This delicious, nutritious, and any-season ‘cream’ soup is wonderful served on its own, or with a salad or sandwich. The carrots, butternut squash and sweet potatoes not only offer their rich orange color, but imbue this flavorful soup with carotenoids which provide benefits for disease prevention and eye health. These antioxidants are best absorbed in the presence of fat, which the coconut milk provides. This slightly sweet and spicy lusciousness can be frozen and enjoyed again and again.
8-10 servings
Heat to medium/high a large soup pan (6-8 quarts). Add the chopped onion and let it ‘weep’ a bit, stirring and adding a few tablespoons of broth to prevent sticking and to de-glaze the pan. Do this a few times until the onions are lightly browned. Add the carrots and mix well. Add a bit of broth and add the ginger, garlic, curry powder, cumin, and smoked paprika. Stir the spices through the other ingredients to lightly toast them, adding a bit of broth to prevent over-browning and sticking.
When the spices are lightly fragrant (1-2 minutes) stir in the butternut squash, sweet potatoes and apples. Add the remaining vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, turn down the heat to a low simmer, cover, and cook for approximately 25-30 minutes, or until the squash, sweet potatoes, and apple are tender. Stir in the coconut milk and coconut water, if using.
Remove the pot from the stove and, cream the soup using an immersion blender, or a blender [after cooling a bit, and doing portions at a time, not over-filling, and leaving an air gap in the top to prevent explosive steam.] Either way, blend to the consistency that you like, either a bit chunky, or silky smooth, as, as I did after the video, using the blender. Return the pot and reheat if necessary.
Taste, add salt (if using) and pepper and adjust seasonings if necessary. Plate, garnish, and ENJOY!
In the photo I dribbled tangy vegan sour cream on the soup and swirled it with a knife. Delicious!
*Vegan Sour Cream recipe: https://nansimonsen.com/dishes/nans-vegan-sour-cream/
