Sunday, November 7, 2010

Cream of Tomato Soup and an Earth Balance Giveaway



Who needs dairy cream? This soup is rich and luscious with a cashew-based cream. Here it's garnished with a sprinkle of chives (the only thing the whiteflies left in my container garden!) and served with sourdough rosemary-olive toasts.

Cream of Tomato Soup

1 ¾ c raw cashew pieces
5 to 6 pounds plum tomatoes
1 T olive oil
1 onion, diced medium
2 shallots, sliced
2 carrots, diced medium
4 cloves garlic, sliced thick
4 c unsalted vegetable broth (if salted, cut salt in recipe by at least 1/3)
Bay leaf
1/8 – ¼ c packed whole basil leaves
Pinch nutmeg
1½ t salt
½ t freshly ground white pepper

Soak the cashew pieces in water, at least three hours, and preferably overnight. Rinse and place in a blender. Cover with water to the top of the nuts. Blend at least five minutes over time, giving the blender motor a rest at least twice. You want the cashews as smoothly blended as possible. Set aside.

Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil. Immerse the tomatoes in the water, working in batches so you can keep an eye on each one. After thirty seconds to one minute, the skins should burst open. Remove from the boiling water and set aside. Repeat until all the skins have split. Slip the skins off of the tomatoes and core them. Set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a large pot. Sauté the onion, shallots, and carrots for ten minutes over medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté two additional minutes. Add the broth. Now add the tomatoes, one at a time, tearing each tomato roughly as you add it to the pot. Take care to tear them away from you or wear an apron! Add the bay leaf, basil, nutmeg, salt, and pepper, bring to a boil, and reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer one hour.

Puree soup using an immersion blender and add cashew puree. Let the soup sit for twenty minutes and serve.

And now for a giveaway! Today I have for you a coupon for a free Earth Balance product. Buttery deliciousness for baking, fun on your toast! Did you know they make peanut butter and soy milk as well? To enter, please leave a post below, telling me your about your favorite use for Earth Balance, what brings balance to your life, or anything at all. This giveaway is open to anyone who can get Earth Balance products. The coupons do not specify where they can be used, so enter if you can buy Earth Balance where you live!


The winner of yesterday's Coconut Bliss giveaway is Stephen! Please send your name and address to me at miso...@yahoo.com. Congratulations!

20 comments:

  1. I'm not a big fan of traditional tomato soup, but this one looks so creamy and sounds delicious. :) We get a huge box of organic tomatoes almost every week, so I'll put this on my list of things to try!

    PS. Please exclude my comment from the giveaway (I couldn't use the prize), but good luck to everyone else! :)

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  2. I can't clan the prize because I'm in the UK but I just wanted to comment anyway to say that the soup looks delicious & I've bookmarked the recipe.

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  3. I LOVE this butter replacement. Since becoming vegan, it has become my go to product for everything....but my favorite use is for mashed potatoes!!!! YUM ;-)

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  4. Earth Balance is the best! I love it on toast, underneath a layer of jam.

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  5. In my baking and pancakes!

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  6. Peanut butter centers me in life.

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  7. That soup looks pretty delicious! Thanks for sharing the recipe

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  8. The soup looks delicious! The recipe looks similar to one I've made in the past, but I was stuck using canned tomatoes in the middle of winter for it :)

    I *love* that Earth Balance has a soy-free version now, since I have a moderate soy intolerance. I've used their shortening for baking and such, but I haven't tried the PB yet!

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  9. I love using Earth Balance to make decadent desserts.

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  10. I haven't used earth balance yet but would love to try it!

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  11. I love using Earth Balance as a swap for butter in yummy vegan baked goods.

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  12. Wow, I didn't know Earth Balance made those other products as well. We have both the sticks and the spread in my house. They're great!

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  13. I love the Earth Balance "butter," I use it all the time for baking. I had no idea they made other stuff as well.

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  14. I love toast smothered in Earth Balance. Mmm.

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  15. I love earth balance! Peanut butter & earthbalance on toast is amazing! Mmmmmmm.......

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  16. Yum, that soup looks awesome!! I love that you used cashews instead of store-bought non-dairy creamer. & I like using Earth Balance in frosting!

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  17. Mmmm. I love Earth Balance in mashed potatoes and also on a nice warm, thick piece of toast. So good!

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  18. Looks delicious! I love regular tomato soup but I've never tried the creamed version.

    Exclude me from the comp ;)

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  19. I don't know if it is ok to enter more than one giveaway, especially since I have already won. :-) I love Earth Balance for sweet or white mashed potatoes!! Mmm!

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  20. Earth Balance rocks! I love to make popcorn with it!

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