It’s December 18, and if you’re anything like me, you’ve already eaten your fair share of holiday treats. Between the Triple Chocolate Cookies, Apple Spice Donuts, and Chocolate Cheesecake, I’ve had my hands full (of sweets). So, I thought it was time to share a really healthy recipe! A detoxifying Vegan Green Goddess Soup!
Will this soup actually detox your body? I have no idea. But what I do know is that this soup feels like a much-needed detox after a few weeks of eating rich holiday treats. But before you think that this recipe is for a green brothy soup à la the Cabbage Soup Diet, let’s get things straight: this is a creamy, satisfying, delicious soup. I will let the photos speak for the creaminess.
Why you’ll love this vegan green goddess soup
This soup starts off with anti-inflammatory garlic and crushed red pepper. Then it gets hit with two of my favorite cruciferous vegetables: Brussels sprouts and cauliflower. Brussels sprouts are rich in glucosinolates, which help activate the detoxification of cancer-causing substances in the body. So maybe this soup does really detoxify your body! Brussels sprouts also offer numerous benefits in the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, digestive, and cardiovascular departments. And then there’s cauliflower, my favorite humble vegetable. In addition to boasting many of the same health benefits as Brussels sprouts, it also contributes a creamy texture to this soup.
Next come raw cashews, which bring a lot of creaminess to this soup, making it feel almost indulgent (no diet soup here!). They’re brimming with antioxidants and monounsaturated fats, which are linked with improved heart health and a reduction in triglycerides. Cashews are also an excellent source of copper and magnesium, both of which contribute to bone health (among many other benefits).
Looking to add to your repertoire of creamy and decadent yet wholesome soup recipes? Try my Lemony Chickpea Soup!
Finally, this soup gets a healthy dose of green things: spinach and fresh herbs. As you may already know, spinach is incredibly rich in a wide variety of minerals and vitamins. Just 1 cup of cooked spinach provides over 1/3 of your daily iron needs and almost 1000% of your daily Vitamin K needs (yes, 1000 with three zeros). And the fresh herbs—parsley, basil, and mint—aren’t here just to add flavor. They’re also packed with nutrients.
Parsley is exceptionally rich in myricetin, a flavonoid that has been shown to protect against both skin cancer and diabetes. Basil contains volatile oils that have the ability to inhibit unwanted bacterial growth and inflammation-causing enzymes. And mint is loaded with antioxidants that may reduce oxidative stress in the body, and is also a great home remedy for indigestion, gas, and upset stomachs.
Tips for preparing this soup
Now that we’ve gone through a nutritional deep dive in this soup, I’ll leave you with a few tips on preparing this soup.
I prefer to use vegetable broth instead of water, as it adds a more robust flavor, especially if you use a homemade or high-quality broth; however, if you’re a foodie and you want this soup to be pretty and perfectly green, you’ll want to use water.
For the Brussels sprouts, in order for them to cook down quickly, I use shaved or shredded Brussels sprouts. You can find pre-shredded Brussels sprouts at many grocery stores, but if you want to prepare them yourself, here are easy instructions on how to do so using a food processor.
Same thing with the cauliflower – to ensure they cook quickly, I chopped them into small florets. If you want to minimize the chopping, you can toss large florets into a food processor and pulse a few times until you have small pieces.
Once this soup gets puréed, it gets surprisingly creamy, but if you are looking for more creaminess, add in the optional coconut milk.
So, if your body is feeling like it needs a detox during the holidays, try this heart-healthy, antioxidant-rich Vegan Green Goddess Soup!
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Vegan Green Goddess Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large sweet onion, diced
- 3 celery stalks, diced
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper (to taste, optional)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
- Freshly cracked black pepper to taste
- 6 cups vegetable broth (or water)
- 3 cups of shredded/shaved Brussels sprouts
- 1 medium head of cauliflower (about 2 pounds), cut into small florets
- 1 cup raw cashews, soaked in boiling water for 1 hour
- 3 large handfuls of baby spinach (add more if you’d like)
- 1/4 cup mint leaves, roughly chopped + more for garnish
- 1/4 cup basil leaves, roughly chopped + more for garnish
- 1/2 cup parsley leaves, roughly chopped + more for garnish
- 3 tablespoons freshly squeeze lemon juice
- 1 cup “lite” canned coconut milk (optional, for extra creaminess)
Garnishes
- Cucumber ribbons
- Black sesame seeds
- Vegan yogurt or coconut milk
- Toasted pine nuts
Instructions
- Heat a Dutch oven or large soup pot over medium-low heat and add the olive oil. Once shimmering, add the onions and celery and season with 1/2 teaspoon of the kosher salt and black pepper to taste. Cook until the vegetables are starting to soften and turn lightly golden, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add the vegetable broth (or water) and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat and simmer the broth for 10 minutes. Add the Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, and cashews and bring to vigorous simmer/gentle boil for 10 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.
- Transfer the soup to a high-powered blender and add the spinach, mint, basil, parsley, the remaining 1 teaspoon kosher salt, black pepper to taste, lemon juice, and coconut milk (if using). Depending on the size of your blender, you may need to do this in batches. Remove the blender cap to prevent trapping the steam inside the blender and cover the hole with a dish towel. Blend the soup until it is completely smooth and thick. If the soup is too thick for your liking, add more broth or water as needed to thin out. Season to taste with salt/pepper. If desired, garnish with additional fresh herbs and cucumber ribbons, black sesame seeds, vegan yogurt, and toasted pine nuts.
Super yummy. I omitted both black and red pepper due to allergy. Used half the salt and no coconut milk, but offered it as an add-in. Unique flavor. My 15 year old and I loved it.
Thanks for sharing, Jackie! :)
I cooked this for a friend on a very limited chemo diet thinking it would be meh and it was so good I just made a new batch for me!’
Aw, we’re thrilled to hear it turned out well, Estefany! :)
Every time I’ve made a rainbow plant life recipe it has been amazing. I just got my wisdom teeth removed yesterday and have been looking for healing blended soups and I’m so glad I found this one! I added 2 1/2 tsp turmeric, 2 tbsp grated ginger, and about 1/4 cup nutritional yeast. I’ll definitely be make this again even after my recovery. So tasty and healthy!!
Your positive feedback is the best reward for our hard work. Thank you, Reina!
This sounds amazing and I really would like to try it but sometimes I can be sensitive to cruciferous vegetables- and this packs 2 of them! Any suggestions for subbing one or the other while maintaining the same taste and mouthfeel?
Thank you!
Alexis
We can’t wait for you to try it, Alexis! We’d suggest keeping the cauliflower for the texture it creates. You could try swapping out the brussels sprouts for asparagus or fresh English peas. Enjoy!
This soup is incredible! Wholesome and delicious with an amazing mouthfeel. I made it on the stovetop and added a can of cannellini beans with the cashews & veg instead of coconut milk at the end. Makes enough to feed an army as well.
Absolutely LOVE this soup!! It’s my go-to for my greens in a warm, comforting way. I put extra basil, mint and parsley in and think that makes it just that more tasty.
Your review made our day, Beth! Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and for trying out the recipe.
This is the best soup recipe I’ve ever made. The depth and complexity of the flavor is so good!
Wow, what a compliment, Rachel! Thanks for taking the time to leave a review :)
Any ideas on how this could be adjusted for making in an instant pot? I know the saute plan, but wondering what the cook time might be. I would appreciate any suggestions.
We aren’t sure because we have never done this before and this is an older recipe, but this would be our best guess:
1. Turn on the Instant Pot and select the “Sauté” function. Add the olive oil and heat until shimmering.
2. Add the diced onions, celery, and season with 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt and black pepper to taste. Sauté until the vegetables are starting to soften and turn lightly golden, about 5 minutes.
3. Add the minced garlic and crushed red pepper (if using) and sauté for an additional 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently.
4. Add the vegetable broth, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, and soaked cashews.
5. Close the lid and cook for 4 minutes at high pressure then perform a quick pressure release.
6. Carefully transfer the soup mixture from the Instant Pot to a high-powered blender (or you can leave the soup in the instant pot if you’re using an immersion blender). Add the spinach, mint, basil, parsley, the remaining 1 teaspoon of kosher salt, black pepper to taste, lemon juice, and coconut milk (if using).
a. For stand blender version: Depending on the size of your blender, you may need to do this in batches. Remove the blender cap to prevent trapping the steam inside the blender and cover the hole with a dish towel.
7. Blend the soup until it is completely smooth and thick. If the soup is too thick for your liking, add more broth or water as needed to thin it out.
8. Season the blended soup to taste with additional salt and pepper if needed. Garnish with additional fresh herbs, cucumber ribbons, black sesame seeds, vegan yogurt or coconut milk, and toasted pine nuts.
I used this instapot method last night and it worked like a charm! Thank you!
Lovely! You’re welcome, Laura!
This soup looks amazing!! How could it be adapted for the Instant Pot? Thanks!
Hi Mel, we haven’t tried this specific recipe in the IP ourselves, but based on our instant pot experience, this is what we’d do:
1. Set your Instant Pot to “Sauté” mode. Add the olive oil and allow it to heat up.
2. Once the oil is shimmering, add the diced onions and celery. Season with kosher salt and black pepper to taste. Sauté for about 5 minutes until the vegetables start to soften and turn lightly golden.
3. Add the minced garlic and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently.
4. Pour in the vegetable broth (or water) and bring it to a boil. Once boiling, cancel the “Sauté” mode.
5. Add the Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, and cashews to the Instant Pot.
Close and seal the Instant Pot, then select the “Pressure Cook” (or “Manual”) setting. Set the cooking time to 5 minutes on high pressure.
6. Allow a natural release for 10 minutes. Then carefully perform a manual release of any remaining pressure.
7. Open the Instant Pot and stir in the fresh spinach, mint, basil, parsley, lemon juice, and coconut milk (if using).
8. Use an immersion blender directly in the Instant Pot to blend the soup until it is completely smooth and thick. Otherwise, you’ll have to transfer it to a stand blender as stated in the instructions
9. If the soup is too thick for your liking, add more broth or water as needed to thin it out. Season the soup to taste with salt and pepper.
Hope that helped!
So delicious! I was skeptical because I am not the biggest fan of cauliflower or brussels sprouts on their own, but all of the ingredients together make a fantastic and flavorful soup!
Hi Natalie, it’s great to hear you had success with the recipe. Thanks for the review!
I made this with the coconut milk but left out the basil since I didn’t have any on hand, and it was great! I definitely had to blend everything in the blending little by little. It can get a little messy but the recipe is still hands down fairly easy and delicious. Honestly, knowing down how everything continues to taste so good I have no hesitation trying recipes with ingredients that I’m not fond of. This was really delicious.
We’re over the moon to hear you enjoyed the recipe, Melissa. Thanks for your kind words!
I made this with broccoli, it was excellent! I didn’t have mint either, it’s not necessary for this!
Thank you for sharing! :)