new dish. Food traditions are memories that you’ll be glad you made.

2. Read more food lit. Chefs have written most of the best books I’ve read over the past year. There is something about knowing the back story of food, and those who have created it, that give you a deeper connection to the food world.  Plus, food people tend to read food books, it’s an instant conversation starter when you meet a food writer or a chef. My recommendations: Yes Chef, Marcus Samuelson;  Blood, Bones & Butter, Gabrielle Hamilton; Tender at the Bone: Growing Up at the Table,  Ruth Reichl, Kitchen Confidential, Anthony Bourdain.

3. Join a CSA or other Organic Produce Delivery Program. Before my recent move, I got a box of organic produce delivered to my doorstep every Wednesday from Love Delivery. Mostly local, in season and very fresh fruits and vegetables. This also gets you to eat more good stuff, because it’s there. And you hate to waste it.  Supporting local farmers and eating healthier, it’s a total win. There are several in most cities and states, consult Google for ones in your area.

4. Try New Foods. This is for the picky eaters. Pick one new food a month and cook it, and eat it. Or, order that one thing on the menu that you would never normally eat. After a year you’ll have 12 foods that you never otherwise would have tried. And I’m going to bet you a batch of cookies that you will be surprised at how much you like at least one of those new foods.

5. Master A Recipe or Technique. Maybe you’ve always wanted to learn to make a soufflé, or homemade pasta. What better resolution to make than the acquisition of culinary knowledge you can someday pass down to future generations? Just go into assuming that the first time may not be a huge success, and by that I mean don’t plan an entire dinner party around skills you haven’t acquired just to end up in tears when your husband has to have pizza delivered. It will probably go fine, and you will probably post the results on Facebook (yay!), but take it slow and know that to master a technique takes a lot of practice, each time you try it you’ll learn something new.

 

One of my resolutions is to explore vegan cooking more, even though I have no plans to give up meat or dairy. There really isn’t any arguing with the fact that produce is the best thing you can put in your body. The more I focus on the beautiful flavors of fruits and vegetables, without using meat and dairy as a crutch, the better my cooking becomes over all.

Here is a vegan soup, inspired by this Bon Appetite recipe. Without garnishes, it’s about 170 calories a serving.

Here is a How To Roast Red Peppers post by Kitchen Treaty. If you are going to use them right away, you can skip the oil and the jar.

Creamy Vegan Broccoli Soup2

Creamy Vegan Broccoli Avocado Soup

Ingredients

  • 1 tbs olive oil
  • 1 shallot, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 4 cups low sodium vegetable stock
  • 1 large red potato, peeled and chopped
  • 6 cups chopped broccoli florets
  • ½ to 2 cups water
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp onion powder
  • ½ tsp black pepper
  • pinch chili powder
  • 1 tbs fresh lemon juice
  • 1 lage avocado, diced
  • 1 red pepper, roasted, cut into strips

Instructions

  1. In a stock pot or Dutch oven heat the oil. Add the shallots and cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and stir. Add the vegetable stock and potatoes, cooking until the potatoes are almost soft, about 10 minutes. Add the broccoli and cook until the broccoli and potatoes are both tender, about 5-8 minutes. Using an emersion blender, puree until smooth. Add water, if desired, to thin to desired consistency. Add spices and lemon juice.
  2. Garnish with avocados and red peppers prior to serving.

If you want to know how I made the garnishes "float" on top of the soup for the picture, check this out.

Creamy Vegan Broccoli Soup3

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Comments


Averie @ Averie Cooks December 27, 2012 um 6:46 am

Ive been a lifelong vegetarian or vegan, depending on the stage of life and where I’m at with things, but either way, I think it’s great that you’re exploring more vegan cooking.

And those books you listed – I love all those chefs and need to read them. I read cookbooks like novels so food lit is right up my alley!

Reply

Jackie December 27, 2012 um 9:03 am

Thanks Averie! I was vegetarian for about 3 years, and it was a great experience and taught me a lot about how to celebrate produce in cooking rather than just use it as a filler, which a lot of meat eaters tend to do.

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Natalie @ The Devil Wears Parsley December 27, 2012 um 7:39 am

I love the "floating" trick! Though I did sit down and make a resolution list just last night, I couldn’t agree more with you about adding things.

I’ve been thinking about traditions lately, and while I like certain traditions, I’m not too fond of others. For instance, my husband and I aren’t too hot on turkey, so I’m thinking of making it a tradition to roast another meat besides turkey for Thanksgiving. We’ll see how that goes… 🙂 The family wasn’t to fond of the "turkey-less" Thanksgiving this year.

Reply

Jackie December 27, 2012 um 9:05 am

I’m not a fan of turkey either, the beer brine seem to be the best for me. My husband and I are trying to make some new traditions as well, neither of us really grew up with any.

Reply

chinmayie @ love food eat December 27, 2012 um 8:21 am

Lovely soup! December I totally the season of soup for me.
I like the sound of your new years resolution and I totally agree with you on including new things instead of giving up things.

Reply

Jackie December 27, 2012 um 9:06 am

Thanks! I love soup, I could eat it every day.

Reply

Julie @ Table for Two December 27, 2012 um 9:01 am

your resolutions are 10 times better than what i could ever come up with! ps – i love that bowl!!! and i love the contents in the bowl even more!!

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Julie @ Table for Two December 27, 2012 um 9:04 am

oh and ONE question about that floating potato thing..so in soups, you put the potato in and then the soup on top – do you put the toppings on the potato and that’s how it stays afloat or what causes the toppings to stay afloat? is it cause the potato is taking up a ton of space so that’s why the toppings "float" ? haha i bet this question makes no sense whatsoever.

Reply

Jackie December 27, 2012 um 9:08 am

I put the potato in the bowl and then fill it with soup to just barely cover the potato, so the garnishes are resting on top of the potato that is just barely under the surface. Sometimes the soup doesn’t even fully cover the potato, I just use the garnishes to cover it up so you don’t see it.

Reply

Chung-Ah | Damn Delicious December 27, 2012 um 9:58 am

Yes, adding things for 2013 is a must! An Organic Produce Delivery Program has been on my bucket list for years – definitely have to try it in January. And this soup – yeah, I need to add this to my life ASAP!

Reply

Jackie December 27, 2012 um 5:37 pm

You should do it! Love delivery is out of Venice, really great company

Reply

Cassie | Bake Your Day December 27, 2012 um 10:06 am

I love you list of resolutions and completely agree with you! I love this soup! I have done a lot of exploring into vegan cooking this year and we love it! It’s a great break from the norm!

Reply

Jackie December 27, 2012 um 5:38 pm

I agree, I always feel better when I take a vegan day or two.

Reply

Anna @ Crunchy Creamy Sweet December 27, 2012 um 10:38 am

I haven’t had avocado anything since one time during my second pregnancy. Oh my, it was not good! lol I should totally try your soup – it looks creamy and delicious! Your resolution list is so much better than the "cut it out of my life" list we all tend to make. PS: As soon as I saw the picture – I remembered your potato trick! So cool!

Reply

Jackie December 27, 2012 um 5:39 pm

I was that way with bananas, ever since I was pregnant, I can even stand the smell.

Reply

Bree December 27, 2012 um 12:19 pm

I love your take on ny resolutions!

Reply

Fahima December 27, 2012 um 2:10 pm

I stumbled on this blog on Food Gawker and what a great, positive post! I love your attitude and this soup looks awesome! Can’t wait to try.

Fahima

Reply

Jackie December 27, 2012 um 5:39 pm

Thank you so much Fahima! So sweet of you to say 🙂

Reply

Marilyn Adams December 27, 2012 um 2:34 pm

I wans’t going to make a resolution because I hate them because I always feel bad. I like your ideas so much more!

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Kiersten @ Oh My Veggies December 27, 2012 um 4:25 pm

Last year one of my resolutions was to cut down on dairy and I did it–I only eat dairy a few days a week now. I think there’s a lot of all-or-nothing attitude about veganism and I wish it wasn’t that way!

Reply

Jackie December 27, 2012 um 5:41 pm

I agree, and it just devalues vegan food. Even though I started eating meat again about 6 years ago, I still eat vegan about once a week. Such a great way to remember all of the amazing qualities that produce has to offer.

Reply

Jess Brand December 27, 2012 um 11:06 pm

I love reading your blog. You seem to always inspire me 🙂 and I love this soup!

Reply

claire @ the realistic nutritionist December 28, 2012 um 5:20 am

Oh i love this!! and all of your resolutions! 🙂

Reply

RavieNomNoms December 28, 2012 um 5:26 am

Saw this on Pinterest and it just looks SO good! WOW. I would have 2 bowls of this down in no time flat!

Reply

Ashley – Baker by Nature December 29, 2012 um 9:42 am

Whoa, Jackie! This looks amazing! You have a gift at making any soup look gorgeous.

Reply

Valerie @ From Valerie’s Kitchen December 30, 2012 um 5:17 pm

I totally agree. It’s all about balance and after the holidays it’s definitely time for a soup like this! My vegan sis just came for a visit and I’m always inspired by the dishes she makes. I’m going to share this one with her.

Happy New Year Jackie!

Reply

Chad December 31, 2012 um 3:12 pm

Hey this soup looks awesome!! Your avocado is a funny color though!

Reply

val January 1, 2013 um 12:39 pm

This looks so incredibly delicious. Happy New Year!

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Carrie @ Bakeaholic Mama January 2, 2013 um 5:54 am

You have me hooked on broccoli/avocado combos now! I am making this!!!

Reply

cat January 2, 2013 um 8:18 am

Oh my goodness! a tremendous soup

Reply

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Reply

anita menon January 22, 2013 um 6:12 am

Beautiful resolutions and they would definitely 'add' something to enrich our beautiful lives. The soup is a heart warmer

Reply

karen January 23, 2013 um 11:34 am

I love this! I was looking for a broccoli soup that didn’t have dairy. I added a bunch of chopped avocado and I loved the creamyness.

Reply

a farmer in the dell February 22, 2013 um 11:06 am

I LOVE broccoli soup. The addition of avocado is brilliant. I’m totally making your version soon!

Reply

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