Chrissy's Broccoli Cheese Soup

I was six years old the first time I made this soup.

My mom is the kind of person who believes the kitchen is a classroom — and she wasn't going to wait until I was older to start teaching. So there I was, barely tall enough to see over the pot, learning that broccoli was something worth loving and that cheese made everything better. She was right on both counts.

Chrissy's Broccoli Cheese Soup has been a staple in my home ever since. It's the recipe that started it all — the first thing I ever made that felt like mine, even when it was hers first. Onions and garlic open the bowl with cleansing intention. Potatoes bring physical and spiritual stability — the grounding that a good home base always provides. Carrots call in wealth and keep you rooted. Celery sharpens the mind and the psychic senses. Cashews draw in money and opportunity. Broccoli — the heart of it all — carries strength, vitality, health, and well-being in every floret. Red pepper flakes spark passion and deepen relationships. Turmeric sweeps out negative energy. Yeast transforms the ordinary into something spiritual. And Parmesan, as always, tells your fortune.

This soup taught me that cooking is its own kind of magic. My mom knew that. She just wanted to make sure I knew it too.

Serves 4–6.