"Creamy" Broccoli Soup

While it’s certainly not winter yet and I am hoping it’s a long Fall to get to there, hunkering down in the house for the “big” storm this weekend made me think about one of my favorites, a warm bowl of soup. I used to love broccoli and cheese soup when I was younger, but all the cream and cheese doesn’t fit so nicely into clean eating. I did some searching and came up with a FANTASTIC recipe that is creamy and delicious.  The creaminess actually comes from cashews and cauliflower! While the recipe requires some chopping and a little bit of blending, you’ll have a completely from scratch broccoli (and if you like, cheese soup) that is ready in just about 30 minutes!

Ingredients:
1/2  cup raw cashews
1 quart low-sodium veggie broth, divided
1 tbs. coconut oil
1/2 cup onion, 1/4 inch diced
1 1/2 cups cauliflower, cut into large chunks
3 cups broccoli, separated into chopped stems and bite-size florets
1 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. sea salt
Crumbled goat cheese (or parmesan)

Directions:

1.     In a blender or food processor, grind the cashews into a fine powder.  Add 1 cup vegetable broth and blend until it makes a smooth cashew cream.

2.     Heat a large pot over medium-high heat and add coconut oil. Sauté the chopped onion, cauliflower, broccoli stems, and a handful of florets for 5 minutes.

3.     Add remaining vegetable broth and the previously blended cashew cream. Bring to a boil, then lower to medium and cook until veggies are very soft, approximately 20 minutes.

4.      In small batches, transfer the soup base to a blender and blend until completely smooth.

5.     Transfer back to the pot, add the broccoli florets and cook over medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes, until broccoli is heated tender. Add pepper and sea salt to taste.

6.     Divide soup mixture into serving bowls (makes 4 servings) and sprinkle with goat cheese
(or parmesan) as desired. Enjoy!

Adding the broccoli florets to the soup base

A little goat cheese for added flavor!

Posted in: Clean Food