Creamy broccoli and white bean soup
serves 3 to 4

Ingredients
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
1 head of broccoli (~1 pound), cut into florets, stems thinly sliced
1 14-ounce can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
4 cups organic chicken bone broth (or low-sodium vegetable stock)
2 to 3 cups loosely packed baby spinach or kale
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
juice of half a lemon, plus more to taste
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast (optional; see tip)

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or large sauté pan with deep sides over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant, ~1 minute longer.

2. Add the broccoli florets and stems, beans and stock. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer over low heat until the broccoli is tender, ~5 to 7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper (start with ~1/2 teaspoon of salt) and add the spinach just to wilt, about 1 minute longer.

3. Remove from heat and carefully transfer the soup to a high-speed blender or food processer. Add the lemon juice and nutritional yeast, if using, and blend until completely smooth (you may need to do this in two batches). If the soup seems too thick, add additional broth or water half a cup at a time and blend to reach desired consistency.

4. Taste for seasoning, adding more salt, pepper and lemon if desired.

tip: nutritional yeast is a vegan product with a cheese-like flavor, so its addition creates a dairy-free “broccoli cheddar” variation on this soup. It is available at most health food stores, but don’t worry if you can’t find it – the soup is just as delicious without it.