CREAM OF PEA AND CASHEW SOUP

A warm hug in a bowl

I love soups. They’re hearty and wholesome and feel very much like a warm hug.

I’ve been trolling food apps and recipe books for interesting recipes, and I stumbled upon this gem on Epicurious. It’s flavourful and creamy without being overwhelmingly rich. And it has two things I love – peas and cashews.

P.S. I’ve tweaked the original recipe a bit.

Ingredients

Olive oil: 1 tbsp

Peas: 3 cups frozen peas, thawed (or fresh peas, par boiled)

Cashews (raw): 1.5 cups

Onions: 1.5 cups, chopped fine

Celery: 2 stalks, chopped

Garlic: 4 cloves, chopped or sliced

Spring Onions – To garnish

Chilli flakes: 1 tsp

Brown sugar: 1tsp

Salt: to taste

Pepper: to taste

Vinegar: 2 tbsp

Vegetable Stock: 1 cube or 1 cup

Preparation

1. Heat the oil in a pan. Add onions, celery and garlic and sauté well till golden brown. (Add a splash of water, if the mixture starts to stick to the pan.)

2. Add salt and cracked pepper to season.

3. Add the cashews, chilli flakes, sugar and mix well.

4. Add 2-3 cups of water and bring to a boil.

5. Add the stock and simmer for 10 minutes.

6. Turn off the flame and let the mixture cool.

7. Blend the peas with the cashew mixture to a fine paste. Do this in two lots or more, as required.

8. Strain the blended soup through a sieve to make it smoother and creamier.

9. Put the soup back in the pan and heat on a low flame.

10. Add more salt and pepper to taste, if needed.

11. Stir the vinegar through the warmed soup and serve.