Chilled Cream of Broccoli Soup

This delicious creamy broccoli soup can be served warm or cold. Mixed into the soup is a nut cream with a hint of lime for added flavor, which is also used to garnish the soup.

Soup Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons safflower oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 celery ribs, chopped
• 2 medium potatoes, sliced
• 3 cups chopped broccoli florets and stems*
• 1 garlic clove, smashed
• 4 cups gluten-free vegetable broth
• 1 teaspoon fresh minced thyme
• 1 teaspoon Himalayan salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Nut Cream Ingredients:

• 1 cup pine nuts
• 3 tablespoons agave nectar
• 1/3 cup water
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

Directions:

1. Heat the oil in a large pot. Add the onion and celery and cook for 2 minutes on medium heat, stirring frequently.
2. Add the potatos, cover, and cook 10 minutes or until just soft, stirring occasionally. Add a little water if the potatoes begin to stick to the bottom of the pot.
3. Add the broccoli and garlic. Return cover and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the broccoli turns bright green.
4. Pour in the vegetable stock and mix in the thyme, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil then again reduce the heat to simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit for 10 minutes to slightly cool.
5. Pour the soup with its liquid into a high powered blender and blend on a low speed then high, in separate batches if necessary, for 1 minute or until creamy smooth. Return the soup to its pot or transfer to a large bowl and set aside.
6. Place all the nut cream ingredients in a clean blender container and blend on low speed then high for 1 minute or until smooth. Add 3/4 cup of the nut cream to the soup and stir until well combined.
7. Serve warm, or for chilled soup transfer mixture to a large container with an airtight lid and refrigerate both the soup and remaining nut cream for 1 hour or more. Use a ladle to transfer the soup into chilled serving bowls. Garnish with nut cream. To do so, place the nut cream in a squeeze bottle to make dots of cream on top of the soup, then drag a knife through each dot.

Yield:
Makes about 10 cups

*Broccoli florets as well as the stems can be used in this recipe. Chop the florets, then cut off and discard the ends of the stems and its tough exterior and slice into 1/2-inch rounds.

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