It’s hard to believe this gorgeously creamy pink soup contains no milk or cream but thanks to the clever use of coconut milk in the soup and homemade cashew cream drizzled on top, it’s a dairy free delight.

You’ll need: 

For the cumin cashew cream:

150g raw cashews, soaked and drained

1 lime, zested

2 tbsp lime juice

80ml coconut milk or water

1/4 tsp sea salt

1 tsp ground cumin

For the coconut beetroot soup:

3 tbsp coconut oil or olive oil

1 onion, chopped

5 cloves garlic, crushed

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp ground paprika

1/2 tsp sea salt

2 tsp fresh ginger, grated and peeled

250g pack of ready cooked (vacuum pack) beetroot 

235ml full-fat canned coconut milk

705ml vegetable or chicken stock

1 tsp cider vinegar

Chopped parsley & pumpkin seeds to serve

What to do:

1. Place raw cashews in a large bowl and cover them with two inches of water. Allow cashew to soak overnight (or at least 4 hours).

2. Strain water from the cashews and put them into a small blender or food processor. Add the lime zest, lime juice, coconut milk, sea salt and cumin and blend until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to use.

3. Heat the oil in a medium frying pan and gently cook the chopped onion, stirring occasionally until the onion begins to brown and smells fragrant (10-12 minutes). Add the garlic, ginger, cumin, paprika, and salt. Sauté for an additional 3 minutes.

4. Add the sautéed onion/garlic mixture to a blender along with the beetroot, coconut milk, vegetable stock and vinegar. Blend well, until the soup is completely smooth.

5. Pour the soup into a large saucepan and heat until it’s just under a boil. Serve soup with a drizzle of Cumin Cashew Cream, raw pumpkin seeds and freshly chopped parsley.

Credit: www.lovebeetroot.co.uk