Cream of Mushroom Soup

Serves 6.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup whole unroasted cashews
Medium yellow onion. chopped into medium dice
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons refined coconut oil
1 (10-ounce) package cremini mushrooms, sliced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup dry white wine
4 cups vegetable broth
1 can white beans, drained and rinsed
3 cups loosely packed baby arugula
Truffle oil, for serving (optional)

Directions:

1. Soak cashews in enough warm water to make one cup total for 2 hours.

2. Preheat a 4-quart pot over medium heat. Sauté the onion and garlic in the coconut oil with a pinch of salt, just until softened, about 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and sauté until softened, another 5 minutes. Remove 1/2 cup of the mushroom slices to use for garnish, if you like.

3. Stir in the thyme and pepper to taste. Add the white wine and use a spatula to deglaze the pan. Turn up the heat a bit and cook for 3 minutes to reduce the alcohol. Mix in the broth and turn off the heat.

4. Put cashews with water in to a high-speed blender. Blend for 3 minutes until smooth to create cream.

5. Add everything from the mushroom pot. Blend until completely smooth.The soup will be very hot, so turn off the blender and remove the lid every 10 seconds or so to let steam escape and to scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula.

6. Return the soup to the pot over low heat to warm through and thicken, 3 to 5 minutes. Taste for salt. Transfer to bowls and garnish each serving with the reserved mushrooms. Top with arugula and drizzle with truffle oil, if you've got it. Finish with black pepper. Serve with dinner bread and side veggie.