The Art of Substitution
I cannot recall his name, but there was a particular substitute teacher who, when taking over a class in our high school for the day, would write his entire life story on the chalkboard. I picture him in a red shirt, with glasses, standing awkwardly to the side of his cat-scratched autobiography.
He was no Mr. Ortmann, our beloved and terrifying history teacher, our benevolent and brilliant dictator. No, sir. And so, we were naturally predisposed to hate poor Mr. What's-His-Name.
I feel much the same about substitutions in cooking and baking, particularly the latter, since the chemistry of so many baked goods is centered around the distinct behaviors of eggs and butter and milk. When cooking, it's a bit easier to be selective about the recipe, and to choose something that could turn out just as nicely should you use a different type of fat to saute your onions in, and so forth.
So while I did cave and make an oily, soggy, vegan carrot cake with slimy green frosting for a friend in college, I often scoff at non-dairy, non-animal substitutions. For understandable reasons (see previous sentence).
Maybe it's New York City — land of the dietary-restriction-accommodating — or maybe it's my increasing sensitivity to dairy products, but last week, I did something completely out of character. I attempted a vegan version of one of my very favorite foods: broccoli cheddar soup.
Say what you will about Panera, but they gave the world a wonderful thing. Their signature cheesy broccoli soup in a sourdough bread bowl is beyond words — and acceptable calorie counts. Yikes. Given the inclusion of milk/cream, butter, and cheddar cheese in their recipe, such perfection is now off-limits to poor, lactose-impaired me.
But I have opened my mind and my stomach to the idea of *cringe* fake dairy, just this once. And I must say, it was worth the reversal of all my dietary morals. It may not be Panera-perfect, but it's salty and velvety without being too heavy, and the broccoli stands a bit more in the spotlight as if to remind you, "Hey, this is still a vegetable soup, guys."
Vegan Broccoli & "Cheddar" Soup
- 1 head broccoli, stems separated from the florets and chopped
- 1 large yellow/spanish onion, diced
- 4 large cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 3 tbsp flour
- 1 cup soy milk
- 2 ½ cups stock
- 2 cups shredded cheddar or “cheddar”
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- Salt and pepper to taste
- scallions, for garnish
Heat olive oil in a 2-quart saucepan and add onion and broccoli stems. Cook about 6 min until onions are translucent. Add garlic and cook 1 min more, then add salt (be conservative now, and add more later), pepper, and nutmeg. Stir to combine, then pour in broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer.
Meanwhile, mix the soy milk and flour into a paste, then add to pot, along with the broccoli florets. Simmer, covered, for about 15 minutes, until florets are tender. Add the cheese and stir until melted. Simmer five minutes more, then serve with chopped scallions, if ya want!