SERVES: 4 | ACTIVE TIME: 15 MIN
INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup raw cashews
- 4 cups chicken bone broth (split into 1 cup, 2 cups, and 1 cup)
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 4 slices bacon (I used turkey bacon–you do you)
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 2 celery stalks, finely diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 Tbsp arrowroot powder
- 3 red potatoes, diced (~2 cups)
- 1 cup clam juice
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1 large sprig of fresh thyme (or 2 tsp dried thyme)
- 3 (6.5 oz) cans of chopped clams, with liquid
- salt and pepper to taste
- Pinch of crushed red peppers
- Fresh chives thinly sliced, for garnish
PREPARATION
- Put 1 cup of raw cashews in a blender and cover with 1 cup of hot chicken broth. Let soak for at least 30 min.
- Cook bacon in a large saucepan (or whatever pot you plan to use for the soup) until crisp then, transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.
- Turkey bacon can be lean, so if no fat remains in the saucepan, then add 1 Tbsp olive oil over medium-high heat.
- Once oil is hot, add the crushed red peppers, diced onion and celery to the saucepan and cook until softened, ~5 min. Add garlic and sauté another ~1 min.
- Sprinkle arrowroot over veggies and stir.
- Pour in 2 cups broth, clam juice, white wine, thyme and potatoes to the saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until potatoes are cooked through and tender (~15 min).
- Remove thyme sprig, if you opted for fresh. If you used dried thyme, there’s nothing to remove.
- Meanwhile, make your cashew cream by blending the cashews and broth together until creamy.
- Once potatoes in the soup are soft, scoop ~1-2 cups of soup into the blender to mix with the cashew cream. Again, blend until creamy.
- Pour cashew cream, clams with their liquid, and plenty of salt & pepper into the pot and stir. Add an extra cup of broth, if desired, to thin.
- Return to a simmer and cook ~5 or until flavors are melded.
- Ladle into serving bowls and top with crunchy bacon bits and chives.
