Broccoli Soup with coconut and almonds

1 tbsp. coconut oil, or olive oil

1 yellow onion, roughly chopped

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

1 large, or a few smaller, heads of broccoli, stems and florets roughly chopped

3 cups vegetable broth or water

1/2 – 3/4 cups coconut milk

sea salt, to taste

toasted, sliced almonds for garnish

1/4 c. creme fraiche

1 tbsp. maple syrup

pinch of sea salt

Warm the oil in a heavy bottomed pot over medium low heat and add the onion. Cook for 5 minutes, until they start to turn translucent, then add the cayenne. Cook for another minute or two, and stir in the broccoli.

Coat the broccoli in the oil and spices and add the broth or water. Bring to a boil, cover, then turn down the heat and simmer for 20 minutes, or until the broccoli is very tender. Take the soup off the heat and blend until smooth. I used an immersion blender to make quick work of it, but you can also transfer batches to a blender, making sure it is vented to let steam escape. Return to the pot, stir in the coconut milk and taste for salt. Add as much as you need to perk up all the flavors, then let it simmer for a few minutes to meld all the flavors together.

Meanwhile, mix the creme fraiche, maple syrup and a pinch of salt together and set aside.

To serve, ladle soup into bowls, top with toasted almonds and creme fraiche mixture.