Autumn Beet Soup with Cashew Cream
If you’ve been reading this blog for a few years than you already know how much I adore beets. They are in fact my “spirit vegetable.” They can be a pain to harvest ( especially if you’re hauling hundreds of pounds to the farm stand–which we often did working on Hutchins Farm back east) but aside from the back breaking work I still adore this rustic root. I love all varieties of beets–the bright orange or candy stripped red…but I’ve always been drawn to the dark purple varieties because I think they create the most stunning dishes.
This creamy soup is a wonderful way to highlight this seasonal vegetable. It’s lightly spiced with ginger and allspice and the addition of cashew cream takes this to a whole new level. This is a thick soup that tastes great when served with big chunks of crusty bread and a glass of light red wine (like a Pinot Noir). Taylor and I loved this soup so much that we made another batch to bring over to our neighbors house for a happy hour/potluck. This is definitely a soup I’ll be turning to often this fall because it’s simple to prepare yet feels elegant and nourishing at the same time. I hope you all love this soup as much as we do and hey–any leftover cashew cream tastes great drizzled over roasted veggies or avocado toast (a Tumbleweed Farm favorite!)
Cheers!
Autumn Beet Soup with Cashew Cream
Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 45 minutes Serves: 4
Cashew Cream- 1 cup raw unsalted cashews (soaked in warm water for 30 minutes)
- 3/4-1 cup water (start with less and add more as your blending)
- 2 small cloves of garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 leek, white and pale green parts only, thinly sliced
- 1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 1 pound purple beets (about 5-6 beets), stems and greens removed (save for another use) and cut into 1/2 inch thick peices (no need to peel the beets)
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- heaping 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
- salt and pepper
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 small thyme sprigs
- 2 small parsley sprigs
- 4 cups water
Preparation
- Prepare the cashew cream by draining the soaked cashews. Place the cashews in the bowl of a high speed blender with the rest of the ingredients. Blend on the highest setting possible until the mixture is completely smooth and creamy. Add more water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until you reached the consistency of a heavy whipping cream. Pour about 1/2 of the cashew cream into a jar and leave the remainder in the blender (you’ll be adding the soup to the blender to blend with the leftover cream.
- Heat the olive oil in a large heavy bottom skillet over medium heat. Add the leek and onion and cook, stirring often until they begin to brown and become fragrant, about 10 minutes. Stir in the beets, spices, salt and pepper and continue to stir.
- Using kitchen twine tie together the bay leaf, thyme sprigs and parley sprigs. Add the water to the pot along with the bundle of herbs and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer the soup until the beets are tender, about 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and remove the herbs from the soup pot.
- Carefully transfer the soup to the blender with the remainder of the cashew cream. Blend on high until the soup is smooth and creamy. Return the soup to the pot and keep it on low heat for about 10 minutes to allow all the flavors to meld together. Taste test and adjust seasonings as needed. If the soup seems to thick add a touch more water.
- Serve warm with a dollop of more cashew cream and crusty bread.
Notes
Use this recipe as a guide *Adjust measurements and ingredients as necessary *Taste test as you go *Store extra cashew cream in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days Print