1cancannellini or great northern beansdrained and rinsed
1leekwhite parts only, rinse well to remove any sand
1tbspdried rosemaryor subtitute 1 tsp fresh
1cupraw cashews
½cupwater
The Soup
1-1½lbsfresh broccoli2-3 cups chopped including stems and florets
8-10ozsliced shiitake mushrooms
1red bell pepperdiced
4cupslow sodium vegetable broth32 oz
1cancannellini or great northern beansoptional
Instructions
Mix the first 4 "cream" ingredients in a blender until very smooth. Add ½ cup of water as needed to get a hummus-like consistency. A high speed blender would be nice here but is certainly not necessary. Set aside.
Place the broth, beans, bell pepper and mushrooms into a soup pot. Heat until just boiling on medium high heat then reduce heat and simmer. Once heat is reduced add broccoli. Simmer for 10-15 minutes or until the broccoli is bright green but is still crisp.
Add the blended "cream" to the pot and stir until well combined. If you prefer a chunky soup than you may stop here. If you prefer a creamy soup then puree in batches in a blender or use a stick blender to make this a creamy soup. You could also remove some of the chunky vegetables to a bowl, cream the remaining soup and then return the vegetables to a creamy base. The choice is yours. Enjoy!