Step 1

Pour boiling water over the cashews and let them soak while you prep the soup.

Step 2

Prep Veggies: Peel and dice onions, celery, carrots and parsnips. Trim broccoli. Stalks can be diced. Trim crowns into florets, setting aside 1 cup to use as topping, if desired. The rest will be pureed after it's cooked, so you can roughly chop.

Step 3

Use a large soup pot or dutch oven and heat over medium heat. Saute onions until beginning to soften. Sprinkle on the salt, pepper, thyme and turmeric.Use veggie broth or olive oil, depending on what suits your dietary preferences. Then add in celery, carrots, parsnips, and garlic. Cook, over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally for about 5 minutes. Add more veggie broth 1 tablespoon at a time, as needed to keep the pan from becoming too dry.

Step 4

Add broccoli and mix well. Pour in veggie stock and bring to a boil. Reduce to a low simmer, cover pot and cook for 15 minutes, until broccoli is tender.

Step 5

While the soup cooks, drain and rinse the cashews. Place in a blender or food processor with 1 cup fresh water. Blend until smooth and creamy. Set the cashew cream aside.

Step 6

When vegetables in the soup pot are tender, turn off heat. Use an immersion blender to puree to a smooth and creamy consistency. OR, transfer to a regular blender to do this. Then stir in the cashew cream, and taste for seasoning.

Step 7

Serve warm, topped with the crispy broccoli florets and sprinkle with some nutritional yeast and crushed red pepper, if desired.