The day after travel can be hard, and a lot of the time, the last thing I want to think about is unpacking, grocery shopping, etc. (Plus I’ve been job hunting, which is a whole other conversation and task management thing on its own) But I’ve also been of the mindset recently that ordering takeout 5 days a week is not healthy, nor is it economical, so sometimes I have to look around our freezer and pantry shelves and play Chopped. 

Well, I hit the jackpot last week with this soup, and I loved it so much that I rebought all the ingredients to make it again. It’s also totally vegan, tastes really unhealthy, and I bet the majority of picky children out there would eat it, too. You’re welcome!

I’m starting to discover the magic of nutritional yeast. If you’ve never used it before, and you’re wondering “What the hell is nutritional yeast?” like a lot of people, I’ll tell you! It’s an inactive yeast that is a common ingredient in lots of vegan recipes for two reasons:

1. Its flavor is kind of cheesy and buttery and nutty, and goes great with almost anything from popcorn seasoning to pasta to soup.
2. It’s super high in Vitamin B12, which I guess is something that vegans need to source for their diets? IDK - I just take B12 or get shots on the regular. 

Anyways - it also add a great texture, hence why it’s commonly used in vegan queso, vegan cheese, etc. Basically, it tastes like you added a handful of cheddar to your food, but without the horrible stomach cramping that goes with being lactose intolerant. 

Anyways, I thought it would be a great idea to add to this soup, and I was right. I might have given myself a high-five in the kitchen that my husband laughed at me about, too, and I have zero shame about it. Hope you like it!

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 shallots, chopped
• 4 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 1 bag frozen butternut squash (1 small squash)
• 1 bag riced cauliflower (1 small head)
• 4 cups vegetable stock (low sodium or sodium free)
• 2 cups water
• 1 can full fat coconut milk
• 1/3 - 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (or more if you love it like I do)
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• Kosher salt

Directions:

Food prep: chop the shallots and garlic. If using frozen squash and cauliflower, I like to take them out of the freezer and let them defrost a bit, but that’s totally your call. If using fresh, chop the cauliflower and cube the butternut squash. 

In a stockpot, sauté the shallots with the red pepper flakes and some salt in the olive oil until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook an additional minute, or until you notice the garlic smell. 

Add the cauliflower and butternut squash, nutmeg, and a good pinch of salt, and stir together. Cook until the cauliflower starts to toaste, and then add the stock and water. 

Bring to a boil and then reduce to simmer, and cook for about 30 minutes, covered. At this point, the squash should be fork tender. 

Remove from the heat and puree using an immersion blender or a regular blender - whatever you have. Once it’s pureed, add the coconut milk and 1/3 cup of the nutritional yeast. Blend together another minute or 2 until it’s really smooth and taste it. Want a little more cheesy flavor? Add the rest of the nutritional yeast.

Return the soup to low heat on the stove, and adjust salt/pepper if necessary. I served this with some brown rice I made in the instant pot for added texture, directions for that below. This recipe should make about 6 servings.

NOTE: Coconut milk can separate if it gets too hot, so when I say low heat, I mean it. That why I wait to add it until the end with most recipes like this. You'll notice that I forgot this tip, and so mine split just a bit. It still tastes amazing, it's just less pretty. I'll update images when I make this again.  

Enjoy!

Instant pot brown rice: Combine 1 cup of long grain brown rice with 1 cup water and pinch of salt in the instant pot. Close the lid and cook on high pressure for 15 minutes, and then allow it to warm for 5 minutes before flicking the quick release. Fluff with a fork.