This vegan avgolemono is made with a creamy, lemony base, rice, chickpeas and veggies. It's so indulgent, comforting, and easy to make!
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 medium carrots, diced
- 2 medium celery stalks, diced
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 7 cups vegetable broth, divided
- 1 cup medium grain white rice (Note 1)
- 1 (15 ounce/425 gram) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- ½ cup raw cashews, soaked in water 4 to 8 hours, drained and rinsed
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- Kala namak, to taste (optional, for eggy flavor - Note 2)
- Pinch turmeric (optional, for yellow color)
- ¼ cup fresh dill, finely chopped
- Salt and pepper, to taste
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Coat the bottom of a large pot with the olive oil and place it over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the carrots, celery, and onion. Sweat the vegetables for about 10 minutes, stirring them occasionally, until they begin to soften.
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Stir in the garlic and cook it with the vegetables for about 1 minute, until it becomes very fragrant.
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Stir in 6 cups of the broth, along with the rice and chickpeas. Raise the heat and bring the broth to a boil, then lower the heat and let the soup simmer, uncovered, until the rice is tender, about 20 minutes. Prepare the cashew cream in the meantime.
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While the soup simmers, prepare the cashew cream by placing the remaining cup of broth into a blender, along with the cashews. Blend until the mixture is smooth.
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When the rice is fully cooked, stir the cashew cream into the soup. Continue simmering the soup for another minute or two, just to heat up the cashew cream that you just added.
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Remove the pot from heat. Stir in the lemon juice, kala namak (if using), turmeric (if using), and dill. Season the soup with salt and pepper to taste.
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Serve.
- You can substitute another variety of rice if preferred, but the simmer time may vary. Brown rice in particular takes much longer to cook. You may also need to add more liquid, as it will reduce more during the long cooking period.
- Kala namak has a very strong flavor, so add it sparingly. Start with about a quarter teaspoon and go from there.