Vegan Creamy Cashew & Poblano Pepper Soup

I originally posted this recipe for cream of cashew & pepper soup on my old blog last winter. I noticed that it was consistently getting traffic, and because I no longer update that blog, I've decided to repost it here.

It's still one of my favorite recipes, because it incorporates spice and savor, and leaves you feeling satisfied.

When my friend Tim brought me a bowl of cream of poblano soup from his restaurant two years ago, it was love at first bite. I hadn't yet given up dairy, but I loved that it was meat-free and still satisfying. I asked him to send me the recipe the other day because I was craving the soup, and when I learned that it contained a lot of butter and heavy cream, I decided to improvise. I'm so glad I did, because what I've got now is a creamy, vegan version of this perfect, spicy winter soup. I've decided to share it in hopes you guys will try it out for yourselves!

Vegan Cream of Cashew & Poblano Soup

Ingredients

• 4 oz vegan butter (I use Earth Balance brand, but there's plenty others on the market)
• 2.5 oz flour
• 64 oz. vegetable stock
• 1 baking potato, peeled and cubed
• 5 medium, diced poblano peppers (about 1 lb.)
• 1.5 cups chopped celery
• 1 tbsp. salt
• 1.75 c. cashew cream (you can find this at the store, but for a cheaper alternative I've included a simple recipe below)

Directions

1. Melt vegan butter in a sauce pan on low heat.
2. Add flour to melted butter; whisk together until smooth.
3. Add vegetable stock and bring to a simmer at high heat.
4. Add potatoes, poblanos and celery. Reduce to low heat and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 30-35 minutes.
5. Strain out vegetables.
6. Place vegetables in a blender with 2 cups of the liquid. Blend until smooth. Repeat until all vegetables and liquid have been blended. (Be careful not to overfill like I did. I ended up with green liquid all over my kitchen the first time!)
7. Return blended mixture to a clean sauce pan. Add salt and bring to a simmer.
8. Remove from heat. Add cashew cream slowly and stir well.

This recipe makes about 8 servings and can be garnished with vegan cashew cheese or a real dairy Mexican cheese (Tim's recipe calls for cojita). I decided to put a slice of pobano and vegan sour cream on instead.

Cashew Cream

Use this as a vegan substitute for sour cream or heavy cream— in any recipe! It's so delicious I could eat it with a spoon.

Ingredients

• 1 cup raw, unsalted cashews
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 2 tsp. apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp. fresh lemon juice

Directions

1. Place cashews in bowl and pour boiling water to cover. Let sit 30 minutes.
2. Drain cashews and blend with salt, vinegar, lemon juice and 1/4 cup cold water.
3. Add water until pureed. 

That's it! Enjoy your soup. Love each other, and animals.