In the Southern Hemisphere we are bracing ourselves for some cooler weather but it is still pretty mild but whether it is freezing cold or when the temperature drops slightly we eat soup. At least once a week but sometimes more. Luckily my family are soup people (accept my son, he really is not) but he still has to have a small portion. In the end he fills himself with bread dipped in the soup. My daughter likes any soup but her favourites are tomato, broccoli and chicken soup. It use to be butternut but I guess I made it too often.
Soups are great because they can be made so nutrient-dense. I am not keen on adding cream to our soup even though it does taste delicious but for a weekly dinner soup I prefer to make it creamy with potatoes or a little coconut milk. I recently saw a recipe that was thickened with cashews and just had to give it a go. So with the added greens even more goodness with cashews making this soup high in protein, fibre and good fats.
This is also a great soup to make for vegans and people who can’t eat gluten and dairy.
Cashew Cream
A few years ago I had to create new recipes for a restaurant and the owner introduced me to cashew cream. It is so simple to make but can be used in sweet and savory recipes. When making it sweet add honey, lemon zest and vanilla. It is great served with pancakes and can even make a delicious sauce with a variety of desserts.
Just add one cup of cashews to a bowl and cover with water. Leave to soak for at least two hours or overnight. Rinse under cold water and blend with about 1/4-1/2 cup of water until smooth. I kept mine in the blender and just added my cooked vegetables to blend into a smooth soup. You can also keep a little seperate to add over your soup as a garnish.
Ingredients
The recipe just requires a few ingredients, it could go without onions but I always prefer to start most soups and stews with sauteed onion and garlic-always!
For some added flavour add parmesan in the soup or use as garnish. But nutritional yeast will also be a great replacement. To really bring out the flavours I also added some lemon juice at the end. Nutritionally Vit C helps the body to absorb iron better so in this case it is not just about flavour but also about clever food combining.
All the greens
Your really don’t need to just stick to these greens, so raid your fridge and try different green vegetables. I added edamame beans for extra protein. But you could also add courgettes, kale or collard greens. Leeks will also make a great addition instead of onions.
All the toppings
When serving the soup add some extra peas for garnish ( I actually forgot to keep some extras for garnish) a drizzle of the cashew cream, crumbled feta cheese, extra olive oil, parmesan, toasted seeds like pumpkin or sunflower and some chilli flakes.
Delicious, healthy and nutrient-dense soup. Great for vegans or non-vegans.
Scale
Ingredients
1 onion chopped
3 cloves of garlic
3cups broccoli
2cup frozen peas
1 cup spinach
1 cup edamame
3/4 cup cashews soaked in water
6cups vegetable stock
4tbsp nutritional yeast (or sub for parmesan)
Lemon juice to taste
salt & pepper
Instructions
Add cashews in water and soak for at least two hours or overnight
Sauté chopped onion and garlic until cooked
Add broccoli, peas, edamame and stock and simmer until vegetables are soft. It will take about 15 minutes, close lid. The steam will cook vegetables faster.
In the meantime make the cashew cream by rinsing the cashews and adding 1/2 cup of water to a blender with the cashews. Blend until smooth.
Add spinach to soup and simmer for a few minutes until wilted. Add most of the cashew cream but leave a little for garnish.
Blend soup with immersion blender or in blender.
Season with extra salt and pepper
Squeeze some lemon juice in to taste and garnish with cashew cream and parmesan or nutritional yeast if you want to keep it vegan.
Notes
This is an ideal soup to clear your fridge. Use any greens you have on hand from baby marrows to kale and celery. It will still taste great.
For extra crunch toast some pumpkin seeds for garnish.
Hi, I'm Ankie! Welcome to Wooden Spoon Kitchen, my pantry of life, love and health where we constantly stir laughter, learning, eating and cooking together!
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