POTATO and CAULIFLOWER BISQUE

SERVES 8 TO 10

Back in the 1990s, when I was running restaurants in New Hampshire, I relied heavily on salt, fat, and sugar to make soups taste good. Sometimes, a 3- to 5-gallon bisque would include nearly a gallon of heavy cream and more than a pound of butter. I didn’t know any better! Now I use ingredients that nourish the body in addition to stimulating the taste buds. This bisque gets most of its creaminess from simmered and pureed cashews, cauliflower, and potatoes. I wrote the recipe for a big batch, but you could cut it in half if you want to make less. —DEREK

1½ cups raw cashews

1 large onion, diced

4 stalks celery, trimmed and rough diced

¼ cup garlic cloves (8 to 12 cloves), rough chopped

3 quarts (12 cups) Vegetable Stock (here) or store-bought

1 head cauliflower, rinsed, trimmed, and rough chopped

2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and rough chopped

2 bay leaves

2 teaspoons granulated onion

2 teaspoons sea salt

1 teaspoon finely ground black pepper

½ teaspoon finely ground white pepper, or more black pepper

2 cups unsweetened soy milk

1 tablespoon fresh picked thyme leaves, plus some sprigs for garnish

Soak the cashews overnight in water to cover. Drain and rinse.

Heat a large stockpot over medium heat, then add the onion, celery, and garlic—no oil needed here. Sweat the veg for a few minutes until they soften, adding a splash of stock as needed to prevent sticking. You want to cook the veg but keep them from browning so the finished soup stays nice and white.

Add the cashews, cauliflower, potatoes, bay leaves, granulated onion, salt, black pepper, white pepper, and half of the stock (6 cups) to the pot. Bring the soup to a vigorous simmer over medium heat, then simmer for 10 minutes. Cut the heat to medium low and simmer gently until the flavors blend, another 30 minutes, stirring now and then.

Remove the bay leaves, then transfer a batch of the mixture to a blender (preferably high-speed). Remove the center lid to allow steam to escape, and then cover the small hole with a folded paper towel and blend until wicked smooth, 2 to 3 minutes, adding more stock if necessary. The mixture should be thick at this point but still puree-able. Transfer to a large bowl. Repeat to blend all the soup. When the soup is silky smooth, return the blended batches to the stockpot.

Stir in the soy milk for added creaminess, then stir in the thyme leaves. Taste the soup, adding salt and pepper if you think it needs it. Keep warm over the lowest possible heat.

Ladle into soup bowls and garnish with thyme sprigs.