Autumn Harvest Noodle Soup

The Autumn Harvest Noodle Soup from Kathy Hester's The Easy Vegan Cookbook is a warming, hearty soup filled with root vegetables, mushrooms, and pasta. Flavored with fresh dill and caraway seeds, you will find this to be a very satisfying main course or a complement to a bigger meal.

Autumn Harvest Noodle Soup
Serves 4

Ingredients

• 2-3 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 medium onion, minced (about 1/2 cup)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tsp caraway seeds
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 3 cups sliced mushrooms
• 4 cups water, divided
• 1 medium rutabaga, diced; or turnip or potato
• 2 medium carrots, sliced into half-moons (about 1 cup)
• 8 Brussels sprouts, shredded or halved
• 1 tsp dill weed
• 3/4 cup small pasta such as macaroni or bow ties
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup cashews (soaked overnight or for a few hours)
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup water, as needed

Instructions
Heat the oil over medium heat and saute the onion until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic, caraway, and cumin and saute until the spices are fragrant, about 1 minute.

Add the mushrooms and saute until they begin to release their juices. Add 2 cups water, rutabaga, carrots, Brussels sprouts, and dill. Cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer until the root veggies are tender, about 30 minutes.

Add 2 cups water and the pasta. Simmer until the noodles are tender, about 15 minutes. Add the salt and pepper to taste.

Make vegan sour cream by draining the water from the cashews. Then, add cashews to a blender with the lemon juice and just enough water to keep the blades working. You will need to scrape down the sides several times and blend. Do this until it's smooth.

Serve with a side of vegan sour cream and a sprig of fresh dill.