Nothing’s better on a cold winter evening than a bowl of warm, creamy soup. Even better is one that’s also nourishing. This recipe is revised from a recipe I found in The Complete Book of 400 Soups by Anne Sheasby. With my 21-Day Cleanse coming up (see below), I was inspired to try a vegan version, which turned out great. If you don’t feel like making the cashew cream (it’s easy though, I promise), just add another potato.
Creamy Potato Leek and Arugula Soup
Ingredients:
4 Tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
3 leeks, cleaned and chopped
2 lg or 3 medium russet potatoes, diced
2 cloves garlic
5-6 cups of broth or water
3 cups of chopped fresh arugula
2/3 cup of vegan heavy cream (coconut cream – recipe follows)
1/2 Tablespoon sea salt
fresh black pepper
optional: dash of nutmeg
Directions:
1) Heat olive oil in a soup pot
2) Add veggies and garlic and saute until tender
3) Add broth, salt and pepper, and nutmeg and bring to a simmer for 20 minutes until vegetables are tender
4) Blend soup in a blender – a hand-held blender is even easier
5) Stir in vegan cream and arugula
6) Taste and adjust seasonings if needed, serve warm
Vegan Heavy Cream
Ingredients:
1 cup of raw whole cashews
cold water
Directions:
Cover cashews with water and soak for several hours. Rinse the cashews and place in a blender. Cover with fresh cold water and blend until cream is very smooth (2-5 minutes depending on your blender).