Cheezy Loaded Potato Broccoli Soup: Healthy Makeover Recipe

This Cheezy Loaded Potato Broccoli Soup is a wellness-inspired bowl to feel good about. Normally a 'loaded potato soup' is super rich and calorie-laden. But this flavorful spin is light and energizing - creamy and cozy - with bold pops of cheezy flavor - bright colors.

Broccoli. Potato. Vegan Cheese. Peppery spices + sassy, smoky toppings.

This "Healthy (Delicious) Makeover" recipe is one of many that you will see popping up on my blog as we sink into the (oh so deliciously indulgent) holiday food season.

Two parts to this post: 1 - the recipe. 2 - my fall wellness mission (And I hope you will join me!)..

PART ONE - my soup recipe

It starts with some potatoes. Fresh and pure..

And some super food broccoli too..

And (in a flash) my healthy-delicious soup is served! warm and inviting..

(Guilt-Free) Cheezy Potato Soup. This creamy soup starts with fresh, delicious russet potatoes. Pure and simple. Then I add some super food broccoli and blend things into a creamy, silky puree with unsweetened non-dairy milk and some savory veggie broth. Simple accents of pepper, salt, chili and (plenty of) nutritional yeast bring the natural potato + broccoli flavors forward.

And since this is a "loaded" potato soup, I top things off with boldly-flavored smoky tempeh "bacon" bits, carmelized onions, diced tomato and some Daiya cheddar cheese. You can "load" the soup however you'd like, maybe some chopped chives, vegan sour cream or maybe a spoonful of spicy salsa turns your taste buds on. My big soup bowl as shown has only around 250 calories. Rich in nutrients like vitamin C, iron, fiber, protein and calcium.

Creamy Potato Soup. This soup conjures up the decadence of a cheezy-loaded-baked-potato, but in reality, it is quite healthy. Low in calories, high in fiber and rich in whole food nutrients. Give it a go, and "spoon cheers" with me to a healthy fall.

Nutritional info per bowl (5 bowls per recipe)
Calories: 207 calories, Fat: 2g, Carbs: 40g, Protein: 12g, Fiber: 9g, Vita A: 13%, Calcium: 13%, Iron: 10%, Vitamin C: 147%

Cheezy Loaded Potato Broccoli Soup
vegan, makes about 5 large bowls

2 large russet potatoes, peeled/roughly chopped
4-5 cups broccoli (mostly florets)
1 cup almond or soy milk unsweetened/plain
1 cup+ vegetable broth
1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
½ cup+ nutritional yeast (a must for the 'cheezy' flavor)
fresh black pepper to taste

toppings:
1 red onion, chopped
1 small tomato, diced

Optional ingredients below are not included in nutritional analysis:

Soup base flavor enhancers - add to taste:
for spicy accents: add cayenne or chipotle powder
for smoky accents: add a few splashes of liquid smoke
for boosting savory saltiness: add splashes of tamari
for brightening up: a few spoonfuls of apple cider vinegar
for richness: olive oil, vegan mayo, vegan sour cream, Earth Balance or vegan creamer

More toppings:
vegan cheese (Daiya brand used), vegan sour cream, fresh chives, sauteed mushrooms, tempeh bacon bits -> recipe or use prepackaged.

Directions:

1. Boil a large pot of water + a few pinches of salt. enough water to cover the potatoes and broccoli.

2. Prep your veggies. Toss your potato into the boiling water. Cover.

3. After about 5 minutes, add in the broccoli and continue boiling until veggies are tender. Remove from heat. Drain water.

4. Saute the chopped onion until it caramelizes - add some salt and pepper and optional spices to enhance the flavor. Toss in the tomato. Add the Daiya cheese over top to melt. Turn off heat. (Saute in oil if desired - I just used a splash of water to keep oil free.)

5. Add the potato, broccoli, non-dairy milk, veggie broth and nutritional yeast to a blender, like a Vitamix. (Immersion blenders also work.) Blend from low to high until smooth. Blend with extreme caution since contents will be quite hot.

6. Add a few scoops of sauteed onion to the blender and blend. Do a taste test and add in the spices, optional flavor enhancers and salt to taste. Add in more liquid for a creamier or thinner texture.

7. You can serve warm from the blender or simmer in a pot on the stove until ready to serve. To serve, add tomato, onions, melted vegan cheese, tempeh bacon bits and whatever else you'd like to "load" your soup with. Serve with some crusty bread or sprouted grain toast. Vegenaise on toast is a nice accent too. Store covered in the fridge and eat within a few days.

PART TWO: My fall wellness mission..

October is here and I am so ready for some crisp fall breezes, candy-colored sunsets, shuffled fall leaves, autumn harvest produce and hazy-twilight moonlit nights. And this year, a fall wellness infusion!.. (why wait until January, right?)

Wellness Inspired. Every fall, summertime breezes away and foamy lattes, apple pie, pumpkin decadence and holiday menus galore swoop on in. And with the hectic holiday season usually comes elevated stress levels, less time to work out, eat right and just BREATHE.

So this year, I'm motivated to do things a bit differently. First off, on my blog, I'll be amping up the number of healthy-delicious holiday-makeover recipes available to you all.

And personally, I'm hoping to keep some balance in my life as the seasons change. Nothing is worse than powering through these busy months running on fumes and feeling beat, tired, spent and stressed.

So if you want to join me, lets try to amp up wellness.

"Amping up wellness" will be different for everyone. Maybe you want to cook more meals at home, cut back on sugar, skip the Starbucks runs, get more cardio, build muscle, lose a few pounds, ZEN out, laugh more, have more date nights, spend more family time, take some adventures or maybe just breathe a bit deeper.

So, if you want to play along... STOP everything right now and scribble out a list of wellness goals. Go on, I'll wait. Scribble out at least five things you'd like to do more of these coming weeks. (OK, you can iPhone type them up if you'd prefer.) And keep that list handy - where you can see it everyday and remind yourself to join me in trying to achieve those goals. And if you want to share your goals in the comments I'd LOVE to hear them!

And if you do just one small thing a day to meet those goals - you are on the right track! And BRAVO to you.

Here is my list (it is kind of long..)

1. More Exercise. (Even 20 minutes a day to get my blood flowing!)
2. Drink more water. More water. More water.
3. Less sugar + caffeine as energizers. (More matcha!) 🙂
4. Less stressing + more DE-stressing. SLOW down.
5. More breathing. DEEP breathing.
1a. More exercise (yes, I'm saying that TWICE.)
6. More laughter.
7. More family time. Tech-device-free!
8. Take my vitamins + load up on wellness foods.
9. Get some "Kathy Joy" time at least once a day. (reading, movie, nap, bubble bath..)
10. Dream up more "HEALTHY MAKEOVER" recipes for my amazing blog readers!

My recent Instagrams are proof I'm trying to get there.. (follow me!)..