Creamy Vegan Forest Soup

Mushrooms, carrots, parsnips, kale and cashew cream. Enough said because this soup is much more than the sum of its parts.

*If you have Trader Joe's Mushroom Umami seasoning, add 1 tsp to the mushrooms while cooking. Substitute white wine vinegar for the sherry vinegar if you don't have sherry vinegar. Substitute 1 cup lentils, cooked according to package directions, instead of canned lentils.

INGREDIENTS

1 cup raw cashews

1 lb mushrooms, sliced

3/4 tsp dried thyme

2 carrots, peeled and diced

1 large parsnip, peeled and diced

1 large shallot, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/3 cup white wine(optional)

5 cups vegetable broth, divided

1 bunch curly kale, destemmed & chopped

15 oz can lentils(Le Puy or green), drained and rinsed

1 Tbsp sherry vinegar

DIRECTIONS

1. In a small bowl, soak cashews in boiling water. Set aside.

2. In a Dutch oven or stockpot over medium-high heat with 2 Tbsp oil, sauté mushrooms until browned and liquid evaporated, approximately 6 to 7 minutes. Season well with salt & pepper(or umami seasoning). Remove mushrooms from pot and transfer half to a blender.

3. Return stockpot to medium-high heat with 1-2 Tbsp oil. Sauté carrots and parsnips for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add shallot, garlic and thyme; contine to sauté for 2 to 3 minutes. Return half of the mushrooms then add wine and cook until mostly evaporated, approximately 2 minutes. Stir in ONLY 4 cups of the vegetable broth, bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.

4. Add the remaining 1 cup broth to the blender with the mushrooms. Drain cashews and add to blender. Blend until smooth.

5. Add kale to stew and continue to cook for 5 minutes.

6. Stir in lentils and cashew mushroom cream from the blender. Continue to cook another 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

7. Remove from heat. Stir in sherry vinegar. Serve with bread.