Creamy Wild Mushroom Soup

This soup is pretty amazing. With just some cashew cream, mushrooms, onions, thyme, and a few other ingredients, you can whip up a sensational Creamy Wild Mushroom Soup and I'll tell you how. I found this recipe in the cookbook called Homestyle Vegan by Amber St. Peter.  The only flaw in this recipe was too much salt, which I corrected below. This would be a fantastic soup to serve friends and family--loaded with umami and love.

Creamy Wild Mushroom Soup
Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup raw cashews
• 3/4 cup warm water
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 1/2 lb assorted mushrooms (any kind)
• 1/4 cup cooking sherry
• 3 cups vegetable broth
• 1 1/2 tsp chopped fresh thyme, plus more for garnish
• 1/2 Tbsp plus 1/8 tsp salt, divided (original recipe called for 1 Tbsp, but that is way too much)
• 1 tsp ground pepper

Instructions
In a medium-size bowl, soak the cashews in the warm water. Set them aside to soften.

In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Saute the garlic, onion, and mushrooms until softened and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Pour in the sherry and continue cooking for about 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sherry liquid reduces by about half. Pour in the vegetable broth, fresh thyme, 1/2 tablespoon of salt, and pepper and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes.

While the soup simmers, make the cashew cream by blending the soaked cashews, the water they're soaking in, and the remaining 1/8 tsp salt to create a thick cream. Pour into the simmering soup, and remove the soup from the heat. Using an immersion or high-speed blender, carefully blend the soup in batches or all at once. Garnish with fresh thyme. Serve immediately or keep refrigerated and reheat as needed for up to 1 week.