Getting Grounded with Creamy Root Veggie and Ginger Soup

After returning home from very fun (and very hectic) holiday traveling, my boyfriend and I were talking about what we wanted for dinner and we both agreed that we were craving a warm comfort-food kind of soup.  Many diet theories (such as Macrobiotics and Traditional Chinese Medicine) believe that eating root vegetables will help you feel centered and grounded.  This Creamy Root Veggie and Ginger Soup is the perfect dish to do just that.

This soup contains blended cashews which provide a hearty, creamy texture while the ginger and lemon adds a little zing that left us feeling totally refreshed after our meal.  I’m definitely planning on making this recipe again on days when I’m feeling less-than-amazing or just need a little reboot.

Creamy Root Veggie and Ginger Soup

makes 4 servings

What you’ll need:

• 1 cup raw cashews
• 1/2 cup unsweetened non-dairy milk (almond, rice, soy)
• 3 cups vegetable broth
• 4 carrots, chopped
• 4 parsnips, chopped
• 1 inch piece of ginger, peeled and grated
• 1 tbs fresh lemon juice
• salt and pepper to taste
• handful of chives, chopped (optional for garnish)

Directions

1. Soak cashews in water for at least 30 minutes.
2. In a large pot, bring vegetable broth to a boil. Add carrots, parsnips and ginger and turn heat down to simmer.
3. Let pot simmer for about 15 minutes (until veggies are soft).  Turn heat off and let cool.
4. Drain water from cashews and combine in blender with non-dairy milk until completely smooth. Transfer to a small bowl.
5. Once the pot is cool enough to handle, to transfer to blender and combine until mostly smooth (I like to leave a little texture).  Pour back into pot, turn heat to simmer and mix, lemon juice, salt and pepper in. Stir in cashew cream until soup has reached desired thickness.
6. Pour into bowls, garnish with chives and enjoy right away!

We  enjoyed the soup with my GF Basic Biscuits on the side. They are super yummy crumbled up in the soup!