Creamy Cheddar broccoli soup (no cheese, no cream)

Best soup I’ve ever made and it’s my own recipe! So creamy and healthful! Everyone loved it! FYI, I've also swapped in carrots or mixed vegetables instead of broccoli--the key is the cashew nuts and beans for creaminess and protein. 

- Sautée 1 large onion, 4 large cloves garlic, 3 stalks chopped celery 

Add, boil, and blend:

- 2 boxes chicken or veggie stock 

- 2 cans white beans 

- lots and lots of broccoli (fresh or frozen)—

- 1/2 cup Greek yogurt (optional) 

- 1 cup cashew nuts 

- 1 tbsp nutmeg 

-salt and pepper to taste 

- serve with Parmesan croutons 

 

• Amazing Cheesy Bean & Kale Dipper
• Lifted directly from the NYT. One of the most delicious things I've ever made! 
• ¼cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 3fat garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 6 tablespoons tomato paste
• 4 (15-ounce) cans white beans (such as cannellini or Great Northern) or chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1cup boiling water
• Salt and black pepper
• 2/3 pound mozzarella, coarsely grated (about 2 2/3  cups)
• 2 bunches kale 
• Step 1

  Heat oven to 475 degrees. In a 10-inch ovenproof skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high. Fry the garlic until it’s lightly golden, about 1 minute. Stir in the tomato paste (be careful of splattering) and fry for 30 seconds, reducing the heat as needed to prevent the garlic from burning.

• 
  
• Step 2

  Add the beans, water and generous pinches of salt and pepper and stir to combine. Sprinkle the cheese evenly over the top, then bake until the cheese has melted and browned in spots, 5 to 10 minutes. If the top is not as toasted as you’d like, run the skillet under the broiler for a minute or 2. Serve at once.