Is this soup based on my favorite ginger-turmeric carrot-orange juice from my local juice bar? Maybe—and I have no regrets about it. I use very small amounts of spices in this recipe to add depth without overpowering any of the sweet carrot or bright orange notes. Depending on how sweet your carrots are, you may need to add a touch of maple syrup at the end to bring out their sweetness, so make sure to taste and adjust to your liking. I always have whole milk on hand, so it’s what I use here to round out the flavor, but you can make it even richer with heavy cream. Or make it vegan by swapping in canned coconut milk, which will alter the flavor but still be delicious!

　　This recipe was excerpted from 'Every Season Is Soup Season' by Shelly Westerhausen Worcel. Buy the full book on Amazon.

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What you’ll need

　　Chevron

　　Chevron

　　Ground Cumin

　　$5 At Amazon

　　Turmeric

　　$9 At Spicewalla

　　5.5 Quart Dutch Oven

　　$420 At Amazon

　　Immersion Blender

　　$60 $55 At Amazon

　　

Ingredients

Serves 4

　　2 Tbsp. olive oil, plus more for serving

　　1½ pound orange carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces

　　1 white onion, diced

　　2 celery stalks, cut into 1-inch pieces

　　5 garlic cloves, minced

　　2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped

　　1 tsp. salt

　　½ tsp. ground cumin

　　¼ tsp. ground coriander

　　¼ tsp. ground turmeric

　　⅛ tsp. cayenne pepper

　　4 cups homemade vegetable broth or store-bought low-sodium vegetable broth

　　1 bay leaf

　　Grated zest and juice of 1 navel orange

　　½ tsp. maple syrup (optional)

　　¼ cup whole milk or heavy cream

　　Freshly ground black pepper

　　Roasted pepitas and chopped fresh cilantro, for serving (optional)

　　

Step 1

In a Dutch oven over medium heat, heat the oil. Add the carrots, onion, and celery and sauté until softened, 7 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger, salt, cumin, coriander, turmeric, and cayenne and sauté until fragrant, 30 seconds.

　　

Step 2

Add the vegetable broth and bay leaf and bring to a boil over high heat. Cover, turn down the heat to low, and simmer until the carrots are tender, about 20 minutes.

　　

Step 3

Remove from the heat, remove the bay leaf, and use an immersion blender to blend until smooth. Whisk in the orange zest, orange juice, maple syrup (if using), and milk. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.

　　

Step 4

Divide among four bowls and drizzle with a little oil. Sprinkle with pepitas and/or cilantro, if desired. Serve warm.

　　Cooks' Note

　　Pressure Cooker: Using the sauté function on your pressure cooker, follow the instructions in step 1 for sautéing the aromatics and spices. Add 3 cups vegetable broth (instead of 4 cups) along with the bay leaf. Pressure cook on high for 7 minutes, then quick release. Let the soup cool slightly, about 3 minutes, or until the steam has subsided substantially. Continue with the recipe from step 3.

　　Do Ahead: Store leftovers refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days. If you want to freeze, don’t add the milk or cream into the portion you are freezing, and freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. 

　　Excerpted from Every Season is Soup Season: 85+ Super-Adaptable Recipes to Batch, Share, Reinvent, and Enjoy by Shelly Westerhausen Worcel © 2023. Published by Chronicle Books. Buy the full book from Amazon or Chronicle Books.