Vegan Tomato Soup

Ingredients

• 1 medium sweet yellow onion
• 6 tablespoons Earth Balance
• Two 14.5-ounce cans diced tomatoes
• 46-ounce tomato juice
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons vegetable broth powder
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup sherry or white balsamic vinegar, optional
• 1 1/2 cups cashew cream
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
• 1/4 cup chopped watercress

Directions

1. To make cashew cream, soak 1 cup raw cashews in enough water to cover for an hour or longer. Drain, place cashews in a blender or food processor, add ½ – 1 cup water and pulse until blended and creamy.
2. Dice the onion. Melt the Earth Balance in a large enamel-coated cast iron Dutch oven (a large soup pot works too), then sauté until soft and translucent.
3. Add diced tomatoes and tomato juice, sugar, and vegetable broth powder.
4. Top with freshly ground black pepper, increase heat to a near boil, them remove pot from heat.
5. Add the sherry, cashew cream, basil and watercress. Stir until the watercress wilts.
6. Serve the soup with hunks of warm, crusty French or Italian bread spread thickly with Earth Balance!