Serves 4-6

Cream of broccoli soup is a forever favorite of mine but since I’m not eating dairy these days, I tried substituting with cauliflower and ghee and the result came out so good, you’d never guess there isn’t any cream at all! Not only is this soup velvety smooth, filling and delicious, but it’s a nutritional powerhouse, loaded with antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and fiber, all of which boost your health in a variety of ways. This recipe is super easy to make and has only a handful of ingredients so definitely try this one-pot, vegan and family-friendly soup that your crew is sure to love!

Ingredients:

2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2-3 tablespoons ghee
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups thinly sliced leeks (white and very light green parts only)

2 tsp sea salt plus more to taste
Freshly ground pepper to taste
½ head cauliflower, chopped
1 head broccoli, chopped
8-10 cups vegetable or chicken broth (enough broth to be 2 inches above the vegetables in the pot)
1 cup raw pumpkin seeds
¼ cup chopped parsley to garnish

Preparation:

· In a large Dutch oven or saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat and sauté the garlic, leeks, and ½ tsp. salt for a few minutes until they are caramelized and soft.

· Add the cauliflower and broccoli and sauté for another couple of minutes, stirring constantly.

· Add the broth and bring to a boil. Add the rest of the salt and some freshly ground pepper. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 30 – 40 minutes until vegetables are completely tender. Remove from heat.

· While the soup is cooking, preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Toss or spray pumpkin seeds with a little olive oil and spread them on a parchment-lined baking sheet and sprinkle with sea salt. Bake for about 5-7 min. until lightly toasted and remove from the oven.

· Blend the soup either by using a stick blender or by pouring soup into a high-speed blender in small batches until it’s smooth and creamy.

· Return the soup to the pot if you blended it in a blender and turn the heat on low to warm it. Add ghee and stir.

· Season with salt and pepper to taste.

· To serve, ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with toasted pumpkin seeds and a sprinkle of chopped parsley.

· Enjoy!

· This soup will keep well covered in the refrigerator for a few days or for several months in the freezer.