Vegan Broccoli Soup With Cashew Cream

By Sarah Copeland

Vegan Broccoli Soup With Cashew Cream
Romulo Yanes for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Vivian Lui.
Total Time
25 minutes
Rating
4(872)
Comments
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This nourishing, three-vegetable soup is thick and creamy, even without dairy. It takes very little skill and only 25 minutes to make, but success lies in proper blending: Use a high-powered blender for the creamiest soup, or let it go a few minutes longer in a standard blender. Fennel and celery provide welcome depth, and the quick cashew cream feels luxurious spooned over the top or stirred right in. Save any extra to drizzle on other blended soups or even roasted vegetables. Finish this vibrant bowl with celery leaves, parsley or dill, and two basic but crucial ingredients: an extra drizzle of olive oil and a dusting of freshly ground pepper.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • 1½cups raw cashew pieces (or whole raw cashews)
  • Fine sea salt
  • 1cup boiling water
  • 1large head broccoli (about 1½ pounds), florets chopped into bite-size pieces and stems peeled and roughly chopped
  • 1small fennel bulb, trimmed, quartered, cored and roughly chopped
  • 2large stalks celery, trimmed and roughly chopped, leaves reserved for garnish
  • 2tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
  • Torn fresh dill or parsley leaves
  • Freshly ground black pepper
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

430 calories; 31 grams fat; 5 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 18 grams monounsaturated fat; 5 grams polyunsaturated fat; 32 grams carbohydrates; 8 grams dietary fiber; 8 grams sugars; 15 grams protein; 858 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Place the cashews in a blender along with a pinch sea salt. Pour the boiling water on top. Cover and let sit to allow the cashews to soften while you make the soup.

  2. Step 2

    Combine the broccoli, fennel, celery, 2 tablespoons oil, 1 teaspoon sea salt and 3 cups water in a pot and cover loosely with a lid, leaving a small opening so steam can escape (this helps the soup keep its bright-green color). Bring to a boil over high, then steam vegetables over medium until they are tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the heat.

  3. Step 3

    Purée the cashews and water until completely smooth and frothy (the cashew cream should be the consistency of very loose whipped cream). Add additional water, 1 tablespoon at a time, if desired to thin the mixture. Spoon the cashew cream into a bowl.

  4. Step 4

    Working in batches if necessary, transfer the steamed vegetables and their cooking liquid to the blender and purée on high until completely smooth and frothy. Taste, and add more salt as needed. Divide the soup among bowls and top with cashew cream, celery leaves, dill, pepper and a drizzle of olive oil. Serve warm.

Ratings

4 out of 5
872 user ratings
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Comments

RH

I reversed engineered some of this. I ran my veggies through a food processor, sautéed them in the oil and added garlic and half a jalapeño to ramp up the flavor. Used more fennel and reserved some of the fennel leaves for garnish and it came out surprisingly flavorful and quite delicious. I didn't really dilute the cashew cream too much and my family loved it.

ekaren

Could I use an immersion blender for the soup?

Redrockrobin

Needs garlic. Easily add a pound of silken tofu to bump up protein. Vegan broth instead of water for streaming would make flavor more three dimensional. Considering mixing in a tablespoon of ground dried mushrooms for umami. The crema is delicious.

Sodalightful

Chopped and prepped this, but like another Cooker I've reverse engineered it and will cook after blending... I think there's more than four portions in this though - using only half the recipe values, I've already got three portions! I will definitely be trying the second batch with some of the suggestions here (paprika, onion, stock/bouillon powder). My own - add oregano. It's perfect!

Alexandra E.

This soup is greatly improved with the addition of onion, garlic, ground cumin, a whole peeled lemon, and, if you are not making a vegan version, chicken broth. The cashew cream is a sublime addition, however, I get better results if I soak the cashews as long as possible, or even overnight. Also, using a whimpy blender will give you less than optimal results. I just got a Vitamix, what a difference and quickly too!

Erin E NYC

Had one bowl exactly as the recipe was written and another with pesto added. Both great but fat content can really add up with the olive oil, cashew cream and pesto. Next time I will sub 1/2 of the water for veggie broth, add some garlic and maybe just some basil leaves into the puree. Cashew cream is surprisingly delicious, even without salt/seasoning. Either way it's excellent and will definitely remain in rotation.

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