Description
Bursting with mouth-watering rich yet bright flavors, this thick and creamy tomato and red pepper soup is a comfort food DREAM! Simmered together with a combination of fresh and fire-roasted canned tomatoes, sweet red bell peppers, and a variety of aromatics before partially blending with raw cashews for an ultra-creamy result with tender bites of tomato and pepper, all without any dairy. A wholesome & comforting version of a classic!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup raw cashews (70 g)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes – 16 ounces, cut in half
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 1 bulb fennel, very finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon all-purpose seasoning, or 1/2 teaspoon dried basil and 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 28 ounce can diced fire roasted tomatoes
- 3 cups vegetable broth
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Optional: Fennel fronds, black pepper, olive oil, black pepper, and basil to garnish
Instructions
- Soak cashews. In a small heat proof bowl, cover raw cashews in just boiled water and set aside to soak while you continue making the recipe.
- Make the base of the soup. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil to a large soup pot over medium heat. Add cherry tomatoes, bell pepper, onion, fennel, garlic, and kosher salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft and tender and the cherry tomatoes have broken down – about 10-12 minutes. Add all-purpose seasoning and sauté for 1 minute more. Pour in 3 cups of vegetable broth and add diced tomatoes with all the liquid. Stir to combine and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 20-25 minutes, until tomatoes and peppers are very tender.
- Blend cashews with a portion of the soup. Drain cashews and add to a blender container with nutritional yeast and about 1/3 of the soup. Blend on high for 1-2 minutes, until entirely smooth and no pieces of cashew remain. Transfer blended soup to another small pot or a large glass liquid measuring cup and set aside.
- Lightly process the rest of the soup. Add remaining soup to the blender and pulse just a few times for a chunky texture, or, if you prefer a completely smooth soup, you can blend it until no pieces of tomato remain.
- Finish the soup. Combine both portions of soup in the soup pot and bring back to a gentle simmer. Cook for just a few minutes, to thicken slightly. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve hot, garnished with fresh herbs, a drizzle of olive oil, and fennel fronds and/or basil if desired and enjoy!
Notes
A note about blending hot soups! I recommend always covering the blender lid with a thick dish towel before you turn it on, just in case the top decides it wants to come off during blending. This will also help contain some of the steam from the hot soup.
While we love the varied texture achieved by only blending a portion of the soup, you can also blend all of the soup until entirely smooth and creamy. You may still need to blend it in several batches depending on the size of your blender container.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American