The Best Almost-Vegan Soups

Cooking, Soups & Such by Shauna

It’s National Homemade Soup Day … and since a good portion of the country is literally snowed-in, I thought it only fitting to do a quick wrap-up on some of my favorite soup recipes from this past year. Seven, to be exact : ) Note, some are vegan, and some are almost vegan … I do my best to substitute animal products for those that are plant-derived, but sometimes I do use a little dairy cheese, and sometimes, a little seafood. But hey, it’s a balance and 95, maybe 93, percent of what we offer here at Gastro-Licious is plant forward. Anyway, enjoy … because theses really are delicious!
ITALIAN WEDDING SOUP WITH GNOCCHI: This vegan version with potato gnocchi and vegan meatballs is absolutely amazing. Literally a perfect blend of flavors and textures, it truly is a match made in heaven.
BROCCOLI CHEDDAR SOUP: I used vegetable broth and plant-based milk and plant-based butter for the base, but I still used a dairy cheese. Mostly because I couldn’t find a sharp cheddar that’s plant-based that has the same melting properties needed to make this soup have the velvety smoothness it’s known for. So while it’s not vegan, it’s still plant-based.
DAIRY-FREE SALMON CHOWDER: While the thought of making salmon chowder might sound time consuming, it’s not. In fact, it’s pretty damn easy and it’s a hearty soup that’s creamy, yes, but since this is non-dairy it won’t give you that bloated feeling the next morning. So eat it at your heart’s content.
DAIRY-FREE LOBSTER BISQUE: One thing to note, a lot of recipes out there use tomato paste in their lobster bisque. I don’t. I prefer it to be heavy on the lobster taste rather than the tomato. Oh, one other tidbit … about the sherry. Not gonna lie, it took FOREVER to find the right sherry. I was looking in all the wrong places. The store has it shelved near the vinegars, not the wine. Just FYI.
CREAMY TOFU-BASED TOMATO SOUP: This version of “creamy” tomato soup is literally one of favorite things to enjoy on a cold day … and when it’s warm out, no joke you can make this and add it to gazpacho or serve cold with a few cucumbers on the side. I kid you not, it’s delicious.
ROASTED SQUASH AND PEANUT BUTTER SOUP: What may seem like odd flavor combinations to some, I have to tell you that there is something absolutely divine and lovely about this soup. Note, I have made it with pureed pumpkin from a can, which is totally fine, but I prefer using roasted butternut squash. Yes, it’s more time consuming but hey, you can always make the squash the day before.

MUSHROOM BRIE SOUP: We follow a plant-based diet which means (for me) that about 95 percent of what I eat is derived from plants. I don’t eat beef, poultry or pork, but I do occasionally eat some seafood—I don’t eat eggs or dairy BUT occasionally, what can I say, brie, Camembert and Havarti find their way into my mouth. I don’t know how it happens. It just does … hence, this soup, which is undeniably swoon worthy. Like for real. Decadent. Creamy. Rich. But only half as wicked as you might think. So give it a whirl. It’s “make someone fall in love with you” kind of good ; )

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