10 Spice Vegetable Soup with Cashew Cream

The timing is perfect! As spring beckons and we are craving healthier fare, what better way to welcome the weather than with this spice-centric soup from one of our new favorite cookbooks, The Oh She Glows Cookbook: Over 100 Recipes to Glow from the Inside Out by Angela Liddon.
"This is quite possibly the ultimate bowl of comfort food, made with a decadent, creamy broth and loaded with an array of health-boosting spices. It’s really hard to stop at one bowl! Be sure to soak the raw cashews in water the night before (or for at least three to four hours) so they are ready when you plan to make the soup."

Ingredients

3/4 cup raw cashews, soaked
6 cups vegetable broth
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 sweet or yellow onion, diced
3 medium carrots, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
11/2 cups peeled and chopped sweet potato, regular potato, or butternut squash
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes, with their juices
1 tablespoon Oh She Glows 10 Spice Blend or Creole Spice
Fine-grain Fleur de Sel and freshly ground Black Vietnamese Peppercorn, to taste
2 Turkish Bay Leaf
1 to 2 cups baby spinach or de-stemmed torn kale leaves (optional)
1 15-ounce can chickpeas or other beans, drained and rinsed (optional)

Directions

In a blender, combine the soaked and drained cashews with 1 cup of the vegetable broth and blend on the highest speed until smooth. Set aside.

In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and onion and sauté for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the onion is translucent.

Add the carrots, bell pepper, potato, celery, diced tomatoes with their juices, remaining 5 cups broth, the cashew cream, and the 10-Spice Blend. Stir well to combine.

Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce the heat to medium-low. Season with salt and black pepper and add the bay leaves.

Simmer the soup, uncovered, for at least 20 minutes, until the vegetables are tender. Season with salt and black pepper.

During the last 5 minutes of cooking, stir in the spinach and beans, if desired. Remove and discard the bay leaves before serving.

Tags: Creole Spice Silk Road