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Broccoli and Cashew Cream Soup

3.8

(22)

Broccoli and Cashew Cream Soup
Photo by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Pearl Jones, Prop Styling by Anne Eastman

Broccoli soup should be foundational in everyone’s weeknight cooking. It can be a dress-it-up or dress-it-down situation—packed with cheddar to bring that familiar oozy saltiness, or decked out with a mac and cheese topping (the recipe is in my book Family and it’s a serious game changer), or simply served with croutons. This unintentionally vegan version is pared back yet doesn’t lack complex flavors or indulgence. Cashew cream adds body (you could actually use it to thicken any type of vegetable soup) and creates a cloudlike consistency. —Hetty Mckinnon

This is part of our meal planning package, where one recipe can become three quick weeknight meals. Use the rest of your batch of cashew cream to make Roasted Carrots and Chickpeas With Herby Cashew Cream or Creamy Cashew Udon With Crispy Mushrooms.

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What you’ll need

Recipe information

  • Yield

    4 servings

Ingredients

Cashew Cream

1

cup raw cashews

1

garlic clove, coarsely chopped

1

Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

½

tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt

Soup

2

medium heads of broccoli (about 1½ lb.)

2

Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

1

leek, white and pale green parts only, thinly sliced

4

garlic cloves, coarsely chopped

2

tsp. fennel seeds

4

cups low-sodium vegetable broth

1

tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt

¼

cup tender dill sprigs, plus more for serving

Freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

  1. Cashew Cream

    Step 1

    Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil, then remove from heat. Add cashews and let sit until tender, 30–60 minutes.

    Step 2

    Drain cashews and transfer to a blender (preferably high-speed) or food processor. Add garlic, oil, salt, and ½ cup water and purée until smooth.

  2. Soup

    Step 3

    Cut broccoli into 1" florets. If your broccoli has a long stem, peel tough outer layer, then slice stem ¼" thick.

    Step 4

    Heat oil in a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot over medium. Cook leek, stirring often and reducing heat if needed to avoid leek taking on any color, until softened slightly, about 2 minutes. Add garlic and fennel seeds and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add broccoli and broth and increase heat to medium-high. Cover pot with a lid, setting it slightly askew to allow steam to escape (this will help the broccoli maintain its vibrant green color). Bring to a boil and cook until broccoli is tender, 8–10 minutes.

    Step 5

    Working in batches if needed, transfer broccoli mixture to a blender or food processor and add salt, ¼ cup dill, and ½ cup cashew cream. Blend until soup is smooth. (If the soup is no longer hot, you can return it to the pot and reheat gently before serving.)

    Step 6

    Divide soup among bowls and drizzle with remaining cashew cream. Top with a few dill sprigs and season with pepper.

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Reviews (22)

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  • We love this recipe, and make it regularly! Served with a big piece of toasted sourdough - excellent weeknight meal, especially since it's so quick. Definitely makes me love fennel seeds even more. Definitely quite garlic-y, especially since there is some raw in the cashew cream, so if you dont want garlic breath you can reduce the amount. I also make extra cream and use it at my discretion so desired thickness. We use an immersion blender for this, and sometimes dont fully blend everything either so it has more texture.

    • Michela

    • Providence, RI

    • 4/24/2024

  • I haven’t tried this yet, but sounds delicious I would really appreciate you posting nutrition information with recipes Thank you

    • Jojostpete

    • Florida

    • 1/30/2022

  • I'm surprised this one has a relatively low rating - I thought it was well-balanced! I am a fan of fennel though, and I did add some extra garlic. Make sure you're using a broth you really like (I've been on a Better than Bouillon kick)

    • Michelle

    • Pittsburgh, PA

    • 11/20/2021

  • Cashew cream definitely saves this soup. I used half the fennel seed and garlic and it’s still largely washed out with tannins and alliums. Cutting with dill is essential. I’d make this again as an immunity booster but not a crowd pleaser.

    • Cambro

    • Vancouver WA

    • 9/24/2021

  • I enjoyed this recipe. The cashew cream does add a velvety texture and rich flavor. I used fresh fennel instead of seeds so mine fennel was the right amount. My local grocery was out of leaks so I used scallions and added a couple small potatoes for texture. I loved it and haven’t had broccoli soup in years. It was a treat. My only negative was I kept forgetting to put the lid so stream could escape preserving the green color. Oh well it tasted really good and worth making it a regular monthly meal.

    • Paris Eden

    • Los Angeles, California

    • 9/15/2021

  • It has potential but to much fennel seeds I will recommend to use one tsp. Or less

    • Carlos

    • Austin Texas

    • 9/13/2021

  • I like the vegan approach to this soup, I can get lactose free cream,but using cashew is great

    • Gillian

    • Toronto Ontario Canada

    • 9/6/2021