Perfectly sweet, and a tad fiery, this offbeat soup is a great way to kick off a celebratory meal. Roasting the main ingredients instead of using the traditional simmering method deepens the flavour and makes the recipe a touch more hands-off.
Zest for life
When only using the juice from citrus fruits such as oranges and lemons in a recipe, consider zesting them first. The zest can keep in the fridge for several days and be used to punch up everything from salad dressings to baked goods.
Ingredients
2 medium navel oranges
1 1/2 lbs (750 g) carrots, peeled and sliced into 1/2 in (1.25 cm) pieces
1 peeled yellow onion, quartered
4 garlic cloves, peeled
1 Tbsp (15 mL) grapeseed or sunflower oil
1/2 tsp (2 mL) salt
1 in (2.5 cm) piece fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
2 tsp (10 mL) honey
1/2 tsp (2 mL) ground cumin
1/8 tsp (0.5 mL) cayenne
1/4 tsp (1 mL) cinnamon
2 Tbsp (30 mL) extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup (60 mL) toasted pumpkin seeds
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 F (200 C).
Zest oranges and reserve. Slice off remaining skin and white pith from oranges and divide each into halves.
In large bowl, toss oranges, carrots, onion, and garlic with grapeseed or sunflower oil and salt. On rimmed baking sheet, spread out and roast, stirring once, until carrots are softened, about 35 minutes.
In blender or food processor, place roasted vegetables and oranges along with 5 cups (1.25 L) water, orange zest, ginger, honey, cumin, cayenne, and cinnamon; blend until smooth. Do this in 2 batches, if necessary.
Warm soup in saucepan if needed and serve garnished with a drizzle of olive oil and toasted pumpkin seeds.
Each serving contains: 162 calories; 3 g protein; 8 g total fat (1 g sat. fat, 0 g trans fat); 21 g total carbohydrates (12 g sugars, 5 g fibre); 274 mg sodium
