Late Winter Soup.

We're a week into March and I think I'm about ready for a little milder weather.  I'm not a huge fan of the summer but I'm getting awfully tired of traipsing around in 6 layers.  As much as I'd love to dive into fresh fruit and light salads, the snow today and a lingering cold has me hankering for more wintry fare.  This soup is rich in deep winter root flavors without being too heavy and the bright orange color is a welcome treat on such a dreary day.

I like mine on the thick side so its really more of a purée but it can easily be thinned out to taste.  The orange veggies are rich in beta-carotene, which supports eye health and cell growth in the body.  They are also loaded with natural sugars and starches which makes for a sweet and creamy soup without adding any dairy or processed sugars.  Vegetables! Vitamins! Vegan! Whole foods for the win!  I had several already baked sweet potatoes in my fridge, so I just added it in after the other vegetables were cooked, but a raw sweet potato could be added at the beginning just as easily. 

Also, an immersion blender makes this soup so very easy to make.  It can be done in a standard blender, just do it in batches if need be and take the cap out of the middle of the blender lid to let the steam escape, being careful not to burn yourself.  
 

To flavor my soup I mixed in a tiny bit of umeboshi plum paste.  Umeboshi plums are grown mostly in Japan and then packed in salt and shiso leaves until they are cured.  The paste is made by removing the plum pits and puréeing the rest.  It has a very strong flavor, mostly salty with some sweet and tangy in the background.  A little goes a long way, but a smidge mixed into this soup adds a little umami or deep saltiness to the otherwise sweet and basic soup.  Umeboshi is on the expensive side, but it is very concentrated and can last a long time in the refrigerator.  It can be found in Asian food markets and some grocery stores.  I buy it at Fairway here in New York City.  The paste and plums are sometimes used in simple teas and soups to help an upset stomach or a cold.  It is very contractive, in the Macrobiotic sense, balancing expansive foods and conditions, but that's a whole other topic.  In this soup it just adds some flavor that really makes it pop, of course a little salt and pepper can do the same job if umeboshi isn't available.   

Enjoy!

 

Late Winter Soup

Prep time: 15 minutes Cook time: 30 minutes
Serves 2 as a meal or 4 as a starter

1 large, yellow onion, chopped
1 butternut squash, peeled, seeded and diced
1 sweet potato, peeled and diced
3-5 carrots (depending on size) peeled and diced
1" knob of ginger root, peeled and coarsely chopped
water or stock of choice
salt
umeboshi paste, to taste

Place all vegetables and ginger in pot and add water until vegetables are covered half way.  Sprinkle with salt.  Bring to boil, cover and boil gently until vegetables are soft, about 25 minutes.  Purée mixture with immersion blender until desired consistency, adding water or stock if necessary.  Stir in umeboshi paste, 1/2 teaspoon at a time, until desired flavor is reached.  Serve hot.