Soak dried mushrooms in 1 ½ cups of veggie broth, set aside.
Soak cashews in hot water, set aside.
Heat some olive oil in a large pot or pan over medium heat. Add onion, garlic & celery & sauté until golden brown.
Add fresh mushrooms and sauté for another few minutes until cooked through and crispy.
Add carrots, soaked mushrooms (including the veggie broth you soaked it in) & an additional 3 cups of vegetable broth. For a thinner soup, add 4 cups of veggie broth.
Adjust with salt and black pepper (depending on how salted your veggie broth is) & add 2 tsp of Italian herbs.
Let simmer uncovered for about 15 minutes.
Drain cashews & put them together with all the other cashew cream ingredients and about ⅓ of the mushroom broth into a blender/food processor and blend until smooth. Add cream to mushroom broth mix (see step-by-step photos or video).
Garnish with parsley and/or fresh thyme and enjoy!
