Yesterday was a cold and gloomy day here and I really wanted something yummy and filling for my lunch.  I decided on something with broccoli.

Broccoli is a wonderful vegetable that has many benefits.  Here are a few  for you to know:

1. Cancer Prevention– Broccoli contains  indole-3-carbinol, a powerful antioxidant compound and anti-carcinogen found to stop the growth of breast, cervical and prostate cancer, and also boosts liver function.  Other cruciferous vegetables such as cauliflower, brussel sprouts and cabbage contain indole-3-carbinol as well.
2. Alkalizes your body- Broccoli, being a vegetable, works to keep your body alkaline.  This is great because diseases tend to avoid alkaline situations and go for acidic environments.
3. Good for your bones- Broccoli is high in calcium and Vitamin C which are important for good bone health.
4. Anti-inflammatory- Broccoli contains anti-inflammatory phyto nutrients.

I decided on the following recipe, which can be doubled or tripled to feed a crowd.  I choose to eat it at room temperature but you could easily warm it gently on the stove or in your dehydrator.  Remember to choose organic ingredients whenever possible.

CREAMY BROCCOLI SOUP

Makes 2 servings
 
Ingredients:
1 cup broccoli, chopped
1 cup spinach, really packed
½ cup cashews, preferably soaked
2 cups water
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon sea salt or to taste
fresh ground pepper to taste
1 red pepper, minced for garnish

Procedure:

• Make sure that the spinach has been washed well.
• If you have a high speed blender; blend ingredients (minus the red pepper) until smooth.
• If you have a food processor; pulse broccoli until fine, add spinach a handful at a time and pulse until fine. Next the cashews, a handful at a time and pulse until very fine. Keep pushing the food from the sides down into the bowl to get everything as fine as possible. Add ½ of the water, olive oil and sea salt. Process until smooth, and then add the remaining water and pulse to mix.
• Pour into 2 bowls for a main meal or 4 for an appetizer.
• Sprinkle a generous handful of the minced red pepper into each bowl.

Serve with a green salad of choice.

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