Cashew Cream of Broccoli Soup Recipe from: ,

Soak cashews in fresh cool water for 6 – 10 hours, until plump and soft. Alternatively if you’re short on time, you can also do a quick soak by pouring boiling water over the cashews and then letting them soak for 30 – 60 min.

Bring 4 cups of broth to a simmer in a soup pot. While it’s heating up, roughly break apart the heads of broccoli and coarsely chop the onion, add to hot broth and cook until tender when pierced with a fork.

Drain the soaked cashews and rinse with fresh water, add them to a blender with the remaining 4 cups of broth. Blend on high until totally smooth and creamy, about 3 – 4 minutes, then pour into the soup pot.

Optional: Taste soup after the cashew cream has been added and add additional salt, pepper, or other seasonings to preference. We love a tablespoon of herb de provence in this soup, or a mix of thyme, oregano, and basil.

Bring the soup to a low simmer for 5 – 10 minutes, stirring regularly, be careful not to bring it to a full boil as the cashews will begin to stick to the bottom of the pot. Simmering will thicken your cashew cream soup due to the natural starches in the cashews. The soup will further thicken overnight if you save leftovers for later, just add a small amount of water when you go to reheat if you want to thin it out a bit.

Add the soup back to your blender and blend for a few seconds for a cream soup with a few chunks, or longer if you want it totally smooth. You can also use an immersion blender instead.