Cashew cream is a raw, dairy free substitute for (you guessed it) cream! There are many recipes out there for cashew cream, they vary slightly but basically it's the same process in each. The first time I made cashew cream I used the recipe from Tal Ronnen's cookbook, "The Conscious Cook." He explains the process well, but his recipe makes a lot of cream. I would rarely use it up before having to throw it away. Since, I've been making it in smaller batches. This recipe will yield between 1/2 - 3/4 cups of cream. Here's how I do it.
Cashew Cream
1 C raw cashews
water
The night before you need the cream, put the cashews into a bowl and cover them with water. Store the bowl of cashews in the refrigerator. When you need the cream, drain and rinse the cashews under cold water. Place them into a blender and cover them with about one inch of water. Blend until smooth. This usually takes two or three minutes. Next, strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve (if you have a Vita-Mix blender you won't need to strain it and you'll end up with 1 1/2 cups of cream). Once strained it should have the consistency of cream.
My daughter was living in Grand Rapids and found a restaurant that became a staple for her, Marie Catribs. We would eat there often and I fell in love with it too. It's a great restaurant that serves amazing vegetarian and vegan dishes. Not too long ago I ordered the soup of the day and by the third spoonful I made up my mind to try to duplicate it! Here it is. I hope you like it! And if you ever get to Grand Rapids, Michigan, it's worth your time to visit Marie Catribs. It won't disappoint! Check out her website.
Tomato Quinoa Soup
2 T olive oil
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, diced
3 leeks, white parts only, sliced
2 stalks of celery, diced
2 carrots, diced
6 oz. portobello mushrooms, chopped
28 oz. crushed tomatoes
32 oz. veggie broth
leaves from two sprigs of thyme
3 basil leaves, chiffonade
1 T parsley
1 15 oz. can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 15 oz. can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 C quinoa
1/2 C cashew cream (optional)
salt and pepper to taste
basil leaves for garnish, chiffonade
In a large stock pot saute the garlic, onion, leeks, celery, carrots and mushrooms until tender and fragrant. Add the tomatoes, broth, thyme, basil, parsley, kidney beans, garbanzo beans and bring the soup to a simmer. Add the quinoa and bring the soup to a boil. As soon as it begins to boil, reduce heat to medium low. Cover.
Simmer until the quinoa has cooked and the soup has thickened, about 10 – 15
min. Add the cashew cream and season to taste. Serve garnished with basil leaves.
My daughter bought a new cookbook. It's "Totally Vegetarian," written by Toni Fiore, and there are some great recipes inside. Many of them are vegan and many others can be adapted. She's made 3 recipes from this cookbook and all of them have been wonderful. This bisque is the best! I only changed a couple of things. I switched out the sugar for agave nectar and added cashew cream instead of soy milk. So get to the store and buy a pie pumpkin before their all gone. Then try this soup. It's delicious!
Roasted Pumpkin Bisque
One 2-pound sugar pumpkin
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large yellow onion, diced
1 large carrot, diced
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 - 2 teaspoons rosemary leaves
Fine sea salt
Black pepper, to taste
4 cups vegetable stock
1 - 2 teaspoons agave nectar
1/2 to 1 cup soy milk or cashew cream
1/4 - 1/2 cup chopped chives
Sprinkle of nutmeg (optional)
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Cut the pumpkin in half across the equator, not stem to bottom. Remove the seeds and strings with a spoon. Place the pumpkin cut side down on a foil-lined baking sheet and roast until tender about 40 minutes. Set it aside until cool enough to handle. Scoop out the pulp and place in a bowl; discard the shell.
Heat the olive oil in a 3 - 4 quart heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrot, ginger, and a sprinkle of salt. Saute until the onion is translucent and the carrots begin to soften, about 10 minutes. Add the pumpkin, rosemary, and 2 teaspoons salt. Stir well and saute for about 5 minutes. Add the stock and bring to a low boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes, until the pumpkin is soft. Remove from the heat and stir in the agave. Let cool 10 minutes.
Transfer the soup to a blender and blend, slowly adding the milk a little at a time. You may need to do this in two batches. Check the texture, which should be smooth and dense, you may not need to add the entire cup of soy milk or cashew cream, so do this to your taste. When the soup is whipped and creamy return to the pot and heat through. Stir in the chives, season with black pepper & sprinkle with nutmeg if using.Serve hot.
