Yellow Pepper Soup
Submitted by skydiver
Yellow pepper soup blends sweet roasted yellow peppers, raw cashews and shallots into a silky golden vegan soup. Dairy-free creaminess without any milk or cream.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
20 minREADY
40 minThis is a vegan bell pepper soup that achieves cream-soup richness without any dairy. The secret is raw cashews blended with vegetable stock to make a smooth cashew cream that replaces the heavy cream in traditional versions. The result is silky, golden, and naturally sweet from the yellow peppers.
Covered cooking is the technique that softens the peppers without browning them. The trapped steam helps them break down into a tender pulp in just 8 to 10 minutes. Uncovered, they’d start to caramelize and tip the soup toward a darker color and roasted flavor.
Raw cashews are essential, not roasted or salted. Raw cashews are softer and blend into a smoother cream. Roasted cashews leave gritty bits in the soup and contribute a strong toasted flavor that fights with the pepper.
Blending the cashews and stock first, before adding the peppers, gives the smoothest cream base. The blender has time to fully pulverize the nuts before competing with the fibers from the peppers. Adding everything at once leaves gritty texture.
Dry mustard is the surprise ingredient. Just a teaspoon contributes a faint heat and a tangy depth that lifts the natural sweetness of the peppers. Skip it and the soup tastes sweet but flat.
The two-step liquid addition (1½ cups for blending, 2 cups for thinning afterward) is a smart technique. It lets you control consistency at the end based on how thick or thin you want the soup, instead of being locked in by the initial blend.
Serve just at simmer temperature, not boiling. Cashew cream can break and separate if heated too aggressively.
Pro Tips
- Use the freshest yellow bell peppers you can find, ripe and deeply colored. Pale peppers taste flat.
- Soak the cashews in hot water for 30 minutes before blending if your blender isn’t high-powered.
- A high-speed blender (Vitamix, Blendtec) gives the smoothest results. Standard blenders need more soaking.
- Garnish with chopped fresh chives or a drizzle of olive oil along with the parsley for restaurant presentation.
Variations
- Roast the peppers under the broiler first for a smokier flavor profile.
- Add 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika for warmer color and gentle heat.
- Top with toasted pumpkin seeds for textural contrast against the smooth soup.
Ingredients
Directions
In a medium skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat.
Add the bell peppers and shallots, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the peppers are very soft, 8 to 10 minutes.
Remove from the heat.
Put the cashews and 1½ cups of the vegetable stock in a blender.
Blend until smooth, about 1 minute.
Add the cooked peppers, mustard, salt, and pepper, and puree.
Pour the soup into a medium saucepan, and stir in the remaining 2 cups vegetable stock.
Bring just to a simmer over medium heat.
Serve hot, garnished with parsley sprigs.
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