Let’s talk about the fact that last weekend was the first time I saw one of those lip sync battles from The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. Because while clearly I am way too old to stay up to actually watch the show when it airs, I apparently live under a huge rock and had never seen or heard about these before. Thankfully, I have friends who do not live under rocks and we decided to watch a few while hanging out one night (along with the Saved by the Bell skit – amazing).
Guys. I die. Laughing. Like literally crying I was laughing so hard because um hello Will Ferrell lip syncing to Beyonce and that song from Frozen??? I can’t even.
And yes. I just wasted another 13 minutes watching it for probably the fourth time and yes, I still find it highly entertaining.
Clearly this all has nothing to do with soup but I thought it would be more interesting to chat about than the weather. Which I was going to lead with. You’re welcome.
So the weather. I mean soup. Delicious vegetable soup. That is light yet comforting and warming and creamy … without any cream. Or milk! Just cashews! Madness right??
Here’s the deal. Over the last few months I’ve been playing around with cashew cream in my kitchen. At first it was just curiosity and then it actually became helpful since I’ve been trying to cut back a tad on the dairy for various reasons that I won’t yammer on about. {Don’t worry – there will still be plenty of recipes with dairy here on the blog!}
Anyway, the first time I heard about cashew cream I was a little skeptical, but after finally trying it at home I was very pleasantly surprised. In this case, it gives a sort of creaminess to the soup without adding any dairy. And I just kinda like that it’s made out of nuts! Protein!!
The slight creaminess pairs so well with the sweet potato, a few warming spices, dark red kidney beans and of course the swiss chard, which is one of my favorite leafy greens to add to soups.
Considering it is supposed to get really cold again here this weekend, I definitely foresee more soup in my future.
And apparently I just like to talk about the weather.
- 1 cup raw whole cashews
- 1 cup low sodium vegetable broth
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 large carrots, peeled and chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 5 cups low sodium vegetable broth
- 2 medium sweet potatoes, cut into ½ inch chunks
- 1 (15 ounce) can dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- pinch of cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 bunch swiss chard, stems removed and leaves chopped
- Add the cashews to a small bowl. Add in enough water to cover the cashews. Let soak for several hours (at least 2 hours but I like to soak for 6 to 8).
- Drain the cashews, then rinse and drain again. Add to a blender, along with the 1 cup broth. Process until completely smooth. Set aside.
- Add the olive oil to a large stockpot set over medium heat. When hot, add in the onion and carrots. Cook for about 5 minutes, until tender. Add in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant. Add in the broth, potatoes, beans, cumin, paprika, cinnamon and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and let simmer for about 12 to 15 minutes, until the potatoes are tender. Add in the swiss chard and the cashew cream, turn down the heat to medium low and cook for 5 additional minutes. Taste and season with additional salt if needed. Serve!
Totally optional, but if I happen to have fresh chopped parsley on hand, I like to use it to garnish the soup - for that little pop of freshness.
Source:
Cookie Monster Cooking
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