Carrot Apple Soup

1 cup sliced shallots
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp ground ginger or 2 tsp fresh grated
1 tsp curry powder
1 tsp dried thyme or 1 Tbsp fresh chopped
1/4 cup olive oil (I prefer 1/8 ghee + 1/8 olive oil)
1 cup chopped potato or squash
1 1/2 lb carrots, peeled and chopped (about 6 large carrots)
2 cups salt-free vegetable broth
1 cup apple cider
1 1/2 cups water
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted
lemon

Cook shallots, bay leaf, ginger, curry powder, and thyme in oil in a heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until shallots are softened lightly browned, 6 to 8 minutes.

Add carrots and potato or squash to the pot, then add broth, cider, water, salt, and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until carrots are tender, around 30 minutes. Discard bay leaf. Puree soup in 2 batches in a blender, or using a wand-style blender, until silky smooth. Add more water or apple cider if you'd like to achieve a thinner soup. Serve with a squeeze of lemon and sprinkled with almonds. Serves 3 to 4.

NOTE: This is a very smooth soup, but if you like more texture, reserve some of the chopped carrots before blending the soup, and fry some extra shallots or onion in olive oil, and stir into the blended soup or dollop overtop (as seen in the photo above). To make it a larger meal, serve with bread, tomatoes and avocadoes, or a slice of frittata.

VATAS choose squash or sweet potato
PITTAS use fresh ginger; replace thyme with basil or parsley
KAPHAS reduce oil to 1 Tbsp; choose potato; replace almonds with toasted seeds (sunflower or pumpkin)