Seasonal Recipes for Winter Souls

With an intent to eat more local vegetables, here are my top soup recipes:

Sweet Carrot Turmeric Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoons coconut oil

• 1/2 cup chopped onions

• 2 tablespoons chopped turmeric

• 2 tablespoons chopped ginger root

• 4 garlic cloves chopped

• 2 cups veggie broth

• 2 cups water

• 4 Large carrots

• 1/2 teaspoon of salt

• 1 can of coconut milk

• 1 teaspoon garam masala, cumin and cinnamon

• 1/2 teaspoon soy sauce

• 1 teaspoon maple syrup

• pinch of paprika

• garnish with rosemary sprig

Instructions

1. Peel and chop onions, turmeric, ginger and garlic.

2. Chop carrots in 1/2 inch rings.

3. Heat oil in large pot, over medium heat.

4. Add onions, turmeric, and ginger - saute until golden, 3-4 minutes.

5. Add garlic and continue cooking, stir 2-minutes.

6. Add carrots, water and salt.

7. Bring to boil, cover, turn heat down and simmer until carrots are soft and tender, 15-20 minutes.

8. Let it cool, then use your blender to blend in batches until smooth.

9. Place soup back in pot, on low heat add coconut milk, garam masala, soy sauce, and maple. Simmer and stir until coconut milk combined. Taste to adjust.

10. Add paprika.

11. Serve with fresh herbs like a rosemary sprig.

Creamy Pumpkin Coconut Soup

Ingredients:

• 4 tablespoons olive oil

• One 4-pound sugar pie pumpkin

• 1 large yellow onion, chopped

• 4 large or medium garlic cloves, minced

• ½ teaspoon sea salt

• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

• Dash of paprika

• Freshly ground black pepper

• 4 cups (32 ounces) vegetable broth

• ½ cup full fat coconut milk

• 2 tablespoons maple syrup

• ¼ cup pumpkin seeds

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut the pump in half carefully and scoop out the seeds (you will roast these later for 15-minutes.)

2. Slice each pumpkin halve in half to make quarters. Pour 1 tablespoon of olive oil over the flesh of the pumpkin and place the quarters, cut sides down, onto the baking sheet. Roast for 35 minutes or until the orange flesh is easily pierced through with a fork. Set it aside to cool for a few minutes.

3. Heat the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a pot over medium heat. Once the oil is sizzling, add onion, garlic and salt to the skillet. Stir to combine. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is translucent, about 8 to 10 minutes. In the meantime, peel the pumpkin skin off the pumpkins and discard the skin into your compost.

4. Add the pumpkin flesh, cinnamon, paprika (if using), and a few twists of freshly ground black pepper. Use your stirring spoon to break up the pumpkin. Pour in the broth. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 15 minutes, to give the flavors time to meld.

5. While the soup is cooking, toast the pumpkin seeds on a trap with a dash of olive oil and salt. You want them to be nice and toasty, but not burnt. Transfer them into a bowl to cool.

6. Once the pumpkin mixture is done cooking, stir in the coconut milk and maple syrup. Remove the soup from heat and let it cool slightly.

7. Taste and adjust if necessary.

8. Ladle the soup into individual bowls. Sprinkle pumpkin seeds over the soup and serve!

9. Let leftover soup cool completely before transferring it to a proper storage container and refrigerating it for up to 4 days. Or, freeze this soup for up to 3 months.