Vegan Chickpea Carrot and Kale Soup
Okay, so let me start out by saying that this chickpea carrot and kale soup is so creamy that you would literally NEVER believe that it’s vegan. I love when soup season hits and I love me a creamy soup. That being said, sometimes it doesn’t sit great in my stomach if it’s made with super heavy ingredients. The secret here? An amazing sage cashew cream sauce that’s so easy to make and gives us that super creamy soup, but without any dairy!
When it comes to soups I enjoy, I definitely am a hearty soup girl. If my bowl isn’t 75% full of vegetables, meat, noodles, rice – whatever you’re putting in your soup, count me out. This soup definitely doesn’t disappoint in that department. Lots of chickpeas, carrots, and kale mix together to give you a hearty spoonful in each bite.
If you’ve never made a cashew cream sauce before, I’m here to show you how easy it is! You can definitely soak your cashews overnight if that’s what works best for you. If I’m being honest, it’s a challenge for me to think that far ahead, so I prefer my method. The simplest way is to boil water and let your cashews soak while you’re cooking the rest of the soup. I like to use the small attachment with this blender system that I have, but any high-powered blender should work.
My favorite part about this vegan chickpea carrot and kale soup is that it’s easy to multi-task so it doesn’t take too long. While the cashews are soaking, you can chop and prep all of your soup ingredients. While the soup is simmering, you can make the cashew cream sauce. I know not everyone has endless time to spend in the kitchen, so this is the perfect recipe with little down time.
Now a few tips and notes! Depending on the size of the carrot, I either slice them into half moons or quarter the carrot before slicing if it’s really thick. Make sure to de-stem the kale and remove any other hard stems if you don’t buy it already pre-cut. Unsure how much you like sage? I’ll convert you eventually, I promise. I generally use 25 leaves, regardless of size because I love it. If you’re hesitant, err on the side of caution and use closer to 20. No matter what you do, you’ll be blown away by how delicious and creamy this soup is!
Vegan Chickpea Carrot and Kale Soup
Ingredients
Soup
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 4-6 medium carrots (about 4 cups), sliced
- 4 cups chopped kale, packed
- 2 cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 6 cups vegetable broth
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
Sage Cashew Cream
- 1 ½ cups raw cashews, soaked in boiling water
- 20-25 leaves fresh sage, depending on size
- 2 garlic cloves,
- ¾ cup vegetable broth
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
Instructions
- Add cashews to a heat safe dish. Boil about 3 cups of water and pour over cashews until they are completely covered
- While water is boiling, chop garlic, onions, and carrots
- Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a dutch oven or soup pan over medium heat
- Add onions to the pot and saute for 2 minutes, then add garlic and saute for another 20-30 seconds until fragrant
- Add carrots and saute another 2 minutes and add in salt and pepper
- Add drained chickpeas and 6 cups of vegetable broth to the pot, then cover and increase heat to high to bring to a boil
- Once boiled, reduce heat to low or medium/low and let simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the carrots are softened
- While the soup is simmering, drain and rinse your soaked cashews and add them along with all other cashew cream ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth
- Once the carrots are soft enough in the soup, stir in the kale until wilted
- Stir in the cashew cream until fully incorporated
- Taste and adjust salt and pepper to your desire and enjoy!