This is the ultimate bowl of comfort food, made with a decadent creamy broth and loaded with an array of health-boosting spices and vegetables. Be sure to soak the cashews in water the night before they are ready when you plan to make the soup. Recipe is lightly adapted from The Oh She Glows Cookbook (page 237).
Makes 10 cups | Takes 1 hr (plus 2–8 hrs of soaking cashews)
Ingredients:
For the soup:
- ¾ cup raw cashews, soaked
- 6 cups vegetable broth, divided
- 1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 large cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups diced sweet onion (about 1 medium)
- 1 heaping cup peeled and chopped carrots (about 3 medium)
- 1 red bell pepper or 1 cup jarred roasted red pepper, chopped
- 1 ½ cups peeled and chopped sweet potato, regular potato, or butternut squash
- 1 heaping cup chopped celery (about 2 stalks)
- 1 (28oz/796ml) can diced tomatoes, with their juices
- 1–2 Tbsps Homemade 10-Spice Mix, to taste
- 2–3 cups baby spinach or destemmed torn kale leaves
- 1 (15oz) can chickpeas or other beans, drained and rinsed
- Fine-grain sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Homemade 10-Spice Mix (makes ½ cup):
- 2 Tbsps smoked paprika
- 1 Tbsp garlic powder
- 1 Tbsp dried oregano
- 1 Tbsp onion powder
- 1 Tbsp dried basil
- 2 tsp dried thyme
- 1 ½ tsps freshly ground black pepper
- 1 ½ tsps fine grain sea salt
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp white pepper (optional)
Directions:
Place cashews in a bowl and add enough water to cover. Soak the cashews overnight, or for eight hours. For a quick-soak method, soak the cashews in boiled water for 30–60 minutes. Drain and rinse the cashews.
In a blender, combine the soaked and drained cashews with one cup of vegetable broth and blend on the highest speed until smooth. Set aside.
In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and onion and sauté for three to five minutes, or until the onion is translucent. Season generously with Herbamare or sea salt.
Add the carrots, bell pepper, potato, celery, and diced tomatoes with their juices, the remaining five cups broth, and one to two tablespoons of the 10-Spice Mix (to taste). Stir well to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce the heat to medium-low. Season with salt and black pepper.
Simmer the soup uncovered for at least 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender. Season with salt and black pepper. During the last five minutes of cooking, stir in the cashew cream, spinach (or kale), and drained beans. Add more 10-Spice Mix, to taste.
To freeze, ladle the soup into containers (leaving one inch for expansion), cool completely, secure lid, and place in the freezer for up to six weeks.
Tips:
- If you don’t wish to make the 10-Spice Mix, feel free to use your favorite store-bought Cajun or Creole seasoning mix and add to taste.
- You will have leftover spice blend. Store it in a container and keep it handy anytime you want to spice up a dish! It’s great in pasta sauces, soup, as a tofu seasoning, in a stir-fry, and more.
- When thawed, this soup’s broth looks a bit grainy, but rest assured when it’s heated up again it will return to its former smoothness. Regardless, it’ll taste just as good!
Nutritional value (per serving): Calories 170; Fat 6g; Carbohydrates 23g; Protein 5g
Recipe by Angela Liddon (who was also featured on the cover of Optimyz Magazine in 2019.
