1. Put the cashews in a bow land cover with water. Soak for 2 hours or overnight. For a quicker soaking method, cover with boiling water for 40 minutes, keeping them covered in water) Then, drain and rinse the cashews. Transfer them to a high speed blender or food processor with ½ cup of water and blend until creamy and smooth. Set the cashew cream to the side.
2. In a large dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Stir in your onion, garlic and a few pinches of salt. Saute until your onions are soft. Stir in your carrots and celery and cook for another few minutes. Stir in the cumin, thyme, and turmeric until combined.
3. Add the diced tomatoes with the juice, lentils, broth, and remaining water (if you like a more liquidy soup) I omit the water sometimes for a thicker stew! Increase the heat a bit to a low boil. Once it starts to boil, bring the heat down to medium and simmer for about 20-30 minutes or until the lentils are tender.
4. Stir in your cashew cream sauce and your collards. Add salt, pepper, and vinegar to taste. Add just a bot of vinegar at a time since it can quickly overwhelm a recipe.
5. Cook for a few more minutes until your collards are wilted, then serve!
Recipe courtesy of Olive & Eve, read the full blog post here.