A Bear’s Fare

When I was still living at home, my mom would make “homemade” potato broccoli cheese soup. The basic equation: two cans of Campbell’s soup. Add water. Stir. Even though this wasn’t technically homemade, I LOVED it.  I would always go back for fourths, fifths, and was the one to always finish it off the next morning before anyone could grab it.

I have been wanting potolino soup for awhile. I didn’t know exactly how to replicate it, especially the cheese. I find the commercial soy cheeses disgusting, so that was a no-go. I turned to my partner in crime. Nooch (Nutritional Yeast). Nooch is a beast in the kitchen and managed to help this poor vegan girl out.

POTOLINO SOUP

6 Russet potatoes, peeled, and diced

Enough water to cover potatoes to boil

1 cup water

1 cup unsweetened or plain soy milk (I think a fattier “milk” would be good here too, hemp, perhaps?)

Salt and Pepper to taste

3 tbs earth balance

Half a head of Broccoli

NOOCH SAUCE:

3/4 cup nooch

1/2 cup flour

1 tsp garlic powder

1 1/2 cup unsweetened soymilk

2 tsp yellow mustard

3 tbs earth balance

Put a large pan with water on the stove at medium heat. Peel and dice your potatoes and start your broccoli steaming. When the water starts to boil, add the potatoes. Your potatoes and broccoli should be done at about the same time. While these cook, start on the nooch sauce. This is going to be thick, more of a paste. On medium heat add soymilk, flour, garlic powder and nooch. Once boiling, reduce heat to low and add earth balance and mustard. When the earth balance is melted, turn burner off and set aside.

By this time your veggies should be done. Drain your potatoes and put them back in the pan. Add the soymilk and one cup water. Take half of this soup and blend it in a blender. Add the mash back to the pot.  Go ahead and add the earth balance, salt and pepper. Chop up your broccoli super fine (it should be quite easy, since it’s really soft). Add this to your potato mixture. Cook for a couple of minutes, then turn the heat off. Add your nooch paste and stir until just mixed, a few clumps of nooch paste are o.k.  Add to a bowl and devour. I’m sure this would taste even better the next day, just like the Campbell’s did.