Toasted Fennel Broccoli, Purple Cabbage and Chickpea Soup

This soup is the most comforting, nourishing warming soup that can and will be your best friend on a rainy day spent inside wrapped in blankets, watching that favorite movie you've already seen 87 times. The fennel is the real game-changer here, and it brings back memories of a good old Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana except this is its cooler plant-based cousin. If you claim you don't like Olive Garden, well then I just don't believe you. And if you never had the pleasure eating olive garden soup + breadsticks, well then I'm sorry.

But enough of the nostalgia, let's get down to the nitty-gritty.

You will need:

2 large broccoli heads, roughly chopped

1/2 head of purple cabbage (any other variation will be just as delicious)

1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained (can sub for 1 cup of split lentils or 1 cup of mung beans if chickpeas don't work for you :)

1 yellow onion, roughly diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp fennel seeds

3 cups low sodium vegetable broth

1 tbsp coconut aminos

2 tbsp nutritional yeast, optional (I like Bragg’s brand best)

2 tbsp olive oil

Preparation:

1. Heat olive oil in a large, deep saucepan and add in the onion, garlic and fennel seeds, stirring often until the onions are translucent and tender.

2. Add the broth and bring to a rolling boil.

3. Add in the broccoli, cabbage and chickpeas and cook for 5-6 minutes until the broccoli is tender (but not very soft/overcooked).

4. Pour half of the mixture into the blender, blend until smooth and season with salt + pepper.

5. Combine the blended half with the unblended half for a beautiful, chunky, creamy masterpiece.

This is a great recipe to batch cook, freeze and eat whenever you're having a rainy day. Or if you just need some comfort on your lunch break at work.

You can top with crispy salted chickpeas, fresh basil and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

Serve with a fresh green salad filled with lots of leafy greens + tons of veggies :))))