Cream of Broccoli Soup (vegan)

Do you want to know something funny? There are lots of foods I never thought of eating before knowing about my food sensitivities. Then, after I discovered I was limited in my food choices, I started expanding my menu. For instance, I never ate cream of broccoli soup back when I could eat dairy.

Truth be told, I never liked “cream of [insert ingredient]” soups when I ate dairy. But now that I’ve discovered what I can do with coconut milk, so many new things seem appealing.

Broccoli is a cruciferous vegetable, which refers to the cabbage family. The awesome thing about cruciferous vegetables is that they have a ton of health benefits. They’re useful for hormonal and menstrual conditions that involve painful periods.

As an acupuncturist, I am also interested in the properties of food from a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) perspective. Broccoli is helpful for inflammatory conditions. It’s also very useful for Dampness, which can often seen when there’s in imbalance in gut flora. In fact, from a nutritional perspective, broccoli is a good source of prebiotics, which feeds the healthy organisms in the gut.

Cream of Broccoli Soup (vegan, slowcooker option)

Ingredients
Large bunch broccoli, cut into florets
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 cups veggie broth
1 cup full fat coconut milk
Black pepper to taste

Directions
Slowcooker: place all the ingredients except for the coconut milk in a 6 qt slow cooker (or slightly smaller). Cook on low for 4 hours or on high for 2 hours. With a hand blender, blend the ingredients. Add the coconut milk and continue cooking for an additional half hour.

Stovetop: Bring all the ingredients except for the coconut milk to a boil, and then reduce heat to a simmer. When the broccoli is really soft, about half an hour, blend the ingredients and add the coconut milk. Cook for an additional 10-15 minutes.

Store extras in an airtight containers. Makes 4 servings.