I’m not a big fan of cold soups even during the hottest months of summer, so for July, I selected a soup that featured fresh vegetables readily available in summer and a quick and easy cold salad. Our August soup is Broccoli Cheddar paired with a tasty and colorful Quinoa salad.

Here is the link for the soup recipe I used, https://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/recipes/a50009/broccoli-cheddar-soup-recipe/

I used homemade vegetable broth instead of chicken broth in my soup. I buy vegan seasonings and plant-based meat substitutes from Deliciou, an Australian company (they now have a distribution center in the U.S.). I added a little of their vegan chicken seasoning and vegan original bacon seasoning to the broth and it was excellent. Otherwise, the only deviation I made from the recipe was using 2% milk instead of whole milk. I could have used oat milk, but since I was using dairy cheddar cheese…

I have yet to find a vegan cheese that melts well in recipes. My family will tolerate vegan butter (in recipes) but won’t eat vegan cheese under any circumstances. It’s a battle I never expect to win until someone figures out how to replicate the texture and consistency of dairy cheese.

This soup recipe is easy to follow and can be made quickly. If you use whole milk, it will be a little thicker and creamier, but for summer I wanted something a little lighter. This soup was delicious before the milk and cheese were added, so if you’re looking for a quick and tasty broccoli soup this recipe delivers.

I served my son his soup in a bread bowl. There was no way he was trying the Quinoa salad and it looked pretty, so win, win.

The great thing about soup is that its always better the next day, so leftovers are revered not reviled. That’s especially true with cream milk/based soups because they tend to thicken up. Just be careful to reheat them slowly so the milk and cheese do not curdle.

To go with my soup, I made a delicious and easy Quinoa salad. Here is the link for it, https://cookieandkate.com/best-quinoa-salad-recipe/.

I made three changes to the recipe. I used rice and quinoa because I had a mixed packet from Thrive Market. I used Champagne vinegar instead of red wine vinegar because it was what I had in the cupboard, and I like the lighter flavor. I added fresh diced tomato because I had eight beautiful tomatoes on my kitchen counter. This recipe is quick, easy, and versatile. You can vary the vegetables to suit what you have on hand. It’s light with just the hint of lemon which is quite refreshing. I will be making this again soon and will try it with quinoa only. I’ll probably stick to the Champagne vinegar and add the diced tomatoes again.

Our September soup will be Tomato Basil with a grilled cheese sandwich.

The Twelve Months of Soup

January – Chicken Noodle Soup and Mandarin Orange Salad

February – Seafood Bisque and Strawberry Spinach Salad with Champagne Vinaigrette Dressing

March – Potato and Leek Soup and Beet Salad

April – Vegetarian Vegetable Soup with a Vegetable Panini

May – Black Bean Soup and Mexican Kale Salad

June – Italian Wedding Soup with a Chicken Wrap

July – Minestrone Soup with a Hoagie

August – Broccoli Cheddar Soup with Quinoa Salad

September – Tomato Basil Soup with a grilled Cheese Sandwich

October – Slow Cooker Black Bean Chili and Pomegranate and Wild Rice Salad

November – Butternut Squash Soup with a turkey sandwich

December – Split Pea Soup with a Ham Sandwich