Cozy Roasted Tomato Soup (vegan)

Recipe from Yeoung Man Cooking  
Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

The recipe may seem long, but this heavenly, special-occasion soup is quite easy to make. 

Step One: Make the cashew cream. (This recipe makes more cream than you’ll need for the soup, but you can use the cream for other dishes.)
1½ cups raw unsalted cashews 
1½ cups water 

Blend the cashews and water together in a high powered blender for about 30 seconds (if you do not have a high powered blender, soak the cashews in water overnight) Set the cashew cream aside, no need to wash out the blender. 

Step Two: Make the roasted tomato soup.
1 bulb garlic 
2 red onions, divided 
1 red bell pepper 
7 Roma tomatoes 
2 lbs. cherry tomatoes 
2 Tablespoons avocado oil or olive oil
Kosher or Pink Himalayan Salt
Freshly ground pepper, to taste 
A few sprigs of fresh thyme 
1 sprig of fresh rosemary 
3 Tablespoons chili oil 
1 Tablespoon tomato paste 
1 Tablespoon sweet paprika 
1 Tablespoon maple syrup 
1 Tablespoon balsamic glaze 
80g  or 1 cups cooked red beet (a small beet or half of a large one) I used the Instant Pot to steam beets.
A handful of fresh basil 
2 cups vegetable broth

Preheat the oven to 400F. Crush and peel the bulb of garlic and spread the whole cloves onto a baking tray. Chop 1 red onion in half, then into quarters, and add to the baking tray. Dice the other red onion and set aside for later. Chop the red bell pepper into roughly the same size as the red onion and add to the baking tray. Slice the Roma tomatoes in half, then into quarters, and add to the baking tray. Add the (whole) cherry tomatoes onto the baking tray. Drizzle over about 2 Tablespoons of avocado or olive oil. Season with a generous pinch of salt and pepper to taste. Add the thyme and rosemary and mix to coat. Bury the thyme and rosemary underneath the veggies to prevent them from burning. Place the baking tray in the oven and bake for 1 hour or until the veggies are slightly charred. About 10 minutes before the veggies are done roasting, prepare the rest of the ingredients. Heat up a stock pot to medium heat. Add the chili oil followed by the red onions. Sauté for a few minutes. Add the tomato paste, sweet paprika, 2 teaspoons salt, the maple syrup, and the balsamic glaze. Stir and cook for about 1 minute. Add the cooked beet and stir. When the veggies are done roasting, set some aside for garnish. Remove the leaves from the herbs and discard the branches. Then, carefully transfer the veggies into the pot. Add a handful of fresh basil (save a little for garnish) and give the pot a good stir. Add the vegetable stock, stir, and bring to a boil. Carefully transfer the soup to the blender. (You may have to do this in batches depending on the size of your blender.) Blend on high until completely smooth, then transfer back into the pot. Add 1/3 cup of cashew cream and stir.  Keep the soup warm while you prepare the Garlic Toasts. 

Step Three: Make the Garlic Toast: Lay slices of whole-grain bread or sliced baguette on a cookie sheet.  Drizzle with a bit of olive oil.  Place the cookie sheet under the broiler.  Broil the bread until it’s toasty brown. Take the cookie sheet out of the oven and rub the raw garlic over the surface of the toast. Sprinkle with kosher salt (or sea salt) and freshly ground black pepper.  Flip the toast over to the other side and repeat the process.

Step Four: Plate the soup and garnish with some roasted veggies, fresh basil, fresh cracked pepper, and a drizzle of cashew cream.  You can also drizzle with a bit of pesto.