Congratulations! If you are reading this you must have managed to enter our site without running into any database errors. Our site has been pending between offline and hair-tearingly slow this past week, which is why this recipe is somewhat delayed. Our server is apparently tired of us and we are immensely tired of it, so we are planning some construction work to finally speed up this place (a new design is on its way as well!). Please be patient with weird error messages that might pop-up or slow loading times. Things will (hopefully) run much smoother in a very near future. Okay, enough complaining. Let’s talk shrooms!
I think our original plan was to share something bright and spring inspired. But faith intervened with a few cold days, a bag of portobello mushrooms showing up in our CSA box and a sudden calling for soup. So this happened. A warm and comforting vegan mushroom soup with tones of white wine, forest, rosemary and thyme. It’s an ideal dinner soup, especially when served with wholegrain rice and a few pieces roasted sourdough rye slathered with mashed avocado and chili flakes. Think of it like one final winter hug before spring is taking over the kitchen.
Mushroom Soup with Red Rice & Avo Toast Serves 4
Rice 1 cup uncooked red rice 2 cups water sea salt
Mushroom Soup 2 tbsp coconut oil, olive oil butter or ghee 2 garlic cloves 2 sprigs thyme 2 sprigs rosemary 4 (250 g) portobello mushroom, cleaned 8 (250 g) brown button mushroom or champignon, cleaned a large glug of white wine, optional 4 cups / 1 liter water 1 tbsp (or 1 cube) vegetable bouillon sea salt and black pepper
fresh parsley, for serving plain yogurt, for serving (optional)
Cooking the rice: Rinse the rice well in water and drain. Place in a saucepan with the 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil, immediately lower the heat to a bare simmer, let simmer for 45 minutes or until tender. Add salt towards the end of the cooking time. Drain any excess water. Meanwhile make the soup.
Making the soup: Finely chop garlic cloves and slice the mushrooms. Heat oil in a large saucepan and add garlic and cook until fragrant but not browned. Add mushrooms and herbs and cook for about 5-8 minutes until soft and slightly browned, stirring occasionally. Reserve some of the cooked mushroom slices for serving. Add a glug of wine to the saucepan and cook for a few minutes. Now add water, bouillon, salt and pepper. Cover with a lid and bring to a simmer. Use an immersion (hand) blender to mix the soup until completely smooth (or a stand-blender). Season to taste. Serve in bowls with a spoonful of cooked rice, some mushroom slices, fresh parsley, olive oil, a dollop of yogurt if using, and an avocado toast.
Avocado Toast Makes 4 half-slices
2 slices sourdough rye 1 ripe avocado 1 tsp cold-pressed olive oil chili flakes flaky sea salt
Toast the bread in a toaster, a frying pan or in the oven on high heat for a few minutes until golden and crispy. Cut the avocado in half, remove the stone and scoop out the flesh. Use a fork to mash the avocado and then slather it on top of the toast. Drizzle oil on top and sprinkle with chili flakes and salt. Cut in half and serve with the soup.
It’s pretty clear how I’m handling winter this year: lots of big, bold, spicy food. Chili, saffron, ginger, and paprika are on heavy rotation these days, and I’m surviving cold days with hot meals infused with far-away flavours.
The inspiration for this dish came from harira, a spicy Moroccan and Algerian soup that is traditionally eaten during Ramadan. I made it a lot when I first went vegetarian, about 16 years ago, but after adding several more recipes to my repertoire, kind of forgot about it. In the interest of internally thawing out my bod, I thought I would dust off this old favourite and give it a couple updates.
You’ll often see a lot of harira recipes calling for rice or pasta, but I wanted to go the grain-free route on this one, so I pulled out my trusty spiralizer and make noodles out of sweet potatoes! As much as I love “raw noodles” like spiralized zucchini and beet and carrot, let’s face it: beyond their appearance, they aren’t fooling anyone into believing they are pasta. But something really amazing happens when you cook vegetable noodles just a little bit – they actually become rather tender, yielding, and able to absorb other flavours. Sweet potato noodles are definitely a favourite of mine, especially in cooked dishes like this one. They add great texture, and of course, noodle-free oodles of nutrients (try saying that five times).
You don’t have to soak the lentils for this dish, but it will cook faster it you do, plus the lentils themselves will be far more digestible. And of course you can use canned chickpeas instead of cooking them from dried, but because you won’t be blending them up (into hummus, for instance) I promise it’s worth the effort for not-totally-mushy results. If you’ve never tried cooking your own chickpeas from scratch, maybe now is the time to take the plunge! You’ll never go back, I promise.
1 Tbsp. coconut oil or ghee 2 tsp. ground turmeric 2 tsp. ground ginger 1 tsp. caraway seeds 1 tsp. hot smoked paprika ½ tsp. ground cinnamon ½ tsp. freshly grated nutmeg 1 pinch saffron (about 40 threads) soaked in 2 Tbsp. hot water 3 medium onions 1 tsp. fine grain sea salt 14 oz / 400ml canned whole tomatoes 6oz / 170g tomato paste (1 small can) 1 ½ cup dried chickpeas OR 3 cups / 500g cooked chickpeas (about 2 cans) 1 cup dried lentils, soaked overnight if possible 1 medium sweet potato 3 slices lemon 5 cups water ½ cup / 20g cilantro, leaves and tender stems only, plus more for garnish ½ cup / 20g flat-leaf parsley, leaves and tender stems only, plus more for garnish sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste cold-pressed olive oil and lemon wedges for serving
Directions: 1. If using dried chickpeas, soak them in pure water overnight with an acidic medium, such as apple cider vinegar or lemon juice. The next morning, drain and rinse. Place in a large stockpot, cover with fresh water, bring to a boil and simmer until tender, about 45 minutes. About 30 minutes into cooking, add about a tablespoon of salt. Drain and rinse.
2. Place saffron threads in a small cup with about 2 tablespoons of recently-boiled water. Let steep for 10-15 minutes.
3. Peel and dice onions. Heat coconut oil in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Add the turmeric, ginger, caraway, paprika, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Stir to blend, and cook for 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Lower the heat to medium, add onions and salt, stir to coat. Cook until translucent and slightly caramelized, about 10 minutes (add a little water to the pot if it becomes dry). Add the steeped saffron liquid, the canned tomatoes (break up any large pieces), tomato paste, chickpeas, lentils, lemon slices and water. Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer and cook covered until the lentils are tender, 15-25 minutes depending on whether or not you soaked them.
4. While the soup is cooking, make the sweet potato noodles. Scrub the sweet potato well under running water if it is organic, and peel it if it is not. Spiralize the potato if you have a spiralizer, or use a julienne peeler to create long, thin noodle-like strips. Wash the herbs well, spin dry and roughly chop, removing any tough stems.
5. Add the sweet potato noodles and herbs to the pot, stir to incorporate and let simmer for 5 minutes. Season to taste.
6. Ladle out desired amount of hot soup into bowls. Drizzle each serving generously with olive oil and top with more herbs. Serve with a wedge of lemon, and enjoy.
In other news, I’ve added two new recipes to the My New Roots App! If you’re craving a little more in the way of raw, juicy sunshine, here are two brand-new and exclusive smoothie bowls for your pleasure: the Zippy Zucchini Smoothie Bowl and the Plum Dandy Smoothie Bowl. If you have the app already simply update it, and if you don’t, you can download it here.
And this week I’m in Sri Lanka, all thanks to Cinnamon Hotels for kidnapping me from the icy cold and transporting to me to a tropical paradise full of exotic fruits, cerulean 29° ocean water, and annoyingly perfect palm-tree-sunset-white-sand-beach situations. If you don’t want to be jealous, you should probably avoid my Instagram, okay?
Stay cozy out there! xo, Sarah B
The post Chickpea & Sweet Potato Noodle Soup appeared first on My New Roots.
If you’re looking for a lightening fast and cost efficient homemade holiday gift, I have just the thing for you!
I love to make homemade food gifts for friends and family around the holidays. It’s fun to give them and all, but mainly, I love having a reason to buy more glass jars. SEE ERIC, I ACTUALLY NEEDED THESE JARS. And cute tags…oh my goodness, the cute tags. I die.
I almost didn’t get a chance to make any homemade gifts this year because the past two weeks have been consumed with the cookbook photoshoot (behind the scenes one, two, three). So, we just started our Christmas shopping/gift planning on Saturday which was fun. Our tree is still not up yet, but it is what it is. We’re squeaking in at the last minute this year, and I’m just going to have to make peace with the fact that the holiday season is never “perfect”. Isn’t it so much better when you just accept that?
My motivation was running a bit low after the excitement of last week, but sometimes inspiration strikes when I least expect it. I got a text from my sister Kerrie on Friday night. She wrote:
“Mixing up your 10-spice mix and putting them in jars with your recipe attached! I’m giving some out for Christmas! How’s that for an idea?”
Then she attached a photo. Immediately, I knew I had to do this.
Then a short while later, I received another text from Kerrie:
“Do NOT touch your face when using the CAYENNE pepper!!!! OH MY GOODNESS!!”
I just about died laughing.
A short while later, another text:
“A frozen face cloth helps.”
She kills me, she really does.
So, a big thanks to Kerrie for this post’s inspiration (and hilarious personality). I love you.
Also, thanks to Eric for being my crafting partner in crime yesterday (he was the one who insisted we do this idea!) and for being the best hand model eva. If you are following me on snapchat, you saw the entire process (as well as the Crispy Almond Butter Cookies from my cookbook)! We had a blast.
The fine print: Do not attempt to use a mixing bowl this small. I only used it for the photo and then promptly transferred the spices into the biggest, baddest bowl I own (a bamboo Caesar salad bowl that could feed 25 people – 3 pics down).
10-Spice Mix Gift Jars
Vegan, gluten-free, grain-free, no bake/raw, nut-free, oil-free, refined sugar-free, soy-free
This 10-Spice mix takes just a few minutes to throw together, and it can be used in a variety of dishes, such as soups, stews, pastas, potatoes, salad dressings, and more! I love using it in my 10-Spice Vegetable Soup with Cashew Cream (also see: page 137, The Oh She Glows Cookbook) which is one of my most loved soups of all-time (and a reader favourite, too!) These spice jars make a quick and easy holiday gift that won’t set you back much money. Just pair the spice mix with the soup recipe or, if they don’t have it, The Oh She Glows Cookbook with the page bookmarked.
Yield 7 packed cups of spice mix
Prep Time 45 Minutes
Cook time 0 Minutes
Total Time 45 Minutes
Ingredients:
2 cups smoked paprika
1 cup garlic powder
1 cup dried oregano
1 cup onion powder
1 cup dried basil
2/3 cup dried thyme
1/2 cup ground black pepper
1/2 cup white pepper (optional)
1/2 cup fine sea salt
1/3 cup cayenne pepper
Directions:
Gather 8-9 (3/4 cup/175 ml capacity) glass jars.
Add all of the spices into an extra-large bowl (I used a huge Caesar salad bowl) for easier mixing.
Whisk together all of the spices until thoroughly combined. It takes a while to mix it all together, but keep going until you don’t see any clumps or patches of spice.
Divide the spice mix between small jars using a funnel.
Secure lid, tag, and ribbon on each jar.
Print off the 10-Spice Vegetable Soup recipe and give the recipe (or The Oh She Glows Cookbook) with the jar for a fun gift! Shake the jar before each use.
1) To make the soup: If the gift recipient doesn’t have a high powered blender such as a Vitamix (which can get the cashew cream in the soup very smooth), I recommend making a note for them that they can substitute 3/4 cup of cashews for 1/2 cup of raw cashew butter. It’ll blend much easier.
2) I bought my spices in bulk at a bulk food store called Bulk Barn. I also found the jars there too. You can also find small jars for a good price at the Dollarstore.
p.s. – I have a couple exciting tidbits to share today!
– Pinterest selected The Oh She Glows Cookbook for their Pinterest 100 list which features the top trends and predictions for 2016! So cool and exciting. Thank you, Pinterest! Check out the top 100 trend predictions for 2016 here.
– The Oh She Glows Cookbook was selected by Publisher’s Weekly as one of the Top Cookbook Stories of 2015! You can read the article here.
– I’m hosting a big giveaway on Instagram this week! Up for grabs is a signed copy of my book and a $ 200 Amazon gift card! See the deets here.
p. p. s. – My jars are from Bulk Barn and they hold 3/4 cup of spice mix. The funnel is from Lee Valley (had it for years and so in love). Tags and ribbon are from Michael’s craft store.
Last but not least, I’d like to wish you all a very happy holiday! Merry Christmas to those of you celebrating later this week. I hope you can enjoy some downtime spent with loved ones, and lots of delicious food! We have a lot of exciting things in the works for 2016 and I can’t wait to share them with you. Thank YOU, as always, for your incredible support and encouragement this year. xo
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Without fail, I get sick every winter. It changes from year to year but I’m down for about a week. During that week, I’m pumping myself full of healthy greens, juices, and lots of water. This bok choy soup is on a normal rotation during the winter but a big batch gets made every time I get sick. The ginger broth is really what makes the soup but the bok choy is always such a nice treat. Read more and see the recipe.
| Disclosure: This recipe was created for Ancient Harvest. See below for more details. |
In the super market or farmers’ market, it might be easy to over look unfamiliar produce. It’s easy to gravitate towards the knowns such as broccoli, sweet potatoes, and butternut squash. However, when dealing with winter squash, there is abundance of varieties, each with their own flavor profile and perfect uses. Kabocha squash is known for a slightly sweeter flavor and, like the delicata and red kuri squash, it’s edible skin. However, because of the sweetness, my favorite way to prepare this squash is to roast then puree it into soup. The roasting plays on the already sweet squash and is the foundation for a wonderful soup without many ingredients. continue reading
Back in the summer, I was asked to be the guest chef at a restaurant here in Copenhagen for the upcoming fall season. But not just any restaurant: a hyper-local organic restaurant sourcing 95% of their ingredients from within 200 kilometers of their front door, and one that holds classes to educate and inspire city dwellers to eat sustainably all year round. Oh, just kind of up my alley. And it is run by a woman who I clicked with instantaneously, our first conversation touching on everything from mushroom foraging to manifesting one’s own reality through the power of positive thinking. I said yes because I was so moved by her ultimate mission, what the restaurant stood for, and not really taking into account that I hadn’t cooked in a professional kitchen in many years. But after giving me permission to call the event “The Grand Pumpkin Orgy”, how could I possibly say no?
Fast forward a few months to a couple weeks ago. I am standing at the cutting board preparing vegetables for soup. The soup to be served at the restaurant, which will be full of guests, all there to eat my food. I feel confident and excited, using all of my pumpkin comprehension to develop a menu of stellar proportions, and not letting the true weightiness of the event bog me down. Once cooked, everything goes into the blender. I puree it. I taste it. And it’s delicious. Without any major adjustments at all, it is exactly what I wanted it to be: clean and pure and tasting of the ingredients it is made with, only better.
Then the doubt creeps in. Wait a second. That was easy. Is this really good enough? How can I serve such a simple dish to all these people with undoubtedly high expectations of what this dinner is supposed to be? Why did I ever think I could do this in the first place?! BAH!
I brought my recipes in for the chef to review, sheepishly handing them over as if there was something wrong with them; not impressive enough, flashy or complex – just what I believed to be delicious. After a raised eyebrow, he said that he wasn’t sure apple and butternut squash would go together. I gulped, but told him as confidently as I could that I believe in the intelligence of the season, and trust that whatever grows together, goes together. Right?
The soup was a hit. Clean and pure and tasting of the ingredients it was made with, only better. Not only was the chef impressed (and later excused himself for judging my soup before making it himself), but the guests as well. As I went around to the tables asking everyone how it was, they all reaffirmed my belief that my instincts are not completely out of whack, and that, quite simply, good ingredients make great food. After several years eating locally-grown, seasonal produce I’ve learned that you can pretty much step back and let the ingredients do the work for you, since true deliciousness needs little intervention. Cooking like a pro, to me, means respecting the ingredients and doing as little as possible to bring out their tastiness.
So, this soup is that soup. The one I served at the restaurant to all of those people that scared me, but also reminded me that simple is best. It is a deep and delicious love song to autumn. The ingredients are inexpensive, widely available and the process is foolproof. It’s an oven soup! That’s right: everything cooked together right on a baking sheet so there isn’t even a pot to wash. Me likey.
Butternut Squsah: the Nutrient Storage Facility
Winter squash rocks because it is a virtual storehouse of nutrients. Unlike summer squash (re: zucchini, crooknecks, pattypans), winter squash has had a lot more time to develop and pump itself full of vitamins and minerals throughout its lengthy life on the stem. We’re talking oodles more vitamin A (in the form of beta-carotene), vitamin C, manganese, potassium, and even some extra dietary fiber thrown in. This combination of nutrients spells good news for asthma sufferers, those with heart disease, elevated cholesterol, or inflammatory conditions such a rheumatoid and osteoarthritis.
Nature designed summer squash to be rather delicate, with a high water content for those hot summer days when we need a cool down. Naturally, their shelf life is rather short during our abundant harvest season when produce is plentiful. On the flip side, winter squash has a tough outer skin and lower water content, which allows it to be stored for a very long time – some varieties up to six months. This means that we can keep these vitamin bombs around for a long time after the first frost to provide our bodies with the nutrition we need to see us through the long months of winter when there is nothing fresh in sight.
Put that in your oven and roast it!
The Garlicky Rye Bread Croutons, although an additional element to create, are the crowning glory of the dish, and really make it special. If you’re not into bread, try toasting some pumpkin seeds for the top, or something else crunchy to add contrast to the silky smooth soup.
It begs mentioning that the apple cider vinegar in this recipe is not optional. Why? Because it adds acidity. Acidity is the one thing missing in almost every home cook’s food because, well, we are never really taught about its importance. If you read the introduction in my cookbook, I have a section called “The Holy Trinity of Flavour” explaining that salt, sugar and acid are the three foundation flavours of any successful dish. Adding just a touch of apple cider vinegar or lemon juice to almost anything you make (no kidding!) heightens and brightens the other flavours and creates a surprising balance of tastes. Try it and see for yourself.
Butternut Squash, Leek and Apple Soup with Garlicky Rye Bread Croutons Makes at least 2 quarts / 2 liters, Serves 4-6
Ingredients: 2 Tbsp. melted coconut oil (or ghee) 3 leeks 1 medium onion 5 cloves garlic 1 large butternut squash (mine was about 2 lbs. / 1 kg) 1 large, tart apple 4 – 6 cups / 1-1½ liters vegetable broth, as needed 1 tsp. fine grain sea salt 1 tsp. ground cumin ½ tsp. ground cardamom ½ tsp. ground star anise apple cider vinegar to taste (start with ½ tsp. up to 1 Tbsp.) 1 batch Garlicky Rye Bread Crouton (recipe to follow)
Directions: 1. Preheat oven to 400°F / 200°C.
2. Prepare all vegetables: chop leeks and onions, peel garlic (but leave it whole), peel butternut and cut into cubes, chop apple.
3. Place all vegetables on a baking sheet with the coconut oil, toss to coat, and set in the oven to roast for 25-35 minutes until tender.
4. Transfer roasted vegetables to a blender and add the spices and hot vegetable stock (you may need to work in batches). Blend on high until completely smooth. Taste, then add salt and apple cider vinegar, blend and taste again. Adjust seasoning to your taste, and add stock until the desired consistency is reached: I like mine quite thin so I use the full 6 cups / 1½ liters of stock.
5. Transfer soup to a large cooking pot over medium heat to warm, if necessary. Divide soup equally among bowls and serve with the Garlicky Rye Bread Croutons and freshly cracked black pepper.
Garlicky Rye Bread Croutons Serves 4
Ingredients: 2 cups / 200g stale dark sourdough, cut into generous cubes (any bread here would work, but make a healthy choice) 1 Tbsp. coconut oil or ghee (ghee is definitely the tastiest) 2 fat cloves garlic, finely minced or grated on a microplane a couple pinches flaky sea salt
Directions: 1. Melt oil in a small saucepan over low heat. When it is melted, add the garlic and stir to combine. Cook just until the garlic starts to simmer, immediately remove from heat and let cool slightly. Preheat oven to 350°F/175°C.
2. Cut bread into generous cubes and place in a medium sized bowl. Pour the garlic oil over the top and toss to coat, using your hands to squish the oil into the bread. Spread out bread cubes on a cookie sheet, sprinkle with salt and place in the oven. Toast for 15-20 minutes, tossing a couple times during cooking. Croutons are ready when they are crisp and golden around the edges. Once cool, store leftovers in an airtight container for up to three days.
You guys. I’m making app! It’s almost ready! I can’t wait!
The My New Roots iOS app will include your favourites from the blog, plus 5 exclusive app-only holiday recipes, perfect for the upcoming season. Click the link below to go to the App site where you can sign up to be notified when the app is out (soon, I promise!) and receive my brand-new recipe for Crispy Sweet Potato Shoe String Fries with Miso Tahini Gravy, like right now.
Thank you for all for encouraging me to do this, and your ongoing support. I like you very much.
Post originally published on October 8th, 2012. Last updated on October 4th, 2015.
Let’s talk soup. This soup is amazingly creamy and delicious with being vegan and gluten free. The pumpkin plays well with the curry and coconut- it’s a perfect meal. I’ve even thought about leaving it more stew consistency and adding rice to the dish to make it a hearty main.
I recommend two routes for the curry powder: homemade or buy it from a spice shop (I have a few favorites but I’m digging Oaktown right now). The curry powder in the grocery store won’t do any meal justice! There are so many different ways you can whip up curry powder (I highly recommend just searching for “homemade curry powder” and find the right one for you). I made this with a spicier thai red curry powder but I think any type of curry powder would be delicious!
It may be officially fall by the calendar date, but there’s two strikes against it feeling completely like fall in Northern California: the temperature is supposed to be in the 90’s today and summer produce is still everywhere (which I’m okay with, I like my sweet potatoes but we have many months to enjoy them!) This summer, I’ve fallen in love with a man named Jimmy. Don’t worry, M knows about this love and while he thinks it’s weird, doesn’t find it threatening. It also helps that the Jimmy I fell in love with is a variety of pepper, not the actual man (even though the pepper is named for the man).
Jimmy Nardello peppers are a sweet Italian pepper and the flavor goes above and beyond the red bell pepper. I’ve always been a fan of the Italian peppers over the bell peppers, but this pepper sealed the deal. If you’re curious, you can learn a bit more about the man and the pepper here.
In our house, soup is rarely served without some kind of topping. It’s almost like a yin and yang thing, we start talking about soup and the conversation automatically moves on to topping suggestions. I guess it’s a pretty natural thing since we eat a lot of soup and prefer it to be a more complete meal, instead of just a starter. The toppings does not only add a different texture and flavor to the soup, but also some more stomach filling proteins. To be honest, I think we spend more time working on the toppings then on the actual soup on most occasions. It’s the same principle as we have with oatmeal toppings. They are just essential.
We found a huge bunch over-priced asparagus in the market the other day and for some reason decided that it was a good idea to spend our last money this month on asparagus instead of a new set of clothes for Isac. So we walked home and made soup. We went for a smooth and quite mildly flavored soup and allowed the toppings to have more punch in flavor and texture. We only chose green-ish ingredients for the topping. Yup, there we go again, choosing ingredients by color. But it actually turned out fantastic. It’s got a lot of crunch from the pumpkin seeds, flavor from parsley and the asparagus tips, richness from the lentils and sting from the chili. I ate the leftovers without the soup straight from the fridge. I’ve spent most of this post talking about the topping, but the soup is pretty good too. Quick, simple, delicious and with a clear taste of spring. If you don’t have any fennel at home, you could add a few potatoes instead, or other spring vegetables of choice.
We also made a quick cashew cream to go with the soup. We often just add a few dollops yogurt into our soup but cashew cream is a nice and rich vegan alternative. If you just remember to pre-soak the cashew nuts, the cream is done in no-time. As a side note, I just tried adding some cashew cream on top of my latest smoothie and it wasn’t bad at all.
So, go make your vegetable market guy happy and buy a bunch of asparagus. Make soup, whip up a cashew cream. And for goodness sake, don’t forget about the topping!
Asparagus, Fennel & Spinach Soup (Vegan) Makes 4 smaller servings or 2 very large
We keep a jar of toasted pumpkin seeds in our kitchen and almost always have some cooked lentils ready in our fridge. It’s a good tip as it makes it a lot easier to create small quick meals like this.
1 pound / 450 g green asparagus 2 tbsp coconut oil or butter 6 thin spring onions or 1 yellow onion 2 cloves garlic 1 small fennel bulb (or 1/2 large) 1 large handful spinach 2 cups water or vegetable stock 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar or lemon salt & black pepper
Lentil & Pepita Topping The reserved raw tips from the asparagus 1 cup cooked puy lentils (1/2 cup uncooked, boiled in water for 18 minutes) 1/2 cup dry-toasted and salted pumpkin seeds / pepitas 1 large bunch flat leaf parsley 1/2 green chili, finely chopped (optional) 1 tbsp olive oil
Cashew Cream 1/2 cup cashew nuts 1/2 cup filtered water 2 tsp lemon juice 1/2 tsp sea salt
Trim the tough end off the asparagus. Cut in diagonal pieces, 1/2 inch / 1 cm thick. Save the asparagus tips for the topping. Heat oil in a large saucepan. Finely chop onion, garlic and fennel and add to the the pan and sauté for about 5 minutes or until soft. Add the asparagus, stir around and let fry on low/medium heat for a minute, then add spinach, water/stock, apple cider vinegar and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and let simmer for 10-15 minutes. Meanwhile prepare the topping. Carefully pour the soup into a blender or use a hand blender to mix until smooth. Taste the soup, add more water or salt and pepper if needed.
Preparing the topping: Finely chop the asparagus tips and the parsley and place in a bowl together with the boiled lentils and the toasted pumpkin seeds. Add chili if your prefer it a little spicy. Pour over some olive oil and stir around until it’s all mixed well.
Preparing the cashew cream: Cover the cashew nuts in water and let soak for at least 3 hours or overnight. Drain, rinse and place them in a blender. Add the filtered water, lemon juice and salt and mix until completely smooth. Taste and add more salt or lemon if needed. Or water if you prefer it runnier.
Serve the soup with a generous portion of lentil topping on top and a few drizzles of cashew cream or yogurt. Enjoy!
