{“head_note”:”This is a classic cream-based tomato soup, revamped to be good for you and free of animal products. Blending a small amount of soaked cashews into the soup transforms the tomato base into a luxurious, creamy soup, and the sun-dried tomatoes add depth of flavor to the tomato base. And with the crunchy Italian chickpea \u201ccroutons,\u201d there are no traditional bread croutons required. Be sure to soak the raw cashews in water the night before (or for at least three to four hours) so they are ready when you plan to make the soup.”,”instructions”:”
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- Make the Chickpea Croutons<\/span>: Preheat the oven to 425\u00b0F (220\u00b0C). Line a large rimmed baking sheet with paper towels.<\/li>\r\n\t
- Place the chickpeas on the paper towels and place a couple of paper towels on top. Roll them around until any liquid on them has been absorbed. Discard the paper towels.<\/li>\r\n\t
- Transfer the chickpeas to a large bowl and stir in the oil, oregano, cayenne, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt.<\/li>\r\n\t
- Line the baking sheet with parchment paper and then spread the chickpeas in an even layer on the baking sheet.<\/li>\r\n\t
- Bake for 15 minutes. Give the pan a shake from side to side and cook for 15 to 20 minutes more, watching closely, until the chickpeas are lightly charred and golden. Let cool on the baking sheet for at least 5 minutes. The chickpeas will crisp up as they cool.<\/li>\r\n\t
- Make the Tomato Soup<\/span>: In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and saut\u00e9 for 5 to 6 minutes, or until the onion is translucent.<\/li>\r\n\t
- In a blender, combine the soaked cashews and the broth and blend on high speed until creamy and smooth. Add the garlic-onion mixture, tomatoes and their juices, sun-dried tomatoes, and tomato paste and blend on high until smooth.<\/li>\r\n\t
- Pour the tomato mixture into the saucepan in which you cooked the onions and set the pan over medium-high heat. Bring the mixture to a simmer, then stir in the oregano, salt, pepper, and thyme, all to taste.<\/li>\r\n\t
- Gently simmer over medium heat, uncovered, for 20 to 30 minutes, until the flavors have developed.<\/li>\r\n\t
- Ladle the soup into bowls and top each with 1\/3 to \u00bd cup of the Chickpea Croutons. Garnish with minced fresh basil leaves, a drizzle of olive oil, and freshly\r\nground black pepper.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>“,”foot_note”:”1) The chickpeas will lose their crispness in the soup, so be sure to add them just before you sit down to eat\u2014or you can even add the chickpeas as you eat the soup.\r\n2) If you have leftover chickpeas, make sure they\u2019re cool, then pop them into a baggie or container and throw them in the freezer. Freezing the chickpeas seems to retain their crispness better than leaving them at room temperature. To reheat, simply pop the frozen chickpeas into the oven at 425\u00b0F\u00a0 for 5 minutes or so, until thawed. Voil\u00e0\u2014instant roasted chickpeas!”}
