Ingredients

The following ingredients have 8 Servings
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 large yellow onion, minced
  • 2 teaspoons crushed garlic
  • 1 1/2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and diced ((about 3 medium potatoes))
  • 5-6 ounces parsnip, peeled and chopped
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 8 cups vegetable broth
  • 1 pound broccoli florets ((about 3 heads of broccoli- if weighing with stems, 1 1/2 lbs))
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
  • 3/4 teaspoon cumin
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper ((if sensitive to spice, use just a pinch))
  • Pinch cardamom
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1/2 cup tahini paste ((from raw seeds is best))
  • Fresh dill for garnish ((optional))

Instruction

  • Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium. Add the minced onion and saute for about 10 minutes, till softened. Add the garlic and saute for another 2 minutes till fragrant.
  • Stir in the diced russet potatoes, parsnip, and bay leaves. Cover the ingredients with vegetable broth, stir, and bring to a boil.Let the ingredients simmer for about 20 minutes till the potatoes and parsnips are soft.
  • Meanwhile, remove the broccoli florets from their stems (you should end up with about 1 lb of florets) and place them into a food processor. Pulse till the florets have been chopped into tiny pieces. If you have a smaller food processor, you may have to do this in batches. You can also chop the broccoli by hand, but make sure it is chopped very fine-- this will speed cooking time, ensuring that the broccoli stays green and retains its vitamins.
  • When the potatoes and parsnip have softened, remove the bay leaves. Add the chopped broccoli florets to the soup along with the chopped dill, cumin, cinnamon, cayenne and cardamom. If you're sensitive to spice, add the cayenne with care-- it's spicy! Using 1/4 tsp as the recipe suggests will give it a slight kick, which I really like. Bring the soup back to a simmer for about 5 minutes till the broccoli has softened. While the broccoli cooks, season with salt and pepper to taste. I use about 3/4 tsp of salt and a dash of pepper, more or less, depending on how salty my vegetable broth is.
  • As soon as the broccoli softens, remove from heat. Stir in 1/2 cup tahini paste till smooth.Use an immersion blender to blend the soup till it's pureed and creamy. Serve hot. Garnish each bowl with a small sprig of fresh dill, if desired.
  • Notes: for a slightly thinner, more appetizer-like soup texture, reduce 1 1/2 lbs of potatoes to 1 lb of potatoes. If you aren't worried about keeping the soup vegan, you can use chicken broth in the place of vegetable broth. For those who don't have an issue with gluten, I highly recommend serving the soup in a sourdough bowl, or stirring in a few toasted sourdough pieces to soak up the soup. Delish!