It feels like every day is a new soup invention day in my kitchen here. I rarely write anything down, but usually store the principles and techniques in my head. Occasionally, one of my creations makes it onto paper, like this incredibly delicious creamy cashew and vegetable soup.
Not only is this soup incredibly tasty, but every morsel is full of nourishing, plant-based wholesomeness, as always.
It involves vegetables, red lentils, fresh ginger and cashew nuts. The vegetables are all interchangeable, which means that you can easily adapt the soup to use whatever you have available. I have included plenty of vegetable swaps below.
The cashew blend creates a gorgeously creamy broth, while the red lentils and small pieces of vegetables make the soup nourishing, substantial and full of texture.
You will also need some sort of blender to make the cashew cream. A bullet blender, jug blender or hand blender will all do the job nicely.
If you are a fellow soup lover, you can find plenty more of my easy vegan soup recipes here.
How do I make cashew cream in a blender?
This soup gets its gorgeous creaminess from my super-easy homemade cashew cream.
You simply blend cashew nuts with water, fresh ginger, ground coriander and seasoning. The whole mixture is then poured into the cooked vegetables and lentils, creating a beautifully creamy soup without any dairy, plant cream or coconut milk.
Any blender will work, although it is especially quick and easy in a bullet blender.
If you love the delicious creaminess that cashews bring to soup, you might also enjoy my roast cashew soup with butternut squash, ginger and coriander.
Do I need to soak the cashew nuts first?
I get asked this question all the time. So, do you really need to soak cashew nuts before blending them?
No, you do not need to soak them. Cashews are naturally softer than most nuts and therefore blend quite easily.
If you are using a hand blender or a less powerful blender, soaking them first can help. Simply cover the cashews with boiling water and leave them for around 20 minutes. Drain them before blending.
Is this a smooth or chunky cashew soup?
This is a creamy soup, but it is not a fully blended soup. The vegetables stay in small, tender pieces, surrounded by the creamy cashew and ginger broth.
If you prefer a smoother soup, you can give it a few quick pulses with a hand blender once everything is cooked. I personally enjoy the texture of the vegetables as they are.
Do I need vegetable stock for this soup?
No, you do not need vegetable stock. The fresh ginger, ground coriander, mushrooms, vegetables, sea salt and cashew cream create plenty of flavour between them.
I often make soup without stock. If you like this way of cooking, you might also enjoy my easy vegetable soup without stock.
How do I decide which vegetables to swap?
This soup works beautifully with whatever vegetables you have available. I often swap root vegetables for other roots, leafy vegetables for other leafy vegetables and so on.
The exact flavour will naturally change depending on what you use, but the underlying recipe is wonderfully adaptable.
For another adaptable everyday soup, take a look at my fuss-free vegan lentil and vegetable soup.
Sweet potato swaps
You can replace the sweet potato with:
- Regular potato
- Butternut squash
- Celeriac
- Swede, also known as rutabaga in the USA
Leafy green swaps
You can use:
- Swiss chard
- Spinach
- Kale
If using kale, remove any tough stalks and chop the leaves finely.
Runner bean swaps
You can replace the runner beans with:
- Green beans
- French beans
- Finely chopped broccoli stems
Leek swaps
You can replace the leek with:
- Red onion
- White onion
- A few cloves of garlic
- A mixture of onion and garlic
Does the soup taste strongly of ginger?
The ginger gives the soup a lovely warming flavour, but you can easily adjust the amount to suit your own taste.
I use a thumb-sized piece because I love fresh ginger. If you prefer a more delicate flavour, start with half that amount. You can always use more the next time you make it.
If you have any ginger left over, see my guide on how to store fresh ginger in the fridge, freezer or at room temperature. How to store fresh ginger.
What can I serve with creamy cashew soup?
This is a substantial soup in its own right because it contains red lentils, cashews and plenty of vegetables.
You can enjoy it just as it is or serve it with gluten-free or sourdough bread, oatcakes or a warm flatbread. A scattering of fresh basil, coriander or parsley on top would also be lovely if you have some available.
How do I store creamy cashew and vegetable soup?
Once the soup has cooled, transfer it to an airtight container and store it in the fridge. It will keep for up to three days.
Reheat it gently in a saucepan, stirring regularly, until it is steaming hot throughout. The soup will thicken as it stands, so you may want to add a splash of water when reheating.
For longer storage, divide the cooled soup between individual portion-sized freezer containers. It will keep in the freezer for up to three months.
Defrost it in the fridge overnight and then reheat it gently until it is piping hot. Stir it well to bring back its lovely creamy consistency.
Creamy Vegan Cashew and Soup with Red Lentils
A delicious, nourishing vegan creamed cashew soup recipe, using vegetables, red lentils and freh ginger.
Ingredients
- 100g red lentils
- 1 large sweet potato
- 1 medium-sized leek
- 200g mushrooms
- 100g Swiss chard or spinach
- 150g runner beans or green beans
- 500ml (2 cups) filtered water
- Fresh basil to garnish (optional)
- Cashews to garnish (optional)
For the cashew and ginger cream
- 75g cashew nuts
- 1 thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger, or less depending on your taste
- 1 heaped tablespoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- A generous twist of black pepper
- 300ml filtered water
Instructions
- Please watch my video for a super-helpful visual guide to making this soup. You will also find more tips, including plenty of vegetable swaps, in the article above.
- Rinse the red lentils thoroughly.
- Chop all of the vegetables into small pieces.
- Add the lentils, chopped vegetables and 500ml of water to a large cooking pot. I used a 3-litre pot.
- Put on the lid and bring everything to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer gently with the lid on for about 20 minutes. This should give the lentils and vegetables enough time to cook nicely. Stir occasionally to make sure nothing catches on the bottom of the pot.
- Meanwhile, put the cashew nuts, ginger, ground coriander, sea salt, black pepper and 300ml of water into a bullet blender or alternative blender.
- Blend for around one minute, or until everything is thoroughly blended and creamy.
- Once the vegetables and lentils are cooked, you will notice that they have softened and reduced down.
- Pour in the cashew and ginger blend. Mix everything together and cook gently for a further 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Taste and add a little more salt or black pepper if needed.
- Your soup is now ready to enjoy.
- It will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. You can also freeze it in individual portions for up to three months.
- Let me know how you get on.
Notes
See article above for lots of extra tips, vegetable swaps and notes.
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