Carrot Ginger Soup with Cashew Cream

This is another recipe from Rebecca Katz, author, One Bite at a Time, (Celestial Arts, 2004)

I made it exactly as she wrote it out except that I used a hand blender and did the blending right in the pot instead of transferring to a blender. It was so yummy. We are big carrot eaters in our house so I was pretty sure it would be a hit with all of us and it was.



Carrot Ginger Soup with Cashew Cream

Yields 8 to 10 servings

Ingredients

3 pounds carrots (about 16) wash, cut in 1 inch pieces
2 to 2 ½ quarts cold water
1 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups chopped yellow onions
2 teaspoons fresh grated ginger
½ teaspoon curry powder
¼ teaspoon cumin
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon allspice
1/8 teaspoon coriander
1 small pinch of red chili pepper flakes
1/8 teaspoon maple syrup

Cashew Cream Ingredients

1 cup raw cashews
1 cup water
1 ½ tablespoons lemon juice
½ teaspoon sea salt
Pinch of nutmeg

Soup Procedure

In a 6 to 8 quart pot add carrots and water. Cover and bring to boil over medium high heat, add 1 teaspoon of salt, decrease heat to medium low. Cook until carrots are very tender, about 20 minutes. Drain, reserve cooking liquid and carrots in two bowls.

In the same pot heat olive oil over medium heat, add onions with a pinch of salt, sauté until they are golden. Add in ginger, curry, cumin, cinnamon, allspice, coriander, and red chili pepper flakes, stir to combine. Deglaze the pan with one cup of carrot cooking liquid. Return carrots to pan, mix well to coat with onions and spices.

In a blender, puree mixture in batches adding cooking liquid first and then the carrots, blend until very smooth. Remember not to fill the blender more than 2/3 full! Add additional liquid to reach desired thickness. Return to pot, add maple syrup, and reheat slowly.

Think FASS and taste. Does it need a squeeze of lemon or a pinch or two of salt or a drizzle of maple syrup to round out the flavor?

Cashew Cream

Grind cashews in a mini food processor or nut grinder first. Some blenders are not powerful enough to turn nuts into cream so we give it a head start. If you have a Vita-mix skip this step.

Put water in the blender; add ground cashews, lemon juice, salt and nutmeg. Blend until very very smooth, about 3 minutes. Drizzle a teaspoon of cashew cream on top of each bowl before serving.

Copy write Rebecca Katz, 2004.

GFCF Mexican Soup with Dried Tomatoes

I made this wonderful soup the other night - it was so tasty and a great way to use things I had canned and dried from my garden this year. It was a little too spicy for Andy so the kiddos may not like it - but it's a great soup for the adults. Next time I might add a little less cumin and see if Andy likes it then. If you aren't dairy free - this would be really good with some shredded cheese in it.



Mexican Soup with Dried Tomatoes
6 cups broth (I used turkey broth I had made with the turkey bones after Thanksgiving, but chicken or veggie broth would work just fine)
1 cup salsa (I used my home canned but I am sure store bought would work fine)
3/4 cup dried tomatoes, sliced in long strips
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 cups corn (frozen, canned or fresh will all work)
1 tablespoon lime or lemon juice

Combine all ingredients, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for at least 10 minutes.

Andy's Birthday

Sorry - I've been a little behind and I never updated you with the final result of Andy's birthday cake. I did go with the Chocolate Zuchinni Cake and the kids all ate it really good. If you don't tell them there there is veggies in it, they'll never know!

As you can see, it turned out great. And yes, that is me over on the right.