Quinoa and Creamy Broccoli Soup

Ingredients

• 2 cups water (Optional)
• 1 cup quinoa, or more to taste
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 4 cups homemade vegetable stock
• 4 cups chopped broccoli
• 1 sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
• salt to taste
• 1 pinch ground nutmeg, or to taste
• 1 pinch garam masala, or to taste
• 1 pinch ground pepper to taste
• Cashew Cream:
• 2 ounces raw cashews (Optional)

Step 1

Bring 2 cups of water and the quinoa to a boil in a saucepan. Once it’s boiling, lower the heat to medium-low, cover it, and let it simmer until the quinoa is nice and tender, about 15 to 20 minutes.

Step 2

While that’s cooking, heat some oil in a large pot over medium heat. Toss in the chopped onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until it becomes soft and translucent—this usually takes around 5 minutes. Then add the vegetable stock, broccoli, sweet potato, and a pinch of salt. Bring everything to a boil again, then reduce the heat and let it simmer gently until the broccoli and sweet potato are really tender, about 15 to 20 minutes.

Step 3

Take the pot off the heat and use an immersion blender to puree the soup until it’s smooth and creamy. Stir in a little nutmeg, garam masala, and some freshly ground pepper to taste.

Step 4

Blend the cashews with ½ cup of water in a high-speed blender until completely smooth. Pour this creamy cashew mixture into the soup and heat it back up until it just starts to boil.

Step 5

To serve, spoon about ⅓ cup of the cooked quinoa into the center of each bowl and ladle the warm soup around it. Enjoy!