Creamy Vegan Tomato Soup from Scratch

Now that December has rolled in, the weather has officially turned chilly! And while a good ol' fashioned can of tomato soup is vegan, I wanted to make something healthy, fresh, and without all the preservatives one might find in traditional condensed soups. So here you go: 

Creamy Vegan Tomato Soup

• 4 diced garlic cloves 
• 2 Tbs vegan butter (Earth Balance or in a pinch, Betty Crocker Light)
• 4 medium to large diced tomatoes 
• 1/2 cup raw cashews
• 3/4 cup vegetable broth
• 1/3 cup nutritional yeast
• salt and pepper to taste

Blend your cashews and 1/2 cup broth in a food processor or with your handy dandy immersion blender until smooth, then set aside for later. Saute the garlic in the butter.  Add your diced tomatoes (try to keep as much of the tomato juice as possible during the dicing) and 1/4 cup of remaining broth. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes. Then remove from heat and let cool for about another 10-15 minutes.

Make yourself a Daiya cheddar grilled cheese sandwich in the mean time to go with you soup. Mmm, mmm good!

Blend the tomato mixture with an immersion blender in the pot until smooth. Add 1/3 cup nutritional yeast and pulse a couple times. Lastly, add the cashew/broth mixture and blend until creamy. Season with salt and pepper and pulse a few more times until complete.
I am hoping you know what to do next...