Soak cashews for 20 minutes, drain and rinse. Puree in blender with 1/2 t sea salt and white pepper with 1 cup water until well blended. You may need to strain cashew mixture and reblend if you have a crappy processor like me.
Soup
Melt earth balance in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, sea salt and fresh ground black pepper. Cook and stir occasionally until the onion is translucent.
Add the beans, tomatoes, broth, pumpkin puree, and cashew cream. Mix until well blended, then simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Puree with stick blender until mostly chunky. I recommend using a stick blender over a regular blender because it will be easier, less messy, and less dangerous. (If you use a regular blender, I recommend cooling the soup for a couple hours first to prevent burning yourself, blend in small batches then bring back to a low boil before adding the beafy crumbles.)
Add beefy crumbles, stir in, and simmer for another 10 minutes. Serve immediately in a soup bowl.