Spinach Soup with Cashew Cream

Ingredients for Soup

• 2 tbsp neutral oil

• ½ yellow onion, finely chopped

• ½ Serrano minced green chili (optional)

• 1 tbsp minced garlic

• 2 tsp grated ginger

• 1 tsp roasted cumin powder

• 2 tbsp neutral oil

• 16 oz baby spinach

• 1 ½ cup chicken broth

• ¼  cup coconut milk

• juice of ½ lime

• salt to taste

Ingredients for Cashew Cream

• ½ cup raw cashews

• enough boiling water to cover the cashews

• 1 cup boiling water

Instructions for Cashew Cream

Place the cashews in a heatsafe bowl and pour enough boiling water to cover them. Let sit for 15 minutes, then drain the water.

Add the softened cashews into a small blender container along with as much water as necessary to blend into a smooth paste.

Place the cashew paste into a bowl and then slowly pour in 1 cup boiling water, stirring until it reaches the consistency of milk. 

Instructions for Soup

Heat a pot and add the oil. Once it is hot enough, place in the onions, green chilies if you are using, garlic, and ginger. Sprinkle on a little salt and the roasted cumin powder. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until the onions become lightly golden.

At this stage, add the spinach, stirring to combine with the onions. Once the spinach wilts, pour in the chicken broth, coconut milk, and lime juice.  

Stir and simmer together for 3 minutes. Taste and adjust the salt. Take off the heat and cool, before blitzing in a regular blender or with an immersion blender until smooth.

Place the blended soup back into the pot along with the cashew milk. Stir and simmer to warm the soup. Serve warm garnished with toasted cashews.

*Note: To make the soup vegan, simply substitute vegetable broth for the chicken broth

Food and styling Veda Sankaran/ Photography Dave Bryce