This month’s theme for Go Ahead Honey, It’s Gluten-Free! is Seasonal Soup.  We were challenged to look at the seasonal ingredient map and share a soup that we’d enjoy by using foods that are currently in season in our area this time of year.  When you select the state of Tennessee on the seasonal ingredient map, the following prompt appears.  ”The growing season is currently dormant here; opt for items from storage, such as apples, pears, and root vegetables.”

First of all, it’s just not true.  My CSA has provided us with amazing vegetables all winter long.

In fact, just this week, I picked up spinach, arugula, lettuce, kale, cilantro, brassica sprouts, scallions, radishes, sweet potatoes, and parsley.  Secondly, I realize that I’m incredibly fortunate that our CSA farmers have hoop houses that allow them to farm during the winter season.  Thirdly, while I love salad and greens, this time of year I long for creamy soups.  So I turned to the root vegetables to create my seasonal soup submission!

I love sweet potatoes.  They don’t last long in this house.  When we receive them from our CSA they are instantly baked, mashed, or roasted with onions and garlic, which is why there aren’t any pictures of them here!

I love the perfect combination of sweet and spicy, and I think I’ve found it with this Spicy Orange Sweet Potato Soup.  It takes the natural sweetness of the sweet potato and orange and mixes in the spiciness of the Aji Amarillo Peruvian Chili Pepper, ginger, and cinnamon to create sweet and spicy, creamy goodness.

Aji Amarillo Peruvian Chili Peppers

Onions sauteed in olive oil with cinnamon, cloves, orange zest, and garlic

So, go ahead, honey, it’s gluten-free!

Spicy Orange Sweet Potato Soup
by Heather

Ingredients:

• 1 3/4 pounds of sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced in 1-2 inch rings
• 1 small butternut squash, peeled and sliced in 1-2 inch chunks (If you don’t have butternut squash, just add an extra sweet potato.)
• 4 carrots, peeled and cut in thirds
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 1 orange, peeled and cut in eighths (zest half the orange before cutting)
• 2 T. of olive oil
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 4 cups of vegetable broth
or water
• 1-2 dried Aji Amarillo Peruvian Chili Peppers, sliced in half with seeds and stem removed
• 2 inches of fresh ginger root, peeled and minced
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. ground cloves
• zest of ½ orange
• 1 tsp. salt (optional)

Directions:

1. Place cut sweet potatoes, butternut squash, carrots, and orange in a soup pot.  Cover vegetable broth or water and bring to a boil.
2. Wearing gloves, slice the peppers in half, remove the seeds and stem and add to the soup pot.
3. Reduce the temperature to medium-high and lightly boil for 20-30 minutes, or until the veggies are soft.
4. Meanwhile, place 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pan or wok, add garlic and sauté until lightly browned.  Add onions, orange zest, ginger, cinnamon, and ground cloves, stirring frequently.  The smell will be like Christmas Day.
5. When the onions soften, add the mixture to the boiling sweet potatoes.
6. PULL THE AJI PEPPERS OUT OF THE POT! (I intended to blend the peppers with the veggies, but when I tasted how spicy the soup already was, yeowwwweee!)
7. Ladle the contents of the soup pot into a blender or VitaMix in small batches and puree into a creamy soup.
8. Return to the soup pot to keep warm and add salt if desired.

Serves 8

This recipe is linked to:

• Go Ahead Honey, It’s Gluten-Free and Gluten-Free Wednesdays hosted by Linda at The Gluten-Free Homemaker
• Seasonal Sundays hosted by Brittany of Real Sustenance
• Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays hosted by Amy of Simply Sugar and Gluten-Free
• Real Food Weekly hosted by Diane at The WHOLE Gang