Artichoke Soup With Cashew Cream

ARTICHOKE SOUP WITH CASHEW CREAM
Author: 
Recipe type: Dinner
Serves: 4
 
Ingredients
  • 2 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 leeks, white parts only, cleaned and chopped
  • 1 cup diced onion
  • 1 Tbl. fresh minced garlic
  • 12 ounce frozen artichoke hearts
  • 2 cups cauliflower, chopped
  • 12 cups artichoke broth* (or vegetable broth)
  • 1 cup cashew cream (see recipe below)
  • ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
  • 1 Tbl. herbes de Provence
  • Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. Place a large stock pot over medium heat. Add olive oil, leeks, onion, and garlic. Saute until the onion is soft but not brown.
  2. Add artichoke hearts, cauliflower, and broth to the pot. Bring the liquid to a strong simmer and cook until the cauliflower is tender when pierced with a fork, about 10 minutes.
  3. When the cauliflower is cooked through, reduce the heat to low. Blend the soup until smooth using a stick blender or by carefully transferring batches of soup to a blender.
  4. When the soup is smooth, stir in the cashew cream, lemon juice, and herbes de Provence. Heat the soup until all the ingredients are warmed through, but do not simmer. A strong simmer or boil will break the cashew cream apart. Taste the soup and add salt and pepper as necessary. If you used an unsalted artichoke broth it will take a good amount of salt and pepper to season the soup.
  5. Serve warm. Leftover soup will keep in the fridge for up to a week.
  6. CASHEW CREAM
  7. Place the raw cashews in a medium bowl and cover them with water. Let the cashews sit overnight.
  8. The next day drain and rinse the cashews under plenty of fresh water. Put the cashews in a high powered blender and add enough water to cover them by 1 inch. Blend on high speed for several minutes until the cashews are smooth and creamy.
  9. If you have a weak blender it might be necessary to strain the pureed cashews through a fine mesh sieve to get rid of the larger pieces. The cashew cream will keep in the fridge for 3 days or can be frozen.