Gluten Free Cream of Mushroom Soup

• 2 tablespoons salted butter, olive oil, or soy-free butter replacement
• 1/2 pound crimini mushrooms, chopped
• 1 shallot, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 1/8 cup sherry cooking wine (omit for SCD)
• 3 cups vegetable broth, low sodium
• 2 teaspoons sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 3/4 cup cashew cream (recipe to follow)

Directions

1. Sauté the mushrooms, shallot and garlic over medium heat for 10 minutes, until the liquid has mostly evaporated. Pour in the cooking wine, then bring to a boil and wait until it has reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Pour in the vegetable broth, salt, pepper, and thyme. Simmer for 5 minutes then add the cashew cream. Use an immersion blender and pulse a few times to incorporate the cashew cream. If you like your soup less chunky, continue blending until the mushrooms are smooth. Alternatively, add the soup to a blender and blend until desired consistency. Be careful when blending hot liquids, it has the tendency to splatter.
2. To Make the Cashew Cream
3. Soak 1 cup of raw cashews in 3 cups boiling water for 30 minutes. Drain the cashews, but reserve the soaking water. Place the cashews in a blender with 3/4 cup of the soaking water and blend until smooth. It should be a similar thickness of a Greek yogurt. If it's too thick, add a little water at a time to get your desired consistency.