Dairy-Free "Cheesy" Broccoli Soup

| Yield: 6-8 servings | Time: 35 minutes |

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, more for drizzling

1 yellow onion, diced

1 stalk celery, chopped

1 medium-large carrot, chopped

1 lb. broccoli, stems peeled and diced, florets chopped

1 small yukon gold potato, diced (1 cup)

3 garlic cloves, minced

4 cups vegetable broth

1/2 cup raw cashews

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

3 tablespoons nutritional yeast

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon sea salt, plus additional

black pepper to taste

optional, green onions for garnish

Preparation

Place cashews in a small bowl. Cover with hot water. Soak for at least 10 min.

Add oil to a large pot over medium high heat. Once hot, add onion and a pinch of salt and sauté for about three minutes.

Add celery and carrots and sauté for another five minutes.

Set aside 1/3 of broccoli florets.

Add garlic and rest of broccoli and sauté for another five minutes.

Add potatoes, broth, and sea salt. Stir and bring mixture to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes or until everything is soft.

Steam reserved broccoli florets for 5 minutes or until bright green and just soft.

Drain cashews. Place cashews and 1/2 cup of water in a blender. Blend until very smooth and creamy. There should be no clumps. Set the cashew cream aside.

Puree soup using a large blender or immersion blender. You’ll likely have to do this in batches. If it’s very thick, add some water to thin it out.

Once soup is pureed, add mustard, lemon juice, and yeast and stir. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper.

Ladle into bowls and stir in a few spoonfuls of the cashew cream to taste. Top with steamed broccoli and drizzle with olive oil before serving. If desired, add sliced green onions.