There is a pizza shop in Portland called Dove Vivi, which has one of the most delicious pizzas I have ever had. The crust is made with cornmeal, making it dense and chewy. It has a bell pepper and cashew cream, and is topped with corn, house-smoked tomatoes, and chives. The whole combination is simply magical! We decided to try and replicate the flavors in a soup. It didn’t end up looking all that great, but the flavors were actually very similar. We didn’t have any chives, so we just used some other herbs which worked quite well. As for the crust, we made the cornbread biscuits from “Vegan Brunch”. If you take a bite of the biscuit and then a spoonful of the soup, it is almost like you’re at Dove Vivi eating a slice of that delicious pizza! You can do steps one and two the day before if you want.
Ingredients:
-3 red bell peppers, sliced with seeds/ribs removed
-olive oil
-1 c cashews
-1 tsp each dried thyme, basil, and oregano
-1 large onion, diced
-4 cloves garlic, minced (more if you like)
-1 28 oz can of diced tomatoes
-2 cans corn kernels
-4 c veggie broth
-1 tsp liquid smoke
-salt and pepper to taste
Procedure:
1. Toss red bell peppers in olive oil to coat. Arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes, or until soft and darkened. Set aside to cool.
2. In a food processor, thoroughly blend the peppers, cashews, and herbs. If the mixture is a little dry, you can add a bit of water. It should be a thick paste. Set aside.
3. Saute onions until soft and caramelized over medium heat in a little olive oil. Add garlic and sauté for about a minute more.
4. Add the tomatoes, corn, broth, liquid smoke, and the cashew mixture. Cook until everything is nice and hot. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with corn biscuits or corn bread.