Happy Winter Solstice!

It’s the shortest day of the year, and the first day of winter.

It’s cold and dark.  You need soup.

Hearty, filling soup that feels like comfort food.  It’s vegan, so it must be guilt free.  Although you can add back in the butter and cream if you miss them, but I guarantee you won’t.

Make yourself some baked potato soup.  Load on the toppings.  Rejoice in knowing the days only get longer from here.

Ingredients

4 large baking potatoes
2/3 cup Earth Balance non-hydrogenated margarine
2/3 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
4 cups unsweetened almond milk
2 cups vegetable broth
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
4 thinly sliced green onions
10 tempeh bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
1/2 – 1 cup shredded non-dairy cheddar cheese (optional)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Scrub the potatoes, pat them dry and wrap them in foil. Bake for 75 minutes or until tender.  Set them aside until they’re cool enough to handle, and then peel and cube them.

In a large pot over medium heat, melt the margarine.  Using a whisk, stir in the flour, salt, pepper, and whip until everything is smooth and there are no lumps of flour.  This is your roux.  Cook until the flour loses its raw taste and the roux is bubbling.

Gradually add the almond milk and vegetable broth, about 2 cups at a time.  Whip the mixture constantly to make sure you smooth out any lumps.  Bring the mixture to a boil, and cook and stir for a couple minutes or until it’s thickened.

Reduce the heat to medium-low, and add the nutritional yeast.  Once it’s incorporated into the soup, add the cubed potatoes.  Cook until the potatoes are warmed through.

To serve, top each bowl with some chopped green onions, shredded non-dairy cheese and crumbled vegan bacon (or bacon bits), and season to taste.

Source: C’est La Vegan