Curried Sweet Potato, Carrot & Squash Soup with Pine Nut Cream

Curried Sweet Potato, Carrot & Squash Soup with Pine Nut Cream

Fall has finally (sort of, as close as we're gonna get) arrived in Southern California, and all we've been eating in this house is SOUP. Call it wishful thinking, call it delicious genius- either way, I've been savoring the leftovers of this particular dish all week long. This fall vegetable-filled soup is packed with flavor; from the cozy curry to the warm, smoky cumin, accented perfectly with the fresh cilantro and a drizzle of earthy pine nut cream, this is one to share with your very favorite people. Plus, with the drizzle of pine nut cream swirled in, its a lovely soup to serve. And with the hearty sweet potato, carrot, and acorn squash combo, you're getting tons of beta carotene and vitamin A in your system- perfect for keeping your skin summer glow-y all year round. Don't have acorn squash? Try butternut! Don't have carrots? Try turnips! This soup is super versatile no matter how you spin it, so let's eat!

INGREDIENTS:
2 tablespoons butter or oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 medium-sized yellow onions, diced
2 cups sliced carrots
2 cup acorn squash, deseeded and cubed
4 cups sweet potatoes, cubed
6 cups vegetable broth
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

3/4 cup pine nuts (pignolias)
3/4 cup water

1/4 cup chopped cilantro, for garnish 

DIRECTIONS:
In a large pot, heat oil or butter on medium heat. Add garlic and onions and cook about 5 minutes, until onions are slightly glassy and softened. Do NOT let the garlic turn brown and burn- it will taste bitter. 
Add in the carrots, squash, and sweet potatoes, and stir to combine. Follow with the vegetable broth, curry, cumin, salt, and pepper. Let simmer on medium heat for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables have become soft enough to poke through with a wooden spoon. 
While soup cooks, combine the pine nuts and water in a high-speed blender until creamy. Set aside.
When soup is ready, let cool a bit, then blend using an immersion blender, or in batches using a high-speed blender. Blend until completely  puréed. At this point, you can mix the pine nut cream into the soup OR serve it in bowls, adding the pine nut cream to each bowl individually (our preference and how we did it in the photos). Sprinkle each serving liberally with cilantro, and enjoy! Makes 10-12 servings. Freezes well, and keeps in the fridge, covered, for about a week. Feel free to half the recipe for a 4-6 serving portion.

print recipe