'Cream' of Broccoli Soup

It's pouring rain here tonight. And cold. The rain hits the tin heating vent on the roof, making a melody, and it's quite the symphony tonight. It's the perfect night to be curled up on the couch writing this post, and a perfect night to eat soup. I'm happy to welcome all the signs of spring (and summer!), but I don't mind the cold rain on cozy nights in like this!

'Cream' of Broccoli soup is such a great trick. It is creamy and rich, yet completely vegan. And it's such a lovely spring green to boot. Bill, who is neither vegan, nor vegetarian, ate this soup two nights in a row and declared it his second favorite soup. Second to this one. He would have eaten it three nights in a row, but it's gone now.  It's another hit that I adapted from this book, and the third recipe (after this soup and these crackers) that I've been inspired to make from it in the last month.

The week flies by and when I finally sit down and take the time to unload photos from my camera onto the computer, it seems that more and more are of flowers and babies than food... So this quick post has only a couple photos I grabbed before sitting down to eat. Plus a couple flowers, just for kicks (yay, Spring!).

calendula opening

tulip

'Cream' of Broccoli Soup
4 servings

Ingredients
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, diced
1 rib celery, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
4 cups water
4 cups broccoli, chopped, stems and florets
3/4 cups raw cashews
1 teaspoon arrowroot powder
1 Tablespoons miso (I used a mellow white miso, but any will do)
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon salt (plus more to taste -- keep in mind the miso adds salt as well)
1/8 teaspoon pepper (plus more for taste)

Directions
1. Heat the olive oil in a soup pot. Saute the onion until translucent, about 4 or 5 minutes. Add the garlic, celery and carrots. Saute another 4 or so minutes.
2. Add the water to sauteed vegetables, along with the broccoli. Bring to a boil, then lower heat to a simmer. Simmer for 15 minutes.
3. In the meantime, blend the cashews in a blender until finely chopped -- almost powdery.
4. Add the arrowroot powder, miso, basil, salt and pepper to the cashews in the blender, along with 2 cups of the liquid and ingredients from the soup pot. Blend well.
5. Blend the rest of the vegetables and water from the soup pot in batches to avoid overloading the blender.
6. Pour everything back in the soup pot, adjust salt and pepper. Reheat, being careful not to boil (this ruins the beneficial qualities of miso).

Enjoy!

soup & salad