Carrot Cashew Soup with Cilantro Drizzle

carrot soup with cilantro drizzleIt always amazes me how a handful of ingredients can come together in such stunning ways. Take carrots and raw cashews. Who knew? Combining them with some chicken broth resulted in an extraordinarily different kind of soup. It is creamy and light as a cloud at the same time. Neither liquid nor broth, but more of a puree with texture. 

First I cooked the carrots in chicken broth until they were tender, then I dropped them into a blender with cups of raw cashews, salt, and a dash of ground cloves.

I loved the taste, but wanted to layer on another flavor. At first I thought about topping the soup with a swirl of port glaze. I've always loved carrots and port together. Yet, when I spied a bunch of cilantro sitting on the kitchen counter, I opted for the green. With a quick pulse or two in the food processor with some deep green oil, salt and bit of garlic, I had my drizzle.

This soup is sublime. Healthy. Simple. And totally satisfying.

Carrot Cashew Soup

Ingredients

  • 32 ounces chicken broth
  • 8 large carrots, peeled
  • 3 cups raw cashews
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

Cooking Directions

  1. Heat the chicken broth in a pot big enough to hold all the carrots.
  2. Slice the carrots, add them to the broth, and cook until tender, about 10 minutes.
  3. Add the cooked carrots to a blender with one cup of the broth and blend. Add another cup of broth and blend again.
  4. Add the 3 cups of cashews and blend.
  5. Add the rest of the broth and blend.
  6. Now add your seasonings. Add in the salt and ground cloves and blend well. Taste and add more of either spice to your liking. The soup is now still hot and ready to serve.

Cilantro Drizzle

Ingredients

  • 6 tablespoons fresh cilantro leaves
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 garlic clove, peeled
  • 2 teaspoons sea salt

Cooking Directions

  1. Put all the ingredients in a food processor and blend.
  2. Taste for seasoning and adjust to your taste.
  3. Spoon this drizzle over the Carrot Cashew Soup and serve.

Hillary Davis is the author of French Comfort Food, Cuisine Niçoise, and A Million A Minute. She is presently at work on her next cookbook. You can follow her food adventures in France and around the world on her blog Marché Dimanche.