Yum! Vegan Cream Of Broccoli Carrot Soup

Oh this soup is so freaking good! So thick! So creamy! Amazing really! A cashew cream soup is a rare treat, but one worth creating! You don't eat this amount of fatty nuts and seeds everyday, so cherish them fully when you do create a dish that includes a cashew cream base. It's not great for weight loss, although it's certainly more flavorful and healthy than dairy! So it makes a great transition from dairy and store bought soups. This homemade soup tastes so fantastic you will want a second bowl for sure. If you decide to indulge your craving for seconds, take only half a cup. Save some for another day as this soup will fill you up and you will get to rejoice in the goodness once again!

The soup I created here is based on the veggies that I had on hand, and that I had wanted to use up before market day. So if you want a cream of broccoli soup, just eliminate the carrots, and add a bit more broccoli. Simple.

Vegan Cream Of Broccoli Carrot Soup

1 - 2 large heads of broccoli with full stems, chopped

1 onion chopped

4 - 5 carrots chopped

3 stalks celery chopped

handful fresh parsley chopped

1/2 tsp Penzeys Sunny Paris

1/2 tsp Penzeys Bouquet Garni

1/2 tsp Penzeys Herbs de Provence

2 bay leaves

16 oz spring or filtered water

1 box organic low sodium vegetable broth

1/3 cup hemp seeds

4 TBS golden flax powder fresh ground

1 TB chia seeds

1/2 cup almond milk

3/4 cup raw cashews drained

4 TBS Nutritional Yeast

Fresh Cracked Pepper

Soak cashews in spring water for an hour. Clean and chop your vegetables. In a stock pot add your mirepoix of onions, celery and carrots, as well as broccoli and parsley. Add spices, and slightly saute everything while turning the vegetables with a large spoon before adding the broth and water. Add the liquids, bring to a boil and simmer for an hour or two. Then let the mixture cool down while you gather the ingredients for the blender. If you like chunks in your soup set aside a bowl of the veggies to re-add later. 

Scoop out the rest of the vegetables and cooled soup mixture to place in your blender. (Please be sure they really are cooled down before you place in blender. Depending on the size of your blender you may need to do your blending in stages). Add flax powder, hemp, chia, and almond milk. Blend and pour back into soup mixture. Take more of the soup mixture and place again in the blender. Add in the drained cashews, nutritional yeast, and blend. Add back into soup stock pot and mix together. I love how that looks!

Add back your bowl of vegetable chunks that you previously had set aside at this time. Stir everything together and top with cracked pepper. Warm and serve. A little will go along way. Enjoy with a big salad!

If I had not started to transition from processed foods I would have never experienced the supreme deliciousness of a soup like this one. Change is so very good! "Oh the new foods you will adore!"