Vegan Cream of Cilantro Soup

This is a great soup for early spring when it may or may be actually looking like spring out there. It’ll keep you toasty on those still somewhat chilly nights, but it’s also nice and light.

I adapted this recipe from the Cream of Cilantro Soup from Mexico: the Cookbook which I found to be a little mild. And it also included dairy. So I added some lime juice and slices of jalapeño to give it a little spunk, and replaced the heavy cream with cashew cream to make it vegan. It turned out fantastic.

Have this with a salad for a delicious, light—yet filling!—dinner.

Enjoy!
M

Vegan Cream of Cilantro Soup
Prep time: 1 hour, 10 min | Cook time: 15 min | Ready in: 1 hour, 15 min
Serves 4

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, coarsely chopped
3 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
2 cups cilantro, chopped
1 cup walnuts, chopped
6 cups unsalted vegetable stock
1 lime, juiced
1/3 cup cashews
2/3 cup plain non-dairy milk (e.g. almond, hemp, rice, etc.)
1-2 teaspoons of salt (to taste—start with one, and go from there)
1 jalapeño, sliced

Directions:

1. Soak cashews for about an hour. Drain, then blend with non-dairy milk until smooth. Set aside.
2. In a medium skillet over medium heat, add olive oil, chopped onion, and garlic. Cook until soft, 2 to 3 minutes.
3. Stir in half of the cilantro, cook for one more minute.
4. Spoon the onion mixture into a food processor. Add walnuts and vegetable stock, and blend until smooth.
5. Pour soup into a large pot and heat at a medium temperature. Stir in remaining cilantro, lime juice, salt, and cashew cream until mixed. Heat until toasty.
6. Add the jalapeño a few slices at a time until it’s the right heat for you. I used four or five.
7. Garnish with any extra walnuts and cilantro you may have, and you’re done!