Sharing one of my favorite fall recipes from the Moosewood Cookbook and restaurant. It all began in 1973 with a focus on healthy, natural food. It is owned and run by a collective, comprising 19 members. This is a special gem of a place and I highly recommend you going if you are in the Ithaca, New York area. (check out the farmers market while you are in town) 

I make this recipe every fall. What I love about this recipe is the option of three different choices of spice mix. Each one creates a completely different soup flavor.

With the colder weather upon us, it is a time for warmer foods. This is an amazingly delicious fall meal, good for the soul and the body! Hope you enjoy! Peace and good eating!

Moosewood's Carrot Soup

Ingredients

• 2 pounds peeled or scrubbed, chopped carrots
• 4 cups stock or water
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 medium potato, chopped (optional, for heartier soup)
• 3-4 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1-2 small cloves crushed garlic
• 1/3 cup chopped cashews or almonds
• 1 cup milk, or 1 cup yogurt or buttermilk plus a little honey, or 1/2 pint heavy cream, or3/4 cup sour cream
• 2 pinches of nutmeg, 1/2 tsp dried mint, dash of cinnamon; or 1 tsp each of thyme, marjoram and basil; or 1 tsp grated ginger

Recipe

Place carrots, liquid and salt (and potato if you are using it) into a medium sized soup pot and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer it for 12-15 minutes. Let it cool to room temp. Saute the onion, garlic and nuts in the butter until the onions are clear. You can sprinkle in a little salt to help draw the moisture out of the onions. Towards the end of cooking, stir in the seasoning combo of your choice. Puree everything together in a blender until smooth, or put the sauteed onions, garlic and nuts into the pot with the cooked carrots and use an immersion blender to puree. This soup will last about a week refrigerated. Add in one of your dairy products right before eating! Garnish with toasted nuts, some toasted bread crumbs or eat just as it is.

Recipe Source: Mollie Katzen, The New Enchanted Broccoli Forrest Cookbook

Photo Credit: Gabriel Gurrola