Edited to add: Please scroll to bottom of post for recipe
I had some veggies I wanted to use up, and icy days call for hot soups. So I made this up today. I honestly just threw stuff together. But this time I took pictures of each step so hopefully I can retrace them, because it turned out really yummy!
First, I made the savoury cashew cream. I boiled some water and soaked about a cup of cashews in it for 1 minute, just to soften them up a bit.
Then I drained the cashews.
I defrosted some homemade veggie broth (I just save up al my vegetable scraps, then boil them with spices and salt. Then I either use it right away or freeze for later).
While the veggie broth was defrosting, I finished making the cashew cream.
I added 1 cup plain unsweetened soy milk (next time, add 1.5 cups)
and 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
I added some salt to taste and blended everything in the short cup of the Vitamix.
I had some cauliflower to use up, so I cut it up and added some olive oil, salt, turmeric, and garlic powder.
I mixed this really well and set it aside.
I had some potatoes to use up as well. So I washed, peeled, and cut them up so they would cook faster. I boiled them on the stovetop.
While the potatoes were cooking, I cut up a small clove or garlic and 1/4 of a small onion
I added some olive oil to a pot and fried the garlic and onions, then added the cauliflower.
I sauteed these for about 3 minutes, then added the vegetable broth.
Then I added all the contents of the pot to the Vitamix and blended. Note to self, add less broth next time. This was a little too frothy. I think 2 cups of broth would be enough, and more can be added at the final step if needed.
I drained the potatoes and added them to the Vitamix, then blended again.
Finally, I poured everything back into the pot, and added the cashew cream.
The cashew cream was very creamy (just the way I wanted it), so mixing it into the rest of the soup required an immersion blender. You could also return some soup to the Vitamix and blend with the cream if that works better for you.
At this point the soup was good, but it was missing something. I added some more salt, and a tiny bit of turmeric and cayenne pepper to give it just a little kick. I’m not into spicy food, so I use pepper very sparingly. If you like heat, you could use a heavier hand.
At this point I gave the soup one more go with the immersion blender, and voilá:
Delicious hot soup on a cold day.
Cauliflower Potato Soup with Cashew Cream Recipe
Equipment:
1 small pot
1 large pot
Vitamix or other high-powered blender, preferably with tall and short cups. You can use a regular blender or immersion blender as well. If you do, you may want to soak your cashews overnight.
1 or 2 wooden spoons
Strainer
Medium mixing bowl
Ingredients
For the cashew cream:
1 cup cashews
Note: if using a regular blender, soak then overnight OR for 1 minute in just-boiled water. If using a Vitamix, you may be Ok to use them as is. I like soaking mine as I feel like it gives a creamier texture.
1.5 cups soy milk (or preferred low/zero fat milk—the cashews will give you enough fat & creamy content)
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
For the rest of the Soup
Please note most quantities are a bit of a guess; I didn’t measure everything. Lucky for us, soup is pretty forgiving. Adjust everything as needed/wished!
2 cups cauliflower florets
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt to taste
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 small onion, minced
1 small garlic clove, minced
1 more tablespoon olive oil
2 washed, peeled, and cut up potatoes (no need to cut them finely as you’ll be blending them). I used white.
2 cups vegetable broth
1/4 teaspoon red cayenne pepper
another 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
Salt to taste
Method
Start by setting your potatoes to boil over medium-high heat.
While the potatoes are boiling, prepare your cauliflower. In a medium mixing bowl, add the cauliflower florets, olive oil, salt, turmeric, and garlic powder. Mix well and set aside.
Make the cashew cream. Add the cashews, nutritional yeast, soy milk, and salt to taste in the short cup of a Vitamix or other high-powered blender. Blend until you reach a smooth and creamy consistency. It should be very thick. If it’s too thick to continue blending, you can add a splash of soy milk. Set aside.
Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the garlic and onions and sauté for about a minute. Add the cauliflower, mix well, and sautee for another 2 minutes. Add the vegetable broth and let cook for another 2 minutes.
Put the contents of the large pot into the tall cup of a Vitamix or other high powered blender. Blend until it is all well combined.
Return the cauliflower mix to the pot and add the cashew cream.
Using an immersion blender, blend the soup until the cashew cream is well combined with the more liquid soup.
Add the cayenne pepper and the rest of the turmeric, give it one more blend with the immersion blender. Taste and adjust seasonings to taste.
Enjoy!
