Dairy Free Cream of Broccoli Soup

This is a recipe I created for my 5 yr old so it is creamy and rich but not spicy at all (you’ll notice I even had to hide the onions), so feel free to spice it up however you like. If you prefer vegetarian of course vegetable broth can be used. I just made my 2nd pot in 2 days because my 12 yr old ate the whole thing yesterday. This is a wonderfully warming winter soup! It is a little time consuming but worth it. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

32 oz Chicken broth
4 c Chopped broccoli florettes
1 Med carrot, grated
1/2 Small onion, finely chopped or grated
4 T Dairy free margarine
2 1/2 T Sweet rice flour
1 1/2 c Warm soy milk, rice milk, or soup broth
Salt and pepper to taste. Also, if a little more flavor or fullness is needed a dairy and gluten free bullion cube (I use Harvest Sun) and/or an extra pat of margarine will do the trick

Put broth, broccoli, grated carrot, and onion in a large pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until vegetables are soft. Pour into a blender and set aside to cool, in the fridge gets the job done faster. If you like to have chunks of broccoli in your soup then remove about 1 cup of broccoli from the broth to be added in later.

Give the pot a quick rinse (a standard recipe would say to use a separate pot but I avoid using extra dishes at all costs!) and in it melt 4 T of margarine over medium low heat. Add sweet rice flour and stir with a whisk while cooking for 3 minutes. It will look grainy and weird but it will be OK, I promise. Add warm milk substitute (soy, rice, or broth), a little bit at a time, whisking thoroughly with each addition. Continue cooking and whisking until thick and creamy, like a gravy.

In the blender, puree the broth and veggies for about 1 minute. Add the broccoli puree (and the broccoli florettes previously set aside if you are making a chunkier soup) to the gravy and whisk together until well blended. Simmer for 5 minutes, whisking occasionally. Give it a taste, you may want to add salt, pepper,additional spices, or bullion. Have a cozy winter, and enjoy!