FOOD FRIDAYS: Creamy Dairy-Free Chicken and Vegetable Soup⁠
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Warm up with a bowl of this creamy soup. It’s sure to get you through the cold winter days. ⁠

Ingredients:

  • Chicken broth – Or another type of good-tasting broth – vegetable broth, beef broth, or mushroom broth would all be delicious!
  • Boneless skinless chicken breasts – As written this recipe calls for raw chicken breasts that you simmer with the soup until cooked through, and then shred. But if you already have some leftover shredded chicken that is already cooked you can use that too!
  • Raw cashews – Raw cashews are used to make the cashew cream for this soup. If you’ve never tried cooking with cashew cream I highly recommend it! It’s my favourite dairy-free alternative for soups, sauces, and gravies. If you have a cashew allergy you can substitute another full-fat non-dairy milk or creamer in its place.
  • Olive oil – Olive oil is my first choice for this recipe, but you could easily substitute another fat like avocado oil, coconut oil, or ghee.
  • A mix of healthy vegetables – Onion, garlic, celery, carrots, diced tomatoes, and baby spinach are the vegetables we’ll use to make this chicken and veggie soup.
  • Herbs and spices – A mix of poultry seasoning, oregano, and fresh parsley are the seasonings that bring this chicken soup to life!
  • Salt + pepper – Some salt is added during the cooking process, but I leave most of the seasoning until the end when finishing the soup. The salt content in boxed broth can vary SO much, how much salt you need to add will depend largely on how salty your broth was when you started.

Steps:

  • Start by soaking the cashews for the cashew cream. In a small heat-proof bowl cover raw cashews with just boiled water and set them aside to soak.
  • In a large soup pot heat olive oil over medium heat and add onions, carrots, celery, garlic, and salt. Sauté veggies until soft and starting to caramelize. Next comes the tomato paste and spices. Continue to cook until tomato paste has darkened slightly. This step deepens the flavour of the tomato paste and spices.
  • Add broth, diced tomatoes, and chicken breasts and bring back to a simmer! If using already cooked leftover shredded chicken, don’t add it until the next step.
  • When chicken is cooked, carefully remove from the soup to a cutting board. Shred using two forks or cut into bite-sized pieces and return them to the soup.
  • Prepare the cashew cream and it to the soup along with parsley. Bring back to a simmer and cook for a few more minutes – to bring the flavours together and thicken the soup slightly.
  • Turn off the heat. Add a few big handfuls of baby spinach and stir until wilted. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
  • Serve and enjoy!

Recipe from Nyssa’s Kitchen