Spinach and Walnut Soup is a thick, hearty, winter warming soup. In many ways, it is a 'cream of' soup, but as we are using soaked cashew nuts, this recipe is actually vegan. Here's how to do it:
spinach and walnut soup
What do you call a soup when it's creaminess comes from cashew nuts? Well, high in protein, that's for sure:
Cashew Nuts vs cream Protein
100g of Cashew nuts = 17g of protein
100g of Double cream = 1.6g of protein
Amazingly, cashew nuts provide about 10 times the protein of that double cream provides.
Of course, in this recipe, we are using 75gs of cashew nuts soaked in 75gs of fresh water. So, in effect, cashew nuts provides 5 times the protein of double cream once the water is add. But still...
How to cook
ingredients
method
Step 1: Soak the cashew nuts in water for at least 20 minutes. As per above soak the cashew nuts in water. Just enough water to cover them is about the right amount.
Step 2. finely chop 100g of walnuts. If you want to use walnuts as the topping, then add an extra 50g. Put to one side.
Step 3. Slowly fry the chopped onion(s) in 30g of olive oil for about 10 minutes. Use the lowest heat setting possible to get the maximum sweetness from the onions. As they fry, chop and add the fresh sage leaves and their soft stalks.
Step 4. Add the spinach and vegetable stock (or water and a stock cube) to the onions and simmer for about 7 minutes.
Step 5. Add the 15g of nutritional yeast
Step 6. Add finely chopped walnuts (100g) and the cashew nuts and the water and cook for a few more minutes
Spinach and Walnut soup
- How to serve and preserve
There are a few different ways to serve spinach and walnut soup. If you like your soup super thick and high in protein, then grind or finely chop an extra 50gs of walnuts and spread those on top.
Alternatively, as I did below, add seeds and a dribble of Serriana olive oil. If you use pumpkin seeds, then you can always lightly dry fry them first. Just so they are nice and crisp.
You can keep this soup in the fridge for a few days. But you'll probably eat it all at the first sitting!
Thick soups taste great on their own. But perhaps a big chunk of wholemeal or granary bread will give some contrast? Of course, don't add butter to your bread. But use Serriana Olive Oil instead!
If you enjoyed this spinach and walnut soup recipe - why not check out more olive oil recipes here?
Did you know that the cashew nut was discovered in Brazil in 1588 and brought to the Iberian peninsular by the Portuguese. But, most cashew nuts are grown in India.
