Since then, every time I make the soup, I remember that wonderful visit in November with you. Thanks, Mom! (P.S. I also remember that we shared a couple of apples with the horse down the road that day!)
Now, each time I make the soup it is a little different than the one before. For example, today when I made it I used a whole large apple (instead of apple juice) and part of a Hokkaido pumpkin both from our garden, and a smaller onion, carrots, and garlic from the New Leaf grocery store.
Sometimes, I like to allow the onion to brown a little before I add the carrots, for a rich, carmelized flavor. And so, here is what I have written on my recipe card:
HOLIDAY PUMPKIN CARROT ONION SOUP *during Mom's visit 11/3/2000:
1. Saute in large sauce pan, over medium heat:
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 large onion, grated or minced
3 carrots, grated
1 to 3 teaspoons unrefined sesame oil
2. Continue to cook and add:
1/2 cup cooked mashed pumpkin
1 teaspoon unrefined sea salt
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice** (see note below)
dash of cumin
dash of black pepper
3 cups apple juice (or apple sauce) and water
**Note: Ingredients listed in Trader Joe's Non-irradiated, All-Natural "Pumpkin Pie Spice": Cinnamon, Ginger, Lemon Peel, Nutmeg, Cloves, and Cardamom
3. Bring to a boil, then lower heat, and cover. Cook for about 22 minutes longer.
4. Puree in a cuisinart, a blender, or use a hand blender in the pan, and then cook again for a few more minutes. (Add water if needed.)
When I made the soup today, I grated a very large apple from our garden and sauteed it after the onion and the carrots at the beginning. I used a little more pumpkin (about 3/4 cup), and then I used 3 cups of water instead of apple juice. I used only a dash of pumpkin pie spice and a little more of the cumin and pepper. Who knows, maybe next time I'll skip the pumpkin pie spice altogether and use fresh lemon peel from our garden?
Regarding the final step — there's something about pureeing all of the cooked ingredients together that raises the soup up to another, higher level. It makes it more special somehow. And yet, this soup would be equally as delicious, I think, if it were served in its more-chunky state!
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