The ingenuity of many chef's is inspirational and quite amazing. When I first began eating plants I was in total shock and disbelief that "cream" could be made from cashews. At first I was like, "No Way!" Then I tried it and am still amazed.I'm a big fan of soup - especially cream soups. Cream of mushroom, cream of asparagus, cream of broccoli, cream of potato (e, or no e? Mr. Quayle?), tomato bisque --- they are all just so yummy! It's quite simple actually. All one needs is a good vegetable stock, vegetable or tuber of choice, herbs, and cream. Couldn't be any easier, right?
Ingredients
1 cup of RAW cashews
Water
Directions
Soak the cashews in water overnight in the refrigerator. If you're pressed for time, boil the water and cover the cashews for 30-60 minutes. Drain the water and rinse the cashews.
Put the cashews in a blender and cover with fresh water by about and inch. The more water used the thinner the cream the less, the thicker. If using a regular kitchen blender, blend on high for about 2-3 minutes. Some people prefer to strain the cream through a milk bag or cheese cloth. Personally, I don't think it's required.
If you're using a professional appliance such as a VitaMix then blend until the graininess of the mixture has dissipated - probably not long. When I "grow up" I will get a VitaMix but don't have one as yet so I really can't help you there.
This cream base can be used for soups, fettuccine, sour cream, cream based salad dressings, and more. The sky is the limit.
Enjoy!
