This creamy soup is easy to make and can be adjusted to your heat preference with more cayenne powder.
Yes, you can make a creamy soup entirely from plant-based ingredients!
The creaminess in this delicious recipe comes from blended potatoes and parsnips, while the broccoli and red bell pepper infuse the soup with flavor and color.
It’s the perfect diabetes-friendly, warming winter lunch or dinner.
Turn up the heat a little further, if you wish, by adjusting the cayenne pepper to your liking.
What are Parsnips?
A parsnip (pictured above center) is a cream-colored root vegetable that looks like a larger, thicker, paler version of a carrot.
When blended into this soup, parsnips add a sweet element to the flavor profile.
You prepare them just as you would carrots: Peel the parsnips first with a vegetable peeler, and then give them a quick rinse. Finally, chop them into a dice, and you’re all set.
Parsnips are really good for you. They provide a healthy dose of Vitamin C, magnesium, Vitamin B6, iron and calcium.
So if you’ve never cooked with parsnips before, we encourage you to give them a try in this recipe!
Hot tip: Parsnips are also excellent when you roast them on a sheet pan with other root vegetables like beets, potatoes, rutabaga, carrots, turnips, and radishes.
Are Potatoes Safe for People Living with Diabetes?
This recipe calls for one Russet potato.
You may have heard that potatoes aren’t a good choice when you’re trying to control your blood glucose, because of all the carbs.
However, in reality what really wreaks havoc on our health is how we usually prepare potatoes: they’re often fried in oil or smothered in butter.
If fact, it’s the fat, and not the carbohydrates, that inhibits the action of insulin in our bodies and keeps glucose in our blood rather than in our cells, where it can be used as fuel.
When we prepare potatoes without added fats, as we do in this whole food, plant-based soup recipe, they are a perfectly acceptable and advisable food for people living with diabetes.
Indeed, they are a wonderful source of Vitamins C and B6, as well as potassium, magnesium, folate and other important nutrients.
And get ready for a plot twist: One medium potato with its skin also provides 4.3 g of protein.
Did you know potatoes have protein? They do! As a matter of fact, all plants have protein.
So you can indulge in this delicious Creamy Broccoli Soup in full confidence.
Photos by: Stefanie Dougherty @greensagelife
Recipe by: Beverly Verwey
Creamy Broccoli Soup
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 4 cup Low-Sodium Vegetable Broth
- 1 1/2 cup Onion
- 2 tsp Fresh Garlic
- 1 1/2 cup Red Bell Pepper
- 2 cup Russet Potato with skin on
- 2 cup Parsnips
- 4 cup Broccoli Florets
- 1 cup Unsweetened Almond Milk
- 1/4 cup Nutritional Yeast
- 1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper
- 1/2 tsp Black Pepper
Instructions
Directions
- In a large pot, heat ¼ cup of vegetable broth at medium-high heat, and then add the diced onion and minced garlic. Sauté, stirring frequently, for 3 to 5 minutes or until the onion is softened. As the broth evaporates, continue adding more, a couple of tablespoons at a time – just enough to barely cover the bottom of the pot and prevent the onions and garlic from sticking.
- Add the diced red pepper and sauté for another minute or two.
- Add the remaining broth, along with the diced potato and parsnips. Bring to a boil, then adjust the heat to low. Simmer the vegetables in the broth for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the broccoli to the pot, and continue simmering for another 10 minutes. Add an additional cup or two of water if necessary, to keep all the vegetables covered in liquid.
- Check to make sure the potatoes and parsnips are soft by pressing the tip of a sharp knife into one piece. If the blade slides in easily, the vegetables are ready. If not, continue simmering for a few more minutes and check again.
- Turn off the heat under the pot. Stir in the plain almond milk, nutritional yeast, cayenne pepper, and black pepper.
- Using an immersion blender (stick blender), or working in batches using a regular kitchen blender, blend the soup until smooth. You may choose to leave the soup slightly chunky, if you prefer.
- Pro tip: The soup will be very hot, so work carefully and watch for splashes. If you’re using a regular kitchen blender, place the blender container in the sink, and then pour the soup into it from there, to help prevent spilling and splashing. Always pour away from you rather than toward yourself.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning to your liking, if you wish. Serve immediately and enjoy!
