Friday Food for Thought—Carrot Ginger Cashew Soup

Last week my massage therapist told me about a carrot ginger cashew soup that she buys, ready to eat, in a tetra pack at the health food store. When I hear “health food store” and “tetra pack,” I also hear “expensive.” So I turned to Google and found a recipe for a very delicious homemade version.

Carrot Ginger Cashew Soup

2 pounds carrots, peeled and chopped
1 cup cauliflower, chopped
4 cups vegetable or chicken stock
1 cup diced onion
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup toasted, unsalted cashews
1–2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh grated ginger
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon fennel seed, ground
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cumin
salt and pepper to taste.

Simmer the broth, carrots, and cauliflower in a soup pot for 30 to 45 minutes, until carrots are tender.

Heat the olive oil over medium heat and saute the onions until soft and translucent. Turn the heat down, add the garlic, cashews, ginger, spices, and salt and pepper, and continue cooking for about 5 minutes. Stir all of this to the broth and simmer for 15 minutes.

Process the soup in a blender or food processor or with an immersion blender. If necessary, add a little more stock to achieve the consistency you like.

Serve and enjoy! If desired, garnish with a spoonful of plain yogurt and/or a sprinkling of finely chopped green onions.

This recipe makes 6 to 8 generous servings, and I’m sure it’s every bit as good as the prepared soup in the tetra pack. I haven’t done a price comparison, but I’m guessing it’s also less expensive. The carrots are loaded with beta carotene, ginger is good for digestion, and the cashews give it a lovely finish.

I hope you like it!

Until next time,
Lee

PS: I’ve decided to do an Easter Sunday brunch instead of a dinner. Check back tomorrow for my oven-baked French toast recipe.