½cup raw cashews + 1 cup of water (vegan-friendly) OR
½cupdairy pouring cream
Method:
If you're preparing the vegan friendly version, place cashews into a bowl and pour over cold water until the cashews are covered. Leave to soak for 30 minutes.
Peel and slice onion into half moons. Peel and roughly chop garlic.
Wash mushrooms. Slice.
Heat oil in a soup pot over a medium-low heat. Saute onions and garlic for five minutes, or until the onions are soft and clear.
Add mushrooms and saute for another five minutes - the mushrooms should have shrunken in size.
Pour in the vegetable stock. Add a little extra water if needed to cover the mushrooms. Add your sprigs of thyme. Mix altogether.
Bring the soup to a boil and then reduce to a simmer for 15 minutes.
Turn the heat off and let the soup cool. Blend in batches in a food processor, or blend using a stick blender - blend, blend, blend until the soup is perfectly smooth! Return soup back to the soup pot. Season with a few twists of both the salt and pepper shaker.
If making the vegan-friendly version, blend cashews with water until you've created a super smooth cashew cream. Pour into the soup and mix well - you can reserve a little cream if you'd like for a garnish. Otherwise if making the non-vegan friendly, then pour cream into soup and mix well. Taste test and adjust seasoning if needed.