Whole Food Recipe {Broccoli Soup}

If you love broccoli this soup is for you! We crave this soup we love it so much....
I don't usually do the cooking because Cody loves to cook and I hate to cook. Last time we made this soup, Cody made me cook it....
It takes me forever to cook. I am horrible at cutting up all the veggies and multiply tasking in the kitchen. The end result was delicious though, even with me doing the cooking! This soup has potatoes, carrots, cashews and a red bell pepper in it! Many great flavors all packed into one soup!

CREAM OF BROCCOLI DELUXE 

Recipe by Anastasia St. John \\ Compassionate Diet and Lifestyle Advocate

6 cups vegetable stock

1 rounded cup of raw cashews (look for cashews that have no added oil)

1 medium onion, finely chopped 

1 celery stalk, finely chopped

1 large carrot, chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

1 red bell pepper, chopped

2 medium unpeeled potatoes, cubed

1 large head broccoli, including stem, chopped (about 4 cups)

2 teaspoons dried thyme

1 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

- Puree 1 cup of the vegetable stock with the cashews in a blender until smooth.  Set aside.

- In a large pot, cook the onion, celery and carrot over medium heat in 1 cup of the vegetable stock for 5 minutes.  

- Add the garlic, bell pepper and potatoes and cook for 2 more minutes.  

- Add the remaining 4 cups of vegetable stock and the broccoli, thyme, salt and black pepper and bring to a boil over high heat.  

- Cover and simmer until the broccoli and potatoes are soft, about 10 minutes.

- Add the cashew mixture to the soup and stir until mixed.  

- Remove the pot from heat and puree about half the soup, in small batches, until smooth.

- Return pureed soup to the pot and reheat, stirring well.  Serve.

ENJOY!