• 1.5 lbs fresh broccoli florets, chopped
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 6 cloves garlic, chopped
• 3 small red potatoes, peeled and chopped
• 1/2 can white beans, rinsed
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 2 tbsp. nutritional yeast
• 1 tsp. dried thyme
• salt and pepper to taste
• 8 cups water

Preparation

1. Saute onions and 1.5 tbsp. olive oil on low to medium heat in a medium stock pot for 10-15 minutes, or until onions are thoroughly carmelized.  This step is important for both texture and depth of flavor.
2. Add garlic and potatoes and continue to saute on low heat for 10 minutes, allowing the potatoes to soften and the garlic and onion flavors to deepen.
3. Add the beans, thyme, salt and pepper and saute for 5 more minutes
4. Add the 8 cups warm water and bring the soup to a boil, simmer for 10 minutes
5. Add 2/3 of the broccoli florets to the soup and cook for only a few minutes. 
6. Transfer to a blender (or use one of those nifty hand blenders) and process thoroughly.  The pureed beans and potatoes do a wonderful job creating a creamy texture, obviating the need for added cream. 
7. Return to the stock pot and add nutritional yeast.  The nutritional yeast adds a boost of B vitamins, but more importantly, imparts a depth of flavor that is surprising to most non-vegans or vegetarians.  Check out a bottle or can of vegetable stock the next time that you are in the grocery store; you will probably find that it contains nutritional yeast.  Buying the yeast and mixing with water will save you lots and lots of money (and will allow you to control the flavor more once you know what you are doing). 
8. As you return the mixture a simmer, saute the remaining broccoli in the remaining olive oil for 1-2 minutes to bring out its color and flavor. 
9. Dish soup into 5 bowls and top off each bowl with the sauteed broccoli and fresh crushed pepper.