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)

Carrot Coriander Soup

3 Tbsp (freshly) ground coriander
2 Tbsp olive oil*
1 large onion, chopped
6 cloves garlic, crushed*
2 Tbsp marjoram
3 large carrots, chopped
1 small sweet potato, chopped*
8 cups vegetable stock
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
sea salt and cayenne pepper to taste*

Heat the oil in a large soup pot and add the coriander, toasting for a minute until lightly browned and fragrant. Add the onions and cook 5 minutes. Add the garlic and marjoram and cook a minute longer, then add the carrots and sweet potato. Saute for a minute then pour in the vegetable stock (I used 1 vegetable bouillon cube), bringing to a boil. Let simmer until the carrots and sweet potato are soft, about 20 minutes.

Add the chopped fresh cilantro, sea salt and optional cayenne pepper to taste, and puree until silky smooth, either by using a hand blender in the pot or transfering to a blender. Serve garnished with a sprig of cilantro. Serves 4.

KAPHAS reduce oil to 2 tsp, omit sweet potato and add another large carrot
PITTAS reduce garlic to 1 clove and omit cayenne
VATAS add 1 Tbsp fresh grated ginger

2 large or 3 small perfectly ripe avocados
2/3 cup yogurt
3 or more cups broth
1 tbsp fresh coriander
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp fesh lime juice
Pepper or a few drops of Tabasco

GARNISH
Chopped green onions
Fresh chopped coriander
Fresh tomato, peeled, seeded and cubed
Tortilla chips

Cut the avocados in half, remove pits and scoop out the flesh with a tablespoon. Place in a blender, add yogurt, half the broth, coriander, salt and lime juice. Puree until smooth and creamy. Transfer to a pot and blend in remaining stock, or as much as you like for your desired consistency. If serving hot, reheat over very low heat, making sure the soup does not boil. If serving chilled, refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving.

Serve sprinkled with a little garnish in each bowl and place tortilla chips on the table or around each serving bowl. Serves 4.

The soup will keep for 1 day in the refrigerator, but must be covered with plastic wrap that touches the surface of the purée. It can be frozen for up to 3 month. Whisk well once thawed to restore its texture.

It is good for Vata, Avoid pepper, onion and tomatoes for Pitha, For Kapha it is not good