With Christmas just a few days away, you’re likely busy with either last-minute errands, or (hopefully) meeting up with friends and family for happy hour, dinners, breakfasts, and other assorted gatherings. The last thing you’re gonna want to do is cook before the big holiday, so I suggest making a pot of this soup and chipping away at it over the next several days.
I got the inspiration for this soup when I took my best friend’s ten-year old to lunch at one of my newest favorite spots in Seattle to go for—well, just about anything—Meet the Moon. (If you’re in Seattle, I highly recommend a visit.) It was kind of a crummy, cold day, and the tomato soup on the menu caught both our eyes and it was just exactly what we needed.
It made me realize I’d never actually made tomato soup at home, so I cobbled together elements I liked from a few different recipes I saw online (basil and carrots—-YUM), and added a few of my own tweaks to make it vegan (cashew cream) and give it a bit of a kick (cayenne). It turned out amazing, and it makes a HUGE pot. Enough that I put half in the freezer for quick meals over the next couple weeks.
This is a great one to feed a crowd, but it’ll also be perfectly fine in the fridge for several days if you want something your household can serve up for themselves when they’re ready. And it’s super easy to make.
Hope you enjoy this!
M
Creamy Vegan Tomato Soup with a Kick
Prep time: 20 minutes | Cook time: 50 min | Ready in: 1 hr, 10 min
Serves 8 to 12
Ingredients:
12 medium-sized tomatoes, chopped
1 6-ounce can of tomato paste
1 tablespoon dried basil, ground using a mortar and pestle if you have one
1/4 cup olive oil
1 medium-sized onion, chopped
3 large carrots, peeled and chopped
4 cups of low-sodium vegetable broth
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or to taste)
2 teaspoons of salt
2 cups of raw cashews
2 cups of plant-based milk (hemp, almond, etc.)
Fresh basil for garnish, optional
Directions:
1. Soak cashews in plant-based milk for at least one hour—up to three.
2. In a large soup pot, heat olive oil on the stovetop over medium high heat.
3. Add chopped onion and basil to pot, cooking for a few minutes until onion is soft.
4. Add chopped carrots, chopped tomatoes, salt, and cayenne to the pot. Stir every couple minutes for about ten minutes, then add tomato paste and vegetable stock. (HINT: It helps to stir the tomato paste with about a cup of the stock first to make thinner.)
5. Bring soup to a boil, then reduce to low heat and let simmer for 30-4o minutes, until carrots are very soft.
6. Remove soup from heat. Use an immersion blender to process the soup until smooth.
7. In a blender, process cashews into cashew cream, then stir into soup. Return soup pot to the stovetop until heated through.
8. Garnish with fresh basil if you like.
Enjoy!
Pine and Crave 