Spicy Red Pepper Squash Soup   

Yield: 5 - 6 cups

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup cashews
• 1 cup water
• 4 cups shredded squash (Kabocha is what I used this time)
• 4 cups rough chopped zucchini (peeled if you don't want a green tint to your soup)
• 4 cups rough chopped red peppers (discard stems and seed bed)
• 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 Tablespoons light miso
• 2 Tablespoons dark miso
• 2 tablespoons diced red onion
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne

Directions

For the Cashew Cream

Soak cashews in water for 1 to 2 hours to soften. Blend in a high speed blender for cashew cream and set aside. You may want to add a little more water for consistency.

For Soup Base

Add chopped/shredded veggies in small amounts to a high speed blender (I prefer the Blendtec with the large vessel for soup making). Blend until smooth, do not over blend as it whips too much air into your soup mixture and you want thick and creamy, not airy.

Then add lemon juice, miso, onions, garlic and cayenne and continue blending until well incorporated.

Finally, add 1 cup cashew cream saving the rest for garnish or use in another recipe.

Notes

You may need a little bit of water to blend the squash, just enough to get the blades moving and the vortex working to combine the ingredients well. Be careful not to use too much, you don't want to water down your wonderful soup.

Stored in airtight glass containers the soup will keep in the refrigerator for 3-4 days and can be frozen.