Name: Broccoli and Cashew Cream Soup
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 1 cup raw cashews; 1 garlic clove, coarsely chopped; 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil; ½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt; 2 medium heads of broccoli (about 1½ lb.); 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil; 1 leek, white and pale green parts only, thinly sliced; 4 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped; 2 tsp. fennel seeds; 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth; 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt; ¼ cup tender dill sprigs, plus more for serving; Freshly ground black pepper

Photo by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Pearl Jones, Prop Styling by Anne Eastman

Broccoli soup should be foundational in everyone’s weeknight cooking. It can be a dress-it-up or dress-it-down situation—packed with cheddar to bring that familiar oozy saltiness, or decked out with a mac and cheese topping (the recipe is in my book Family and it’s a serious game changer), or simply served with croutons. This unintentionally vegan version is pared back yet doesn’t lack complex flavors or indulgence. Cashew cream adds body (you could actually use it to thicken any type of vegetable soup) and creates a cloudlike consistency. —Hetty Mckinnon

This is part of our meal planning package, where one recipe can become three quick weeknight meals. Use the rest of your batch of cashew cream to make Roasted Carrots and Chickpeas With Herby Cashew Cream or Creamy Cashew Udon With Crispy Mushrooms.