We love partnering with great plant-based food brands, and Daiya Foods is consistently making some of the best, most innovative products on the market. From yogurts to dressings  to dairy-free frozen treats, they’re got us dairy-free babes covered. That’s why I was SO excited when I heard about their new and improved Shreds. The new cheeses are made with coconut oil but have the same incredible melt, stretch and taste as dairy-based cheese and can be enjoyed hot or cold. Plus, the cheeses contain NO titanium dioxide OR carrageenan and are still a great source of calcium!


I love that Daiya Foods is passionate about keeping their products plant-based for everyone - whether they’re dairy-intolerant, allergic, plant based, or simply living a healthy lifestyle. As someone with a lot of allergies and dietary restrictions, eating Daiya is a delightfully mindless indulgence. It's comfort food with a conscience! And it's available nearly everywhere these days - in over 25,000 grocery stores across the US and Canada, including Whole Foods, Kroger, Safeway and Publix and most natural retailers, too!


This cuffing season, my friends at Daiya are reminding us that our Comfort Foods Love Us Back! Between the Daiya Loves You Back video and their new Boxes of Love - how could you NOT feel loved?! They’ll also be giving away 150 “Boxes of Love,” the same talking box featured in the digital video, to fans who share the video on social media. Out of 150 winners, three will win a year’s worth of Daiya products.

Comfort foods are named that way because it DOES feel like they love us back! And during cuffing season (the period between Thanksgiving and Christmas, when everyone wants to be ‘cuffed’ to someone, or in a romantic relationship for the holidays) we have a real tendency to feel guilty about eating the foods that make us feel good. What about instead of looking for the perfect partner relationship this season, you looked for your perfect FOOD relationship instead? One that shows up for you whenever you need it, that never lets you down and feels like a warm hug as it fills your belly. Look, we all love comfort food. But often time, comfort foods aren’t very kind in return. So, whether it’s for allergies, health, environment, or something different entirely - its’s time people finally had comfort food that loves them back! 


This cuffing season, cuff yourself to something that won’t break your heart before Valentine’s Day - and allow yourself to indulge a little! Splurge on creamy ice cream, gooey Cheezy Mac, or even this Cheezy Cauliflower + Potato Soup. It’s the perfect warm, comforting dish to remind you that you are loved this Holiday season! And even better - it whips up easily AND uses Daiya’s delicious Pepper Jack Shreds to add a super cheezy flavor that screams COMFORT FOOD. Scroll down for the recipe!

INGREDIENTS:
2 tables oil or butter
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, chopped
2 medium carrots, diced
1 medium-sized head of cauliflower, about 4 cups chopped
4-5 medium red potatoes, diced
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups vegetable broth
1/2 cup Daiya Pepper Jack Shreds
1/3 cup nutritional yeast
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 bay leaf

DIRECTIONS:
In a soup pot, over medium heat, melt your butter. Add in your garlic and onion and saute about 4-5 minutes, until onions start to turn glassy. Add in the carrots, cauliflower and potatoes and stir to combine. Add in the flour, stirring to coat the vegetables. Pour in the vegetable broth, Daiya Pepper Jack Shreds, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, salt, pepper and bay leaf and bring to a boil. Lower the heat slightly and let the soup simmer for about 30 minutes, until the potatoes and cauliflower are fork-tender. Toss the bay leaf  in the compost.

Remove the soup from heat, blend half in a blender or with an immersion blender in a separate container and recombine so soup has a medium-chunky texture. Serve with bread, fresh parsley, and a Box of Love!

Serves 4-6. Leftovers save well for up to a week. Enjoy!

Daiya has been an industry leader and one of the founding members of The Plant Based Foods Association, and their passion for celebrating delicious soy-, dairy-, and gluten-free foods keeps their products on the cutting edge of creating premium, plant-based alternatives. I love that they’re continuously expanding their line of better-for-you versions of comfort foods so we can keep on indulgin’ guilt-free! They’ve even recently expanded their line to include shelf-stable Cheezy Macs and Dairy-Free Dressings that are next-next-level good. Find them at your local retailer, and be sure to share the talking Boxes of Love video on YOUR social media for a chance to win a YEAR’S worth of Daiya products!!