Today was a beautiful Fall day. It was sunny, bright, and the air was crisp and cool. A perfect day for  a nice hot soup! I had some apples left from my apple-picking excursion, so I decided to make this curried carrot apple soup. It is savory, slightly tart,  with a bit of sweetness from the carrots and apples.  I served it with a side of chickpea salad with lemon-tahini dressing. I hope you enjoy!

This recipe makes about 4 bowls of soup. 

You will need:

• About 6 carrots (mine were on the small side)
• 1 large granny smith green apple
• 1 small yellow onion
• curry powder
• 2 cans vegetable broth
• Immersion blender!
• Salt n’ peppa to taste!

Prep:

1. Peel and chop the carrots into small pieces. The easiest way is to cut into sections, halve and dice.

2. Peel, core and chop the green apple.

3. Dice the onion.

Directions:

1. Add 2 tbsps of canola oil in a pot. (I avoid olive oil in any recipe involving curry or indian spices because it changes the flavor.)

2. Once the oil is hot, add the onions and sauté till translucent.

3. Add about 3/4  tsp of curry powder. Any curry powder will do. It is wise to smell the powder first to make sure you are ok with the flavors. A little goes a long way, so better to add less initially, unless you’re feeling risky.

4. Add the chopped carrots and apple to the pot, stir, and sauté for a few minutes.

5. Add 1 can of vegetable broth and reduce to med-high.

6. Allow the veggies to simmer until they are soft.

7. Turn off the flame, add 1 more can of vegetable broth and using an immersion blender, blend the soup until it is smooth, or to the consistency you like.

8. Bring to simmer again and season with salt and pepper.

Serve with a dollop of yogurt/sour cream and some chives.

Chickpea Salad: 

This salad is pretty much a go-to for me. It’s a healthy snack or side dish  to eat anytime.  I switch around the herbs from time to time between cilantro and flat leaf parsley. Today, for the first time, I used dill and added some tahini to make for a mediterranean-inspired salad.

1. Combine 1 can of chickpeas (rinsed), 2 bell peppers of your choice (diced), one persian cucumber (diced), half a red onion (diced), and a couple stalks of celery (diced), 1 Roma tomato (chopped) and some fresh chopped dill.

2. Add in about 1 tbsp of tahini paste, 3-4 tbsp of lemon juice, and a few drizzles of extra virgin olive oil.

3. Add salt an pepper, and combine well.

Bon appétit!