Creamy Cauliflower Soup With Cashews

Ingredients:

• 6 cups of coarsely chopped cauliflower
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup ghee
• Pinch of hing (optional)
• 1 medium sweet or white potato
• 1 1/2 cups cashews toasted
• 5 cups vegetable stock (more if needed)
• Salt
• White Pepper

Directions:

1. Melt the ghee in a large soup pot. Add the hing, cauliflower, and salt. Stir, cover, and cook over very low heat until the cauliflower is tender 30 to 40 minutes. Stir occasionally.
2. While the cauliflower is cooking, boil the potato in water to cover until tender. Drain and peel when cool enough to handle.
3. Blend the cashews thoroughly in the stock. For a completely smooth soup, strain through a sieve lined with a clean muslin cloth. Squeeze all the liquid out of the cashew meal.
4. Puree the cauliflower and potato thoroughly with the cashew milk in a blender or food processor. The smoother the mixture is, the easier the next step will be.
5. Place a large sieve over the soup pot. Strain the mixture through it, stirring and pressing with the back of a large spoon. Scrape the underside of the sieve periodically. Do not skip this step! It is essential for a creamy mixture. In the end, there should remain a small amount of fibrous material that pulls away from the sieve. Discard it.
6. Heat the soup to serving temperature. Thin with more stock if necessary. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Recipe makes 7 cups.

Recipe source: Leah Caplan, Food & Branding Consultant