Vegan Broccoli Cheese Soup

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup raw cashews, soaked and drained
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 3 medium russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 4 medium carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
• 2 cups water
• 1 tsp paprika
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (For color, not heat)
• 3 Tbsp nutritional yeast (Or more to taste)
• 1 quart vegetable broth
• 2 lbs broccoli florets (Fresh or frozen)
• Sea salt and pepper to taste
• Parsley for garnish

Directions

Soak cashews in water for 1 hour, drain and discard water. Set aside.
Add olive oil to a dutch oven and cook the diced onions for 5 minutes over medium heat. Add cubed potatoes, thinly sliced carrots, a pinch of salt and 2 cups of water. Cover and let cook for 20-25 minutes or until the vegetables are soft. Almost all of the water should be absorbed by now.
Let the mixture cool slightly before adding it to the high powered blender. Add vegetable broth, paprika, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, nutritional yeast, cashews, salt, and pepper to the food processor. Blend on high until smooth and creamy. (If you don't have a large blender, blend the soup in small batches.) Pour the soup back into the original pot and bring it to a low simmer for 5-10 minutes.
You can use fresh or frozen broccoli for this soup (cook it while the potatoes and carrots are cooking). After you steam or roast the broccoli, chop it up into bite-size chunks and add it to the blended soup.
Garnish each bowl with parsley and a sprinkle of cayenne.