I just love the silky decadence of cream sauces. They remind me of my childhood; creamy potato soups, creamed celery, Alfredo sauce, and cream of mushroom soup. All made with a combination of milk, flour and butter – comfort foods and ingredients many people try to avoid these days.
Being a daily milk drinker as a child, I am naturally attracted to this type of food. Unfortunately, it is not something I tolerate very well. When I stopped drinking milk years ago, during my macrobiotic days, my skin cleared of regular erupting hives. Later, wanting to revisit the savory flavors of my youth, I started drinking raw cow and goat milk, but quickly became congested and developed cold-like symptoms. I can say with confidence that I am not alone in experiencing these symptoms as a result of dairy consumption. With dairy and wheat intolerances seemingly on the rise, not to mention the gluten-free craze, many people are missing out on good old fashioned cream sauces. Well, resist no longer!
Here is a cream sauce that will make you reminisce about the old days and feel like a child again. You may not even recognize the difference. It’s rich, creamy and decadent. Not low in calories and fat, but it contains the good type of fat that our bodies need and can utilize. I am talking about cashew cream. It’s easy to make, full of bone supporting minerals and heart healthy fats, and best of all it is delicious and can be substituted for any recipe calling for cream sauce. Cashew cream can even be used for desserts, such as strawberry cashew cream or cashew whipped cream. I have been experimenting with this lately, cooking for a client that loves creamy flavors but is dairy intolerant. I make her creamed onions, creamy asparagus soup, and cream of mushroom soup.
Here is my super simple recipe for cashew cream:
1 cup raw cashews
3 cups water
Liquify together in a blender.
For cream of mushroom soup; sauté mushrooms, shallots, garlic and parsley in butter or olive oil. Add some sherry and the cashew cream, and simmer. For extra decadence, add a drizzle of truffle oil on top and enjoy the most delightful comfort food of all!
Ingredients
2 ½ baby bella mushrooms, sliced
1 sweet onion, peeled and diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp olive oil
3 cups vegetable broth/stock
1 1/2 cup cashews
1 tsp salt
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried rosemary
1 tsp dried majoram
1-2 tbsp truffle oil
Directions
1. Place cashews in a bowl of water and leave to soak overnight or at least 4 hours.
After cashews are soaked:
2. In a large pot, sauté the mushrooms, onion and garlic in olive oil for 10 minutes, until onions are translucent. (Sprinkle mushrooms with salt)
3. Reduce heat to medium low and add 2 cups of the vegetable broth and dried herbs. Cover and simmer for 40 minutes.
4. Drain and rinse cashews and add them to a blender with half a cup of water. Blend until smooth and creamy.
5. Add the simmered mushroom combination to the cashew cream in the blender. Blend all the ingredients together until smooth.
6. Add in a cup of vegetable broth (or water if the soup is salty to taste) to thin out the soup and the truffle oil. Blend until mixed.
7. Pour soup from blender in bowl. Serve with truffle oil drizzled and thyme sprinkled on top. Enjoy!