Cheezy Potato and Broccoli Soup

In a large pan, add five of the cups of vegetable broth, potatoes, celery, garlic and onions and bring to simmer covered while completing the next two steps. Allow the pot to simmer about 15 minutes.Place the cashews and the remaining two cups of the vegetable broth in the blender. Blend until smooth. (Note: If you don’t have a high-powered blender, you may want to consider soaking the cashews in water for a couple hours. I’ve also boiled the cashews for about five minutes, drain them and use as described in the recipe).Add nutritional yeast, almond milk, garlic powder, chili powder, mustard powder, corn starch, smoked paprika and salt and blend until combined.Pour cashew mixture into the pan with the veggies and bring to a simmer until the soup thickens. This should only take a few minutes.Once the soup has thickened, add the broccoli and basil and bring to a simmer until potatoes and broccoli are fork tender.If you like a smoother soup, puree anywhere from half to the entire mixture, depending on your preference. I like chunks of potato and broccoli so I only puree part of it, sometimes I skip it altogether and typically just use an immersion blender.