Carrot and Sweet Potato Soup with Ginger
This is a hearty thick soup – a perfect start to a meal whether in the summer or when it's cold outside.
Ingredients
- ½ cup chopped raw, unsalted almonds or cashews
- 3 tbsp butter
- 1½ cups chopped onion
- 2 tbsp grated fresh ginger
- ½ tsp cumin
- ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground fennel seeds
- ¼ tsp ground allspice
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- 2 lbs carrots, peeled and cut into ½" chunks (10-12 medium carrots)
- 1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into ½" chunks (about 1 pound)
- 4 cups vegetable stock
- 1 tbsp fresh squeezed orange juice
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 dash cayenne pepper
- fresh ground black pepper to taste
- plain yogurt or sour cream and chives for garnish optional
Instructions
Toast the nuts
- In a dry, heavy cast iron skillet, over high heat until they start to brown. 3-5 minutes. Watch closely to prevent them from burning. Immediately transfer to a dish to cool.
Mix spices
- In a small bowl, mix the ginger, cumin, cinnamon, fennel, allspice, and nutmeg. Set aside.
In a large pot over medium high heat
- Melt the butter. Add onion and cook, stirring frequently for about 8 minutes. Add spice mixture. Continue to stir for one more minute.
- Add carrots, sweet potatoes, and vegetable stock. Stir to combine. Partially cover the pot, reduce the heat to medium, and bring to a simmer. Cook until the carrots and potatoes are tender. About 20 minutes.
- Add toasted nuts.
Puree
- Use an immersion blender to process the soup into a smooth puree. Alternately, transfer the soup in batches to a blender (such as a Vitamix – make sure you take the plug out of the lid and hold a kitchen towel over the hole to avoid the blender getting too hot). If it seems too thick, add water a little at a time.
- Once it's pureed and all the soup is back in the pot, add the orange juice and salt and fresh ground black pepper and/or dash of cayenne to taste.
Gently heat soup over medium heat
- Stir frequently until hot.
- Ladle soup into individual bowls. Add a dollop of plain yogurt or sour cream and garnish with chives, if desired. Serve immediately.
- This soup freezes well.
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