1 medium onion, cut into ¼-inch dice (about 1 cup)
1 large carrot, cut into ¼-inch slices
1 large celery rib, cut into ¼-inch slices
1 large clove garlic, minced
3 medium red potatoes (about 16 ounces), scrubbed or peeled, and cut into ½-inch dice
1 tablespoon dried or fresh parsley
1 cup water
½ cup raw cashew pieces (soaked for 4 to 6 hours)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon fresh or bottled lemon juice
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon ground mustard powder
¼ teaspoon turmeric
1 tablespoon mellow white miso
¼ cup nutritional yeast
Dash of cayenne
3 tablespoons tapioca starch or non-GMO cornstarch
1 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
Heat ¼ cup of the vegetable broth in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, and celery, and sauté until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add additional broth if necessary to keep the vegetables from burning. Add the garlic and sauté for a minute or two more. Add the remaining vegetable broth, potatoes, and parsley and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for 15 to 20 minutes.
While the soup is simmering, in a high-speed blender, combine the water, cashews, tomato paste, lemon juice, smoked paprika, mustard powder, turmeric, miso, nutritional yeast, cayenne, and tapioca starch and blend until very smooth and creamy, 1 to 2 minutes.
Pour the blended liquid into the pot of soup and let simmer for a few minutes more. The cashew cream will thicken the soup a bit. Add the salt and pepper, to taste. For a thicker, creamier soup, put half the soup through the blender or pulse several times with an immersion blender.
Notes
This recipe can easily be made into cheesy broccoli soup. Simply substitute 1 medium head of finely chopped broccoli for the potatoes.