Tomato Soup

I got the soup bug, y’all.  This was yet another experiment, but it turned out great!  Instead of using heavy coconut cream or nuts, I used beans to thicken the soup, which worked marvelously!  I made cashew cream as well, but it can be added to the top for garnish.  Let me know what y’all think!

Ingredients

• 2 cups dry navy beans, soaked
• 2 cans crushed tomatoes
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3-5 cloves garlic, chopped
• 3-5 carrots, chopped (optional, for color)
• 3-5 stalks celery, chopped (optional)
• 1 L vegetable broth
• 1 Tbsp. dried basil
• 1 tsp. dried thyme
• Salt, to taste
• 1 cup cashews, soaked
• Fresh basil, chopped
• 1-2 bread slices for croutons

Method

1. Add the beans, tomatoes, onion, garlic, carrots, celery, broth, dried basil, and thyme into the Instant Pot
2. Add enough water to cover the ingredients
3. Close and seal the Instant Pot
4. Press “Manual” and set the time to 15 minutes
5. After the timer goes off, let the pot depressurize for 10-15 minutes
6. Open the seal to “Venting”
7. Blend the soup with an immersion blender (or spoon the soup into a blender) until smooth
8. Chop bread slices into small squares and toss with dried herbs
9. Bake pieces on parchment paper in 350°F oven for 15-20 minutes
10. Add cashews to a blender and cover with water
11. Blend until smooth
12. Serve soup with croutons, chopped basil, and cashew cream on top
13. Enjoy!