Wash peppers, quarter and remove seeds. Wash and quarter the tomato. Place all on parchment and roast at 400 for 15-20 minutes til brown and tender. Set aside. No need to peel.
Add onion to stock pot, and stir often. You do NOT need to add oil. Onions will release natural oils when left to do their thing! Trust the process.
As the onions begin to turn clear and the edges are browning, add the chopped carrot and celery to the stock pot. If needed for sticking, add splashes of water or stock at this point.
After the carrots and celery have had 10 minutes to cook and begin to get tender, add the fresh minced garlic and fresh thyme leaves to the pot. Stir frequently.
Add stock (reserve 1/2 cup if using Vitamix for cashew cream) and bring to simmer. Once simmering add the roasted peppers and tomato set aside. Continue to simmer.
If you have a Vitamix or high speed blender, drain cashews, add to blender with reserved stock. Blend on slow for a few min to begin to break down the cashews, then add speed and small amounts of stock or water to create a cream. Add the soup ingredients from the stock pot (careful with the heat) to the Vitamix one ladle at a time and blend until smooth. Add back to the stock pot, simmer and add salt and pepper to taste.
If you have an immersion blender, add the drained cashew directly to the stock pot and blend with immersion blender inside the stock pot, careful with the heat. Continue to blend until smooth and creamy. Add salt and pepper to taste and simmer.
Serve garnished with fresh basil and Fresh Vegan Basil Pesto . Add a delicious grilled sandwich on the side – WE love Grilled Gluten Free Sourdough with Myokos Vegan Mozz and fresh avocado!