orange october soups
This is the new moon that heralds autumn. It is time to nourish, go inside, ground down, and fill the freezer with soup.
Make these bright, beautiful sunny soups all at once, freeze portions, and enjoy during the month of October. Be well.
SWEET POTATO SOUP
You will need:
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 large sweet potatoes
1 large onion, loosely diced
2 garlic cloves, smashed
1-inch knob of fresh ginger, chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves (optional)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
3 cups chicken or vegetable broth
Salt and pepper to taste
Avocado slices drizzled with lime juice for garnish
Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat in a large, deep pan.
Add onion and cook for 5 minutes on medium heat until onion is clear and soft.
Add diced sweet potatoes. Saute for 7-8 minutes or until ingredients turn golden brown.
Reduce heat to low, add garlic, and cook 10 more minutes, until vegetables are a caramel color.
In a separate soup pot, add 1 tablespoon oil, ginger, and the spices. Saute 5 minutes on medium heat, until the spices are fragrant.
Add broth/water and vegetables to soup pot. Add tahini.
Blend in a blender. Bring to a low boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes, partially covered, until the sweet potatoes are tender.
Puree in a blender or mash with a potato masher.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
Garnish with avocado and lime.
PEANUT SOUP
You will need:
Sesame or olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 large carrots, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 inch fresh ginger root, minced
1 teaspoon each: salt, black pepper, turmeric, cumin powder, coriander powder
1/2 teaspoon each: fenugreek seeds (or powdered fenugreek) and cinnamon
pinch cayenne if desired
1/4 cup peanut butter (you can substitute almond or cashew butter if you like)
3 1/2 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth
2 cups stewed tomatoes
1 cup chicken or tempeh, sautéed in:
2 tablespoons sesame or olive oil
1 teaspoon Tamari (i.e. wheat-free soy sauce)
chopped fresh cilantro for garnish
Sauté onion on low heat for 10 minutes, until browned. Add carrots, garlic and ginger. Add spices and sauté on low heat for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add nut butter and stir to dissolve.
Add broth and tomatoes. Bring to a boil, reduce to summer and cook about 30 minutes on medium-low heat.
Prepare chicken or tofu.
Add to soup pot.
Mince cilantro and mix into soup.
Serve hot with rice and lime wedges.
PUMPKIN CASHEW SOUP
You will need:
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 can full fat, organic coconut milk (8 oz.)
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 inch fresh ginger root, chopped
2 cups pie pumpkin, peeled and diced
1/2 cup roasted cashew nuts
4 cups vegetable or chicken stock
a pinch each: ground nutmeg, ground cinnamon, ground coriander
freshly ground black pepper
Heat coconut oil in a large stock pot.
Add onion and sauté for a few minutes, until softened. Add garlic, ginger, pumpkin and cashew nuts. Save some nuts for garnish if desired. Cook gently for 2 minutes.
Add the stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, add coconut milk and simmer to 20 minutes, until pumpkin is tender.
Place into a blender or use an immersion blender and process until smooth.
Serve with a garnish of cashews if you like.
