Dairy-free Broccoli Cheese Soup

2 tablespoons avocado oil, more for drizzling
1 small yellow onion, diced
½ cup chopped celery
⅓ cup chopped carrots
1 lb. broccoli, stems diced, florets chopped
12 oz of peeled sweet potato (approx. 14oz – 1 pound before peeled)
4+ garlic cloves, minced
4 cups vegetable broth
½ cup raw cashews, soaked at least 4 hours
1½ teaspoons apple cider vinegar
½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
¼ cup fresh dill
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
¾ teaspoon sea salt
1 cup of Totally Nuts Almond Milk – Original Flavor
freshly ground black pepper
3 cups cubed bread, for croutons

Preheat oven to 350F and line two small baking sheets or one large with parchment paper.

In a large pot heat the oil over medium heat. Add celery, carrots, onion, broccoli stems, salt and pepper and cook until soft, about 10 minutes. Add the sweet potatoes and garlic and stir, then add the broth and simmer for about 20 minute until the potatoes are soft. Let it cool a little.

Reserve 1 cup of the broccoli florets to roast and put on top of the soup. Steam the remaining broccoli for 5 minutes until tender.

In the meantime, toss the reserved broccoli and bread cubes with olive oil and a pinch of salt, and roast about 10-15 minutes until the broccoli is tender and browned and the bread is crispy.

Transfer the soup to a blender, add the vinegar, cashews and mustard and blend until creamy. You might need to work in batches. Once its creamy, add the dill, lemon juice and steamed broccoli and almond milk. Pulse until the broccoli is chunky and incorporated. The soup should be a thick consistency - if it's too thick for you, add water or more almond milk to get it to where you like it.

Feel free to add a few tablespoons of nutritional yeast during the blending phase for a more cheesy flavor. 

Top with roasted broccoli and croutons.