Squash, Carrot & Ginger Soup (Hot or Cold)

Bunches of Carrots

by Cat, Mar 2013  (photo, right from Wikimedia Commons

Ever since I was a toddler, I’ve loved carrots, especially when freshly pulled from the garden and rinsed. Of course, as a toddler, I didn’t wait for the rinsing – I ate them dirt, greens and all. I love carrots in cooked in soups, stews, with roasted meats, or with peas. I love them raw in salads or as crudite. Heck, I just love carrots.

Some people think carrot greens are toxic but that is not necessarily true. The Carrot Museum (UK) (1) discusses this issue and lists many ways in which carrot greens are used medicinally, as well as some interesting carrot recipes: tea, soups, salads, pesto, & gumbo. See also my article: Carrots (About) that discusses this issue.

See also: 1. Soups menu; 2. Root Vegetables (About); 3. Creamy, Chilled, Raw Carrot Soup; 4. Carrots (About); 5. Herbs & Spices: “Ginger”

Squash, Carrot & Ginger Soup

This recipe is adapted from All Recipes.com (2), with additional ideas from Fine Cooking.com (3, 4), and  Whipped the blog.com (5). Serves 4. This recipe can be served hot or cold.

I make this as my ‘liquitarian’ soup that begins the WEC Juice Fast (see testing, below). The first time I made this, I summed up the flavor: “Background of heat and foreground of sweet.”

Makes 4 servings; half recipe version also included

Ingredients & Equipment:

• For 4-servings
• ½ medium butternut squash
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion or 2 shallots, diced
• 1 pound carrots
• ½ rib celery
• 3 cloves garlic
• one 2” piece fresh ginger
• 4 cups filtered water, chicken stock or vegetable broth
• unrefined sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 1 pinch ground spice: cinnamon, coriander, curry powder and/or turmeric
• 2-serving version (half-recipe)
• ¼ medium butternut  or acorn squash
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• ½ onion or 1 shallot, diced
• 8 0z carrots
• ¼ rib celery
• 1 – 2 cloves garlic
• one 1” piece fresh ginger
• 2 cups filtered water, chicken stock or vegetable broth
• unrefined sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 1 pinch ground spice: cinnamon, coriander, curry powder and/or turmeric
• Optional garnish:
• 2 – 4 Tbsp heavy cream, sour cream or plain unsweetened yogurt
• snipped fresh carrot greens (see Carrots, About for more about these greens)
• snipped fresh chives or green onion
• Equipment:
  

  Immersion Blender

• baking sheet or shallow casserole dish
• large saucepan or soup pot, with lid
• blender or immersion blender (image right, from Wikimedia Commons)

Method:

1. Cook squash: preheat oven to 350°F. Cut squash in half. Scoop out seeds and place cut-sides down onto greased baking sheet or shallow casserole dish. Bake 30 – 40 minutes, or until soft. Remove from oven and let cool enough to handle. Then scoop out flesh from one half and set aside. Reserve other half for another use.
2. Meanwhile, do prep: Dice onion or thinly slice shallots & place in bowl; mince garlic, sprinkle with ¼ tsp salt, and crush with side of knife blade, and add to onions.
3. Scrub and dice the carrots, mince celery, peel ginger and slice thinly; place these in separate bowl.
4. Cook: Heat oil in saucepan over medium heat. Add onion/shallot and garlic; cook, stirring, until onion is translucent. Add water/stock/broth and cooked squash, with carrots and ginger. Bring to a boil, then simmer until carrots and ginger are tender, about 20 minutes. Add spice mix, stir to combine and continue to simmer a couple minutes more.
5. Puree in blender in batches, or with an immersion blender, adding boiling water as needed to thin. however, this is meant to be thick and creamy.
6. Reheat (optional): Return soup to pan and reheat. Season to taste with salt, pepper and additional spices as needed.
7. Optional: Serve hot or cold, with dollops of cream, sour cream, or yogurt.

Testing 3/15/13: I start the juice fast tomorrow, so I made this as my ‘liquitarian soup” at the end of the prefast. Normally, that is served cold and raw, but I wanted to try this recipe. Made half-recipe, with 1/2 small acorn squash, and half chicken broth/half water. Seasoned with cinnamon and turmeric. Otherwise, as written. Did not add garnish, and served warm (not hot). This is very easy to make and it is delicious! I made it thick – didn’t add water to thin the puree. Background of heat and foreground of sweet.

 References:

1. The Carrot Museum: carrotmuseum.co.uk/carrotops.html
2. All Recipes.com, Carrot-Ginger soup: allrecipes.com/recipe/carrot-and-ginger-soup/
3. Fine Cooking.com, Carrot-Ginger soup: finecooking.com/recipes/carrot-ginger-soup.aspx
4. Fine Cooking.com, Roasted Carrot Soup: finecooking.com/recipes/roasted-carrot-soup.aspx
5. Whipped the blog, Simple Carrot-Ginger Soup:  whippedtheblog.com/2009/12/01/simple-carrot-ginger-soup/ Whipped
6. Mercola & Lucy Lock: Raw Carrot Soup: articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2007/08/20/what-s-up-doc-a-soup-that-even-bugs-bunny-would-love.aspx