This soup is perfect for one of those cold winter days when all you want to do is curl up under a blanket and eat a bowl of hot creamy soup. We haven't really had extreme cold temperatures yet this winter in Minnesota, but I know they're coming and you better believe I'm going to be cooking up this soup and curling up under a blanket eating it! I hope that you enjoy this recipe as much as I do!
Ingredients:
- 7 medium size russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 1/2 block extra firm tofu
- 2 tbsp BBQ sauce (the sweeter the better)
- 1 white onion, diced
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tbsp garlic, minced (about 2 cloves)
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 cups unsweetened original almond milk
- 2 cups water
- 1 tbsp Better Than Bouillon, vegetable flavor
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 1 cup plant based shredded cheddar cheese
- seasoned salt (regular salt works just fine too) and black pepper
Directions:
In a large pot on the stove, add in your cubed potatoes and plenty of water. Bring to a boil. Drain when they are fork tender and set aside (it worked out perfectly for me that the potatoes were done exactly when I needed them in the recipe, but if they are done before hand then just set them aside).
Now it's time to cook the bacon! Press as much water as you can out of the block of tofu. Now, cut it into about 1/4 inch cubes. You want the pieces small, but not too small!
In a pan on the stove, spray or pour a bit of olive oil in it and heat over medium high heat. Once the pan is hot, add in your tofu with a dash of seasoned salt. Cook this for about 10 minutes, stirring/tossing occasionally paying close attention not to burn the tofu.
Reduce the heat to low and add in your BBQ sauce to the tofu. Coat all of the tofu pieces in the BBQ sauce and cook for another 2 minutes. Set this aside.
In a large kettle (or Dutch oven), sauté olive oil, garlic, onion, and a dash of seasoned salt and black pepper over medium-high heat. Do this until the onions are golden brown, about 3-5 minutes.
Add in your flour to the large kettle and mix constantly. Once the flour is golden brown (you must wait for it to get golden brown or you will taste flour in your soup), add in 1/2 cup of almond milk at a time. Wait for the mixture to thicken before adding the next 1/2 cup and be sure to mix constantly. Do this until you have added 2 full cups of almond milk (add in 1/2 cup almond milk 4 times).
Next, add in the last 2 cups of almond milk, the 2 cups of water, and the Better than Bouillon. Bring this to a boil.
Reduce the heat to medium and add in your nutritional yeast and cheese. Stir.
Finally, add in your cooked potatoes and let the soup simmer for 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add in half of your bacon pieces and save the other half for topping!
Enjoy!
Be sure to let me know if you try this recipe by tagging me on Instagram!
@nicolesvegancuisine or #nicolesvegancuisine