Creamy Red Bell Pepper–Chipotle Soup
By Cherie Soria, founder and director of Living Light Culinary Institute
Serves 6
1 cup raw cashews
1 smoked, dried chipotle pepper
2 cups seeded and chopped red bell pepper
1 tablespoon light miso
1½ teaspoons salt, plus more to taste
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon ground paprika
¼ teaspoon ground smoked paprika
½ teaspoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
⅛ teaspoon ground white pepper
1 cup peeled, seeded and chopped tomatoes
2 cups filtered water
½ cup Cashew Yogurt (recipe below)
Soak the cashews in water for 8 hours. Drain, reserving the soaking water. While cashews are soaking, cover chipotle pepper in 1 cup of warm water.
Put soaked cashews and 2 cups of the soaking water in a blender and blend until creamy.
Add soaked chipotle pepper, chopped bell peppers, miso, 1½ teaspoons salt, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, regular and smoked paprika, onion powder, garlic powder and white pepper. Blend until silky smooth.
Add the tomatoes and 2 more cups of water and blend again until smooth, about 20 seconds. Do not over-blend or the mixture will become frothy. Add additional water, if needed, to achieve the desired consistency. The soup should be creamy, like sour cream, but not overly thick.
Add salt, if needed. Top each serving with an optional dollop of Cashew Yogurt.
Cashew Yogurt
Makes 6–8 servings
2 cups cashews, soaked for 4–6 hours
1–2 cups purified water
¼ teaspoon probiotic powder
1–2 tablespoons lemon juice
Blend the cashews, water and probiotic powder in a high-performance blender, adding more water if necessary to achieve a smooth, creamy texture.
Put the cashew cream in a jar and place it in a warm (not hot) location to ferment for 8–12 hours. (Less fermentation time is required in warmer weather.)
Once the yogurt has fermented to suit your tastes, stir in as much lemon juice as you like to give it the amount of tartness you want.
Yogurt may be stored in a sealed glass container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
