In early August I reviewed Vge Cafe, a new vegan restaurant on the Philadelphia Main Line. Owner Fernando Peralta gave me a creamy kale soup recipe that was done in ounces & pounds, since he is making his recipes in large quantities.
I made the soup after I posted the review, cutting the recipe in half and using measuring cups instead of ounces & pounds. I made it twice & enjoyed the soup both times. I realized that if you are not a big fan of kale, you could use a little more carrots, cashews, and mushrooms and it would still be good, hot or cold.
Ingredients
¼ c. (soaked) cashews*
4 cups kale
½ onion cut into quarters
one medium carrot, cut into quarters
2-3 mushrooms, sliced
1-2 garlic cloves, cut into smaller pieces
olive oil
1/2 tbl. salt (or to your taste)
1 ½-2 cups water or stock
Directions
1. Soak cashews while preparing the veggies. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Wash & tear the kale and place onto lightly oiled cookie sheet.
3. Add carrots, mushrooms & garlic to the cookie sheet.
4. Bake @ 350 degrees for about 15-20 minutes.
5. While waiting for the veggies to cool slightly, blend the soaked cashews with one cup water or stock.
6. Add rest of the veggies and another ½ cup and puree until smooth. IF too thick, add a bit more water or stock. (I like thick soup, so I used about 1 ½ cups liquid in all.)
7. Heat what you need for your meal and chill the rest. OR chill & eat cold.
Note: Chef Peralta noted in his recipe that you can substitute potatoes for the cashews.