Curried Carrot Squash Soup

Happy 2010, everybody! Sorry for the delay. I realize I've already promised so much... oh the enchiladas, the soups, the cakes! To make up for it, I'm posting it all today so keep your eyes peeled =)

A soup that I've been making quite often lately is my favorite carrot soup... but with a kick. Spiced up with curry powder and combined with squash, this hearty soup is perfect for cold weather. With nothing but vegetables, broth, and milk (if you're feeling luxurious), it's healthy and delicious and INCREDIBLY easy to make. Most of the work is in the prep! I've seen recipes that call for yellow squash over zucchini. Honestly, I don't taste the difference, though yellow squash will probably have a more mellow flavor in the soup. I personally love using a combo of both yellow squash and zucchini, because zucchini leaves nice little specks of green color in your soup when you blend it. It's a beautiful sea of orange and green!

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Curried Carrot and Squash Soup (Serves 8-10)

• 2 TB EVOO
• 5-6 cloves garlic, roughly minced
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 6-7 whole carrots, peeled and thinly sliced (or 4-5 if big sized carrots)
• 3 yellow squash OR 3 zucchini OR 1 yellow squash + 2 zucchini (my favorite!), thinly sliced
• 1-1.5 tsp. curry powder (if you like your soup 'spicy', try 1.-2 tsp., but i prefer a nice kick and not too spicy)
• 1/4-1/2 tsp garam masala (optional - it rounds out the flavors)
• 3 14.5 oz cans of chicken broth
• salt and pepper to taste

This soup recipe is insanely good for you. Squashes have been found to have anti-cancer effects, while carrots are a great source of vitamin A and antioxidants. Overall, caloric estimation is less than 100 calories per serving (bowl size), even with the milk included!

1. Heat oil in a big pot over medium. Add your curry powder and garam masala to the oil and stir to cook for about 30 seconds. You want to heat up your spices so the flavors come out before you add everything else!

2. Add garlic and onions and cook until soft (but they don't need to be fully caramelized as they will continue cooking). About 3-4 minutes.

3. Add carrots and squash. Cook for another 10 minutes until they are soft. Salt and pepper to taste.

4. When all of your vegetables are soft, add chicken brother. Bring to boil and then reduce to a simmer. Cover your pot and simmer for 35-45 minutes, stirring occasionally.

5. Using an immersion blender, puree soup to a consistency of your choice. I personally like little chunks. You can also use a regular blender, but blend in batches and be careful.

6. In my opinion, the soup is already good... but the real kicker is adding 1/2-3/4 cup of milk. I like skimmed milk, but reduced-fat milk or heavy cream are incredibly delicious as well (duh). Add milk to taste, depending on how creamy you want your soup to be.

7. Heat for another few minutes so the milk is fully incorporated.

8. Enjoy!