Citrus Burst Carrot & Butternut Soup

Wait a minute! Didn't I just post an Indian Carrot Soup recipe a few days ago? Yup, guilty as charged. You don't even need to bring the warrant of arrest, just show me the handcuffs and I'll step forward willingly to accept my fate.

But what's a poor blogger to do when she still has a load of carrots left in her freezer? And in the meantime our pantry of freebies has also grown to include butternut, potatoes and sweet potatoes. I swear we don't go begging, these things just find their way into our home. Perhaps because we are so likeable? Or more likely because our benefactors didn't have a clue what to do with the mounds of veggies in their cupboards... And so they passed the buck. (Yes I'm looking at you MIL)

But fear not! Because I bring you Carrot Soup: Round 2. Which also, conveniently, includes butternut. Will there be a round three? Dun-dun-dunnnnnnnnnnnn.

Okay all jokes aside though, this soup was truly phe-no-me-nal. Yes, I know I said that about the last one, but you want the truth? That previous carrot soup is no match for this one. There I said it. I'm sorry Indian Carrot Soup, but you just don't have that x-factor. Okay you might have the x-factor, but this one? It has the x, y and z factors. 

The citrus and especially the complex notes from the preserved lemon* gives a lovely twang to this otherwise rather ordinary rendition of carrot and butternut soup. And the toasted seeds on top? Heavenly bits of crunch. I think all soups should have toasted crunchy bits on top. Don't  you?

* Disclaimer: I might be slightly biased as I'm a recent preserved lemon convert & addict. I have to stop myself from eating it from the jar. True story.

Citrus Burst Carrot & Butternut Soup

Adapted from Running with Tweezers

Serves 6 - 8 as starter

(Serves 4 as main meal)

7 medium carrots, peeled and roughly chopped

1/2 butternut, peeled and roughly chopped

1/2 large onion, roughly chopped

3 garlic cloves (whole)

2 tbsp (30 ml) olive oil

1 tsp (5 ml) salt

3 cups water 

1 tbsp (15 ml) honey

6 tbsp (90 ml) orange juice

6 tbsp (90 ml) lemon juice from jar of preserved lemons*

1/4 preserved lemon, finely chopped*

3 tbsp (45 ml) sesame seeds

1 1/2 tsp (7.5 ml) cumin seeds

finely grated zest from one orange

yoghurt, to serve (optional)

1. Arrange carrots, butternut, onion and garlic cloves in an oven roasting tray. Sprinkle with salt and drizzle with olive oil, then place in oven at 180C to roast for 30 minutes. Vegetables should be soft at this stage.

2. Add all the veggies to a blender, including the garlic which you've squeezed out of it's skins, add a little bit of the water and puree.

3. Spoon the puree into a large enough pot, then add water, honey, orange juice, lemon juice and preserved lemons. Stir, cover and cook for another 10 - 15 minutes over medium heat.

4. Meanwhile, toast the sesame and cumin seeds in a small frying pan over medium-high heat for a few seconds (be careful as they burn easily).

5. Ladle the soup into bowls, drizzling with yoghurt (if using) and sprinkling with the toasted seeds and orange zest. Serve immediately.

* If you don't have a jar of preserved lemons handy, you can replace the juice with an equal quantity of lemon juice, and adjust the salt to taste. The taste, however, won't be quite the same.

Nutritional info (per starter serving): Calories 158.9 , Total fat 6.3 g, Saturated fat g, Polyunsaturated fat 0.9 g, Monounsaturated fat 1.3 g, Cholesterol 6.7 mg, Sodium 880.4 mg, Potassium 652.2 mg, Total carbohydrate 26.8 g, Dietary fiber 6.3 g, Sugars 6.8 g, Protein 2.8 g

Good source of: Vitamin A 327.2 %, Vitamin C 57.8 %, Manganese 23.2 %, Vitamin B-6 16.0 %

Roasted Butternut, Pear and Blue Cheese

Have I mentioned that I love butternut? I adore it in all it's forms - roasted, stuffed, turned into a soup, you name it, I've tried it. In my opinion butternut tends to get a bad rep because of it's high carb content, but really people, these are goooood carbs. Say it with me now: not all carbs are created equal!



That said, I of course have no problem with indulding in the "bad" kind every once in a while... That aside though, this sweet and salty combo really hits the spot. And the fact that it's a nutrition powerhouse? Well that's just the cherry on top!

Roasted Butternut, Pear & Blue Cheese

Adapted from The Noshery

Serves 4 - 6 as main dish (8 as side-dish)

1 large butternut (approx 1.1kg), cubed

2 small red onions, cut into large chunks

3 medium pears, cut into large chunks

1 tbsp grainy mustard

1 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp freshly chopped sage

50g blue cheese

50g trailmix (almonds, pistachios, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, dried cranberries)

1. Arrange butternut, onions and pears in a large ovenproof casserole dish. Add mustard, oil, sage and salt to taste and massage through the vegetables to distribute evenly. Bake at 180C for about 50 minutes, or until the butternut is soft.

2. Crumble blue cheese over the vegetables and return to oven for another 5 minutes to melt the cheese.

3. Serve warm, scattered with the nuts, seeds and dried cranberries.

Nutritional info (per serving as main dish): Calories 270.8, Total fat 10.3 g, Saturated fat 2.7 g, Polyunsaturated fat 0.5 g, Monounsaturated fat 2.9 g, Cholesterol 7.5 mg, Sodium 149.2 mg, Potassium 774.9 mg, Total carbohydrate 42.8 g, Dietary fiber 10.6 g, Sugars 2.3 g, Protein 7.0 g

Good source of: Vitamin A 309.9 %, Vitamin C 62.0 %, Manganese 22.7 %, Magnesium 18.1 %

Lamb, Spinach and Butternut Pilaf

Not a lot of cooking went down this past longweekend. 


First we moved some stuff into storage space, then had a birthday party on Saturday evening, a braai (barbecue for the non-South Africans) on Sunday with friends and yesterday afternoon my parents surprised us with a visit all the way from Durban on the other side of the country. That was a really cool surprise as we haven't seen them since last December when we visited them over the Christmas holidays. They'll be around for the rest of the week, hence I don't know how much posting I'll be doing. 

So here's something I made a while ago. I'm quite pleased with how it came out - the flavours blend into a satisfying and very filling dish. 

Lamb, Spinach and Butternut Pilaf
Adapted from Taste.com.au.

Serves 4 - 6

1 butternut squash, peeled, deseeded and cubed
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 tsp crushed garlic
2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
pinch ground cinnamon
1 tsp garam masala
1 1/2 cups brown rice
2 1/2 cups chicken stock
1 cup frozen peas
300g spinach, cut into smaller pieces
400g lamb, trimmed of fat & cut into strips

1/4 cup cashews
fresh coriander leaves, to serve

1. Preheat oven to 230°C. Place butternut on a baking tray, sprinkle with a little bit of olive oil, salt and pepper and bake for about 15 - 20 minutes, or until tender.

2. Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic. Saute for about 5 - 6 minutes or until onion looks glazed. Add spices and cook for another minute to release the flavours.
3. Add rice and stock to pan. Bring to the boil, then turn heat down low, cover and simmer for about 20 minutes. Add peas, cover and simmer for another 5 minutes or until rice is tender and peas cooked. Lastly add spinach, stir to combine and cover for another minute or two, until spinach is wilted.

4. In a seperate frying pan, heat the remaining oil over medium heat. Season lamb with salt and pepper and cook for a few minutes until done to your liking.
5. Add lamb, butternut and nuts to rice mixture. Stir and taste, adjusting seasoning if necessary. Serve warm, sprinkled with fresh coriander sprigs.

Nutritional info (per serving): Calories 350.8 Total Fat 14.9 g Saturated Fat 3.5 g Polyunsaturated Fat 2.0 g Monounsaturated Fat 8.0 g Cholesterol 59.2 mg Sodium 524.2 mg Potassium 1,176.9 mg Total Carbohydrate 27.6 g Dietary Fiber 5.6 g Sugars 6.0 g Protein 27.6 g

Good source of: Vitamin A 348.5 %, Vitamin C 80.4 %, Manganese 53.1 %, Folate 44.6 %, Niacin 43.9 %, Zinc 37.5 %, Magnesium 34.8 %, Riboflavin 33.2 %, Phosphorus 31.1 %, Iron 31.0 %, Vitamin B12 30.8 %, Vitamin B6 27.7 %, Copper 26.9 %, Thiamin 23.8 %