In this season, nothing soothes the bones and spirit like a good cup of steaming warmth – be it a big bowl of hearty soup, a steaming latte or my favorite, or a tall cup of spiced Chai. Spices and spice blends when combined with other beneficial roots and vegetables ignite the digestive system with good energies and help the body keep up with the changing weather patterns. Spice blends combine the best of many worlds: they bring a balance to little known ingredients and elevate simple preparations to a whole new level of complexity. 

There are several Indian warming drinks that calm the nerves, warm the belly fire and ‘hit-the-spot.' Our favorite go-to soup is Hearty Tomato-Carrot Soup, especially on days I want to have something I can literally throw together with short notice. The base recipe is vegetarian and extremelyhearty. The carrots and tomatoes make it rich in fiber, nutrients and antioxidants.  The best part is that it is versatile enough to suit even your pickiest diner. Try it out and tell me what you think, I would love to hear from you.

Hearty Tomato-Carrot Soup

A fabulous combination of simple supermarket ingredients creates this full bodied soup. Paired with a light salad and slice of bakery bread with herb-butter, it makes a filling meal. Drink up!

Time: 30-40 minutes

Serves: 4 adults

Vegan / Vegetarian / Adaptable / Nut-free

Ingredients

• 1.5 lbs of fresh tomatoes: vine ripened preferred, do not use canned tomatoes
• 2-4 carrots, peeled, diced
• 1 large yellow onion, peeled, quartered
• 1 tspn. each of black pepper, coriander seeds and red pepper flakes
• 2 small cloves of garlic
• 1 small star anise (optional)
• Enough water (or chicken stock) to cover vegetables, about 3 cups.
• Salt to taste
• ‘Fixings’ as desired – see note

Method:

• Blanch and skin the tomatoes, reserving the liquid.
• Boil the remaining ingredients (except the tomatoes) in a large covered pot, until tender, about 10 minutes.
• When vegetables are tender, remove the star anise.
• Add the skinned tomatoes and reserved liquid to this stock.
• Puree using immersion blender until smooth.
• Sieve if desired, salt to taste and return to stove.
• Serve warm.

Fixings:
‘Concoct’ new soups by adding any of these combinations to the finished soup:

• Freshly roasted red peppers (not jar-ed) – garnish with fresh basil,
• Fresh baby spinach, garnish with extra cracked pepper and dash of fresh cream,
• Shredded roasted chicken, garnish with fresh parsley,
• Cooked wild rice, serve with a side of lemon,
• Cooked horse gram or black beans, garnish with sour cream, fresh cilantro,
• Tortellini or Gnocchi of your choice,
• Or cleaned shrimp (allow them to cook before serving), garnish with fresh dill.
• Shredded Colby-Jack Cheese, garnish with fresh Tarragon. Just trust me.