3 Soups to warm you up this Winter

Grounding root vegetables, heavy winter squash and generous use of warming spices and herbs ensure that these 3 soups deliver comfort in a bowl. The perfect antidote for the cold winter months of early winter (Vata Season).

Sweet Potato Bisque: [Serves 4]

Warm, grounding, and spicy comfort in a bowl

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 tablespoons sunflower oil (organic high heat)
• 1/2 diced onions
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
• 3 medium sweet potatoes, cut into approximately 1-inch cubes
• 3-3 1/2 cups water or broth (organic)
• 3/4 cup milk (dairy-free such as almond or oat milk)
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh sage
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme
• Walnuts, chopped
• Salt

Directions:

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.

Add the diced onions and stir well (you may have to lower the heat a bit to prevent burning). Next, add the garlic and ginger and continue to stir. Add the herbs and the spices and stir for a few seconds. Finally, add the sweet potato and stir well. Allow to cook for approximately 5 minutes, stirring often.

When the sweet potatoes have softened a bit, add enough water or broth to cover the sweet potatoes, stir well, and turn the heat up. When the water or broth begins to slowly boil, reduce the heat to simmer and cover. Allow to cook for approximately 20 to 25 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes have softened.

When the sweet potatoes are cooked through, blend all the ingredients together using an immersion blender or transfer to a regular blender. If using a regular blender, return the soup to the original saucepan. Reduce the heat to low, add milk and stir well. Add salt to taste just before turning off the stove.

Top with chopped walnuts.

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup: [Serves 4]

Spiced coconut milk combined with the sweet and buttery smooth texture of roasted butternut squash makes for a delicious soup.

Ingredients:

• 3–4 cups butternut squash, cubed
• 1 cup onion, chopped
• 1 medium apple, chopped (Fuji is a good choice)
• 1–2 cloves garlic
• 2–3 teaspoons ginger, chopped
• 2 1/2–3 cups water
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 2–3 tablespoons sunflower or grapeseed oil
• Spice mixture (see below)
• Salt to taste

Spice Mixture Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• Pinch of cayenne

Reserve half of above spice mixture to coat the butternut squash.

Optional Garnish:

• 10–12 toasted hazelnuts
• 4–6 sage leaves, sautéed/pan fried in coconut oil

Directions:

In a bowl, coat the butternut squash with oil and spice mixture.

Transfer to a baking sheet/pan that has been coated with oil. Loosely cover with foil. Roast in oven at 375 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove foil and roast for another 15–20 minutes, until tender.

Over medium heat, add oil to a stockpot. Sauté onions until golden brown (8–10 minutes).

Add the garlic and ginger; stir and sauté for 1–2 minutes. Add the remaining spice mixture and apples, stirring for another 2–3 minutes

Add water, stir, and let the mixture come to a slow boil. Turn the heat down, add the butternut squash, stir, and let simmer for 3-4 minutes.

Add salt and stir. Cover the pot and turn off the stove. Let it sit for 10–15 minutes.

Pureé the soup in a blender until smooth.

Return soup to stockpot and add the coconut milk. Over a low flame, simmer the soup for 3–4 minutes.

Serve soup with toasted hazelnuts and pan-fried sage leaves, if desired. 

Sweet Potato, aduki beans, red quinoa & kale soup: [Serves 4]

A hearty one-pot soup chockful of spicy nourishing goodness

• 2 medium-sized sweet potatoes, peeled (optional) and diced (1” pieces)
• 1 medium size carrot, chopped
• cup aduki (azuki) beans, soaked overnight and cooked – Bob’s Red Mill brand – see notes on cooking beans
• ¼ cup red quinoa, rinsed well
• 2 cups kale, chopped
• medium red onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 tbsp. fresh ginger, chopped
• 2 tbsp. sunflower oil
• Garnish – chopped parsley
• Salt to taste

Ground spices

• 1 tsp. each turmeric, cinnamon, coriander, nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp. each cayenne and paprika

Cooking the beans

Rinse the beans well and soak overnight. When ready to cook, rinse them again. Cook with 3-4 cups water and the following spices – ½ tsp. turmeric and ½ tsp. ginger powder (or add ½ tbsp. of sliced fresh ginger). Cooking the beans with these spices improves the digestibility of the beans. The beans will cook in approximately 1 hr. The cooking broth can be used as a base for the soup. Alternatively, cook the beans in a pressure cooker with 1 ½ cups water and the spices. Beans should be well cooked, i.e. very tender and almost mushy, for easy digest-ability.

Sauté the garlic, ginger, and onion in the sunflower oil over medium heat until onions are translucent.
Add the spices and stir for a few seconds until fragrant.

Add the sweet potatoes and stir for a couple of minutes

Cover and cook on medium for approximately 10 minutes, stirring every couple of minutes

Add the carrots and the quinoa; Stir, cover and let cook for a couple of minutes

Add 3-4 cups of water/broth; Cover and cook on medium heat for 25-30 minutes until the vegetables and quinoa are tender

Stir in the cooked beans

Add the kale and cook for 4-5 minutes

Add salt to taste. Turn the stove off

Garnish with parsley before serving

Note – You can make this soup in a slow cooker as well; add the Kale at the end. Also, use kidney beans or any other lentil/ legumes if aduki beans are not available; Pressed for time ? – use canned kidney beans (organic, non BPA lined can) – drain after rinsing well under running water at least a couple of times.

The information in this article is intended for informational and educational use only; It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health providers with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition and before undertaking any diet, foods, supplements, fitness, or other health programs.