Oh hey, 2014!

How’s week one of the new year going for everyone? We are in hibernation mode here in Ohio, which has given me lots of time to reflect on what to do with my time in the next 12 months (or rather the next 5 months, since new babies have a way of shifting your priorities).

To help me get my head on straight, I have been going through Lara Casey‘s Make It Happen series; it’s a goal-setting series that I absolutely recommend. Especially if you’re like me, AKA you have a huge desire to get your act together for the new year but have no idea where to start. I’ve got a lot of ideas swimming around in this head and Make It Happen has helped me to organize it all. So, yay, new year! And hooray for a new recipe today! Finally got off my duff and picked up my camera.

This soup was inspired by a lovely lunch I had with my friend Jillian (see how awesome she is below) at Wheat Penny here in Dayton. We sampled a little cup of their curried carrot soup to start our meal; it was grand. I love that curry powder gives such a distinct, comforting taste but doesn’t make things too spicy. For my at-home version, I used all the orange veggies we had on hand- carrots, butternut squash and sweet potato. Pumpkin would also work well; you can use what you have in any combination.

This soup works for a whole variety of diets and is almost impossible to mess up. It would be great with some crumbled bacon on top, or even some homemade croutons. You could kick up the spice by adding some thai red curry paste, too.

And beyond tasting good, this soup has great nutritional benefits:

• Healthy, filling fats
• Cold/Flu-fighting onions, garlic and turmeric
• Orange veggies filled with Vitamin A to boost the immune system
• Bone broth; rich in gelatin, vitamins and minerals and anti-inflammatory

A special thanks to my sweet friends Jillian and Megan for making this post happen- they came over to my house today and did all my dishes PLUS cleaned my fridge! It was amazing, and it motivated me to pull out the camera and get this post up. A clean kitchen = no excuses for this lady. Thanks, girls- you are such a blessing to me! I am ready to re-pay you in soup.

5.0 from 3 reviews

Curried Winter Soup with Carrot, Sweet Potato and Butternut Squash

 

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Author: Oven Love

Recipe type: Soup, Main Dish, Appetizer

Serves: 8

Ingredients

• a few tablespoons quality fat (grass-fed butter, ghee, coconut oil, lard, tallow)
• 2 medium onions, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced (optional)
• 2 teaspoons sea salt
• ½-1 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper
• 2 tablespoons curry powder
• 1 tablespoon turmeric (optional)
• 6-8 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 1 large butternut squash; peeled, seeded and chopped
• 1 large sweet potato, peeled and chopped (you can substitute more carrots or squash if you’re on GAPS or avoiding starches)
• 4-6 cups of bone broth (enough to cover the veggies in the pot)
• plain whole milk yogurt, for serving (optional, you can substitute full-fat coconut milk if you’re dairy-free)

Instructions

1. In a large stockpot or dutch oven, melt down the fat. Add the onions and garlic and saute until they begin to soften. Add the spices and let cook a few more minutes.
2. Add the carrots, squash and sweet potato to the pot, followed by the bone broth. Add enough broth to cover all of the vegetables. Bring it all to a boil.
3. Reduce to a simmer and cook until the vegetables are fork-tender, about 20-30 minutes. When the veggies are soft, use an immersion blender to blend the soup until smooth.
4. Serve warm with a generous drizzle of yogurt.

#version#

• I can throw just about any fall vegetable or fruit in the mix.
• It’s perfect finger food for babies!
• Adding allspice to the spice mix gives it that special, savory something.

Roasted and Spiced Autumn Vegetables

 

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Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

45 mins

Total time

1 hour

 

Feel free to substitute any fall produce or root vegetables here- fresh pumpkin, potatoes, parsnips, turnips, onions, etc. You can also switch up the spice mixture- adding ginger, cloves, etc; or substitute 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice.

Author: Oven Love

Recipe type: Side Dish

Serves: 6-8

Ingredients

• 1 small butternut squash; peeled, seeded and chopped
• 1 large sweet potato; peeled and chopped
• 2-3 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 1 large or 2 small apples; peeled, cored and chopped
• 1 large or 2 small pears; peeled, cored and chopped
• extra virgin olive oil, melted butter or melted coconut oil
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon allspice
• ⅛ teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg
• salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. Combine all the chopped vegetables and fruits in a large bowl and toss with a few tablespoons of olive oil, butter or coconut oil. Add the spices and toss. Spread the mixture on a parchment or silicone-mat-lined baking sheet in a single layer. Roast in the oven for 30-45 minutes tossing once or twice. Serve warm.

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