Cream of Tomato Soup

WHAT YOU’RE MAKING:

I am obsessed with this cream of tomato soup. It’s easy to make (takes me about 15 minutes), and the creaminess is so yummy and satisfying. I love being able to still indulge in creamy foods using softened cashews which makes the dish completely guilt-free.

And, what’s even better is that with this recipe, you don’t have to chop a single thing! Everything goes into the blender for a quick weekday meal that saves on calories and time.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1x 15 ounce can of tomatoes (any kind — crushed, diced, whatever you have in your pantry!)

• 1/2 small yellow onion

• 1 clove of garlic

• 1/2 cup of raw cashews

• 1/4 lemon, juiced

• 1/2 cup of water boiled

• 1/8 cup of agave

• Fresh basil (2-3 basil leaves if fresh, or 1 teaspoon of dried depending on what you have available)

• Salt and pepper to taste

METHOD:

Begin by softening your cashews in the 1/2 cup of boiled water on the stovetop. Turn off flame and let it sit for about 10 minutes. In the meantime, add tomatoes plus 1 cup of water, garlic and onion to a blender and puree. Add to your stock pot along with your agave and basil, and begin to simmer on low. You will simmer and occasionally stir for about 15 minutes.

Going back to your blender, add the softened cashews and the boiling water it just soaked in with the juiced lemon. Blend on high until thick and creamy, making sure the mixture isn’t gritty.

Now, add your cashew cream from the blender to your simmering stock pot and mix. You can reserve a little bit of your cashew cream to drizzle for presentation purposes at the very end.

Stir and continue to simmer for another 5 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Ladle into bowls and top with fresh basil and a drizzle of your reserved cashew cream for a painterly presentation.

Note: to make this a heartier meal, you can add some cooked rice, quinoa, or another grain of choice to this dish.