Food Vegan Cashew-Cauliflower Soup 5.0 (2) 2 Reviews This vegan soup recipe uses cannellini beans to add body and texture. By Mary Claire Britton Mary Claire Britton Mary Claire Britton is a chef and food stylist. Highlights: * Work has appeared in Real Simple, Coastal Living, Cooking Light, Cooking with Paula Deen, My Recipes, Southern Living, Victoria, and Weight Watchers, among other publications. * Is the chef and owner of Greenhouse, a Birmingham, Alabama fast-casual restaurant. Real Simple's Editorial Guidelines Updated on September 15, 2022 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: Jennifer Causey Hands On Time: 25 mins Total Time: 1 hrs Yield: 4 Jump to Nutrition Facts One side benefit of following a strict, special diet is getting extra creative about cooking. It's hard to rely on a creamy soup if you can't use, well, cream, to make it delicious. But this creamy cauliflower soup happens to be vegan and has a secret to make it rich and smooth: Cashews! Whether you are vegan or not, it's hard not to love this ingenious kitchen trick. First, you microwave cashews until soft, blend them until smooth, and voila, you've got a flavorful soup-thickener. Cannellini beans add body and protein, too, ensuring that a bowl of this cauliflower soup recipe really feels like dinner. Ingredients ¾ cup raw cashews, divided 3 cups low-sodium vegetable broth, divided 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for serving 1 yellow onion, chopped 3 cloves garlic, chopped 1 head cauliflower, cut into florets (about 5 cups) 1 15-oz. can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves 1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves 1 ¼ teaspoon kosher salt ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for serving Directions Preheat oven to 350°F. Place 1/2 cup each cashews and water in a microwave-safe bowl; cover and microwave on high for 3 minutes; let cool. Transfer to a blender, add cup broth, and blend until very smooth. Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring, until softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Add cauliflower and cook, stirring, until golden, about 5 minutes. Add beans, thyme, oregano, salt, pepper, and remaining 2 1/2 cups broth. Bring to a simmer and cook, covered, for 10 minutes. Toast remaining 1/4 cup cashews on a baking sheet until golden, about 6 minutes; chop and set aside. Add cauliflower mixture to blender and puree until smooth. Serve soup topped with toasted cashews, a drizzle of oil, and several grinds of pepper. Rate it Print Nutrition Facts (per serving) 360 Calories 15g Fat 43g Carbs 14g Protein Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label Nutrition Facts Calories 360 % Daily Value * Total Fat 15g 19% Sodium 976mg 42% Total Carbohydrate 43g 16% Total Sugars 11g Protein 14g *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.