Recipe for pumpkin/carrot/ginger soup
Bright orange, creamy, rich, pungent, this is a superbly warming soup for cold weather, and one of my most requested recipes.
One large, or two small butternut squashes, or a kabocha pumpkin, with stem cut away, seeds saved separately and toasted on a tray in an oven or toaster-oven (they pop!), and the rest cut into chunks about 3 inches across.
Four large carrots, or an equivalent amount of smaller ones, peeled and cut into 1 inch sections
Two large or three smaller yellow onions, peeled and quartered
A ginger root, about the same size as a large carrot, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch sections
Ten garlic cloves, peeled and cut in half
Steam all of the vegetables in a steamer basket in a large pot over a quart of pure or purified water, until soft enough that a fork easily pierces all of them. Let the vegetables cool until you can handle the chunks of pumpkin or squash. Spoon these out of their shells into a food processor bowl. Add the other vegetables and the cooking water. Blend until silky smooth. You’ll probably have to do this step in three or four small batches, depending on the capacity of the food processor. Collect all of the batches in one large bowl and stir in 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar, and 3 tablespoons of organic tamari soy sauce. Stir until completely homogenized.
Serve immediately, or store in a refrigerated airtight container and gently reheat before serving. Garnish, if you like, with fresh cilantro leaves and popped pumpkin seeds.
Alicia Bay Laurel 